May in the Arkansas Delta

Celebrate The Natural State’s heritage as Parkin Archeological State Park in Parkin offers an Arkansas History Fair on May 12. Demonstrations and programs are offered throughout the day, with topics including Dutch oven cooking, pottery making, archery and atlatl throwing. Contact the park at 870-755-2500 to learn more.

Kids of all ages are welcome at Lake Poinsett State Park in Harrisburg for Kids and Horses on May 12. Spend the day horseback riding and munching on fresh-popped kettle corn. Park personnel will hand-lead rides for the youngsters in the park’s playground area. Helmets are required and provided by staff. Admission is $3. More information can be obtained by contacting the park at 870-578-2064.

Native American legend says the sound of the drum reflects the heartbeat of Mother Earth. It is also a belief that when people sing along with the drum, nature joins in harmony and carries the spirit of the songs to the Creator. Explore these legends and create a drum to take home when Hampson Archeological State Park in Wilson offers The Mother’s Heartbeat on May 12. The workshop is suitable for all ages. The $10 participant fee includes all materials. Contact the park at 870-655-8622 to learn more.

Cane Creek State Park in Star City hosts the park’s first mountain bike race on May 12. The Cane Creek Timberland Mountain Bike Race wends through the wooded, hilly trails of the park. Prizes awarded for race length and age divisions. Early registration fee is $25. Contact the park at 870-628-4714 for details or to register.

The 2nd annual Arkansas Delta Rockabilly Festival is slated for May 12 in historic downtown Helena. This year’s lineup includes scheduled performances by Brandon Cunning & the Stunning Cunning Band; C.W. Gatlin; Reba Russell; Stan Perkins & D.J. Fontana; Charlie Rich, Jr.; Travis Wammack & J.M. Van Eaton with the Sons of Billies Band; Ace Cannon; Sonny Burgess & the Legendary Pacers; Asleep at the Wheel; and the Kentucky Headhunters. Tickets are $20. Log on to www.DeltaRockabillyFest.com or call 870-995-1326 for more information.

Helena Second Saturdays brings local artisans, musicians, merchants, farmers and visitors together the second weekend of each month in downtown Helena. The event, held along historic Cherry Street, is a great opportunity for shopping, eating and exploring. Many of the businesses along historic Cherry Street participate and offer extended hours on Second Saturdays. You’ll find artists, musicians and craftspeople located along the street, playing live music or create a masterpiece in front of your eyes. Many of the participating businesses serve refreshments as well. The next Second Saturday is scheduled for May 12. Learn more by visiting www.HelenaSecondSaturdays.org or phoning 870-338-3300.

Downtown Paragould is the setting for the 23rd annual Loose Caboose Festival on May 17-19. Live music, carnival rides, a bike ride, vendors, a fish fry, a large children’s area and stage, an expanded arts and crafts area, a karaoke contest, and petting zoos are all scheduled. To learn more, log on to www.LooseCaboose.net or phone 870-240-0544.

If you’re a fan of crawfish, Dermott is the place to be as the town hosts the 29th annual Crawfish Festival on May 18-19. The two-day festival also features live music, the Arkansas Game and Fish aquarium, a dog show, children’s rides, vendors, arts and crafts…. and crawfish! To find out more visit www.DermottCrawfishFestival.com or phone 870-538-5656.

Downtown Tyronza serves as the backdrop for the 10th annual Stars and Stripes Festival on May 18-19. The festival features live music and a pageant on Friday evening. Saturday’s events include a parade, live music, games, and vendors and concludes with an evening street dance. For more information, phone 870-487-2168.

The 14th annual Piggott Heritage Park Car Show, one of Arkansas’s largest, takes place May 18-20 in Piggott. Check out hundreds of classic cars restored to their glory. Other festivities include live entertainment, classic car parade, games, and lots of food. Saturday night’s events include a 50s dance contest for kids and live music. For more information, contact 870-598-3167.

The 2012 Tour de Hoot Bicycle Tour is slated for May 19 in McGehee. The bicycle tour, which benefits the McGehee Boys and Girls Club, offers routes ranging from 25 to 100 miles throughout southeast Arkansas. The event is known for great rest stops and delicious food. A pasta dinner is held the night before the race at the Boys and Girls Club. Registration is $35. Log on to www.TourdeHoot.com or phone 870-222-8410 for all the details.

Crowley’s Ridge State Park in Paragould offers teachers an opportunity to get their students into the great outdoors during Wild about Wildlife School Days on May 1, 2, 8 and 9. The program features fun and educational programs pertaining to wildlife on Crowley’s Ridge. Registration is required. For more information, contact the park at 870-573-6751.

Warfield Concerts in Helena-West Helena hosts the annual Warfield Music Festival on May 1-6. Scheduled performances include Horizon: The Legends of Motown on May 3; soprano Deleen Davidson on May 4; and the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company on May 5, and an outdoor concert by Funky Butt Brass on May 6. Tickets are free and available at the Phillips County Chamber of Commerce or the Arkansas Welcome Center in Helena-West Helena. Venues vary; check the website for details. To learn more, visit www.WarfieldConcerts.com.

Wile away a few hours or a few days enjoying live bluegrass, gospel and country music during Village Creek State Park’s annual Pickin’ in the Park on May 3-5. Bring your lawn chair and listen as professional and amateur musicians play their favorite tunes. If you play an instrument, make sure and bring it along! The event is held in Campground A. To learn more, contact Village Creek State Park at 870-238-9406.

Professional jazz guitarist Milt Jackson performs during the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas’s “Live at Five” music series on May 4. Jackson, an associate professor of music at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for 30 years, is a well-known musician who plays with groups throughout the United States. Tickets are $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Log on to www.ArtsScienceCenter.org or phone 870-536-3375 for more information.

