 Enjoy the many events and workshops taking place in the Arkansas Ozarks this November.
Arts Center of the Ozarks in Springdale, the 9th annual 5X5 Auction and Jazz Soiree on Nov. 3 offers a very special evening of competitive fun, wine tasting, and jazz. Artists create one-of-a-kind miniature works in all sorts of exciting mediums on 5 inch by 5 inch canvases or other bases. These treasures are offered at a silent auction benefiting the Arts Center of the Ozarks, which is located at 214 S. Main St. Visit www.artscenteroftheozarks.org or call 479-751-5441 for details.
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Eureka Springs’ 64th annual Folk Fest is Nov. 4-5. On Friday night, enjoy music in the Barefoot Ballroom at the Basin Park Hotel. The cost is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. On Saturday, the Folk Parade rolls through the historic downtown. There is an art show and crafts demonstration in Basin Spring Park, and an arts and crafts fair in Pine Mountain Village. You can listen to songwriters compete for prizes on Saturday, and catch the main performance Saturday night. For a full schedule of events, call 479-253-7333 or visit www.eurekasprings.org.
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The 9th annual Foothills Celebration in Black Rock is set for Nov. 4-6. Catch the antique car show and shine, and the amateur and pro lawnmowers races at 1 p.m. on Saturday. Festivities also include music, buggy rides, horse rides, beauty pageants, ham-n-bean supper, vendors, horseshoe tournament, hula hoop contest, and a motorcycle show. A skeet shoot takes place Sunday. Activities take place along Main Street. Call 870-878-6639 for more information.
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For centuries, gourds have been used for functional and artistic purposes. Powhatan Historic State Park in Powhatan offers Gourds, the Versitile Plant! Beginners Workshop on Nov. 5. The exciting, hands-on program teaches participants to decorate and shape the versatile and unusual gourd. The fee is $20 and includes all materials, tools and instruction. Participants should bring protective clothing. Contact the park at 870-898-6765 for details.
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Just in time for cooler weather, Davidsonville Historic State Park in Pocahontas offers Chili and Cornbread: A Dutch Oven Workshop on Nov. 5. Learn how to make two wonderful winter dishes, chili and cornbread, in a whole new way – in a Dutch oven. Participants will also learn how to care for the Dutch oven to make it last through the generations. Admission is $40 and includes a Dutch oven to take home. Visit www.ArkansasStateParks.com or contact Davidsonville Historic State Park at 870-892-4708 for details.
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Enjoy an Eagle Watch Cruise on Nov. 5, 6, 9, 12, 13, 16, 19, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, and 30 in Rogers. An interpretive guide from Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area leads the tour of the Van Winkle arm of Beaver Lake, one of the last undeveloped areas of the lake. The cruise departs from Rocky Branch Marina. Pre-registration and payment are required. The cost is $10 for adults, and $5 for children ages 6-12. Buy your tickets at the park visitor center or by calling 479-789-5000. Dress for the weather. Lifejackets are provided and must be worn at all times.
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Get instruction and quality education from teacher Frank Saksa at Gaston’s Fly Fishing School on Nov. 5-6 at Gaston’s White River Resort in Lakeview. Saksa has developed many new techniques for catching fish on the White River, ones that will make you a much better fly angler, no matter what you’re trying to catch. The cost is $205. Visit www.gastons.com/school.php or call 870-431-5202 for details and registration.
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The annual Tontitown Polenta Smear is set for Nov. 6. The event takes place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is a celebration of the Italian heritage of Tontitown. Admission is free and activities are held at St. Joseph Parish Hall. Visit www.shilohmuseum.org or call 479-750-8165 for more information.
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Join in the 2011 Fall Rock Swap on Nov. 10-11 in Siloam Springs. Rock enthusiasts are invited to set up a table or open the trunk of their car to display, sell, or trade rocks, minerals, and gems. The swap takes place at the clubhouse located at 15048 S. Highway 43. Admission is free. Visit www.nwarockhounds.org or call 479-254-0894 for details.
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Mountain View’s annual Fall Bluegrass Festival on Nov. 10-12 is held at the Ozark Folk Center State Park music auditorium. Contact the Mountain View Bluegrass Association at www.mountainview-bluegrass.com for tickets and a complete list of performers. Stay at the park’s Cabins at Dry Creek for this event, and enjoy eating at the park’s Skillet Restaurant.
On Nov. 11-12 the park will host a Handpicked and Handmade Craft Show in its Craft Village.
