Women from across central Arkansas gathered Feb. 23 for “Love, Luck and Mahjong,” a Galentine’s themed event that blended competitive tile play with pink florals, themed cocktails and friendship.
Hosted by Popular on Markham in partnership with Conway Tile, a local Mahjong group, the event ran from 6:30 p.m.to 10:30 p.m., offering guests food, drinks and mahjong kits for those who did not bring their own.
Players were divided into beginner and advanced groups to give everyone a fair playing field.
Event coordinator and owner of Popular on Markham, Candace Wilson, said the evening was designed to give women a dedicated space to celebrate friendship.
“I love anything that celebrates women and gives them a night away for them to be able to hang out with their friends and enjoy each other,” Wilson said.
The venue was decorated in shades of pink with Valentine’s themed accents and fresh flowers. Southern Lit Mobile Bar provided specialty drinks while food was supplied by Jill McCollum Catering.
Wilson said the turnout exceeded expectations.
“We had a huge turnout that we weren’t expecting. We still had people asking to come today when the event actually closed on Saturday. So the response has been amazing,” she said. “I think everybody is having a good time. There’s been great food and drinks and learning along the way.”
Mahjong, a tile-based game that originated in China, has grown in popularity across the United States in recent years, particularly among women.
At Monday’s event, beginners were given the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of Mahjong, while more experienced players competed in advanced rounds.
“The learners are trying to learn,” Wilson said. “It’s a hard game to play but they are doing a great job.”
In addition to the gameplay, the event featured a local vendor, Three Poppies, a downtown flower and gift show.
The boutique sold jewelry, clothes and mahjong accessories, including tiles and themed items tailored to the growing interest in the game.
Owner of Three Poppies, Kimberly Paladino, said her friendship with Wilson and the store’s inventory made participating in the event a natural fit.
“Candance is a dear friend of mine and when she told me she was doing this event, we actually carry mahjong accessories and the game itself. So that’s what brought us to it,” she said.
Paladino expressed her love for watching a community of women come together to unite under one common interest.
“It’s just fun to get out here and see all the women get out into the community and open up a boutique inside of an event like this,” she said.
She added that the surge in interest around Mahjong had been especially noticeable in Arkansas.
“Mahjong has been coming around for the last couple of years but it’s really hit Arkansas and Conway especially in the last year or so,” Paladino said.
Throughout the evening, the clatter of the tiles filled the room as players from different backgrounds shared tables.
“It has been really fun and it’s really neat to see this many women come together and start a new activity like mahjong,” Paladino said. “It’s really neat to see all the groups come together. These are people coming from different friend groups and different ways of life and they’re just all playing together. We’ve got learners in the back and a community up here of masters or veterans. It’s just so neat to see them all come together and play a fun game.”
Wilson said she hopes to make Mahjong nights such as this one, a recurring event.
“I would love to host this type of event even monthly or bi-monthly,” she said. “I enjoy getting to do stuff like this and giving something where women can plan to be together. Once you reach a certain age and you’ve got kids and we’re all busy, it’s nice to be able to have that on your calendar and know you’re going to get a night away.”
