Red River Scrapbook
Travelin’ Arkansas: Events taking place during August
By Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Aug 1, 2006
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Located along the shores of the White River, Batesville is a small community located in the north central section of the state about 90 miles from
For more information on the carnival, dial (870) 793-2378 or e-mail jissika.stites@mybatesville.org.
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Young country singer Jeff Bates and Ricochet, a five-member country group best known for their five-part harmonies and #1 hit “Daddy’s Money,” will be the headline musical acts during the 34th annual Pine Tree Festival in Dierks on Aug. 4-5. They will be performing in an Aug. 5 concert to begin at 7 p.m. in the
A 2002 audition with RCA Records when Bates was only 17 led to the release of his first album, “Rainbow Man,” which reached the Top 20 on country music popularity charts. Hit singles from the album included “The Love Song,” “Long, Slow Kisses” and “I Wanna Make You Cry.” His newest album, “Leave the Light On,” contains the popular single “One Second Chance.”
Ricochet received an
General admission to the concert will be $9 for children aged seven to 12 and $18 for persons 13 and older. Children six and younger will be admitted free. A hundred reserved seats will be available at $23 each. General admission attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
A talent show and concert featuring local bands will begin at approximately 6 p.m. on Aug. 4. Admission will be $5 for all ages except that children under six will be admitted free. Festival hours both days will be 9 a.m. until the conclusion of the concerts and general festival admission will be free. Other festival activities will include competitions of lumberjack skills; helicopter rides; a barbecue cook-off; antique car and tractor shows; log-loading and archery contests; an arts and crafts show with some 30 vendors expected; food vendors; arm-wrestling contests for men and women; and a sawdust scramble and numerous other activities for children.
Dierks is located on U.S. 70 about 68 miles southwest of Hot Springs and 20 miles west of DeQueen and on U.S. 278 about 44 miles northwest of Hope. For additional festival information, phone (870) 286-2911.
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DeGray Lake Resort State Park near Arkadelphia will host August Astronomy, an offering of interpretive programs focusing on the night sky, on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 4-5. Participants are welcome to bring their own telescopes and binoculars although a limited number will be available for shared use during programs.
A complete schedule of activities is expected to be available on the park’s Web site, www.degray.com, at least two weeks prior to the event. A copy can be requested by e-mailing degraylakeresort@arkansas.com or phoning (501) 865-2801. Admission to all activities, except for barge tours of the lake, will be free. The barge tours will be $6 for adults and $3 for ages six through 12, with children under six admitted free.
Located seven miles north of Arkadelphia via Ark. 7, the park’s many features include a 96-room lodge, 113 campsites, an 18-hole golf course, a marina with watercraft rentals and a full-service, shoreline restaurant. For more event and park information, and to reserve campsites, phone (501) 865-2801. For lodge reservations, phone 1-800-737-8355.
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The Great Arkansas Pig Out has had a long history filled with food, fun and a lot of bad pig jokes. Check out the 18th annual Great
Activities begin at 5 p.m. Aug. 4 and include a free concert by a nationally recognized country music star both nights. The Pig Out is packed with sporting events such as the Pig Dig; a co-ed volleyball tournament, The Tour-de-Oink; a roughly 40-mile long bike race, Sooiee Softball, Ham Jam, and the popular Pig Chase. Ranging from classic funnel cakes and hamburgers to chicken-on-a-stick and fried Twinkies, the Pig Out lives up to the expectations of all that hear its name.
As of last year, the Pig Out attracted more than 30,000 people on Saturday alone. For detailed information, phone (501) 354-5400 or visit www.pigout.org. Admission is free.
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The second highest peak in
Festival hours will be noon to 6 p.m. on Aug. 4, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Aug. 5 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 6. More than 100 vendors will be displaying such arts and crafts as watercolor and oil paintings, jewelry, ceramics, quilts, crochet, wood and Native American crafts. Vendors will also be offering a variety of foods and the park’s full-service restaurant will be open.
Live country music performances by area bands are scheduled for all three afternoons. Live bluegrass is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Aug. 5 and live gospel music for 1 p.m. on Aug. 6. Free bingo games with donated arts and crafts prizes will be held during the afternoons of Aug. 4-5.