Visit www.ozarkfolkcenter.com for more information or reservations, or call 870-269-3851.
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Native Americans and pioneers have used gourds for centuries. Davidsonville Historic State Park in Pocahontas hosts a Beginners’ Gourd Workshop on Nov. 12. The program gives participants a history of gourds and how to turn them into original pieces of art. Fee for the workshop is $15 plus the price of the gourd. Phone the park at 870-892-4708 for details or to make reservations.
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In time for the holiday season, Ozark Folk Center State Park’s “Make It a Handmade Christmas” Folk School takes place Nov. 18-20 in Mountain View. Spend a relaxing weekend in the Ozark Mountains learning to make wonderful gifts that will delight your family and friends. Register today. Class fees vary; visit the website at www.ozarkfolkcenter.com for information and biographies of the instructors. Registration for this session of Folk School is open. There is a non-refundable registration fee due at the time you sign up; the remainder of your class fee is due to the instructor at the beginning of class. Instructors accept cash or checks. The registration deadline is Nov. 10. Call 870-269-3851 for additional information.
Also this weekend in Mountain View is a Classic Car Super Cruise on Nov. 19. This gathering of classic and antique cars takes place in the White River Hoedown parking lot. Visit www.YourPlaceInTheMountains.com or call 870-269-4161 for details.
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Fayetteville holds its Holiday Market on the Square from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 19. Seasonal goodies, decorations, gifts, floral arrangements and fresh produce are on display and for sale around the downtown square gardens. Admission is free. Visit www.fayettevillefarmersmarket.org or call 479-236-2910 for more information.
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Catch the Music in the Mountains Show on Nov. 19 in Horseshoe Bend. Music in the Mountains, a monthly music and variety show, held the third Saturday of each month at 6 p.m. on the stage of the historic Horseshoe Bend Theatre. Admission is by donation. Concessions are available. Call 870-373-3303 for more information.
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Celebrate the holiday season as Jacksonport State Park in Newport holds the annual Holiday Gala Ball on Nov. 19. Experience the 1860s and 1870s as partygoers don period costumes. Enjoy live music and ballroom dancing instructions all in a beautifully decorated courtroom. For more information visit www.ArkansasStateParks.com or contact Jacksonport State Park at 870-523-2143.
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Powhatan Historic State Park in Powhatan offers a Victorian Thanksgiving Dutch Oven Cooking Workshop on Nov. 19. Participants will cook several recipes in the historic cooking vessel, including turkey, potatoes and pie. Fee of $35 includes a Dutch oven to take home and a recipe booklet. Call the park at 870-898-6765 for more information or to make reservations.
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The 23rd annual Fall Antique Show and Sale is Nov. 19-20 at the Best Western Inn of the Ozarks Convention Center in Eureka Springs. You’ll find 55 dealers from as many as 15 states with a complete variety of antiques: furniture, glassware, linens, books, advertising, primitives, silver, pottery, lamps, jewelry, and the unusual. Admission is $3. Visit www.eurekaspringsantiqueshows.com or call 479-244-5167 for details.
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A Thanksgiving Day buffet is a great way to enjoy the holiday, family, friends, and being together. Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View offers a Thanksgiving Day Buffet and Gospel Concert on Nov. 24. Enjoy turkey, dressing, and all the fixings on a convenient buffet, open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the park’s Skillet Restaurant. Walk off your dinner with a tour of the Ozark Folk Center Craft Village and Homespun Gift Shop. Visit with the crafts people in their shops. Shop for quality gift items made by master crafters in the park and throughout Arkansas. At 7 p.m. attend the gospel concert in the White Oak Theater. Visit www.ozarkfolkcenter.com or call 870-269-3851 for details.
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The extremely popular event, Caroling in the Caverns–A Christmas Concert, takes place Nov. 26 and 27 at Blanchard Spring Caverns in Mountain View. Marvel at the beauty of astonishing formations coupled with the sounds of caroling resounding through the caverns as musicians perform your favorite old-time Christmas songs. Call 870-269-8068 or visit www.YourPlaceInTheMountains.com for details.
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Rogers Historical Museum holds its 12th annual Holiday Open House from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on Nov. 27. Enjoy crafts, activities, refreshments, and tours of the 1895 Hawkins House decorated for the season. This year’s theme in the historic home is “A Daisy of a Christmas,” and the rooms will be decorated to portray the story of Daisy Manufacturing and that iconic holiday gift for boys, the BB gun. Admission is free. Visit www.rogersarkansas.com/museum or call 479-621-1154 for more information.