May in the Arkansas Ozarks

Eureka Springs celebrates the creative side of its culture during the entire month of May with the 25th annual May Festival of the Arts. The city highlights art in all of its forms and features dozens of exhibits, artist’s receptions and demonstrations, gallery strolls, free concerts and the annual White Street Studio Walk. A popular event during the month-long festival is the Eureka Springs ARTrageous Parade. It takes place at 2 p.m. on May 5, starting at the Carnegie Library and ending at the courthouse. For details, visit www.eurekasprings.org or call 479-253-9318.

First Thursday on the Downtown Square in Fayetteville is set for May 3. The event celebrates original works of art and includes an outdoor art walk, live music, and a charity beer garden. Participating galleries and art-related venues offer free access to visual and performing art starting at 5 p.m. Visit www.firstthursdayfayetteville.com or call 479-521-5776 for more information.

Withrow Springs State Park in Huntsville hosts Sunset on the War Eagle on May 4. Meet Park Interpreter Natalie for a memorable hike to the overlook to watch the sun set over the beautiful War Eagle River Valley. This is a very short but steep hike. There is no charge for the participants. The War Eagle Trailhead is located near the Crossbow Pavilion. This is one of many programs offered by the park. For more information, call 479-559-2593.

Centerton's first Spring Festival is set for May 4-5. Festivities include crafters, and vendors of independent and local businesses. The free festival is held at City Hall Park, located at 290 Main St. City officials plan to host the event annually. Center is four miles west of Bentonville on Ark. 102. Visit www.centertonar.us or call 479-795-2750 for details.

Bentonville’s First Friday Art and Nature Festival takes place May 4-5 on the town square. The weekend includes the Bentonville Farmers Market and musical events that will take place at Compton Gardens and along the Crystal Bridges Trail. The festival is produced in partnership with the Walton Arts Center’s regional Artosphere festival. For more information, visit www.downtownbentonville.org or call 479-254-0254.

The 4th annual Art on the Creek in Bella Vista takes place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 4-5. It’s a juried arts and crafts festival featuring local and national artisans who display and sell their work along McKissic Creek as well as on the grounds of and inside The Studio and Wishing Spring Gallery. The event also includes art and craft demonstrations, "you be the judge" art contest, and food. Admission is free. Visit www.bellavistafestival.org or call 479-855-2064 for details.

Devil’s Den State Park in West Fork offers a Birder Weekend each spring. This year’s opportunity to learn about feathered friends is May 4-6. The weekend's activities will include guided bird hikes, live bird of prey demonstrations, guest speakers, and crafts for the kids. Spring is also the perfect time to mark a tropical migrant off of your life list. Contact the park at 479-761-3325 for a detailed program schedule as the free event nears.

Ozark Birders' Springtime Retreat is May 4-6 at Bull Shoals-White River State Park in Bull Shoals. The retreat offers activities for everyone from beginner to advanced birders. There will be guided walks, evening programs, lake and river cruises and children’s program. Contact the park at 870-445-3629 for a detailed schedule. Admission is free, except for the lake and river cruises.

The War Eagle Mill Spring Craft Fair is a tradition in northwest Arkansas. This year’s fair is May 4-6. The fair is held along the beautiful War Eagle River where the mill and the adjacent Sharp Show feature over 200 of the best original craft and food vendors in the region. Visit www.wareaglemill.com or call 479-789-5343 for details.

RunEureka, set for May 5, is a scavenger hunt event for the whole family. It takes place in Eureka Springs during the May Festival of the Arts and benefits Clear Spring School. Runners and walkers explore the town whiel solving clues and completing challenges from point to point to win prizes. Teams are encouraged to wear costumes and be prepared for zany fun. The race starts at the parking lot for Ermilio’s restaurant, located at 26 White St. This cost is $20 in advance and $25 the day of the race. Visit www.runeureka.com or call 479-253-7888 for details.

The inaugural Northwest Arkansas Cheese Dip Classic takes place May 5 in Fayetteville. Professional and amateur teams from across the region test their cheese dip recipes and compete for the coveted Big Dipper title at the Northwest Arkansas Cheese Dip Classic. The professional division champion wins a trip to compete in the 2012 World Cheese Dip Championship in Little Rock. The event includes live music, local food vendors and children's activities, and sampling and voting on your favorite cheese dip. The event benefits the Single Parent Scholarship Fund of Northwest Arkansas. Admission is $10 for adults and free for children 10 and younger. Visit www.cheesedip.net or call 501-993-7502 for details.

The ever-popular 11th annual Greater Cotter Trout Festival is a great family event taking place May 4-5 at picturesque Big Spring Park. Barbecue is served up Friday night and Fish Fry dinners on Saturday. Festivities include a parade Saturday morning, artisan and vendor booths, and live music. Kids' event include a fishing hole and craft projects. Visit www.cotterarkansas.com or call 870-321-1243 for more information.

