Travelin’ Arkansas: Events Taking Place During September

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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"The Vietnam Experience," a traveling exhibition from the Navy Art Collection, can be viewed at the Rogers Historical Museum in Rogers, now through Oct. 28.

The U.S. Navy participated in a wide variety of roles and missions during the Vietnam War. Navy combat artists recorded many of these activities, typically sharing the same dangers as the sailors and Marines they accompanied. The scenes depicted in the exhibit give a visual sense of the War: the colors, the landscape, the people, and adrenaline-charged combat actions. Artwork is accompanied by artifacts illustrating the participation of Northwest Arkansas residents in the Vietnam conflict.

Admission is free. The museum is located at 322 South Second Street. For more information, phone (479) 621-1154 and visit www.rogersarkansas.com/museum.

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Celebrate the history of the White River Sept. 1-3 during White River Days at Bull Shoals-White River State Park in Lakeview.

Weekend events will focus on the ecology, history, and prehistory of the White River. Programming will include evening slide show presentations about such topics as how the White River got its name. River wades will be offered for kids who want to look for the critters that call the river home. Guided river floats will also be given.

Admission is free, except interpretive kayak or canoe tours are $15 per person. Contact the park at (870) 431-5521 for program details.

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The 10th annual Fine Arts Festival is set for Sept. 1-9 in Fayetteville. Highlighting the visual arts with artist booths, public art projects, installation pieces and other visual arts programming, festivities will take place throughout the downtown, including the Fayetteville Town Center, Square and Dickson Street.

Live music and the Farmer’s Market is an integral part of the weekend. Visual arts will be the focus of Sept. 1-3. September 8 and 9 will concentrate on the performing arts with a youth and adult 24-hour Play Festival, staged live readings of new plays, theater improv, dance and live music.

Admission varies. For more information, phone (479) 571-3337 or visit www.downtowndickson.com.

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The 65th Annual Rector Labor Day Picnic is taking place Sept. 2-4 at Rector Memorial Park. The family friendly picnic provides fun for all ages. Activities are set to include a parade on Monday morning, a street dance Saturday night, talent shows, a barbecue and carnival rides.

Rector is named after former Governor Henry Massey Rector and is the hometown of Sgt. Denver “Bull” Randleman, a member of the famed Band of Brothers Easy Company, 101st Airborne of the Second World War, which was depicted in the Steven Spielberg-Tom Hanks mini-series. For more information on the picnic, phone (870) 595-3591 or e-mail michael.polk@regions.com.

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The 55th annual Clothesline Fair, a Labor Day weekend tradition, is set for Sept. 2-4 at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park in Prairie Grove.

A large variety of handmade items will be for sale in the traditional craft show containing over 200 booths. Visitors can also examine antique farming equipment, walk through historic buildings, see original Civil War artifacts, and observe living history programs.

Established local bands and performers will entertain throughout the event with gospel music as standard fare on Sunday. A specialty of the fair is the square dancing demonstrations and contest. All participants are children from the local area.

Many concession areas, operated by area non-profit organizations, will be available, serving traditional fair food such as smoked chicken, hamburgers, popcorn, funnel cakes and more. The fair and all festivities are free, but there is a $4 parking fee at the park.

The Prairie Grove Clothesline Fair was started in 1951 as a way to revive the carnival-like atmosphere of Civil War reunions. Despite the horrors of the war, the land where the Battle of Prairie Grove took place has been revered through use as a reunion site since the 1870s.

Aside from special events, the park has a self-guided walking tour and driving tour. The visitor’s center has a gift shop, museum and bookstore. The park also contains pavilions, a picnic area and a playground.

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park closes one hour after sundown and the park museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The park is located on U.S. 62 in Prairie Grove. For more information, visit arkansasstateparks.com or call (479) 846-2990.

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The 11th annual Arkansas Hot Air Balloon State Championship Race will hit the Harrison skyline Sept. 8-10.

On Sept. 8 enjoy a balloon glow at 7 p.m. The Hare and Hound race will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 9. A Key Grab game will play out at 7 a.m. on Sept. 9 and 10. The event is staged from the Harrison junior high school football field.

Admission is free. For more information, phone (870) 741-2659 and visit www.harrison-chamber.com.

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The grounds of Plantation Agriculture Museum State Park at Scott will be the site of the 15th Arkansas Antique Tractor and Engine Show, Sept. 9 and 10. Visitors will be able to view different types of antique machines that plowed, pumped and drove the state and country into the 20th century. Exhibits will feature vintage tractors, single-piston engines, early implements, and farm machines, which will fill the air with pops, bangs and clangs of stationary gasoline engines, two-cylinder tractors, and antique farm equipment.

Everyone is invited to bring their tractors, engines or farm implements and display them but they must be made before 1960. No registration to be a vendor is required.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the outdoor demonstrations is free; admission to the museum is $3 for adults, $2 for children. The museum is located at the junction of U.S. 165 and Ark. 161 in Scott, approximately 20 miles southeast of Little Rock. More information can be obtained by calling (501) 961-1409 or e-mailing plantationagrimuseum@arkansas.com.

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Mountain View will be the starting point for the 5th Annual Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour Sept. 15-17th. The free tour will provide a rare opportunity to visit the private working studios of the area’s finest artisans and craftsmen. All studios are within 30 miles of Courthouse Square and original works of art will be on exhibit and for sale by the artists. The artists will also demonstrate their craft.

Established in the 1870s, the town is famous for the preservation of folkways and traditional music. Tour maps will be available at the Mt. View Chamber of Commerce at 107 N. Peabody on Courthouse Square. For more information, call (888) 679-2859 or e-mail artists@offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com. Further details can also be found at www.offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com.

