By “eating the elephant one bite at a time” the five-year owner of Picklesgap Village, Kathy Brown, was able to build a flourishing and welcoming community where love, shopping and good coffee grows.
From a four-year-old coffee shop known as “Doc’s Coffee & Creamery,” named after the family dog, to a large boutique loaded with clothing and accessories of all kinds, a cozy bookstore with used-novels of every genre, and more; there’s something for everyone at this little village.
October 11 though was something a little different for Picklesgap.
Tucked away in an unassuming part of town sits the cozy village that hosted its annual Fall Fest through the fun of games, candy and community.
Regular Saturday foot traffic imploded as couples, friends and families shopped and sipped but there was an unique autumnal magic in the air.
Time seemed to slow down as kids’ laughter floated through the air, leaves crunched under customers shoes and shopping bags rustled in the wind.
Buckets of free candy were scattered around on the ground and games like bean bag toss and horseshoes could be seen all over the main pavement area sandwiched between the shops and Doc’s.
“The Fall Festival is really just about our little people, the kids. Doc’s and the village love our littlest of customers. It’s a family friendly place and we’ve got lots of family customers,” Kathy Brown, Picklegap Village owner said.
Brown and her husband Bill Brown bought the Village in 2020 and have since then been renovating and building it from the ground up.
“It takes a lot of caffeine to resurrect a derelict village from the dead,” Brown said.
The Fall Fest displayed a lively atmosphere where fall decor hung and people gathered.
A loyal customer who had “been here since the beginning,” Brown said could be seen talking with the owners and their family.
“Each day I just wake up and take a bite of the elephant, then another bite and another. And now five years later my kids have grown up and all have projects within the Village,” Brown said.
The Brown’s daughter, Emmy Brown who is a Sophomore at UCA, helped set this event up and works as coffee shop manager amongst the caffeine craze inside Doc’s Coffee and Creamery.
Emmy Brown expressed the joy an event like this takes as well as the effort that comes along with working at the Village.
Even though Picklesgap Village has been around since 1966, its revival was brought by the Brown’s hard work and dedication by making it feel like walking onto a Hallmark movie set.
“I’m in the business of feeling and that’s why our motto is, Doc says feel good, because people really just want to go somewhere that makes them feel good,” Brown said.
This event was not only a disconnect from the craziness and busyness of the real world, but allowed event goers a way to connect with nature by celebrating the spooky and cozy season we’re in.
“A bit of food and drink are things that make people smile and in a quaint little village, I don’t know there’s something about it. There’s just something about this town. It feels like you’re somewhere else entirely,” Brown continued.
But you’re right on the highway in Conway, Arkansas, which makes this place and this event all the better, you feel transported.
The Fall Fest offered people a place to slow down while also getting out into their community.
Picklesgap Village is hosting their next event on October 17 and 18 where their second Author’s Fest will take place.
Check out their instagram @picklesgapvillage to stay in the know of their future events and what’s going on at the Village.
