BENTON — The Saline County Courthouse as an enchanted castle?
That must have been in the mind of many young princesses as they paraded around the tower and big doorways of the historic 111-year-old building in horse-drawn carriages during the during Saturday’s Cinderella in the City event.
This was the second year for the huge princess party, sponsored by the Downtown Benton Merchants Association.
“The event was created last year in connection with the performance of Cinderella at the Royal Theatre, and it was such a success at bringing people into downtown Benton, we wanted to make it an annual celebration,” said Lisa Baldwin, event coordinator.
The event again drew hundreds of little princesses and their parents, and a few little princes came along as well.
Traffic slowed around downtown for the most popular event of the celebration. Three horse-drawn carriages carried the princesses and their entourage of parents or grandparents from Market Street in front of Benton’s First United Methodist Church to West South, Main and Sevier streets. Long lines of girls and their families stood on the church lawn to take their turn around the “castle.”
Decked out in all kinds of princess attire - including long regal dresses, tutus, crowns and Snow White costumes - the girls waved to their subjects along the carriage route as the Saturday hustle and bustle of business went on around them.
Around the corner in the church’s Christian Life Center, a tea party was being held in the princesses’ honor.
“We had lemonade and animal crackers for our guests,” Baldwin said. “While the party was going on, the girls could get the royal treatment with glitter hair spray and get their nails done.”
She said the event was for all little girls who wanted to feel like a princess.
“My daughter is 9, and she said she wanted to come to the party but that she wasn’t dressing like a princess,” Baldwin said.
If the event’s purpose was to bring people into town, it seemed to be working. James Barnard of Cabot brought his daughter, 4-year-old Princess Brooklyn, to the event.
Along with the tea party, Cinderella and Prince Charming, both dressed for the ball with the help from costumes from the Royal Players, were in attendance. Little princesses could have their pictures made with the couple for a fee.
Laken Norton brought his daughter Princess Dakota Norton, 6, and son, young Prince Benjamin Norton, 2, to the party. They sat with their friends, Princess Chole Cadzow, 3, and Princess Kira Cadzow, 6.
“We wanted to get the girls together and bring them to have some fun,” Linda said. “It was something to do.”
Across the street from the embarkation point for the carriage rides and the tea-party activities, the Benton Farmers Market was the beneficiary of the Cinderella crowd as patrons shopped with their princesses for products that included, of course, peas.
“We come downtown to the farmers market every week to shop together,” said Linda Hill, grandmother to Princess Micahla French. “When we saw what was going on, we went back, and she changed into her dress, and we came back for the party.”
The Cinderella celebration was a success for the little girls and for the businesses in downtown Benton, said Kevin Malone of Paradise Pets on Market Street. Malone is also president of the merchants association.
“We were hoping for 1,000people, and I am sure we had more than that during the three hours of the event,” he said.
He said the businesses downtown saw increased foot traffic and many new customers come into their stores.
“We still hear people say, ‘We didn’t know all this was here in downtown Benton,’” Malone said.
“That is why we do these events, to let people know we are here.”
Staff writer Wayne Bryan can be reached at (501) 244-4460 or wbryan@arkansasonline.com.
Tri-Lakes, Pages 55 on 06/21/2012