When the first settlers from Sunnyside sat down to a harvest picnic in 1898, the thought of a Ferris wheel or carousel in eyeshot of the church house doors would have been inconceivable. Just as hard to fathom, though, would be the idea that the supper would become a tradition that would span a century and more.

This coming week, the 119th Annual Tontitown Grape Festival will be held on the grounds of St. Joseph Catholic Church along U.S. 412. The free festival is billed as Northwest Arkansas' largest, and preparations take weeks. Eric Pellin is the chairman of the Tontitown Grape Festival. He says it's hard to quantify just how many people come each year. "Since we're a free festival, we don't have a gate, but we estimate 20,000 to 25,000 people come out each night," Pellin says.