May in the Arkansas timberlands

The 42nd annual Hamburg Armadillo Festival is May 3-5 in Hamburg. The festival features armadillo races, arts and crafts, carnival rides, the Southeast Arkansas Antique Tractor and Engine show, and more. For more information visit www.hamburgark.com or call 870-853-8345.

Join park staff for a weekend of outdoor skills instruction May 4-6 during Women's Outdoor Weekend at Millwood State Park in Ashdown. Classes offered include tent camping, kayaking and canoeing, dutch oven cooking, backing up a trailer, and beginning birdwatching. A $125 registration fee includes use of tent and campsite, use of all equipment, instruction in all classes and all meals. For more information visit www.arkansasstateparks.com or call 870- 898-2800.

The 20th annual South Arkansas Mayhaw Festival is May 4-5 in El Dorado. The event is an all day celebration of music, food, and southern culture. The event includes mayhaw jelly sales, a 5K walk/run, crafts, an antique car show, and more. Mayhaw is the name given to the fruit ( which ripens in late April through May) of hawthorn trees. It is considered a celebrated delicacy of Southern cuisine. For more information visit www.soarkhistory.com or call 870-862-9890.

Collinfest is May 5 in De Queen at the Cossatot Amphitheater. The town is the hometown of country music star Collin Raye. The singer returns home for his 14th benefit concert. Admission is $10-$20 and proceeds fund college scholarships for local students. For more information visit www.collinfest.com or call 870-642-2446.

The annual Peach Blossom Festival is May 5 in Nashville on Main Street. The town has a celebrated connection to the fruit and was once a major center for peach trade in the state. The festival has entertainment, vendor booths, a car show and more. For more information visit www.nashvillear.com or call 870-845-1262.

The 16th annual Whistlestop Festival is May 11-12 in Ashdown.  Activities include a catfish cook-off, a large antique car show, a tractor display, 5K/10K races, train memorabilia, a turtle race and more. For more details visit www.littlerivercounty.org or call 870-898-2642.

Main Street El Dorado presents the annual Bugs, Bands & Bikes festival each summer in Oil Heritage Park in  El Dorado. This year's event is May 11-12. During the event, thousands of motorcycles rev into Union Square for a day filled with live music, crawfish and more. Other events include a poker run, a motorcycle parade, vendors, arm wrestling and the region's largest bike show. Special for this year is a the Swamp People VIP Experience on May 12 inside the Rialto Theatre. The event is a chance to meet with RJ and Jay Paul Molinere from the History Channel's TV show Swamp People. A limited number of tickets ( they cost $10) for this are available. For more information visit www.mainstreeteldorado.org/ or call 870-862-4747.

The 24th annual Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-Off is May 18-19 in Magnolia.

The event includes a sidewalk art show, crafts, a car and motorcycle show, a fishing tournament, and more. Over 5,000 steaks are cooked by teams vying to win the coveted Governor's Cup and title as the World Championship Steak Cooker. For more details check out www.blossomfestival.org or call 870-234-4352.

Washington hosts Armed Forces Day May 19 in Washington at Historic Washington State Park. This day is set aside to remember the many ways in which armed forces personnel have impacted our country since its founding. The event features exhibits and first person living history attractions related to the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, The Mexican War, Civil War, Indian Wars, Spanish American War, World Wars I and II, and an appearance by current armed forces representatives.Special programs and activities open at 9 a.m. and run through 4 p.m. Park tours are available at regular prices from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free for special exhibits. Tours cost $8 for adults and $4 for kids 6-12 years old. Visit www.historicwashingtonstatepark.com or call 870-983-2684 for more details.

Join a park interpreter on a guided trail hike to learn select plant names, common and scientific, and their medicinal uses by our ancestors May 19 in McNeil during Medicinal Plants of Logoly State Park. Participants receive handouts and a medicinal plant book. Admission is $25. For more information visit www.arkansasstateparks.com or call 870-695-3561.

The South Arkansas Symphony presents the First Financial Bank--Symphony on the Square May 26 in El Dorado at the Union County Courthouse. The free concert is one of the most popular performances of the year for the symphony. For more details go to www.southarkansassymphony.org or call 870-862-0521.

The 21st annual Dinosaur Festival is May 26 in Nashville at Nashville City Park. The festival is a celebration of the town's ties to dinosaurs: one of the largest dinosaur trackways in the world was discovered a few miles from town.  The festival features a Dino Dig, a softball and baseball tournament, and more. Visit www.nashar.org or call 870-845-7405 for more information.