Ozark Folk Center State Park’s Heritage Herb Spring Extravaganza is May 5 in Mountain View. The event is filled with herb information, activities in the Heritage Herb Garden, old-time folk music, a plant sale, and the Committee of 100’s Country Tea. Admission is the entrance fee to the park’s craft village, which is $10 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-12. Visit www.ozarkfolkcenter.com or call 870-269-3851 for a detailed schedule.

Head to Mountain Home on May 5-6 for the North Arkansas Wood Carvers 33rd annual Woodcarving Show and Sale. As one of the largest shows in the area, the NAWC Woodcarving Show features whittlers, woodcarvers, wood turners, vendors, judged competitions, demonstrations, and a carving contest. Participants are from all levels - novice to professional. Admission is free and the event is held at the Baxter County Fairgrounds. Visit www.northarkansaswoodcarvers.org or call 870-431-8070 for more information.

RAIN, the internationally-acclaimed Beatles concert, returns by popular demand to the Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville on May 7. RAIN performs the full range of The Beatles' discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience. Tickets range from $38 to $54 depending on seats. Purchase tickets online at www.waltonartscenter.org or call 479-443-5600.

Cutting Edge Week on May 8-12 at Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View is a celebration of knives and their makers. The week is comprised of knifemaking classes, a knife show, and the National Finals BladeSports Cutting Competition. Visit www.ozarkfolkcenter.com or call 870-269-3851 for details.

The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks' signature event, Greening of the Garden, takes place May 10 in Fayetteville. Held on the Great Lawn under tents, the event offers food, bar, music, silent and live auctions and the beauty of the Garden on a spring evening. The cost is $50 for adults. For more information, visit www.bgozarks.org or call 479-750-2620.

Culinary Classes by Karen are offered May 11-12 in Eureka Spring in the Provençal-style home of Patrice & Karen Gros. Karen emphasizes seasonal menus featuring fresh, local, top-quality ingredients. Learn to prepare healthy market-fresh food and classic French recipes. Two types of classes are offered each month (same menu per month): Demonstration Classes and Hands-on Classes. The class size is up to 20 with a fee $30 per person. For more information, visit www.cuisinekaren.com or call 479-253-7461.

The 30th annual Kingston Fair on the Square is May 11-12. Festivities include crafts, parade, clown to entertain kids, live music, door prizes, food vendors and raffles. Admission is free. Call 870-420-3731 for more information.

Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View offers Thumb Picking Weekend May 11-12. Thumb picking is a unique style of playing the guitar, popularized by the late Merle Travis. Come to the evening shows this week to see some masters of this style. If you fancy yourself a player, enter the Saturday contest. Visit www.ozarkfolkcenter.com or call 870-269-3851 for more information.

It’s fender bending devastation – metal crushing destruction – daredevil motorized mayhem on May 12 in Springdale at the Ozark Demolition Derby -- Spring Challenge. This has become one of the most popular events in Northwest Arkansas and attracts thousands of cheering fans and team supporters. Drivers face off in heated competition – competing for prizes and bragging rights. The demolition derby is held at Parsons Stadium, located at 1423 E. Emma. Visit www.rodeooftheozarks.com or call 479-756-0464 for details.

The 2012 Bradford Marine Buddy Bass Tournament is set for May 12 in Rogers. The annual Beaver Lake Buddy Bass Tournament is based from Prairie Creek Park and is a fundraiser for community development. The tournament weigh-in is a crowd-pleaser. Visit www.rogerslowell.com or call 479-636-1240 for more information.

Horseshoe Bend’s 26th annual Dogwood Days takes place May 12. The spring event includes a golf tournament, potato shoot, street dance, food vendors, arts and crafts, music, kids’ games, and a pet pageant. It is held at Lower Diamond B Mall and admission is free. For more information, visit www.horseshoebendarcc.com or call 870-670-5433.

Take your mom for a cruise on beautiful Lake Charles on a part boat when Lake Charles State Park in Powhatan offers a Mother’s Day Lake Cruise on May 12. A park interpreter joins the cruise to point out the natural features and native wildlife found along the lake. The cost is $7 for adults and $3.50 for kids.

Call 870-878-6595 to learn more.


Explore the history of herbs in cooking, medicines and everyday life when Powhatan Historic State Park in Powhatan offers the Herb Garden Workshop on May 12. In the past, herbs were carried from continent to continent, but today we take them for granted. Participants take home information about herbs, a live potted herb plant, an herb butter sample, an herb vinegar or oil, and a fragrant sachet bag for your closet. Contact the park at 870-878-6765 for information.


