The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Pull up a bar stool or gather around a table at Headlocks Bar in downtown Carrington on the eve of Pasta Fest. The interior features a variety of Central City memorabilia.
"To make small town America work is to bring people in."
Those words of wisdom, from Headlocks Bar owner Dennis Freeman, ring true all across the nation.
"People in Carrington need to try and get involved in community events," said Freeman.
He knows of what he speaks. Freeman is involved in many community events, especially the ones he holds at Headlocks Bar - including the upcoming Big Buck Contest happening on December 14 and the BBQ contest that was held on September 14. Freeman said the BBQ Contest is growing in popularity every year.
Freeman has owned Headlocks Bar since 2018, but the building itself was erected around 1910 and has housed many different establishments since then. But most of the people alive in Carrington today may only remember that previous to being Headlocks, it was Harley's Place and before that Hometown Tavern, even before that it was a bar called The Terrace. A lot of drinks have been consumed in that building.
While Headlocks Bar doesn't host bands because of limited space, they do offer other events such as pool and dart tournaments as well as a blackjack table.
Freeman also expands his bartending services to other events in the community, such as the recent CHI St. Alexius Health Harvest Fest, and you will find him serving up drinks at The Market during July and August.
Headlocks Bar also hosts NDSU Bison watch parties. Each Saturday the Bison are playing is happy hour during the entirety of the game. Otherwise, happy hour is from 3-7 p.m. Monday - Friday and from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
But more impressive than his bartending skills and the tournaments played in the building are the amount of memorabilia on the walls of Headlocks, including photos of Jimmy Kleinsasser and Eric Hewitt, among others.
Freeman said many of the photos he has decorating the walls came from the archives of our own Allen V. Stock and the Foster County Independent. That is a testament to Freeman's respect for his community.
Why not sip on a cold one while you are downtown tasting all of the pasta dishes, including Headlocks, during the Pasta Fest being held on Thursday, October 17?
