Travelin’ the Southern Arkansas Timberlands: Events Taking Place During March

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. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions: communications@arkansas.com or 501-682-7606.

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Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, the longest running play in the world, comes to the Callaway Theatre at the South Arkansas Arts Center in El Dorado March 5-14. Admission is $15 for non-members, $10 for members and $5 for students. For more information visit www.saac-arts.org or call 870-862-5474.

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Washington hosts a Trail Tales Pioneer Dinner on March 6 at Historic Washington State Park. Participants will enjoy a frontier dinner served outdoors by the campfire. On the agenda is a surrey ride, tour of historic buildings, and dinnertime tales recounted from the old Southwest Trail. Dress casual or wear your favorite pioneer costume. Reservations are required. Admission is $25 for adults or $20 for children. For more details visit www.HistoricWashingtonStatePark.com or call 870-983-2684

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Smackover hosts Nature Quilting Class: Water Mammals on March 8 at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources. Join Laura Rogers, Regional Education Coordinator for Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, to learn about Arkansas mammals. At the conclusion of the nine-month class schedule, participants make a quilt which will be displayed at the museum in August. Contact the museum at 870-725-2877 for further details.

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The Camden Daffodil Festival happens March 12-13. The festival includes tours of four daffodil gardens, a Cemetery Walk with live re-enactments, historic home tours with living history performers, over 100 vendors, arts and crafts, a quilt show, children's activities, Civil War re-enactors, live entertainment and the Championship Steak Cook-Off. Call 870-836-0023 for more information.

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McNeil hosts a Tree Identification Workshop March 13 at Logoly State Park. Participants join park interpreters for a guided hike around the Spring Branch Trail to look at and learn about trees. Emphasis will be on names (common and scientific), historical and modern uses of the tree, and the individual identifying characteristics of each species. Workshop size is limited to 12 with a recommended minimum age of 12 with parents. Workshop fee ($15) includes handouts and a tree field guide book. Pre-registration is required. For more information call 870-695-3561.

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The Four States Fair Equine Center in Texarkana is the scene of 4D Barrel Racing on March 13-14. Contestants ride their horses through a course of barrels in this timed event. Visit www.fourstatesfair.com or call 870-773-2941 for more details.

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The 42nd annual Jonquil Festival in Washington heralds the coming of spring to Southwest Arkansas. Thousands of jonquils welcome crafters, entertainers, and visitors to Historic Washington State Park on March 19-21. For more details on admission and parking visit www.historicwashingtonstatepark.com or call 870-983-2684.

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On March 20, El Dorado hosts an annual St. Patricks Day Celebration featuring the Union County Rock-Paper-Scissors Championship, live music and more. Details can be found at www.mainstreeteldorado.org or by calling 870-862-4747.

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Learn advanced recipes and skills for outdoor cooking at Historic Washington State Park's Dutch Oven Cooking 2: Beyond the Basics in Washington on March 27. The half-day, hands-on workshop is for folks who already understand the art of Dutch oven cooking (the park's basic skills class is recommended as a prerequisite). Space is limited and reservations required. Admission is $25. Call 870-983-2684 for more information.

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Historic Washington State Park in Washington will be your classroom during the Heritage Gardening in the Spring Workshop on March 27. Join the park gardener for hands-on instruction in historical gardening. Soil preparation and heirloom varieties, as well as different methods will be discussed. Space is limited and reservations required. Admission is $10. For more information check out www.historicwashingtonstatepark or call 870-983-2684.

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Hear the roar of Monster Trucks and see trucks jump autos and compete in a variety of events at The Four State Fair Rodeo Arena in Texarkana on March 27. Admission is $15. Check out www.fourstatefair.com or call 870-773-2941 for more information.

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Logoly State Park in McNeil hosts an Outdoor Photography Workshop March 27. Participants embark on a guided photography hike around the Spring Branch Trail to photograph the trails, flowers, trees, and leaves. Interpretive staff give pointers on photographing and identifying flowers and plants. Participants are expected to bring their own cameras and digital cameras are preferred. Class size is limited to 12, with a recommended minimum age of 12 with parents. Pre-registration is required.