John Two-Hawks Mother's Day Concert at The Auditorium is set for 2 p.m. on May 13 in Eureka Springs. Moms get in free to this concert which features selections from John-Two Hawks’ music from the last 10 years. The show, meant to honor mothers, is always a moving experience. Visit www.johntwohawks.com or call 479-253-5826 for more information.


Catch an evening viewing of “Bridge to War Eagle” on May 13 at the Crossbow Pavilion of Withrow Springs State Park in Huntsville. War Eagle Creek is part of Ozark heritage. Spectacular scenery, amazing wildlife, and recreational opportunities abound on this classic Ozark stream. “Bridge to War Eagle,” a short documentary by award-winning journalists Larry Foley and Dale Carpenter, chronicles the history, ecology, and enduring legacy of War Eagle Creek. Admission is free. Call 479-559-2593 for details.


Arkansas Territorial School Days takes place May 16-18 in Pocahontas. Territorial Arkansas was not for the faint of heart. Bring your students to Davidsonville Historic State Park for this special school event to learn what brought early frontiersman to Arkansas. Living history characters, games, and other programs are sure to make this an Arkansas history lesson your students will not soon forget. Space is limited; register early. Admission is

free. Call 870-892-4708 for details.

Eureka Springs’ 22nd annual White Street Walk on May 18 is part of the city’s May Festival of the Arts, a month-long celebration. Historic White Street is the working address of several local artists who will welcome the public into homes and studios to view their latest works. They are joined by more than forty guest artists from the Eureka Springs area, who will show weaving, watercolors, jewelry, oils, pottery, stained glass and more. The event takes place from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. and is free. Visit www.eurekasprings.org or call 479-253-9318 for details.

Head to Harrison on May 18-19 for the 22nd annual Crawdad Days Music Festival. Festivities include concerts, carnival fun, and craft vendors. Along with tasty crawfish, there are food vendors to fit every taste bud. Admission is free and the event is held in the downtown area. For more information on this family-friendly event, visit www.harrison-chamber.com or call 870-741-2659.

Mountain Home offers The Art Odyssey on May 18-20. The Art Odyssey offers an opportunity to visit the studios and view the work of juried Arkansas Ozark artists living and working in the Mountain Home area. Artists include painters, sculptors, beaders, photographers, fiber artists, potters, basket artists, mosaic artists, and mixed media artists. The Art Odyssey artists and directions to their studios can found online at www.theartodyssey.com. Admission is free. Call 870-580-0987 for more information.

Enjoy a Spring Garden Tour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on May 19 in Eureka Springs. On the tour are several bed and breakfast inns, church gardens, and the historic loop area springs. The event also includes light refreshments, speakers and demonstrations. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased from Eureka Springs Garden Club member, the Chamber of Commerce or the Historical Museum. For more information, call 479-253-7078.

The 8th annual Syllamo's Revenge Mountain Bike Challenge is May 19 near Mountain View. The biking challenge is comprised of 40-plus miles of mountain biking through the Ozarks. It offers changing scenery and beautiful views of the White River Valley, Sylamore Creek Valley and the Ozark Mountains. For details, visit www.fs.fed.us/oonf/ozark/recreation/syllamo_bike.html or call 870-269-8068.

Freshwater pearls and the pearling industry are a part of Arkansas’s heritage. Learn to make beautiful jewelry from the stunning orbs as Powhatan Historic State Park in Powhatan offers a Pearl Stringing Workshop: Necklaces on May 19. Participants learn how to make the stunning jewelry and learn about the history of the freshwater pearling industry on the Black River. For more information or to register for the class, contact the park at 870-878-6765.

Memorial Day weekend is a great time for cookouts and camping. It’s also a great time to enjoy various programs, like owl prowls, star gazing, black powder demonstrations, and historic town site tours at Davidsonville Historic State Park in Pocahontas. Activities are scheduled on May 25-28. Contact the park at 870-892-4708 for a complete program schedule.

Save the date of May 26 for the 26th annual Hillbilly Daze in Witts Springs. The event includes a kiddie parade at 10 a.m. as well as a main parade with cars, ATVs, animals, floats, and bike groups at 11 a.m. The afternoon is filled with horseshoe games, turtle races, music, a silent auction, and a stickhorse rodeo. The fire department's famous fish fry is at 5:30 p.m. Call 870-496-2239 for more information.

In honor of Memorial Day, the staff of Lake Charles State Park in Powhatan are firing an authentic Civil War cannon during the Artillery Demonstration on May 27. Memorial Day was created to honor those who died during the Civil War. The program includes a history of Civil War artillery. The event is free. Contact the park at 870-878-6595 for details.