Category: News and Features

Posted in News and Features

Small Town Socialite is Launching a Website to Serve the Southern Illinois Community

Posted on by Amanda

It’s been two years since I decided to take Small Town Socialite from an idea in my head to a website and social media presence. Although the official launch date for the website didn’t happen until January 2025, I started planning the brand in August of 2024.

Even though I’ve never let my readers know, from the very beginning I have had BIG goals for this small town brand I’m building. I launched the website in Franklin County, Missouri and surrounding areas because that’s where I live, and being in the media industry writing for larger publications in nearby bigger markets like St. Louis, Jefferson City, and Lake of the Ozarks I saw firsthand how the publications in those areas didn’t have much interest in covering small businesses, events, or people in the rural towns in the Franklin County area.

I launched Small Town Socialite as a test, of myself, the brand, and the people in my community. I started with no money, and to this day I’ve still never spent a dime to advertise this website or my social media accounts. Could I have grown faster if I’d poured money into advertising? Probably, but I wanted to see if I could really do this, as an “outsider” who is a transplant to the rural community I write about. I wanted to know if the people would believe in what I’m doing or if this idea was just a huge flop.

The brand recognition is not where I want it to be yet, but my website and social media traffic has only grown with time, purely through word of mouth and people spreading the word both on Facebook and in real conversations with their family and friends. That’s given me the confidence to go back to those BIG goals I set out for myself when I mapped out what I wanted Small Town Socialite to become back in August 2024.

Through my 20 years of working in the media industry I’ve watched publication after publication get bought out by corporations and huge media conglomerates. I’ve watched publications with a long history go belly up. I’ve been a part of the freelance staff that’s watched those beloved publications go away.

And nowhere has been hit as hard as the rural areas. Back in the day, almost every community had a small town, local paper. Now, it’s rare to find a weekly or bi-weekly news outlet in small towns, and it’s even rarer that they’re locally owned or aren’t a part of a larger corporation. To make ends meet, most local papers keep their online content behind a paywall, meaning readers can’t read any articles for free. While I get the reasoning for paywalls, it’s not helpful to the every day person in a small town that just wants to know what’s going on in their community or read an article about the small business down the street from them.

Now that you hopefully understand what motivates me to publish content for free on the internet in a rural community, I want to get to the real point of this post. On August 31, I’m launching Small Town Socialite Southern Illinois, or Small Town Socialite SoIL for short.

I have big plans to launch in other rural regions that lack a centralized media outlet, but I chose to start in Southern Illinois rather than another community in my current state because Southern Illinois was my first home. Both sides of my family called the area home for generations, so what better way to honor my heritage than to expand into an area I already have a deep connection to, and that I know is deeply under-served when it comes to media coverage.

The SoIL site will work just like this one, but every two weeks I’ll be sharing event round ups for the entire Southern Illinois region: from the Metro East, to an area I’m calling the Route 3 Corridor (Red Bud, Sparta, Chester), to Little Egypt, and areas in between. Eventually I’ll share small business and people features from the area as well.

If you’d like to follow along with Small Town Socialite SoIL, follow the page on Facebook or Instagram.

Posted in Events, News and Features

New Earth Fest, a Festival Centered Around Wellness, Music, and Arts is Coming to St. Clair Later This Month

Posted on by Amanda

A wellness, music, and arts festival all rolled into one, New Earth Fest is happening Thursday, Aug. 20, to Sunday, Aug. 23 in St. Clair. This all ages, family-friendly, alcohol-free gathering aims to create a more present and connected festival experience for its attendees and is founded and organized by St. Louis resident Christine Kick.

“I love the idea of being able to create events that can build culture, specifically around positive things,” Christine shares. “It’s a way to come together around the idea of envisioning the world in a positive way.” 

Prior to creating New Earth Fest, Christine had been a part of other festivals in various ways: as an aerialist performer, teaching yoga, and as a singer and musician, since she also makes electronic music under the name Harmony Om. After attending other festivals, she noticed a couple of things that were missing at most events. 

“I noticed the need for spaces that are family-friendly and clearly focused on wellness,” she says.

Although she lives in St. Louis, when Christine started planning the festival she knew she wanted it to happen somewhere that was close to the city, yet at a location that was nature focused and would allow attendees to stay for more than one day. 

“Having people stay together creates more of a vibe and a community,” Christine explains. 

A group of four women posing together outdoors at night, smiling under white string lights
More than a music festival, New Earth Fest offers ways for attendees to connect and form community through wellness and arts workshops, as well as through spending time together in nature at Lost Hill Lake in St. Clair. Photo via Christine Kick, New Earth Fest.

She found what she was looking for at Lost Hill Lake Events. The St. Clair venue features an onsite lake and Meramec River access, glamping as well as RV hookups, outdoor showers, and an outdoor dry barrel sauna, making it an ideal setting for a festival that’s rooted in wellness, embracing nature, community, and positivity.