Cane Creek State Park offers three kayaking adventures this month. May 5 is the date for the Full Moon Kayak Tour, which allows visitors to experience Cane Creek bathed in moonlight. On May 12, enjoy a relaxing time paddling your kayak across beautiful Cane Creek Lake with a park interpreter as your guide during the park’s Afternoon Kayak Tour. If you’re looking to experience the lake in a different way, try the park’s Sunset Kayak Tour offered on May 19. Tour participants must not have kayaking experience but should be comfortable around and in the water. A brief paddling lesson is given before the beginning of the tour. Reservations are required and the $15 adult admission ($10 for ages 12 and under) includes kayak rental, lifejacket, paddle and guide service. Check out www.ArkansasStateParks.com to learn more or phone 870-628-4714.

Spend a beautiful evening paddling and gazing at the stars when Lake Poinsett State Park in Harrisburg offers a Kayak and Dinner Cruise on May 5. Kayak around beautiful Lake Poinsett and then enjoy a scrumptious Dutch oven dinner on the lakeshore, followed by a glow-in-the-dark astronomy adventure. The fee for the program is $15. For details, contact Lake Poinsett State Park at 870-578-2064.

Transform a piece of nature into a work of art as Crowley’s Ridge State Park in Paragould hosts the Gorgeous Gourds workshop on May 5. The class focuses on the basic types of gourds, historic uses of gourds, and how to make fun and creative projects including birdhouses, canteens, and dippers. The cost of the workshop is $15. Visit www.ArkansasStateParks.com or phone 870-573-6751 for details.

Marion hosts the annual Esperanza Bonanza Festival on May 9-12. The festival features a barbecue cooking contest, carnival, rodeo, a golf tournament, live music and games for children and adults. For more information, phone 870-739-6041.

Join Main Street West Memphis on May 10 for Blues on Broadway in West Memphis. The free lunchtime concert, held at Regions Bank Plaza, celebrates National Tourism Week and Arkansas Heritage Month. Contact Main Street West Memphis at 870-735-8814 for details.

Watch history unfold before your eyes during the Living History Fair School Days at Parkin Archeological State Park in Parkin on May 10-12. Conquistadors, French fur trappers, and sawmill workers demonstrate their daily lives, allowing students a rare, in-depth look into their world. Spots fill quickly so reservations are encouraged. Contact the park at 870-755-2500 for questions or to make reservations.

May 11 is the date for the dedication of a replica of Fort Curtis in Helena-West Helena. The reproduction of the Union Civil War fort is located at the corner of York and Columbia streets in historic downtown Helena. The May 11 dedication of the fort begins Helena’s Civil War Sesquicentennial commemoration of a multi-faceted heritage that includes Federal occupation, seven Confederate generals, and an encampment of thousands of freed slaves. The dedication begins at noon. Log on to www.CivilWarHelena.com or phone 870-816-1152 for more information.

Pull out the lederhosen and head to Stuttgart for the 5th annual German Heritage Festival on May 12! The event is held on the grounds of the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie. German beer and wine, bratwurst, Germanic desserts and potato salad are on the menu, along with live polka music, grape stomping, log and stone throwing contests, a variety of children’s activities and a 5K run. Log on to www.GrandPrairieMuseum.org or phone 870-672-1425 for more information. Head to Blytheville on May 12 as the community hosts Mayfest. The historic downtown is the setting for the arts and crafts festival, featuring live music, a dog show, activities for kids and a variety of food vendors. Learn more by logging on to www.MainStreetBlytheville.com or phoning 870-763-2525.

The Delta Cultural Center in Helena-West Helena hosts the 12th annual Arkansas Delta Family Gospel Festival on Saturday, May 19. This year’s festival features performances by national, regional and local groups, including the Five Blind Boys of Alabama, Point of Grace, the Soul Stirrers, and many others. The event takes place on the Cherry Street Pavilion in historic downtown Helena beginning at 11 a.m. The event is free. For more information, contact the Delta Cultural Center at 800-358-0972 or visit their website at www.deltaculturalcenter.com.

Augusta hosts the 15th annual Augusta Days on May 24-27. The festival features a carnival, arts and crafts, a 5K run, a car show, a mini-tractor pull, fireworks, a variety of food vendors, and live entertainment. To learn more, phone 870-347-6457.

Enjoy the Memorial Day holiday weekend at Crowley’s Ridge State Park in Paragould! The park hosts Fishing on the Ridge Kids’ Derby on May 26. Kids 15 years and under are invited to compete for a variety of prizes. That afternoon, it’s Memorial Day Madness! Bring the family and enjoy recreational activities, interpretive programs, swimming, and cruising in pedal boats while listening to music on the beach. Visit www.ArkansasStateParks.com or phone 870-573-6751 for details.

Celebrate the rich and diverse heritage of Gillett during Heritage Days 2012 on May 26. The all-day event, held in the city park, features activities for the entire family, including a 5K, games and tournaments, live entertainment, vendor booths, a barbecue contest and a street dance. Civil War reenactors and staff from Arkansas Post Museum State Park will offer a variety of pioneer activities for the kids. To learn more, phone 870-548-2634.

Enjoy an evening of gospel music as Cane Creek State Park in Star City hosts Music in the Park on May 26. Bring your lawn chairs or blankets and watch the sunset while enjoying great live music. Pack up the entire family and head to the park for Dutch Oven Dessert and Game Night on May 27. Play a variety of games while waiting for the Dutch oven dessert to cook! Log on to www.ArkansasStateParks.com or phone the park at 870-628-4714.