Conway Celebrates the Arts

Kerry Kraus

Conway has joined a growing list of Arkansas communities proud of their arts reputation. Out of this cultural explosion has come the annual ArtsFest, which starts today and runs through Oct. 10.

This artistic happening is a family friendly event for all ages. On Friday, Oct. 9 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. there will be kid’s scavenger hunt entitled “The Art and Music Amazing Race.” Ten locations along Front Street will have clues, with the first one handed out at the Eiffel Tower in Simon Park. Bailey Library on the Hendrix campus is prize headquarters for the finishers. The Eiffel Tower is a 21-foot sculpture replica of the Paris landmark constructed of re-bar by Finton Shaw, a local artist. It will remain in the park through the month of October.

Another “large” special guest is the 31-foot inflatable Pittsburgh’s Painted Pachyderm, another Front Street attraction. The whimsical sculpture is on loan from the City of Pittsburgh and serves as the festival mascot. It will be unveiled at UCA at 7 p.m. on Oct. 7 and remain there until being moved to Simon Park on Saturday.

Non-art themed activities on the docket include a bicycle tour of historic homes (bring your own bike), the Show and Shine classic car display and a chili cook-off. Visitors can choose from two event-ending activities at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday evening. The Conway Symphony and 150 chorus members from UCA and Hendrix gather in Reynolds Performance Hall on the UCA campus for ArtsFest Rocks Reynolds! The Hendrix Dance Ensemble offers a finale of “Fragments from Sappho,” a collage of poetry, movement and music. Reves Recital Hall is where it takes place.

A complete list of activities is available on www.artsinconway.com or can be obtained by contacting the Conway Downtown Partnership at 501-548-9950.

Visit Elm Springs This Weekend

Small-town Americana at its finest -- that’s what you’ll find in Elm Springs this weekend during the 3rd annual Yester Daze Festival. The event will take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the city park, on downtown Water Street, at the United Methodist Church and at Curran Feed Store.

I’m always up for a pancake breakfast, and that’s just how festivities will begin. You’ll find the flapjacks at City Hall. There will be exhibits of antique and classic cars, motorcycles and tractors. A disc jockey will play rock and roll music throughout the event. The Brush Creek Singers and Siloam Springs Dance Team will perform. Or you can get in the action yourself in the jitterbug contest, street dance and cake walk. The retail shops on Water Street will hold a sidewalk sale, and will stay open until 5 p.m.

Kids activities include games, pony rides, fire and police vehicle tours, dog walk, cutest pet contest, and dog show. There will also be a story teller in the park. Whether a vendor or festival-goers, the event planners encourage everyone to dress in 50s attire. The theme of this year’s festival is, after all, “Rewind to the 50s.”

In case of rain, the vendors will move inside City Hall, and the children's activities will move under the park pavilion.

For a complete schedule of events, vendor information, or other information, you can call 479-696-8115 or go online to www.downtownelmsprings.com.

Ouachita Art Trails Studio Tour

 

Lumberjack Championships in Sheridan

Yesterday the Arkansas State Lumberjack Championships took place during Timberfest in Sheridan. Events during the competition included the ax throw, horizontal chop, springboard chop, and many chainsaw events. Carson Bosworth of Lake Geneva, WS won the event this year (and last year) and is an avid national competitor who has been featured on ESPN during the National Championships. I had a chance to check out the competition this year and it's quite an event. Here are a few shots I grabbed of the action. The competition lasted almost 5 hours and these lumberjacks were working and competing this hard the entire time. Timber has long played an important role in town with towering pines found throughout the region. This heritage is honored annually during this celebration each October. The community is somewhat of a rarity in that it is a Southern town named for a Union general -General Phillip Sheridan. If you want to check out the town sometime or the competition next year, the town is 30 miles south of Little Rock via U.S. 167.

 

Maynard Celebrates Gospel Music and the Pioneer Lifestyle

The Hills Are Alive With Tradition

Since Interstate 540 was built, there’s not been much reason for most people to travel the old Ark. 71 over the Boston Mountain. But there is a reason to head to that pinnacle this Saturday, Sept. 19 – the Fiber Arts Fair and Competition at Ozark Folk Ways Heritage Center, located between Winslow and Mt. Gaylor on the Boston Mountain Scenic Loop.

The event will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regional fiber artists that submit their work for this juried show have a chance to with $1,500 in prize money.

The whole family can enjoy fiber arts demonstrations, such as quilting, rug hooking and weaving. There will be vendors on location. Plenty of food will be available as well, including Fleeta’s Famous Chicken and Dumplings, a tradition in the hill region of Winslow. How yummy does that sound? That alone draws me up the mountain.

The Ozark Folkways Heritage Center, located in the scenic Ozarks in northwest Arkansas, supports local artists and craftspersons by offering their work for sale in the Golden Hands Gallery. It is a teaching center, upholding the traditional arts and crafts of the people of the Ozarks.

For more information on the Fiber Arts Fair or the juried Fiber Arts Competition, contact Connie Wright at 479-634-3791 or visit www.ozarkfolkways.com. 

And with fall coming on, don’t forget that the Boston Mountain Scenic Loop is an exceptional drive for enjoying the colors of autumn foliage! Read more about the drive here: One Scenic Drive Offers Two Views of Arkansas's Ozarks.