freshare.net
By Jill M. Rohrbach, Ark. Dept. of Parks and Tourism
07-24-2009The quaint Ozark town of Calico Rock is offering an After Hours event the second Friday of every month now through Oct. 9. Stores will remain open on Main Street from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be music, and arts and crafts. For more information, visit http://www.calicorocket.org or phone 870-291-8899.
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Magician Bart Rocket is now appearing at 3 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday through Aug. 14 at the 1905 Basin Park Hotel in downtown Eureka Springs. His show involves magic, ventriloquism and audience participation. For tickets or more information, visit http://www.reserveeureka.com or phone 877-643-4972.
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The 111th annual Tontitown Grape Festival will be Aug. 4-8 in Tontitown. Events take place from 4 p.m. to midnight. Carnival rides will be open Tuesday through Saturday and the famous homemade spaghetti dinners will be served Thursday through Saturday. Biblioteca, a used book sale, will also take place Thursday through Saturday. Other activities include a pageant and giveaways. Admission is free. In conjunction with the festival, the First Federal Bank will present the 13th annual Run for the Grapes 5K Run/Walk and a Kids Fun Run. The 5K will start at 7 a.m. with the one mile fun run beginning at 8 a.m. All proceeds will benefit the St. Joseph’s Catholic Youth Group. For more information, visit http://www.tontitowngrapefestival.com or phone 479-361-2615. For race details, visit http://www.runforthegrapes.com.
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The 30th annual Cave City Watermelon Festival will be Aug. 6-8 in Cave City. There will be entertainment on Thursday and Friday night from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Friday at 7 p.m. festival-goers can view cars from the Cave City Cruisers Car Club. A Kiwanis pancake breakfast will be served from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Saturday. Also on Saturday will be a parade at 10 a.m., entertainment from noon to 10 p.m. and a free watermelon feast at 4 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.cavecityarkansas.info or phone 870-283-5959.
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The Decatur BBQ will take place Aug. 7 in Veteran’s Park in Decatur. This annual event includes live country and western music, chicken dinners, parade, fun run, kid’s games, chicken cook-off, and arts and crafts. For more information, phone 479-752-8460.
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The 116th annual Gravette Day will be Aug. 8 at Kindley City Park in Gravette. Events will include a Kiwanis pancake breakfast, classic car show, motorcycle charity poker-run, vendors and rides, Hendren Aviation skydivers, parade on Main Street and a chili cook-off and salsa cook-off. For more information, visit http://www.gravettearkansas.com or phone 479-787-6940. Powhatan Historic State Park in Powhatan will host an Egg Basket Weaving Workshop on Aug. 8. Admission is $45 and includes all materials and a Dutch oven lunch. Class size is limited and reservations are suggested. For more information, visit http://www.ArkansasStateParks.com or phone Powhatan Historic State Park at 870-878-6765.
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The Eureka Springs Gallery Association $500 Gift Certificate Event will take place from Aug. 8-Sept. 12 in downtown Eureka Springs. The Gallery Association’s annual $500 Free Gift Certificate give-away is a breeze to enter. You can pick up an entry card at a participating gallery any time between the Aug. 8 Second Saturday Gallery Stroll and the Sept. 12 Second Saturday Gallery Stroll. Visit http://www.artofeureka.com for a list of participating galleries, and the names and a map to those galleries is listed on the entry card. Participants visit each gallery to have their card punched, turning in the card at the last gallery visited. The drawing for the gift certificate will be held on Sunday, Sept. 13 and you do not have to be present to win. For more information about the galleries, phone 479-253-7679.
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The Randolph County Heritage Museum in Pocahontas will host a Vintage Apron Show on Aug. 11-16. The exhibit will include aprons from every occasion and from different periods of the 20th century. To learn more, visit http://www.RandolphCoMuseum.org or contact the Randolph County Heritage Museum at 870-892-4056.
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The 4th annual Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival will be Aug. 13-15 near Ozark. The music line up will include: Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Umphrey’s McGee, The Avett Brothers, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Railroad Earth, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Lotus, Tea Leaf Green, Corey Smith, Peter Rowan, Split Lip Rayfield, Hot Buttered Rum, Travelin’ McCourys, The Duhks, William Elliott Whitmore, Cornmeal, The Lee Boys, and Big Smith. For the full list of bands and performance schedule, visit http://www.mulberrymountainmusic.com. Camping is available at this large facility located at Cass about 16 miles north of Ozark on Ark. 23. For details, visit the festival Web site or phone 866-667-1919.
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Get ready for a knee slappin’ good time at the 38th annual Northwest Arkansas Bluegrass Festival set for Aug. 13-15 in Harrison. The festival will feature gospel bluegrass, traditional bluegrass and modern bluegrass. For more information, visit http://www.harrisonarkansas.com or phone 870-741-1789.
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The 11th annual Ozark Deaf Timberfest is set for Aug. 14-15 at Byrds Adventure Center in Ozark. Timberfest is an action-packed lumberjack game with competitions for the whole family. It is hosted by the Little Rock Association of the Deaf. For more information, visit http://www.ozarkarkansas.com, http://www.byrdsadventurecenter.com or phone 479-667-4066.