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Prepare your taste buds for the 11th annual Arkansas State Championship Hillbilly Chili Cook-off set for Sept. 16 at Bull Shoals-White River State Park in Lakeview.

Live entertainment is provided all day, along with arts and crafts vendors and plenty of chili to taste during this International Chili Society sanctioned competition. These professional cooks are not only competing for the title of the Arkansas’s best chili, but also for automatic advancement to the world championship and a chance to win $25,000.

Admission to the cook-off is $1 and the event is sponsored by Bull Shoals-Lakeview Rotary Club. For more information, phone the state park at (870) 431-5521.

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Looking for some good chicken, pickin’, and politickin’? Craft booths, children’s activities, musical entertainment, beauty pageants, chicken calling contests, basketball tournaments, and a 10K race are just a few of the many exciting events set for the 57th annual Mt. Nebo Chicken Fry on Sept. 16 at Mt. Nebo State Park. Of course, the highlight of the day will be the famous fried chicken dinner served all afternoon. For more information or to register for the pageants, contact the Dardanelle Chamber of Commerce at (479) 229-3328.

Another fall event at Mt. Nebo State Park will be September Skies Over on Sept. 23. 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 comedy “It Runs in the Family” will play at the Imperial Dinner Theatre Sept. 16-17 in Pocahontas.

The dinner and show costs $19.95 for adults and $17.95 for students. For the show sans dinner, tickets are $12.00 for adults and $10.00 for students. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays, with a meal served at 6:30 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. on Sundays, with dinner served at 1:00 p.m.

The Imperial Theatre offers a year-round season of shows. The theater is located on Hwy. 304 across from Black River Technical College Library, less than an hour from Jonesboro. For more information, contact Michelle Kercheval at (870) 892-0030.

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The very popular River Rhapsodies Series offered by the Clinton Presidential Center and Park in Little Rock begins its season with “Beethoven & Schumann” on Sept. 19. Presented in conjunction with the Arkansas Symphony orchestra, the 7:00 p.m. concert features pianist Fabio Bidini. The performance includes Beethoven’s first string quartet (String Quartet No. 3 in D Major) and Schumann’s first piano quintet (Piano Quintet Op. 44), which, with its prominent and difficult piano part, was dedicated to his piano virtuoso wife Clara. The concert is held in the Center’s Great Hall and a buffet dinner is available at Café 42 in the Clinton Center. A pre-concert cocktail reception will be held on the Great Hall terrace. Seating is limited; tickets are $20.

For more information contact the Arkansas Symphony at (501) 666-1761 or by e-mailing tickets@arkansassymphony.org. The Clinton Presidential Center and Park is located at 1200 East President Clinton Avenue in downtown Little Rock’s River Market entertainment district.

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A Pocahontas Sesquicentennial Celebration will take place over three weekends Sept. 21-Oct. 8 at Historic Court Square celebrating the town’s 150th birthday.

The first weekend will showcase the first 50 years of the town and the Civil War era. Pocahontas, which is named after the famous Indian princess of the same name, served as a vital location during the war and the infamous “Swamp Fox” was captured in the city. The second weekend will play out a different historical role, immersing the small town in a World War II era atmosphere. The next weekend has been coined “Homecoming.” Admission to the celebration is free.

For more information, as well as a full schedule of events, contact Linda Bowlin at (870) 892-4426 or go to: http://www.sesqui.randolphcomuseum.org. A sesquicentennial gift shop has also opened its doors with hours Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m-4:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. For more information or history on Pocahontas, go to: https://www.arkansas.com/city-listings/city_detail/city/Pocahontas

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A Jimmie Rodgers Tribute will take place Sept. 22-23 at the Folk Center Theater at Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View. Known for his high, lonesome yodels, Jimmie Rodgers is considered by many to be the father of country music. His music is celebrated with two nights of concerts featuring special guest performers. Admission is $9 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-12.

The Ozark Folk Center is the nation’s only center that preserves Ozark heritage and presents it as living history. The town, located deep in the Ozarks is surrounded by mountains and rivers, offering outdoor activities that include caving at Blanchard Springs Caverns and fly fishing on the White River. The 50-mile Syllamo Mountain Bike Trail is also nearby. 

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Spend a beautiful evening under the stars at a Fall Star Party at Village Creek State Park in Wynne. The free event will take place Sept. 23 from 7:30 -10:30 p.m. and is being presented by the Memphis Astronomical Society. The evening will begin with presentations in the visitor center auditorium and will move to the baseball field where several telescopes will be set up.

Multi purpose trails are also available at the park in miles of terrain that wind through the rolling hills and forest of Crowley’s Ridge. The trails are open to hikers, bikers and horses. Horseback riding has become a popular pastime at this 6,909-acre park, the second largest park in land area in the Arkansas state parks system.

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There’s nothing like having fun “down on the farm” to turn thoughts to the beauty of the oncoming fall season. Peebles Farm Fall Festival in Augusta is scheduled for Sept. 26 to Oct. 31. This working farm on U.S. 64 will have a seven-acre corn maze and hayrides plus refreshments and a shaded picnic area. Twelve varieties of pumpkins and twelve kinds of gourds, along with ornamental squash, wheat-straw bales, Indian corn and standing corn stalks will be available for purchase. Admission is $6. Dallas Peebles at (870) 919-6162 can provide additional details.

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The legendary improvisational comedy troupe, Second City, will be live at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Sept. 27-Oct. 8, performing one of their best-known touring productions, “Truth, Justice or The American Way.” The show pokes fun at everything from current events to relationships, politics and family life. The entertaining presentation also includes improv based on topic suggestions by the audience, scenes and original material performed by the newest members of the world’s best and brightest new comedians. Tickets range from $20 to $35 and can be obtained online at www.therep.org.