Workshops, music, and activities

Even though it’s a multi-day event, attendees can choose attendance options that are right for their schedule, with day passes available, as well as a multi-day ticket option that allows for glamping onsite. No matter if someone plans to come out for the day, or stay for the entire festival, there’s activities that span across interests and wellness areas.

New Earth attendees sitting in the grass attending an outdoor workshop.
The festival features daily workshops centered on wellness practices like yoga and breathwork, as well as arts, and spirituality. Photo via Christine Kick, New Earth Fest.

The daily workshops center around wellness and somatic practices like yoga and breathwork, as well as sound healing, which is a practice of using frequencies, vibrations, and tones from sources like chimes, singing bowls, and gongs to promote relaxation and mental well-being.  

Attendees can also expect to find spiritually focused workshops on things like manifestation. There will also be interactive workshops focused on crafts, painting, and making things, plus kid oriented activities, as well as windows of time where kids can be dropped with staff so parents in attendance at the festival can have solo time to attend workshops. 

And for those who plan to stay onsite for multiple days, the festival schedule features breaks in the afternoons so attendees can enjoy the lake, explore the hiking trails, or simply relax and take in the natural landscape. 

At night, expect a full production music experience, with lights, lasers, and plenty of room for dancing. It should be noted that the music performances go until 2:30 a.m., and it’s recommend people staying onsite bring earplugs if they’re not planning on attending the full music performances at the event. 

An outdoor music performance at night with lights and lasers and crowd of people in attendance.
New Earth Fest features musical performances each night, complete with lasers and lights. Photo via Christine Kick, New Earth Fest.

There will be vendors onsite, as well as food and drinks available for purchase and in place of serving alcohol at the festival, expect beverages made with cacao or adoptogens such as mushroom powders, plus sparkling waters, juices, and cannabis seltzers through a partnership with Mighty Kind, as well as CBD drinks.  

Day pass and multi-day ticket sales are available in advance online, or onsite at the event. Find out more about New Earth Fest on Facebook or by visiting the festival’s website. 

Posted in News and Features

Sugar & Whisk Cafe in New Haven is Serving Up Sandwiches, Wraps, and Creative Baked Goods

Posted on by Amanda

When Meg Lang, owner of the long-standing eatery Lang-a-Tang Cafe & Catering in New Haven made a vulnerable post on Facebook at the beginning of summer outlining her plans to close the cafe and pivot to private chef and catering, her community, while sad to see the cafe close, rallied behind her decision. After years of running the business with her mom Myrna, it was time for them to pursue other projects and interests. In her post, Meg shared her hope that someone would purchase the cafe so that it could get a new life and remain a staple for the New Haven community.

And just a few weeks after that fateful social media post, another post outlined how a family had bought the business from Meg and had plans to rebrand it to Sugar & Whisk Cafe. The new owners, Venus and Freddy Mendoza, are a local couple who took over the business at the beginning of this month and are slowly rolling out new menu items, as well as keeping some tried and true customer favorites.

“I had a cottage bakery before this and when I saw at the bottom of Meg’s post that this was a turnkey cafe for sale, I thought this is my chance,” Venus shares.

Since taking over the business, Venus says that everything has moved fast, but that she and her husband are loving the journey so far. The cafe offers catering for Franklin County and parts of Crawford County, and over the next few months customers can expect to see some new menu items available.

“We’re going to be adding some gluten-free options,” Venus explains of some of the planned changes.

The menu

The cafe serves traditional drip coffee and espresso beverages, as well as bubble tea, and smoothies, which are a new drink option. One popular menu item that’s familiar to anyone who visited the cafe under the former ownership is the Butter Beer latte, an espresso made with toffee, caramel, and cinnamon. Another popular menu favorite is the turkey and fig sandwich, which combines turkey, cheese, crisp greens, and a fig spread, giving it a delightful slightly sweet finish.

Other sandwiches include a turkey club, chicken salad, and a wrap available with chicken or turkey, plus bacon and ranch. Each sandwich or wrap comes with a generous side of chips and a pickle spear.

The menu also features a selection of breakfast options, including a sandwich made with choice of bacon or sausage, plus an egg and cheese, as well as a burrito and breakfast bowl, or a parfait for a lighter, vegetarian option.

the peach cobbler cookie features a sugar cookie topped with peach cobbler filling.
The peach cobbler cookie features a sugar cookie topped with peach cobbler filling. Photo credit: Amanda Bretz_The Socialite.

There’s a number of sweet treats available, including muffins and cookies, along with unique and tasty rotating options in the pastry cases that reflect Venus’ creativity as a baker. On my visit I tried three delectable baked goods. One of those was the peach cobbler cookie, which is a soft sugar cookie topped with peach cobbler filling, and despite it being the largest item I tried it was in no way heavy. The pillowy texture of the cookie held the peach chunks in place, providing a soft, yummy base and a flavor profile that’s strikingly similar to a slice of peach cobbler.

a breakfast cupcake combines red velvet cake and maple flavored frosting, topped with a waffle piece and crispy bacon.
The breakfast cupcake combines moist red velvet cake with maple flavored frosting, adorned with a piece of waffle, and crispy bacon. The sweet and savory combo brings several delectable breakfast flavors together in one bite. Photo credit: Amanda Bretz_The Socialite.