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Old-Time Music Workshops will be offered Aug. 14-16 in Mountain View. The workshops, conducted by Billy Mathews and Colin Blair, will be mandolin and guitar on Friday and fiddle and banjo on Saturday. In addition to four instrument workshops, there will be evening jam sessions and a pot-luck dinner on Saturday night. It will be held at 307 W. Washington St., next door to the Gazebo Pickin’ Park on the downtown square. For details or to book online, visit http://www.innatmountainview.com or phone 800-535-1301.
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Davidsonville Historic State Park in Pocahontas will host a Bat House Workshop on Aug. 15. Learn how bats can actually be beneficial to your yard and the ecosystem. Learn about bats, a natural form of pest control, and make a bat house to attract them to your yard. Admission is $12 per family and reservations are required. Participants need to bring a hammer. To learn more, check out http://www.ArkansasStateParks.com or contact Davidsonville Historic State Park at 870-892-4708.
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Experience metal crushing mayhem at the Ozark Demolition Derby on Aug. 15 at Parsons Stadium in Springdale. The derby is the adult version of bumper cars and the goal of competitors is to build a good car that will outlast the competition. Drivers from the four-state area will compete for cash prizes, trophies and bragging rights. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. For more information, visit http://www.rodeooftheozarks.com or phone 479-927-4530.
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The 39th annual Ice Cream Social will be Aug. 15 at the Headquarters House in Fayetteville. The social will include ice cream, cake, live music, living history and children’s activities. Visitors will also be able to tour the gardens and the historic house, which was built in 1853 and holds a spot in Civil War history. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Washington County Historical Society’s educational programs. Admission is $5 for adults, $2.50 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under 6 and $15 for a family. For more information, visit http://www.washcohistoricalsociety.org or phone 479-521-2970.
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An Underwater Treasure Hunt is set for Aug. 15 at Sand Island on Norfork Lake near Jordan. Certified scuba divers search underwater for tokens and return to Jordan Marina for prizes. The search is no deeper than 40 feet. There will also be a sandcastle contest and scavenger hunt for those who don’t dive. For details, visit http://www.jordanmarina.com or phone 870-499-7348.
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Spinning and Lace Making Demonstrations will be offered from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 16 in Hindman Hall at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park in Prairie Grove. The demonstrations will be given by members of the local Wool and Wheel Handspinners Guild and Dogwood Lace group. They will demonstrate the traditional art of spinning thread and discuss the basic of making cloth in the Arkansas Ozarks. Admission is free. For more information, visit http://www.arkansasstateparks.com or phone 479-846-2990.
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The City of Eureka Springs has announced a major format change for the 7th annual Eureka Springs Bluegrass Festival set for Aug. 20-23. Every show all weekend long will be free, and the event will be held outdoors. Bluegrass weekend kicks off with the annual Watermelon Social at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 20, in Basin Spring Park. The city will provide free watermelon and water. Circles of chairs will be set up for people to play bluegrass in random groups. Many bluegrass weekend performers will play and residents and tourists are invited to join in. Bluegrass weekend officially gets underway with free performances the following morning in Basin Spring Park. It will end on Aug. 23 with a gospel show. In the event of inclement weather, all Basin Spring Park music shows will be moved to the City Auditorium. For details, visit http://www.eurekasprings.org or phone 866-947-4387.
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The 5th annual Mountains, Music & Motorcycles will take place Aug. 21-23 on the Mountain View town square. This motorcycle event includes a bike show, poker run and biker games. For more information, phone 870-269-8068 or visit http://www.yourplaceinthemountains.com.
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Lake Charles State Park in Powhatan will host an Outdoor Women’s Fun Day on Aug. 22. Designed especially for women, the one-day workshop includes activities focusing on orienteering, kayaking, GPS basics, and nature crafts. A campfire lunch will be provided. Registration is $20 and registration is required two weeks prior to the workshop. For more information, visit http://www.ArkansasStateParks.com or phone 870-878-6595.
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The 25th annual Frisco Festival will take place Aug. 28-29 in the Rogers historic downtown district. The event is a family festival honoring the city’s railroad heritage. Area businesses sponsor the biggest party in town with free rides and amusements. Popular activities include the Chilisalsapeno Competition, Kid’s Connection, Frisco Chicken Barbecue, Frisco Idol, car shows and non-stop main stage entertainment. For more information, visit http://www.friscofestival.com or phone 479-936-5487.
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A new event in Eureka Springs, the August Taste of the Inns will be from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 29 at a cost of $25 per person. It will be a gourmet tour of 12 Bed and Breakfast Inns with each offering appetizers and mocktails (non-alcoholic cocktails). The purpose of the event is to let people see what a bed and breakfast has to offer. Participants will be able to take self-guided tours of each inn and can register for six gift certificates from local shops, restaurants and the inns. For tour details, visit http://www.allianceofbetterbandbs.com/eureka-springs-taste-of-the-inns.htm or phone 800-494-4921.