By Mark Scott, executive director of Market MontGOmery Chamber & Tourism • Market MontGOmery Chamber & Tourism is raffling five amazing prizes on Sept. 25, including a hand-blown glass pumpkin made by the artisans at STARworks and valued at $700.
There will also be three pontoon boat rentals courtesy of Lilly’s Bridge Marina. General manager John Shaw and the folks at the marina – located on the “lakeside” of Mt. Gilead – are wonderful to work with, providing Leadership Montgomery classes with a boat tour, chamber members with a fall foliage boat ride, and they’re putting on a fishing tournament at the Ten Days of Uwharrie Festival.
And the Eldorado Outpost is providing a personally guided off-road experience through the Uwharrie National Forest, including lunch, for the raffle. Chris Cagle will arrange a date that works for the winner and spend several hours taking them on a breathtaking ride on many of the 17 miles of off-road trails. (When I was first hired here, Chris offered to take my son and me on such a ride one day. By the time we finished, you couldn’t wipe the smiles off of our faces.)
Raffle tickets are available at the Speckled Paw, Eldorado Outpost and Uwharrie Mercantile; cost is one for $5 or five for $20. The glass pumpkin will be moved from place to place during September for viewing; and yes, it will be on display at the Paw. Stay tuned. All proceeds will go to marketing area businesses and organizations.
And this is a good time to remind you that Thursday, Sept. 13, is the first Hot Glass Cold Beer event of the season at STARworks, where you can see the workers up close make a beautiful glass art piece while one of the artisans gives a blow-by-blow description of the process. A food truck and beverages will be onsite.