October's Travelin’ the Arkansas River Valley: Events Taking Place During October
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Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Tweet line: Check out October Events in the Arkansas River Valley: http://ow.ly/2IHM0
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: [email protected] or 501-682-7606.
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The 63rd annual Mount Nebo Chicken Fry on Oct. 15-16 at Mount Nebo State Park is a fun-filled day for the whole family. Activities include an award-winning chicken dinner by the Tyson Cook Team, 10K Run, pony rides, horseshoe tournament, Little Miss Pullet and Mr. Rooster Pageant, Chicken Calling Contest, Lovely Legs Contest, and free kids' games. Call 479-229-3328 or visit www.dardanellechamber.com for more information.
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The Fort Smith Symphony's 2010-2011 season opens Oct. 2 with a spectacular concert featuring the Grieg Piano Concerto with young American pianist Jade Simmons as soloist. The Symphony will also perform Gustav Mahler's heroic Symphony No. 1, known as the "Titan."
The symphony performs Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor featuring European violin virtuoso Bella Hristovo on Oct. 23. Also on the program is Tchaikovsky's riveting Symphony No. 4 in F minor.
The concerts take place at the Arkansas Best Corporation Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $35 and $30 for adults depending on seating, and $20 and $15 for students. Call 479-452-7575 or visit www.fortsmithsymphony.org for details.
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Enjoy a fun day of fishing on Oct. 2 in Russellville with Arkansas State Park staff on Lake Dardanelle. During this 4-hour workshop, learn about sport fish identification, local fishing hotspots, and the most popular techniques anglers use to catch the lunkers. Meet the park ranger in the visitor center classroom, then put your skills to the test aboard Lake Dardanelle State Park’s new catch and release barge. All fishing tackle is provided. The cost of the class is $25. Make reservations in advance by calling 479-967-5516.
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Enjoy the changing colors of the Ozark Mountains on the Fall Splendor Boat Tour along the Frog Bayou on Oct. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 at Lake Fort Smith State Park in Mountainburg. A park interpreter serves as your guide. Also on Oct. 23 is a Full Moon Cruise along Frog Bayou. Jackets or coats are suggested. Admission for either cruise is $8.50 for adults, and $4.50 for children ages 6-12. Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling the marina at 479-369-1018.
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The Mount Magazine Frontier Day Festival is set for Oct. 2 on the square in downtown Paris. Activities include old-fashioned games and contests with cash prizes. There will also be a parade, antique car show, entertainment, and a pageant for girls ages newborn to 18. Craft and food vendors will be on site. Admission is free. Call 479-963-2244 or visit www.ParisArOnline.com for details.
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Autumn is welcomed in old-fashioned style as Van Buren opens historic Main Street for the Fall Festival Arts and Crafts Fair on Oct. 8-10. More than 200 exhibitors display fine artwork, handcrafted items, antiques, collectibles, and flea market wares. It also includes a concert and children’s carnival. Call 479-410-1024 or visit www.vanburen.org for additional information.
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Fairfield Bay celebrates with the 36th annual Fall Fest, also known as Oktoberfest, on Oct. 9. The event takes place at Village Mall and includes arts and crafts vendors, food concessionaires, a soup cook-off and music. Admission is free. Call 501-884-3324 or visit www.ffbchamber.org for more information on the festival or the tourist attractions in the area.
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Booneville’s 9th annual October Daze takes place Oct. 9 in the downtown area. The event includes live music, arts and crafts booths, food vendors, pumpkin dessert contest, Mr. and Miss Harvest pageant, scarecrow contest, kids’ area, and more. Admission is free. Visit www.booneville.com or phone 479-675-2666 for details.
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The 47th annual Wiederkehr Village Weinfest is known for its Tyrolean festivities celebrating the Swiss heritage of the Wiederkehr family winemakers. October 9 on the grounds of Wiederkehr Wine Cellars, the featured fun is the German Waterloo band and the championship Grape Stomp. The event also includes music, food, wine, games, rides, dancing, contests, arts and crafts booths, and a car show. The festival goes on rain or shine, and admission is free. Visit www.wiederkehrwines.com or call 800-622-9463 for details.
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Harvest Fest takes place Oct. 14-16 at Mulberry Mountain Lodging and Events in Ozark. The event is a bluegrass music and camping festival presented by the Yonder Mountain String Band. The Colorado-based foursome has crisscrossed the country over the past 11 years playing such varied settings as festivals, rock clubs, Red Rocks Amphitheater in the band’s home state, and recently the Democratic National Convention in Denver at Mile High Stadium opening for Barack Obama. Their loyal fan base has been built from this diverse setting of music venues as fans latched on to their genre-defying original sound.
Part of the event is the Nomadic Dreams Village, where you and your family can enjoy planned daily workshops that include greening initiatives, mind and body wellness, and interactive art for kids and adults alike. Daily workshops will include yoga, meditation, hoop instruction, poi, glass blowing, drum construction, informative environmental responsibility workshops, and many other activities. The village will be centralized around the Nomadic Dreams stage that will provide early morning cartoons, daily open mic opportunities, performance artists, musical acts, and late night movies.