Located near
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Join in on a fun event that celebrates a summer. The 27th annual
The city of
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Offering a 160-mile yard sale along U.S. 64 from
Items for sale include antiques to flea market items. While there are no limitations on what vendors may sell, they are encouraged to offer antiques and collectibles. This annual event is held Thursday-Saturday, the second weekend in August and offers a great opportunity for commercial vendors, non-profit groups, clubs, schools, churches and civic organizations to promote their products or services.
Designated a “Travel Treasure” by Southern Traveler magazine, the sale draws family vacationers and dealers (both buyers and sellers).
Ark. 64 parallels Interstate 40. Participating cities include:
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The Ozark Folk Center will host a Cowboy Gathering & Folk Humor and Storytelling Weekend Aug. 11-12 in
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The Trappers and Traders interpretive program to be presented at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12 at the Arkansas Post National Memorial near Gillett will provide visitors with a look at an economic activity that contributed to the founding of the first permanent European settlement within the territory that would become
Founded as a French settlement in 1686, Arkansas Post was the site of
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The
Several
The show is sponsored by the non-profit Arkansas Antiquarian Booksellers Association. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, $3 of which will be returned in the form of a rebate voucher applicable to any book purchase at the event. The
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The Jacksonville Military Museum will have a busy August with a guest lecturer scheduled for the 17th and a special event on the 19th.
The War Stories lecture series will feature a talk by Colonel Franz Schmucker, (Ret.) entitled “Nazism, World War II German Gun Ships.” The discussions are designed to explore American and
August 19 will be Military Heritage Day at the museum. Members from all branches of services are invited to partake in a day of music and food. Everyone is invited to come celebrate and express appreciation for all those serving or who have served in the armed forces. Admission is $1. The facility is located at
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Experience the oldest three-day bluegrass festival in
Stage performances begin Thursday evening and run through Saturday evening. In addition to the stage shows, free “jamming sessions” take place all over the fairgrounds throughout the entire week. “People can come and go and roam the camp areas to listen to the jam sessions,” Fred James, festival organizer, explained. Enjoying traditional bluegrass to the modern ”newgrass,” gospel music and jam sessions, at least 1,000 people are expected to attend.
The fairgrounds have a covered bleacher area or people can bring lawn chairs to set up in the arena. The grounds also have restrooms and camping facilities with electrical hookups and showers.
For more information, phone the Harrison Convention and Visitors Bureau at (870) 741-1789 or visit http://www.harrisonarkansas.org/.
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Held on the banks of the Arkansas River in downtown
Sponsored by the Riverfront Blues Society, admission is free both days. The Aug. 18 line-up will be Toni Lynn Washington, SubDudes and Ronnie Baker Brooks. Performing Aug. 19 will include Lee Boys, John Lee Hooker, Jr. and Shemekia Copeland.
The event also includes an All Star Car Show at the
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A family festival honoring the city's railroad heritage, the 22nd annual Frisco Festival is set for Aug. 25-26 in historic downtown
Signature events include The Great Frisco Cardboard Train Races, the Chilisalsapeno competition, Kids Connection (games for kids), Frisco Chicken BBQ, and non-stop main stage entertainment starting and ending with street dances on Friday and Saturday night. The festival opens at 9 a.m. with activities throughout the day. Food vendors will be serving dinners as well as snacks. Rounding out the fun are other opportunities for the whole family, including a pancake breakfast, Great Frisco Cardboard Train Race, ice cream social, mobile aquarium and more.
Amid the festival offerings,
For more information, contact
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Two hundred fifty to 300 automobiles are expected to be on display during the 31st annual Wilhelmina Rod Run and Antique Car Show to be held Friday-Sunday, Aug. 25-27, in downtown Mena and at Queen Wilhelmina State Park, according to event spokesperson Lisa Campbell.
Show hours will be 6 to 10 p.m. on Aug. 25 at the
Additional event information is available by phoning
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The sound of thunder will descend into
Established in the 1870s, the town is famous for the preservation of folkways and traditional music. For more information, phone (870) 269-3851.
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The 81st Annual Randolph Country Fair and Livestock Show will take place Aug. 29- Sep. 2 in Pocahontas. There will be exhibits, cattle judging, and animals such as hogs, rabbits and sheep. There will be a carnival all week and a rodeo on both Friday and Saturday night starting at 8 p.m. Admission to the fair and rodeo is free.