ARKANSAS’SouthNaturally Charming

Complete Guide to Arkansas South’s Attractions

SouthVisitor’s GuideCamden’s

Place in the

CIVIL WAR

Juicy Details from the Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival

Ultimate Guide to the OUTDOORS

Historic District of Clifton and Greening Streetswww.cliftongreening.com

The Greening House 512 GREENINGNamesake for Greening Street, the oldest surviving house in the neighborhood was completed in 1890 for Eldridge Greening. The John Hobson Parker House 526 CLIFTONThe Queen Anne-style house exhibits bay projection and gable and porch ornamentation.The Ramsey-McClellan House 210 CLEVELAND AVE.Built in 1902 for banker W.K. Ramsey, the house features fl uted columns capped with composite Ionic capitals and fi rst- and second-story curved porches. A rooftop railing encloses a “widow’s walk.” The Richie-Crawford House 430 CLIFTONA striking display of neoclassical architecture, the house was completed in 1909 for the family of businessman Walter Richie and later owned by Clyde and Maud Crawford.Cleveland Avenue School 625 CLIFTONBuilt in 1909-10, the original building was razed in the early 1960s but an annex that was built in 1939 is one of the few older Camden school buildings still standing.

Historic District of Washington Streetwww.ouachitahistoricalsociety.org

The Godwin-Powell-May-Dietrich House 305 CALIFORNIAThis home, built in 1859, is one of Camden’s most prestigious antebellum homes. It was completely restored to its original beauty by its present owner, Fred W. Dietrich, D.D.S., in 2001.The Umsted House/B&B 404 WASHINGTON NWListed on the National Register of Historic places, the Umstead House was built in 1923 by Sid Umsted, an oil tycoon. It now serves as a bed and breakfast.The Marino Home 514 WASHINGTON SWCurrently under reconstruction, this home was built in the early 1900s and made of pine and cedar. All walls of the home are of double-wood construction, and its fl oors feature a pine sub-fl oor topped with oak. The Jordan-Shankle Home 532 WASHINGTON NWBuilt in 1905, this design was replicated from a house in Jackson, MS.The Graham-Gaughan-Betts Home 710 WASHINGTONConstruction of this home was completed in 1858. Built for Major Joseph M. Graham and his wife Mary Washington Graham, a cousin of George Washington, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Elliott-Meek-Nunnally Home 761 WASHINGTONNow the home of Dr. and Mrs. Robert H. Nunnally, this home was built in 1857 for James R. Elliott and remained in the Elliott family until 1916 when it was purchased by a young attorney, Albert N. Meek. Union troops occupied the house in 1864 during a stay in Camden. The McCollum-Chidester House Museum 926 WASHINGTON NWOne of Camden’s most authentic pre-Civil War homes, the McCollum-Chidester House was build in 1847 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Union General Frederick Steele commandeered the home in 1864 and made it his headquarters for fi ve days. The Ouachita County Historical Society is now housed here.

Where history lives

Welcome to Camden

The Greening House

The John Hobson Parker House

The Ramsey-McClellan House

The Richie-Crawford House

Cleveland Avenue School

The Godwin-Powell-May-Dietrich House

The Umsted House/B&B

The Marino Home

The Jordan-Shankle Home

The Graham-Gaughan-Betts Home

The Elliott-Meek-Nunnally Home

The McCollum-Chidester House MuseumSponsored by: Camden Advertising & Promotion Commission

4WELCOME TO ARKANSAS’ SOUTH

6STEEPED IN HISTORY

12FEAST OF FESTIVALS

18 ONLY IN ARKANSAS’SOUTH

24 TOWN SPOTLIGHT

26 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

30 OUTDOOR PARADISE

36AREA MAP AND ATTRACTION LISTINGS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AccommodationsClairmont Inn & Suites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Country Inn & Suites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Days Inn Fordyce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37The Loft on the Square . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Union Square Guest Quarters . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Arts • Attractions • ParksArkansas State Parks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Camden Civil War History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Camden Historic Districts . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFCCrossett Harbor/RV Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Graham-Gaughan-Betts Home . . . . . . . . . . 10Magnolia Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27South Arkansas Arts Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Chambers • Cities • CountiesCalhoun County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Camden Advertising & Promotion

Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Camden Area Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11City of Camden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11City of Crossett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17City of El Dorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21City of Hamburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16City of Smackover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35Crossett Chamber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17El Dorado Advertising & Promotion

Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Fordyce Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Hamburg Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Main Street El Dorado. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Smackover Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35Union County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Warren/Bradley County . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Conference Center • FinancialProfessional ServicesEl Dorado Conference Center . . . . . . . . . . . 23Fordyce Bank & Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Key Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Martin Operating Partnership . . . . . . . . . . . 34Martin Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Smackover State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

FestivalsArmadillo Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16BPW Barn Sale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Camden Daffodil Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Fordyce On The Cotton Belt . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Hogskin Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Oil Town Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35Pink Tomato Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Wiggins Cabin Arts & Crafts Festival . . . . . 17

Manufacturing • RetailGeorgia-Pacific, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Great Lakes Chemical/Chemtura . . . . . . . . 27Holt Auto Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Steve’s Outdoor Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3The Posh Pearl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

RestaurantsAllen’s Restaurant, Antiques, Accessories

& Ambrosia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Antigua’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Fiesta Linda Mexican Restaurant . . . . . . . . 16JJ’s BBQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Johnny B’s Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Larry’s Pizza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Papa Poblano’s Mexican Cafe . . . . . . . . . . . 22PJ Coffee & El Dorado Creamery . . . . . . . . 22San Juan’s Mexican Grill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Sand Lake Farms Farmers Market

& Cafe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Woods Fish Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

UniversitySouthern Arkansas University . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Publisher: Cranford Johnson Robinson WoodsPrinter: AGITypography: Cranford Johnson Robinson WoodsPrinted in the U.S.A. 30M 6/15

ON THE FRONT COVER: McCollum-Chidester House Museum in Camden. ON THE BACK COVER: Biker Rally in El Dorado.

ArkansasSouth.com

This brochure was printed with a com bi na tion of State Funds and Private Regional Association Funds.

3ArkansasSouth.com

INDEX OF ADVERTISERSINDEX OF ADVERTISERS

Over 2,000 guns in stock!LET’S TRADE GUNS!Specializing in hunting and fi shing supplies and other outdoor gear, apparel, accessories and more. Come see the World’s Largest Collection of Arkansas Elk. 606 W. Main • Magnolia, AR 71753

870-234-BASS (2277)stevesoutdoorsports.com

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Arkansas’ South is a place of history and hospitality with a bounty of outdooractivities and agricultural products – many of which are celebrated at the state’s oldest and most beloved festivals. Cities and small towns are big on charm in bustling downtowns fi lled with friendly faces, fun shopping and great dining. ni ue attractions, such as museums, historic homes and gardens, and colorful murals, can be found throughout the region. lso down

outh is some of rkansas fi nest land and water for hunting, fi shing, hiking, biking and birding on lakes and rivers, in deep forests and at state parks.

aturally charming and inviting with stories to tell, rkansas outh off ers personality you can t fi nd anywhere else.

Welcometo Arkansas’ South

LEFT TO RIGHT: Kids love getting their faces painted at local festivals. Plan an elegant evening at Postmaster Grill in Camden. Catch the day’s last rays on Lake Enterprise.

Civil War History Visit Poison Spring and Marks Mill battle sites of the “Red River Campaign.” View gun emplacements which were part of the Civil War fortifi cation of Camden.

Historic Homes and Buildings Tour the McCollum-Chidester House museum built in 1847. Drive through two historic districts and visit 13 other structures listed on the National Register. Visit the Art Deco Colonial Revival Ouachita County Courthouse, where you can see one of the only monuments dedicated to the women of the Civil War.

Oakland Cemetery Oldest cemetery in Camden containing the graves of founding fathers and Confederate soldiers whose lives were lost at the battles of Poison Spring, Marks Mill and Jenkins Ferry. The Confederate section is crowned with a monument dedicated by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1886.

Leake Ingham Building This beautiful Greek Revival building is known as a “Building of Noble Purpose.” Built in 1850 by William Leake, a lawyer in early Camden, it also served as the fi rst library in Camden. After the Civil War, it housed the Freedmen’s Bureau and is believed to be the only one still standing west of the Mississippi.

