July Events Taking Place in the Arkansas River Valley

Jill M. Rohrbach, 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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Enjoy the 40th annual Picnic/Bazaar/Carnival on July 9 in Subiaco. Activities include bingo, raffle, silent auction, games, food and drink. Festivities take place on the grounds of the historic and well-manicured grounds of Subiaco Abbey. Admission is free. Call 479-934-4326 for details.

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Get ready to laugh on July 12 during the Moron Bros. Bluegrass Comedy Show in Clarksville. This is a special performance by the Moron Brothers, a bluegrass music and comedy act of Kentucky. The indoor show with theater seats and air conditioning starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Country Heritage Music Barn, located at 134 W. Main St. Visit www.countryheritage.net or call 479-754-4604 for more information.

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Producers Larry Foley and Dale Carpenter of the University of Arkansas Department of Journalism will show their documentary, “Sacred Spaces--The Architecture of Fay Jones,” on July 14 at the Fort Smith Museum of History. The film chronicles the life and work of Arkansas native and award-winning architect, Fay Jones. Winner of the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal in 1990, Jones achieved a lifetime of creating "mysterious and magical places" as both architect and artist. Visit www.fortsmithmuseum.com or call 479-783-7841 for more information.

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The annual Taste of South Logan County is July 14 in Booneville. Local restaurants, businesses, organizations and individuals show off their culinary skills at the Jeral Hampton Meeting Place. Attendees can dine in or carry out. Visit www.booneville.com or call 479-675-2666 for more information.

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A Walks Through History Tour of Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton takes place July 16. The Walks Through History tour series features historic sites or districts around Arkansas each month. The tours are free and open to the public. All tours begin at 11:00 a.m. and last between one and two hours. An AHPP historian delivers a lecture about the properties while leading guests on a walking tour. The Petit Jean tour starts at the park visitor information center. Visit www.arkansaspreservation.org or call 501-324-9880 for details.

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Booneville’s annual Christmas in July event on July 16 takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Family Life Center of the First United Methodist Church, located at 4th and Broadway streets. Vendors sell a variety of merchandise such as home décor, crafts, Barefoot Books and children’s accessories. Local non-profit groups and churches set up as fundraising booths. Admission is free. Visit www.barefootnancy.barefootbooks.com or call 479-675-6226 for more information.

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For the second year in a row, Clarksville will hold Bluegrass Weekend. The event is set for July 28-30 at the Country Heritage Music Barn. The bluegrass shows feature Larry Sparks, Spittin’ Image, and Flint Hill Bluegrass. This is an indoor venue with theater seats and air conditioning.

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Altus celebrates its 28th annual Grape Festival on July 29-30 in the Altus City Park. Festivities include a grape stomp, games, fresh grapes, food, music, crafts, street dances, cellar and vineyard tours and tastings, Bacchus look-alike contest, and an amateur winemaking contest. The event takes place from 5 to 11 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.