CRITTENDEN COUNTY — Marion & Company recently hosted a concert to fundraise for both the Crittenden County Animal Shelter and the Mary Hall Ruddiman Shelter, which received all of the proceeds. At the event, Marion also had one of its first beer gardens, called “brews for rescues.” According to event organizer Karen Nasseri, the bourbon raffle made $430 and the beer garden brought in $420.
Marion & Company is a rustic antiques and vendor mall located inside the restored Conrad’s Food Store. To locals, it is considered a historic community space converted into a mall containing unique finds. Individuals in Crittenden and the surrounding counties have vendors set up in Marion & Company.
Since opening the establishment, owner Mindy Withrow said that Marion & Company has always strived to give back to the community, hosting two events a year that are usually free of charge. The first event was bouncy houses in the parking lot, complete with tents, food vendors and more. Given its success, the idea for a concert and beer garden had been brewing for quite some time.
“We had talked about it from the beginning, having a concert in the parking lot,” Withrow said. “So, we decided this fall that that’s what we were going to do, as something for the community.”
According to Withrow, Karen Nasseri and her sister, Laura Wood, were the ones who organized the beer garden. Nasseri contacted Kuttawa Tourism Director Justin Kimbro for advice on how to acquire the license for a beer garden, as well as what the overall process looked like and how to navigate state regulations. Nasseri then went through the proper channels and was able to make the beer garden a reality.
Despite the rain, many locals were in attendance, enjoying the selection of brews and food while listening to live music by Ben Herran & Second Hand Smoke, a Western Kentucky blues rock band. In spring of 2026, Marion & Company will host another concert and beer garden, which is already in the planning. According to Nasseri, even those who did not partake in the event dropped off donations for the shelters, such as food items and bedding.
“We had a lot of people coming in who were just dropping off dog and cat food, which was so nice and I did not really expect that to be that big of a turnout,” Nasseri said. “The first one we hosted, we learned a little bit and will keep it in mind for future events. The next one, hopefully we will have better weather. But either way, the turnout was really good and people were really positive about it.”
Considering the event’s success, Withrow gave her utmost gratitude to all involved, including to those who work at Marion & Company, Ben Harren & Second Hand Smoke, as well as Karen Nasseri and Laura Wood for helping set up the beer garden.
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