Four fun festivals for May!
Spring is here and festival season is in full swing! Here is a peek at a few of the fun options taking place across Southwest Arkansas in May!
Railfest
Railfest in Texarkana takes place May 6-7 and is a celebration of the railroad heritage of the town. It takes place at Front Street Plaza and includes festival fare like cook-offs, a car and custom built truck show, and live music. Marc Broussard is set to perform Friday night in town. The singer has toured with a range of musicians including Willie Nelson, the Dave Matthews Band, and Bonnie Raitt. There will be a concert on Saturday at the event. For more details call 870-779-4971.
Mayhaw Festival
The 23rd annual Mayhaw Festival is May 7 in El Dorado. The event has a Mayhaw biscuit breakfast, a 5K/10K run, a Wing Ding chicken wing cook, food vendors, arts and crafts booths, rock climbing walls, antique car show, live bluegrass music (Shapiro Brothers, a folk duo from Kansas City, Farmer and the Markets from Fayetteville and the Haley Creek Boys) throughout the day and of course, mayhaw jelly for sale. The event takes place at the Newton House Museum Grounds at 510 N. Jackson Street. The house is the only house open to the public that was built pre Civil War. For more details on the festival, call 870-862-9890.
Magnolia Blossom Festival
The Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Cook-Off has garnered accolades such as being listed among the “10 Best Food Festivals” by USA Today and the Food Network. The event is May 20-21 in Magnolia at the vibrant downtown square at 211 W. Main. There will be food vendors, arts and crafts vendors, a 5K run/walk, an arts show, a car show, a steak eating contest (and the cook-off!) and more. The annual cook-off is a big part of the festival and each year there are over 80 grills on the grounds taking part. Of note, a ticket is needed (if you are wanting to eat the fare, etc.) for the cook-off. On Friday night, there will be a free concert by Magnolia native and blues musician Larry McCray. On Saturday morning at 10 a.m. there is the Parade of World Championship Steak Cook-Off Chefs. This parade makes its way down Main Street to Magnolia Square, where the chefs will then set up for the competition. That night, there will also be live music by the Josh Abbott Band. For more details call 870-234-4352.
4. Dinofest
The 25th annual Dinofest is May 27-28 in Nashville, Arkansas. The event, which takes place at Nashville City Park at 1301 Johnson Street, starts on Friday night with the Making Trax Glow Run/Walk. The next day includes vendors, a softball tournament, and more festival fare. The park is home to a range of facilities on-site including softball, soccer and baseball fields, playgrounds, walking trails, and more. The festival’s name is a nod to the Nashville sauropod trackway, which was an important scientific dinosaur trackway discovered near the town in the 80s. For more details call 870-845-7405.