Tickets are available online only at www.yonderharvestfestival.com. Call 479-667-1919 for additional information.
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Celebrate the birthday of Fort Smith's famous judge with cake and punch on Oct. 15 at the soda fountain in the Fort Smith Museum of History. Isaac Parker was born on October 15, 1838 in Ohio. Parker served as Federal Judge for the Western District of Arkansas from 1874 until his death in 1896. During the event you can meet the famous judge as portrayed by Floyd Robison. Visit www.fortsmithmuseum.com or call 479-783-7841 for details.
------------------------------------------------------------
Ozark hosts the 38th annual Old Fashioned Square Gathering on Oct. 16. The event includes 100 arts, crafts and food booths, plus live bluegrass music, games, and activities for the whole family. It takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. Call 479-667-5337 or visit www.mainstreetozark.com for more information.
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Ride the rubber-wheeled trolley and hear stories that rattle the skeletons in the closets of historic Fort Smith during the Murder and Mayhem Trolley Tour Oct. 21-31. From a bloody love triangle to a jilted lover to the ghost of a young girl, the stories are based on local myth and legend. Because some of the stories may not be appropriate for young ears, the tour is recommended for ages 13 and up. Learn about the outlaws, bordellos, saloons and ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. The trolley runs from the Fort Smith Museum of History on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the two weekends in October leading up to Halloween. For a schedule call 479-783-7841 or visit www.fortsmithmuseum.com.
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Russellville’s 19th annual Downtown Fall Festival & Chili Cook-off takes place Oct. 30. This old-fashioned street festival starts off with an omelet breakfast followed by a sanctioned chili cook-off, car show, 5K, bike ride, arts and crafts, pie contest, farmers market, live music, and lots of great food. Admission is free. Visit www.mainstreetrussellville.com or call 479-967-1437 for details.
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Booneville hosts the event, Sell It Again on Hwy. 10, on Oct. 30. It features 79 miles of yard sales along Ark. 10 from Greenwood to Danville. Visit www.booneville.com or call 479-675-2666 for additional information.
####
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-7606
E-mail: [email protected]
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"
Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Tweet line: Check out October Events in the Arkansas River Valley: http://ow.ly/2IHM0
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: [email protected] or 501-682-7606.
------------------------------------------------------------
The 63rd annual Mount Nebo Chicken Fry on Oct. 15-16 at Mount Nebo State Park is a fun-filled day for the whole family. Activities include an award-winning chicken dinner by the Tyson Cook Team, 10K Run, pony rides, horseshoe tournament, Little Miss Pullet and Mr. Rooster Pageant, Chicken Calling Contest, Lovely Legs Contest, and free kids' games. Call 479-229-3328 or visit www.dardanellechamber.com for more information.
------------------------------------------------------------
The Fort Smith Symphony's 2010-2011 season opens Oct. 2 with a spectacular concert featuring the Grieg Piano Concerto with young American pianist Jade Simmons as soloist. The Symphony will also perform Gustav Mahler's heroic Symphony No. 1, known as the "Titan."
The symphony performs Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor featuring European violin virtuoso Bella Hristovo on Oct. 23. Also on the program is Tchaikovsky's riveting Symphony No. 4 in F minor.
The concerts take place at the Arkansas Best Corporation Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $35 and $30 for adults depending on seating, and $20 and $15 for students. Call 479-452-7575 or visit www.fortsmithsymphony.org for details.
------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy a fun day of fishing on Oct. 2 in Russellville with Arkansas State Park staff on Lake Dardanelle. During this 4-hour workshop, learn about sport fish identification, local fishing hotspots, and the most popular techniques anglers use to catch the lunkers. Meet the park ranger in the visitor center classroom, then put your skills to the test aboard Lake Dardanelle State Park’s new catch and release barge. All fishing tackle is provided. The cost of the class is $25. Make reservations in advance by calling 479-967-5516.
------------------------------------------------------------
Enjoy the changing colors of the Ozark Mountains on the Fall Splendor Boat Tour along the Frog Bayou on Oct. 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31 at Lake Fort Smith State Park in Mountainburg. A park interpreter serves as your guide. Also on Oct. 23 is a Full Moon Cruise along Frog Bayou. Jackets or coats are suggested. Admission for either cruise is $8.50 for adults, and $4.50 for children ages 6-12. Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling the marina at 479-369-1018.
------------------------------------------------------------
The Mount Magazine Frontier Day Festival is set for Oct. 2 on the square in downtown Paris. Activities include old-fashioned games and contests with cash prizes. There will also be a parade, antique car show, entertainment, and a pageant for girls ages newborn to 18. Craft and food vendors will be on site. Admission is free. Call 479-963-2244 or visit www.ParisArOnline.com for details.
