August Events Taking Place in the Ouachitas of Arkansas

Zoie Clift, travel writer
Arkansas Tourism

Note to the Print and Broadcast Media: In order to better serve your needs and to keep you from getting extremely long documents from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, we have decided to break down our Travelin’ Arkansas release into regions organized by date. This way you will be able to look only at the areas you are interested in covering. The territories covered in Travelin' Arkansas adhere to the six geographical regions found in the Arkansas Tour Guide. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions: communications@arkansas.com or 501-682-7606.

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The 39th annual Pine Tree Festival is Aug. 5-6 in Dierks.The festival, which is at Dierks City Park, features a parade, a car show, a firefighters challenge, lumberjack competitions, food and craft vendors and a country music concert as the finale on Saturday night. Gate admission to the festival is free but does not include admission to the concert. For more details visit www.dierkschamberofcommerce.com or call 870-286-2019.

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August 6 is John Huddleston Heritage Day at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro. Learn about Arkansas’ first diamond finder, John Huddleston, and the commercial mining companies that followed. The free program includes talks by park interpretive staff and a walk to the location of the Diamond Corporation of America's 1940s processing plant, also known as the Martin Plant. For more information visit www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com or call 870-285-3113.

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The 2011 FLW Tour Forrest Wood Cup is Aug. 10-14 in Hot Springs on Lake Ouachita. The Forrest Wood Cup is the world championship of bass fishing. The last time the event was held in Hot Springs was 2007 and Scott Suggs of Bryant made professional fishing history winning the first $1 million first-place cash prize. Complete details regarding registration requirements are available at www.FLWOutdoors.com or at 270- 252-1000.

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Enjoy a relaxing moonlit boat ride on DeGray Lake during a Moonlight Cruise Aug.12 and 13 at DeGray Lake Resort State Park in Bismarck. Be aware that seating is limited and cruises may be canceled due to inclement weather. Tickets go on sale at the marina at noon the day before the cruise. Tickets are $8.50 for adults and $4.50 for kids ages 6-12. For more details visit www.degray.comor call 501- 865-5840.

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Snorkel and observe the underwater life of the Cossatot River during a Snorkeling Adventure Aug. 25 at Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area in Wickes. Snorkel equipment is provided for this free program. The park/natural area is home to two types of fish, the Ouachita Mountain shiner and the leopard darter, that are only found only in streams of the Ouachita Mountains. For more information visit www.arkansasstateparks.com or call 870-385-2201.