Exploring Eureka Springs Wineries

Wine lovers staying at our Sugar Ridge Resort will be pleased to know that two popular, Eureka Springs wineries are close nearby: Keels Creek Winery and Railway Winery. Both are less than a half-hour from our Beaver Lake cabins and suites and offer an excellent pairing for a day of tasting.

There’s nothing quite as relaxing as a getaway to the Ozarks on the shores of Beaver Lake. Our guests enjoy expansive lake views, outdoor adventure, stunning sunsets, wildlife, and a comfortable proximity to Eureka Springs; not too close, yet not too far.

Many of our guests spend at least one day soaking in the sights and sounds of Eureka Springs during their stay. And why not? The historic city offers many of the area’s most popular enticements: shopping, dining, art, history, tours, theater, music, a full calendar of festivals – and wineries.

Eureka Springs Wineries

Did you know that the Ozarks have their own wine-growing region. It’s true! In fact, the Ozark Mountain AVA is one of the largest in the United States. It covers some 3.5 million acres and includes parts of northern Arkansas, southern Missouri, and a small part of eastern Oklahoma. Of course, a vintner may use grapes from a variety of sources but having a neighborhood viticultural area usually means better and more unique wines.

Add an extra level of fun to your trip with a visit to one or both Eureka Springs wineries. Each provides the perfect combination of scenic vineyard landscapes, award-winning wines, and local charm. Further, both have their own, unique style, creating an unforgettable tasting experience.

Keels Creek Winery: A Refined Tasting Journey

Keels Creek Winery, a boutique vineyard just outside of Eureka Springs, offers a distinctive wine experience with a focus on Ozark Mountain-grown grapes. Their wines, particularly the Chambourcin and Norton, highlight the rich flavors of the region. The cozy, Spanish-style tasting room doubles as an art gallery, showcasing local artists and creating a cultural experience for visitors.

Knowledgeable staff guide guests through tastings, providing insights into the winemaking process and sharing stories behind each bottle. A walk around the vineyard and a stop on the patio for a glass of wine make this a peaceful and enriching visit.

Keels Creek Winery is located at 3183 E Van Buren in Eureka Springs, less than 30 minutes from Sugar Ridge Resort.

Railway Winery: A Laid-Back Experience

Railway Winery presents a relaxed, rustic experience in a beautiful woodland setting, just off the historic Rock Island Railway. This small family-owned winery and tasting room combines the region’s rich history with a laid-back tasting atmosphere. Railway is known for its diverse selection of wines and small-batch fruit wines. The winery also produces meads and hard ciders, providing an exciting range for every palate.

The tasting room offers an intimate setting, perfect for leisurely sampling the winery’s distinct wines. They also have Arkansas craft beers on tap and cocktails crafted from spirits distilled next door at Butler Creek Distilling.

Railway Winery often hosts live music and events, encouraging guests to linger and enjoy the peaceful Ozark surroundings. With its eclectic charm and warm hospitality, Railway Winery adds a fun, creative touch to the tasting experience.

Visit Railway Winery at 4937 Hwy 187 in Eureka Springs. This is just over ten minutes from our Beaver Lake cabins and only 20 minutes from Keels Creek.

A Eureka Springs Wineries Day Trip

These two Eureka Springs wineries offer an excellent pairing for a fun day of wine tasting. Keels Creek provides a sophisticated start to the day, while Railway Winery adds a casual, adventurous twist. Both reflect the character of the Ozarks and showcase the unique potential of locally sourced ingredients.

In between or after your tastings, Eureka Springs offers a heady collection of unique restaurants, shops, and attractions to discover.

Finish your tasting-day off with a stop by The Stone House at 89 S Main Street. This popular venue offers is the ideal spot to relax. Sample from their vast selection of local and international wines, craft beers, and impressive array of cheeses, meats, and other delights. The knowledgeable staff is happy to recommend pairings, and the bar’s cozy, rustic, ambiance invites you to linger and reflect. A gourmet experience that’s just right for winding down.

Combining Keels Creek’s elegance, Railway’s rustic vibe, and The Stone House’s relaxing ambiance makes for a perfect day trip in Eureka Springs. Each stop showcases the area’s unique take on winemaking, hospitality, and artisanal food to create a truly unforgettable experience.

What are you hoping to do or see during your Beaver Lake getaway? Let us know and we’ll help point you in the right direction!

Here Comes War Eagle Craft Fair 2024!

The weather is cooling and the foliage is beginning to change, which means it’s almost time for War Eagle Craft Fair 2024! This popular annual fall tradition attracts artisans, craftsmen, and visitors from all across the country. This year’s fair, scheduled for October 17-20, 2024, marks the event’s 70th annual return and promises to be as captivating as ever.

There are numerous reasons to visit the Eureka Springs area in autumn, including fall foliage, fun festivals, and fewer folks. The annual War Eagle Craft Fair is a big part of the attraction and has been since 1954.

The annual War Eagle Craft Fair is really three craft fairs folded into one. There’s the War Eagle Mill Fall Arts and Crafts Fair, The Sharps’ Show, and War Eagle Fair. The four-day event features more than 300 artisans and draws an estimated 130,000 people, with annual sales exceeding $1 million.

The setting at the historic War Eagle Mill adds to the fair’s charm. The mill, with its iconic red structure and waterwheel, serves as a stunning backdrop. Located on the banks of the War Eagle River, the event provides a unique opportunity to enjoy fine craftsmanship, natural beauty, and the vibrant energy of a time-honored tradition. The peaceful War Eagle River and fall colors make it an ideal spot for a day of browsing and enjoying the crisp autumn air.

Best of all, the Mill is less than an hour’s scenic drive from our Beaver Lake cabins and suites. Enjoy a day of perusing all the fine offerings at the Craft Fair, knowing it’s just a short drive back to your accommodations at Sugar Ridge Resort.

War Eagle Craft Fair 2024

This year’s fair is scheduled for October 17th through the 20th, 2024. Historic War Eagle Mill, site of the craft fair, is located at 11045 War Eagle Road in Rogers, AR.

Over 250 vendors will showcase their handmade goods at the fair, everything from jewelry and pottery to woodwork and textiles. Whether you’re looking for a unique gift, home décor, or wearable art, the fair offers something for everyone. Both seasoned artisans and fresh creators display their talents here, ensuring a diverse mix of items to explore.

Food lovers will find plenty to enjoy as well. You can snack on kettle corn, funnel cakes, and smoked meats. Fresh apple cider is a must-try, and the mill’s restaurant serves hearty meals made with locally ground flour. Don’t forget to pick up some flour as a souvenir of your visit.

The War Eagle Craft Fair captures the spirit of fall in the Ozarks. The combination of handmade crafts, local food, and natural beauty makes it an unforgettable experience. Whether you’re a regular or a first-time visitor, this year’s fair promises to deliver a perfect autumn weekend.

Visit the craft fair website for more information. You can also follow the fair on Facebook.

The Great Passion Play 2024 Season

The Great Passion Play, Eureka Springs AR

Eureka Springs’ Great Passion Play theater and theme park opened in 1968 and has only become more famous with every passing year. The attraction is home to the towering Christ of the Ozarks monument, tours of the “Holy Land,” and a 4,000 seat outdoor amphitheater presenting stunning reenactments of “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”

The Eureka Springs area is home to many standout attractions. For Christians, however, few can compete with The Great Passion Play. This amazing, Christian theme park was the brainchild of Gerald L. K. Smith. Smith, a conservative politician, retired to Eureka Springs in the 1960’s. Of course, his idea of retirement was a much more active pursuit than most!

Smith’s passion for spreading the word of the gospel was mighty. He proved this with his first big project: the seven story Christ of the Ozarks on the peak of Magnetic Mountain. Not content to stop there, Smith began formulating plans for the Passion Play park during the statue’s construction.

Best of all, the park is only a half hour’s drive from the Beaver Lake cabins and suites of Sugar Ridge Resort!

Attractions at the Park

The Great Passion Play theme park offers a great number of Christian-themed attractions. The most famous is The Great Passion Play itself: an hour-and-forty-five minute reenactment of Christ’s last week of mortal life. This thrilling epic drama is staged on a highly detailed, multi-level set featuring special effects, live animals, and a cast of 170 actors. All before a massive, a 4,000 seat outdoor amphitheater. Performances occur several times a week each month, May to October, with special performances around Easter and Christmas.

Beyond the live performances of The Passion Play are many family-friendly, theme park attractions. Popular experiences like the Holy Land Tour, where you can experience scenes and meet characters from biblical history first-hand. Visit the Bible Museum to see more than 6,000 different Bibles in 625 languages.

The Sacred Arts Center is home to more than 1,000 works of art, some of them going all of the way back to the ninth century! There are also special presentations to attend, a biblical marketplace to browse, and dining in The Great Hall Buffet.

Those looking to stretch their legs will enjoy the 18 miles of mountain biking, hiking, and trail running trails, designed for . One trail even leads to the Christ of the Ozarks monument, though you can also reach it by car. The 67 foot tall monument is especially striking at night, fully lit beneath a twinkling canopy of stars.

2024 Performances at The Great Passion Play

The Passion Play’s 2024 season runs from Memorial Day Weekend through November 2nd, 2024. Performances are on Tuesday, Fridays, and Saturdays in June, July, and the first two Tuesdays of August. September and October performances are on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, with special performances on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend Sundays.

The Passion Play theme park and most attractions are open 9am to 5pm year-round, except Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas. The Christ of the Ozarks and the park’s trails are open 365 days a year, from sunrise to an hour after sunset.

Visit the park website for more details. You can also find the park on Facebook.

Spend as much time as you like at the park, knowing it’s just a short and scenic drive back to the comforts of your Beaver Lake cabin or suite at Sugar Ridge Resort.

Don’t Miss War Eagle Craft Fair 2022!

War Eagle Craft Fair 2022 at War Eagle Mill

Whether your a fan of hand crafted goods, looking to do some early holiday shopping, or just want to spend a fun out and about, War Eagle Craft Fair is for you. The four-day event is Arkansas’ single largest arts and crafts show with over 300 artisans in attendance. October 13th through the 16th, 2022.

There’s never a bad time to visit the Beaver Lake/Eureka Springs area but autumn may be one of the best. Cooler temps, smaller crowds, and all the stunning fall foliage colors. Add to that the number of fun, end-of-season events. Harvest festivals, Oktberfest, and the mother of all craft shows, the War Eagle Craft Fair.

The event is held the 3rd weekend of October, every year, and considered one of the very best craft shows in the country. Attending artisans undergo strict screenings to ensure that their offerings meet the high standards of the enduring Ozark tradition. You’ll find no third rate kitsch and imported gew-gaws at this craft fair!

War Eagle Craft Fair 2022

Visitors to the fair will see handmade arts and crafts of all kinds. Wood carvings, stoneware, paintings, fiber arts, jewelry, blown glass, and much more.

With three shows and 300+ vendors to peruse, you’re going to be here a good while. You may want to take along some snacks or even a picnic lunch – but you don’t have to. War Eagle Mill is also home to the Bean Palace Café, offering reasonably priced, full country breakfasts and lunch specials. Perfect!

Other amenities include parking assistants, permanent restrooms, and a free Fairbook listing all the exhibitors. All this plus you’re on a historic farm, rimmed by the beautiful Ozarks.

This year’s fair is scheduled for October 13th through the 16th, 2022. Historic War Eagle Mill, site of the craft fair, is located at 11045 War Eagle Road in Rogers, AR. This is less than an hour from our Beaver Lake cabins and suites. Spend the day perusing all the fine offerings at the Craft Fair, then a scenic drive back to your cabin at Sugar Ridge Resort.

Once you’re back, feel free to share your purchases with us, if you like. Each year, a few guests do a “show and tell” after the fair. We inevitably see something that has us running down to the fair, ourselves. What fun!