FORT SMITH — Downtown Fort Smith businesses are coming together Sunday to support Bricktown Brewery after it caught on fire Thursday morning.
AJ’s Oyster House is hosting a benefit from 2-8 p.m. at 115 N. 10th St. that will include a silent auction, buffet-style food offerings and live music. All proceeds from the event will go to Bricktown employees, according to a post on AJ’s Facebook page.
As for the building, Fort Smith Assistant Fire Chief Darrell Clark said it is not a complete loss — the cause of the fire is unknown due to the damage caused. He said the department left the scene around 4 p.m. Thursday and turned the building back over to the property owners after a walking through the structure with them.
Destiney Cameron, the general manager at AJ’s Oyster House, said AJ’s wanted to help anyway the business could.
“To be another downtown business, we hate to see something like that happen to them,” Cameron said when asked why AJ’s organized the event.
She said the business received an outpouring of engagement from businesses “all over the River Valley” on its social media post about the benefit. She said more than 60 donations to the silent auction — from individuals and businesses — have been made.
Businesses that will be part of the event, as of press time Thursday are: Harvest Moon, Belle Starr Antiques, Kelsi Jo Photography and Jetty Price Artwork.
Fort Smith Riverfront Blues Society will be hosting a concert at the event as well, featuring local artists such as Roll Cage Mary, Sons of Turner and Larry B.
The Blues Society said the concert will be in lieu of the group’s monthly third Sunday Blues Jam that was scheduled later this month. The group said they are still accepting local performers that want to help.
Cameron added donation-based food plates will be available at the event as well. She said plate pricing will start at $20. Food options at the event will include Doe’s Eat Place, La Huerta, Vinnie’s Pies and AJ’s. She said an ATM will be donated to the event for the day so people can easily get cash if they need to.
AJ’s is hoping to raise at least $10,000 at the event. The restaurant is still accepting donations for the silent auction.
More details for the event are to come, Cameron said, and will be posted on the business’ Facebook.
Debris rests Thursday outside the damaged historic Adelaide Hall building after a fire broke out Wednesday in downtown Fort Smith. Fort Smith Fire Department firefighters battled a blaze at the building, which houses Bricktown Brewery, for hours. Visit rivervalleydemocratgazette.com/photo for today’s photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
Debris rests Thursday outside the damaged historic Adelaide Hall building after a fire broke out Wednesday in downtown Fort Smith. Fort Smith Fire Department firefighters battled a blaze at the building, which houses Bricktown Brewery, for hours. Visit rivervalleydemocratgazette.com/photo for today’s photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
The exterior of historic Adelaide Hall building shows damage Thursday after a fire broke out Wednesday in downtown Fort Smith. Fort Smith Fire Department firefighters battled a blaze at the building, which houses Bricktown Brewery, for hours. Visit rivervalleydemocratgazette.com/photo for today’s photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)
The exterior of historic Adelaide Hall building shows damage Thursday after a fire broke out Wednesday in downtown Fort Smith. Fort Smith Fire Department firefighters battled a blaze at the building, which houses Bricktown Brewery, for hours. Visit rivervalleydemocratgazette.com/photo for today’s photo gallery. (River Valley Democrat-Gazette/Hank Layton)This post was originally published on here
