by James Coulter
Most people love to wine and dine on New Year’s Eve. However, residents and visitors to Bartow were able to wine and dine well into the new year with the Sip & Sparkle Wine Walk last Friday.
The Sip & Sparkle Wine Walk allowed attendees to peruse local eateries and shops in Downtown Bartow to sample delectable wine and delicious appetizers.
From chicken salad at Sweet Magnolias to hummus and veggies at Indigo Moon to special cotton candy glitter bombs at Rafa Natural, attendees were able to try a little bit of anything and everything while checking out local downtown businesses.
“So far, it has been amazing,” said Sandy Harbin with Sweet Magnolias. “I have been here nine years, and [I love seeing new] people on the street. We love meeting new people who have never been in our shop.”
Kim Hancock of Rafa Natural participated last year during the summer wine walk, and she wanted to participate again in the January wine walk. She loves seeing old and new customers drop by her shop.
“It is incredible, so much fun,” she said. “The last wine walk was just so much fun. We were super excited to participate with our customers, and we were also excited that one of our friends, Wild Child Sugar Company, did the glitter bombs pairing.”
Linda Holcomb, president of Main Street Bartow, was excited that this event sold out with more than 350 tickets, which was greater than the ticket sales at last year’s event, and with an entire waiting list that evening.
“We love getting to see everybody out and about enjoying the downtown and laughing and having a good time,” she said. “We love the community that comes out to support some of the businesses and do what they can to make the event successful.”
Main Street Bartow will be hosting its monthly First Friday this Friday with a special emphasis on pets. Next month, they will also host its annual SyFy Bartow convention on Sat. Feb 17.
For more information about upcoming events, visit their website at: https://mainstreetbartowfl.com/