Camden Area Chamber of Commerce • P.O. Box 99 • Camden, AR 71701 • (870) 836-6426

Ouachita County Historical Society

Camden Advertising & Promotion Commission

SPONSORED BY:Ouachita Electric

Cooperative

Where History LivesQueen City of the Ouachita

Sponsored by the Camden Advertising & Promotion Commission

EXPERIENCE SOUTH ARKANSAS’ LARGEST ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW

September 26 • 9 a.m.-5 p.m.(On the grounds of the historic Tate Barn)

A Camden tradition since 1968, the BPW Barn Salesm is a family-friendly event with activities for people of all ages and interests. Events include a 5K run, antique car show, live music, food, and arts and crafts exhibits such as handcrafted woodwork, ceramics, paintings, floral arrangements, hand-made clothing, jewelry, pottery, stained glass and much more. BPW Barn Salesm has won many awards over the years, including being named among the top 20 festivals in the Southeast.

For more information, visit www.bpwbarnsale.org.

Camden Chamber of Commerce • (870) 836-6426or

BPW • P.O. Box 163 • Camden, AR 71711

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Civil WarCamden’s Place

Situated on a bluff overlooking the Ouachita River, Camden was the focus of Union General Frederick Steele’s Red River Campaign of 1864. Steele moved his troops south from Little Rock on March 23, 1864, in what became known as the Camden Expedition.

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tanding on high ground with the river below, onlookers cover their ears and prepare for what’s to come. A few quiet seconds tick by, before BOOM ... BOOM … BOOM, as one by one, with a slight tug of a string, three cannons are fi red by Civil War re-enactors dressed in Rebel garb. Smoke fi lls the air, as do loud cheers from the crowd, especially among the young kids who begin to fi ght over the honor of pulling the string on the next round.

The demonstration is part of the amden aff odil Festival held in early March and

one of many events that commemorates the history of the area. The festival includes a guided walk through Oakland Cemetery, where Confederate soldiers are laid to rest, and a tour of the historic c ollum- hidester ouse, which has a permanent place in Camden’s Civil War history, occupied fi rst by Confederate General Sterling Price, then by Union General Frederick Steele. Bullet holes and damage from cannon fi re can still be seen in the home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Camden’s position as a port city on the Ouachita River came into play during the Arkansas phase of the Union Army’s Red River Campaign known as the Camden Expedition.

On March 23, 1864, Union General Frederick Steele marched a combined 8,500-man force from Little Rock intent on joining another Federal army in Louisiana to seize Shreveport and conquer east Texas. Within weeks, running low on supplies, it became clear to Steele he would never

make it to Louisiana, so he decided instead to converge on Camden where there were reports of fresh supplies. The reports were false, and Steele soon found himself hunkered down in the city with bands of Confederates surrounding him. Two attempts to acquire supplies resulted in disastrous defeats at the Battles of Poison Springs near Bluff City on April 19 and Marks’ Mills on April 25, which lead to the

Union abandonment of their post at Camden.

Steele decided to fall back to Little Rock and, following a fi ercely fought battle at Jenkins’ Ferry on the Saline River near Sheridan on April 30, made it back to his home base with

his battered and starving army, thus ending the Arkansas leg of the Red River Campaign, which would

result in failure for the Union.

The Ouachita County Historical Society works to develop programs to interpret Civil War events and to maintain historical sites in the area, including Fort Lookout and Fort Southerland, important fortifi cations for Confederate troops. To learn more, visit Ouachitacountyhistoricalsociety.org.

oison prings and arks ills are commemorated as battleground state parks. Annual events keep the history alive. Marks’ Mills hosts an annual re-enactment of the pivotal battle. Free and open to the public, the event includes a traditional camp set-up with period music and dancing. For more information, contact the allas ounty useum in Fordyce at (870) 313-2717.

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LEFT TO RIGHT/TOP TO BOTTOM: Camden Daff odil Festival’s Battle at Poison Springs Re-enactment; Union Army General Frederick Steele; