Travelin’ Arkansas: Events Taking Place During November

Note to Print and Broadcast Editors: We at the Arkansas Tourism Division recognize that our “Travelin’ Arkansas” media releases are frequently too lengthy to be used in their entirety. However, we feel an obligation to represent a variety of events from across the state. We encourage you to consider adapting “Travelin’ Arkansas” to fit your needs by selecting events you feel meet the interests of your readers or listeners. In addition, we would suggest that “Travelin’ Arkansas” items may be used on a stand-alone basis to fill your space and time needs.

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Historic Washington State Park in Washington will be the scene of a Civil War Weekend Nov. 3-5. Visitors can expect an immersion into 1864 at a time when the war was on the doorsteps of residents of the town.

During the event, military and civilian re-enactors dressed in period attire will reflect the town’s daily life during the war. Tours and surrey rides will be available and Williams’ Tavern Restaurant will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Activities will be open to the public both Saturday and Sunday. A highlight of each day will be the skirmish, “Conflict at the Doorstep” which is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. both days. Re-enactor camps, the ladies fashion program and other outside activities are free to the public.

Special programs requiring tickets also will be available at the 1874 courthouse or the candle shop. Tickets for surrey rides will be sold at the candle shop. A ‘Civil War Day for Schools’ will take place on Nov. 3 where students can experience artillery demonstrations, Civil War medicine, period music, and historic games.

Washington is located on US 278 nine miles north of Hope and can be reached by taking Exit 30 off Interstate 30. From Nashville, follow US 278 south for 18 miles. Admission to the event is free and the park will be open each day from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Parking has been set at $4. For more information on the event, visit www.oldwashingtonstatepark com or call (870) 983-2684.

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The Mid-South Championship Marathon and Half-Marathon will take place in Wynne Nov. 4.

The race, which is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon, leads runners on a scenic route along Crowley’s Ridge which overlooks the Arkansas Delta. Last year, more than 550 athletes competed.

Aside from the race, scheduled activities include glider flights with the Memphis Soaring Society based in Cherry Valley just up the road from Wynne. For a fee, pilots will give glider tours around the area. The Chamber of Commerce is also lining up tours of local farming operations and the Wynne Camera Club will take visitors on a photo tour of “country living” which will include stops at old barns and rusty tractors. The riding club is also scheduling horseback rides.

For more information, check the Web site www.midsouthmarathon.com or call David at (870)-238-5528.

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Visitors will be able to take in the fall beauty of the Arkansas River in style aboard the Arkansas Queen riverboat as it offers Fall Color Cruises, Nov. 4 and 11. Passengers will cruise up the Arkansas River through Murray Lock and Dam while enjoying the colors of the season. The trip includes lunch, live riverboat music and games. Boarding time is 9:30 a.m. with a 10 a.m. departure. Arrival time back at the dock is 3:30 p.m. Admission is $24.50 for adults, $23 for senior citizens, and $17 for children ages 4-12.

The boat can be accessed from 100 Riverfront Drive in North Little Rock. For more information call (501) 372-5777, e-mail info@arkansasqueen.com, or check this Web site: www.arkansasqueen.com.

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Come soar vicariously with the angels as the United States Navy Blue Angels aerobatic team headlines 2006 Airpower Arkansas, the annual Little Rock Air Force Base Air Show, Nov. 4-5. Gates open at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Aerial performances began at 10 a.m. both days, ending at 4:30 p.m. A concert by “Wide Awake” will be held at 4:30 p.m. Saturday only.

Other performers scheduled include the Canadian C-18 Demo Team, an F-16 Fighting Falcon, the Shockwave Jet Truck, F-16 Viper Demo Team and F-86 Sabre and an F-15E Strike Eagle demo. Also, shows by pilots Jon Melby, Mike Rinker & Pink Floyd, and Bob Reider, plus the United States Air Force Academy Wings of Blue parachute demonstration team. In addition, there will be a C-130 Hercules Cargo Drop, demonstrated by the men and women stationed at the Little Rock Air Force Base. They will also partner with paratroopers from Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne and more than 250 infantrymen demonstrating a massive paratrooper drop.

There will be static aircraft displays featuring an A-10 Thunderbolt II, a B-1B Lancer, a C-2A Greyhound, a C-12 Huron, a C-21A, a RC-135, a T-34 Turbomentor, a F-15E Strike Eagle, a F-15 Eagle, a F117A Nighthawk, a SH-60B Seahawk, an UH-60 Blackhawk, a F-18 Super Hornet and a B-52 Stratofortress, just to name a few.

The Little Rock Air Force Base Web site has additional information – www.littlerockaf.mil/index.asp – or call (501) 987-3353. Admission is free.

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View independent national, international and regional films produced in digital format Nov. 7-12 during the Eureka Springs Digital Film Festival. Films will be shown at The Auditorium and other venues throughout Eureka Springs, and admission varies.

While films of all subject matter may be entered in the film festival, this year’s review committee will give special attention to films of all genre with the subjects of cultural diversity, poverty, teen issues and public service. This year’s theme is “Feed Your Head.” New to the festival will be a series of workshops and seminars designed to further the knowledge base of aspiring filmmakers.

For more information, phone (479) 253-7333 or visit www.eurekafilms.org.

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Hot Springs will host a Turkey JAM Nov. 11 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The event is free and will feature some of the best cheer and dance teams in the area. A general schedule will be available on the event’s Web site one to two weeks before the event. The schedule will include what time the doors open, sessions start and end, and times for the awards ceremonies.

For more information on the event, contact Matt Moore at (866) JAM-FEST or check out www.jamfest.com.

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The Faulkner County Museum in Conway will host its 3rd Annual Holiday Open House, Nov. 11-12. The museum is housed in the historic 1896 jail located on the Faulkner County Courthouse Square. An 1850s-era dogtrot cabin, also on the grounds, will be decorated in a Western Christmas theme. Hot cider and cookies will be served on the porch highlighted by holiday music. A scale model railroad exhibit that represents the Missouri Pacific Railroad Line from Conway to Mayflower will be operating and the museum will be open for tours. Admission is free with donations welcome. Call (501) 329-5918 or e-mail fcm@conwaycorp.net for more information.

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Nov. 17, 18 and 19 are the dates for the North Little Rock Junior League’s 5th annual Home for the Holidays Home Tour. The tour will be in the Calico Creek neighborhood off North Hills Blvd. General admission tours are Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 18 and 19 with tickets going for $10. Special events include a luncheon with a bonus home tour ($25 or $200 for a table of eight) and a wine and cheese party at the bonus home for $20. Both tickets include a weekend pass to the Calico Creek homes. More information on the homes tour can be found on www.jlnlr.org or can be obtained by calling (501) 372-1436 or e-mailing meadornancy@hotmail.com. Tickets can be purchased online through the Web site.

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Nov. 18 is the last chance to enjoy a Star Party at Mt. Nebo State Park in Russellville. Explore the night sky with Dr. Jeff Robertson, an astrophysics professor from Arkansas Tech in Russellville. The astronomy program will begin at 6 p.m. or dusk at the park’s Sunset Point. Bring your own blankets and chairs. The program is dependent on the weather. For more information, phone the park at (479) 229-3655 and visit www.ArkansasStateParks.com.

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The 18th annual Eureka Springs Fall Antique Show and Sale is set for Nov. 18-19 at the Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center in Eureka Springs.

This quality show features dealers from 13 states with a wide variety of antiques, including furniture, glass, pottery, jewelry, art, linens, china, silver, kitchen collectibles, vintage clothing, postcards, shabby chic and books.

Admission will be $2.50 for adults with children 12 and under admitted free. For more information, phone Jane or Dave Baker at (479) 253-7551.

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An annual rite of winter will be celebrated Thanksgiving week when the 71st Annual World Championship Duck Calling Contest and Wings Over the Prairie Festival takes place in Stuttgart.

The event happens Nov. 18-25 on Main Street and will include activities such as duck calling contests, arts and crafts, a 10K race, a duck gumbo cook-off, and carnival. Most events are free.

Stuttgart is known as the duck and rice capital of the world. The town is surrounded by the Arkansas Grand Prairie where the commercial production of rice was pioneered in 1904 and led to Arkansas’s status as the top rice producing state in the U.S. Rice fields and irrigation reservoirs entice the annual migration of ducks and geese on the Mississippi Flyway to linger, making the area nationally renowned among waterfowl hunters.

For more details on the event, contact the Stuttgart Chamber at (870) 673-1602 or visit www.stuttgartarkansas.com.

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The 9th annual Petit Jean Mountain Man Rendezvous will be Nov. 24-26 at Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton.

Re-enactors will show survival skills used by Arkansas pioneers in a primitive mountain camp. A variety of demonstrations will be offered, including muzzleloading rifles and tomahawk throwing. This event is co-sponsored by the Early Arkansas Re-enactor Association.

Admission is free. Contact the park for a detailed schedule and further information, contact the park at (501) 727-5441and visit www.PetitJeanStatePark.com.

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The Eureka Springs Fall Art Fair and Sculpture Show will be Thanksgiving weekend at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center in Eureka Springs. The fair will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 and from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26.

The event will feature 85 local, regional, and nationally-known artists showing works in all mediums. Admission will be $2, and parking is free. For more information, visit www.eurekaspringsartists.com or e-mail Steve Schmidt at steve@eurekaspringsartists.com.