March Events Taking Place in the Arkansas Timberlands

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. 

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Over 200 quilts of all sizes, styles and techniques take center stage on March 4-5 in Texarkana at the 20th annual Miller Bowie Quilt Show. Visit with quilt shop vendors and watch the latest technique demonstrations. The show is at the Fine Arts Building at the Four States Fairgrounds. 

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Logoly State Park in McNeil hosts a workshop for beginning and accomplished artists March 5. Park interpreters lead participants on a hike to draw different locales in the park during the Sketching Workshop and Trail Hike. Admission is $25 and participants get a sketch pad and a set of colored pencils to take home after the workshop. The fee covers materials and the workshop and class size is limited to 12 participants.

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Head to Camden to tour daffodil gardens at the 18th annual Camden Daffodil Festival March 11-12. The festival includes tours of antebellum homes and museums of the Civil War era. Participants can also visit with Civil War re-enactors on the banks of the Ouachita River and experience the Cemetery Walk, arts and crafts, a quilt show, art, a 5K race, the 11th annual Steak Cook-Off and more. 

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The Lucky Dog Barrel Race is March 11-13 in Texarkana at the Four States Fairgrounds. Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a clover-leaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. This is the first race of the 2011 series. All races are approved by the Better Barrel Races and Women's Professional Rodeo Association. 

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The Walk Through History Tour of the Prescott Commercial Historic District is March 12 in Prescott. The tour series features historic sites and districts around the state each month. The tours, which last between one and two hours, are free and begin at 11 a.m. An Arkansas Historic Preservation Program historian delivers a lecture about the properties and leads guests on a walking tour. 

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Join Dr. Jamie C. Brandon for Digging Up Southwest Arkansas: Archeology as a Vocation March 16 in Washington at the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope. Brandon is a Research Station Archeologist at Southern Arkansas University and will share information on archeology as a profession and the work performed around Southwest Arkansas. 

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Create memories and celebrate a tradition at Historic Washington State Park during the 43rd annual Jonquil Festival March 18-20 in Washington. This three-day festival heralds the arrival of spring in southwest Arkansas. Thousands of jonquils welcome craftspeople, entertainers, and visitors to the town for the event. Tours of the park, historic homes, and museums are also available at regular price. 

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Head to Logoly State Park in McNeil for a guided trail hike and photography workshop March 19. Participants are responsible for furnishing their own camera during this Photography Workshop and Trail Hike. The workshop and trail hike are free but pre-registration is required. 

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Join Arkansas Archeology Survey-Southern Arkansas University archeologist Dr. Jamie Brandon for Conflict at Historic Washington: Uncovering New Possibilities on March 25 at Historic Washington State Park in Washington. Historical archeological discoveries found in Washington and the surrounding region will be discussed. A summary of the findings of the Spring Break dig at Washington and a buffet dinner is included. Admission is $20.

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The Arkansas State Barrel Race is March 25-27 in Texarkana at the Four States Fairgrounds. Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider attempt to complete a clover-leaf pattern around preset barrels in the fastest time. 

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El Dorado hosts an Antique Power Show on March 26 at the Union County Courthouse. The free event is from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and features farm trucks (both original and restored), military vehicles, tractors, hit and miss engines, and other farm equipment. 

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Join park gardeners for hands-on instruction in historical gardening at Heritage Gardening in the Spring on March 26 at Historic Washington State Park in Washington. It may still seem cold, but now is the time to start planning a successful summer garden. Soil preparation, heirloom varieties, and different methods are discussed and the gardens of Historic Washington are your classroom. Admission is $10 and reservations are required.