I also spied something called a breakfast cupcake that intrigued me before I’d even tried it. This cupcake combines moist red velvet cake with maple flavored frosting, adorned with a piece of waffle, and crispy bacon. The sweet and savory combo brings several delectable breakfast flavors together in one bite.

The chocolate chip cookies at Sugar & Whisk Cafe are $3 and you receive two soft cookies loaded with chocolate chips for that price. Photo credit: Amanda Bretz_The Socialite.

Although I loved the creativity shown with the cobbler cookie and breakfast cupcake, I’m a sucker for a classic that’s done really well, and for me, the chocolate chip cookies at Sugar & Whisk fit that description. They’re made just the way I (try to) bake them at home: soft and loaded with melty chocolate chips, with a slightly gooey center.

Follow Sugar & Whisk Cafe on Facebook to learn more about its menu options and hours of operation.

Posted in News and Features

KG “Ksmilesfoodpeople Gibson” Sharing Positive Messages and Small Town Food Reviews

Posted on by Amanda

If you live in Franklin County and follow some of your favorite local restaurants on social media, odds are you’ve probably seen a food review video about it posted by a local page called Ksmilesfoodpeople Gibson. The man behind the account is Kordel Gibson, but most people call him KG, or “the food review guy.”

He’s built a following by sharing videos of the various dishes he tries at area restaurants, as well as by showcasing the dining options that are locally owned in small town Missouri. His content features restaurants in Pacific, Belle, Rosebud, St. Clair, Washington, Union, Hermann, Sullivan, and beyond. In fact, KG isn’t just the food review guy, he’s the small town food review guy, a distinction that sets him apart from other Missouri-based food influencers, and a feature that he has no intention of changing.

Food influencer KG sitting at a table holding a plate of chicken wings in each hand
KG’s videos feature food reviews on items the average person is likely to order, like chicken wings, burgers, or desserts. Photo via Ksmilesfoodpeople Gibson on Facebook.

“People tell me that I could get a lot more followers if I would go to St. Louis and try the restaurants there, but I don’t want to do that,” he shares.

And while some social media based foodies tend to focus their content on trying the most “extreme” eating challenges or the biggest, most calorie-dense options available at restaurants, KG sticks to the menu items that the average person is likely to order.

Over the years, he has made videos about trying baked goods from cottage bakeries, breakfast foods, ice cream, coffee shops, barbecue, burgers, and just about everything in between. And because there’s no certain kind of food or establishment that he wants to review over others, it allows him to also put his focus on the people who own the restaurants he visits. 

Although there’s lots of food reviewers and influencers throughout Missouri, and some of those influencers with a massive following have made visits at local restaurants, they don’t seem to have quite the same impact as the review videos that come from KG. Maybe that’s because he has a different method, or to put it in foodie terms, a secret sauce that isn’t easy to replicate.

His charismatic, narrative style pulls viewers in and the tantalizing shots of food, and his natural, conversational interview approach sets people at ease and helps them open up. The end result gives viewers a unique, behind the curtain experience that you don’t often find in other food review videos. A true people person, KG shares that the real stars of his videos are the folks behind the business.

A selfie of food influencer KG and his two daughters
KG shares snippets of his everyday life on his social media accounts and often posts pictures with daughters. Photo via Ksmilesfoodpeople Gibson on Facebook.

“I don’t like just going to places and eating the food. I like sitting down with the owners and talking to them. That’s my favorite part,” KG explains.

Drawing inspiration from a Food Network legend

Inspired by Guy Fieri, the TV personality that shows both the food and the back of the house experience on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,” KG started filming restaurant reviews two years ago. While his followers can’t get enough of his candid takes on the local food scene, take a quick scan of any of his social media profiles and you’ll notice that his content is about more than restaurants. 

KG’s social media posts consist of positive messages, slices of his personal life, including his fitness routine and the time he spends with his two daughters. On more than one occasion he’s shared photo evidence of his “girl dad” moments, like when his daughters have acted as stylists or makeup artists and dressed him up with clothes, accessories, makeup, or painted toenails.

Food influencer KG posing with makeup and little girl's jewelry while playing dress up with his daughters
The girl dad proving he’s a good sport by posing for a picture after his daughters dressed him and did his makeup. Photo via Ksmilesfoodpeople Gibson on Facebook.

While on the surface these content areas might seem unrelated, they represent what’s truly important to KG and lend an authenticity that keeps his audience engaged and feeling like he’s an internet friend they just haven’t met in real life yet. 

For daily doses of positivity, humor, people, and food content, follow KG on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. On Sunday, July 26, I’m releasing two videos that are snippets of an hour long conversation between me and KG. You can watch me interview him and catch me a little flustered when the tables are turned and I get interviewed by KG. Both videos will be published on YouTube and will kick off a new podcast series I’m launching that focuses on conversations with people making an impact in the community, so be sure you’re following me on YouTube to find out more!