------------------------------------------------------------
Autumn is welcomed in old-fashioned style as Van Buren opens historic Main Street for the Fall Festival Arts and Crafts Fair on Oct. 8-10. More than 200 exhibitors display fine artwork, handcrafted items, antiques, collectibles, and flea market wares. It also includes a concert and children’s carnival. Call 479-410-1024 or visit www.vanburen.org for additional information.
------------------------------------------------------------
Fairfield Bay celebrates with the 36th annual Fall Fest, also known as Oktoberfest, on Oct. 9. The event takes place at Village Mall and includes arts and crafts vendors, food concessionaires, a soup cook-off and music. Admission is free. Call 501-884-3324 or visit www.ffbchamber.org for more information on the festival or the tourist attractions in the area.
------------------------------------------------------------
Booneville’s 9th annual October Daze takes place Oct. 9 in the downtown area. The event includes live music, arts and crafts booths, food vendors, pumpkin dessert contest, Mr. and Miss Harvest pageant, scarecrow contest, kids’ area, and more. Admission is free. Visit www.booneville.com or phone 479-675-2666 for details.
------------------------------------------------------------
The 47th annual Wiederkehr Village Weinfest is known for its Tyrolean festivities celebrating the Swiss heritage of the Wiederkehr family winemakers. October 9 on the grounds of Wiederkehr Wine Cellars, the featured fun is the German Waterloo band and the championship Grape Stomp. The event also includes music, food, wine, games, rides, dancing, contests, arts and crafts booths, and a car show. The festival goes on rain or shine, and admission is free. Visit www.wiederkehrwines.com or call 800-622-9463 for details.
------------------------------------------------------------
Harvest Fest takes place Oct. 14-16 at Mulberry Mountain Lodging and Events in Ozark. The event is a bluegrass music and camping festival presented by the Yonder Mountain String Band. The Colorado-based foursome has crisscrossed the country over the past 11 years playing such varied settings as festivals, rock clubs, Red Rocks Amphitheater in the band’s home state, and recently the Democratic National Convention in Denver at Mile High Stadium opening for Barack Obama. Their loyal fan base has been built from this diverse setting of music venues as fans latched on to their genre-defying original sound.
Part of the event is the Nomadic Dreams Village, where you and your family can enjoy planned daily workshops that include greening initiatives, mind and body wellness, and interactive art for kids and adults alike. Daily workshops will include yoga, meditation, hoop instruction, poi, glass blowing, drum construction, informative environmental responsibility workshops, and many other activities. The village will be centralized around the Nomadic Dreams stage that will provide early morning cartoons, daily open mic opportunities, performance artists, musical acts, and late night movies.
Tickets are available online only at www.yonderharvestfestival.com. Call 479-667-1919 for additional information.
------------------------------------------------------------
Celebrate the birthday of Fort Smith's famous judge with cake and punch on Oct. 15 at the soda fountain in the Fort Smith Museum of History. Isaac Parker was born on October 15, 1838 in Ohio. Parker served as Federal Judge for the Western District of Arkansas from 1874 until his death in 1896. During the event you can meet the famous judge as portrayed by Floyd Robison. Visit www.fortsmithmuseum.com or call 479-783-7841 for details.
------------------------------------------------------------
Ozark hosts the 38th annual Old Fashioned Square Gathering on Oct. 16. The event includes 100 arts, crafts and food booths, plus live bluegrass music, games, and activities for the whole family. It takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and admission is free. Call 479-667-5337 or visit www.mainstreetozark.com for more information.
------------------------------------------------------------
Ride the rubber-wheeled trolley and hear stories that rattle the skeletons in the closets of historic Fort Smith during the Murder and Mayhem Trolley Tour Oct. 21-31. From a bloody love triangle to a jilted lover to the ghost of a young girl, the stories are based on local myth and legend. Because some of the stories may not be appropriate for young ears, the tour is recommended for ages 13 and up. Learn about the outlaws, bordellos, saloons and ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. The trolley runs from the Fort Smith Museum of History on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of the two weekends in October leading up to Halloween. For a schedule call 479-783-7841 or visit www.fortsmithmuseum.com.
------------------------------------------------------------
Russellville’s 19th annual Downtown Fall Festival & Chili Cook-off takes place Oct. 30. This old-fashioned street festival starts off with an omelet breakfast followed by a sanctioned chili cook-off, car show, 5K, bike ride, arts and crafts, pie contest, farmers market, live music, and lots of great food. Admission is free. Visit www.mainstreetrussellville.com or call 479-967-1437 for details.
------------------------------------------------------------
Booneville hosts the event, Sell It Again on Hwy. 10, on Oct. 30. It features 79 miles of yard sales along Ark. 10 from Greenwood to Danville. Visit www.booneville.com or call 479-675-2666 for additional information.
####
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-7606
E-mail: [email protected]
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-7606
E-mail: [email protected]
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"