Dazzle Daze has largest event yet

Shoppers had a large number of vendors to choose from Thursday night at the first day of Dazzle Daze.

Co-chairs Shelia Whitmore and Kathy Wyrick said there were 80 vendors, making this year’s event the largest ever. Dazzle Daze is a fundraiser of the Conway Regional Women’s Council. Proceeds will benefit the Cancer Hematology Outpatient Center at the hospital.

Wyrick said, “Shelia and I are so proud of the Dazzle Daze committee, our volunteers and the marketing staff at Conway Regional. There’s no way we’d be able to pull this off without them.”

Among the vendors on hand was Melinda Beaty who owns A Woman’s Wish List in Little Rock. She carries women’s gifts and accessories. Her booth featured monogrammed items such as Christmas tree ornaments and umbrellas and Christmas-themed cheese plates with spreaders.

She said of Dazzle Daze, “I love it. It’s really grown and gotten better every year. The Conway Medical Center is great to work with.”

Rami Salsaa is the owner of O Little Town of Bethlehem. He sells items carved out of olive wood by Christians who live in the holy land. Salsaa is from Bethlehem and spends part of the year in the U.S. His father and oldest brother are carvers, he said.

“We try to support them by selling this here. Christians are a shrinking minority (in the area),” he said. 

Most Christians in Israel live in Bethlehem, he added.

He carries Nativity sets, crosses, Christmas ornaments, holy families, angels, candle sticks and boxes.

Sandra Starkey and Linda McDaniel of Conway were shopping together Thursday night. It was McDaniel’s first time at Dazzle Daze.

“I’m excited,” McDaniel said. “(There is) a lot more than I thought it was going to be.”

Starkey commented, “I think everyone from Conway and Little Rock and Morrilton is here, and probably Greenbrier.”

Tiffany Johnston of Cabot, owner of Little Ladybug, and Christen Byrd, owner of Baby Birds, shared a booth. Johnston makes tutus, hair accessories and embroidered bags. Byrd makes custom children’s prints and diaper bag tags that she sells at babybirds.etsy.com.

Gerritt Whittaker of Little Rock, owner of Mrs. Polka Dot, makes monogrammed items with hand-cut and sewn letters. Everything is custom-made for each customer, she said.

Mary Hart and her mother Kathy Elliott, both of Conway, were shopping at Dazzle Daze for the first time.

“It’s amazing,” Elliott said.

“I didn’t know all this could fit in here,” Hart said. “I like the music, too. I think the music is exceptional. It puts us in the spirit.”

Nancy McGraw of Just For Pearls was back for her second year with pearls she purchases in China. They come in a variety of colors and are hand-knotted in China. She said she was well-received at Dazzle Daze last year, adding there was a lot of interest in China because of the Olympics.

Pat Guajardo and Gloria Birdsley, both of Greers Ferry, and Chelo Pettit of North Little Rock, were making their way through the crowd.

“We love it,” Pettit said of Dazzle Daze.

Guajardo said, “There’s lots of Christmas; pretty things this year.”

(Staff writer Rachel Parker Dickerson can be reached by e-mail at rachel.dickerson@thecabin.net or by phone at 505-1277. Send us your news at www.thecabin.net/submit)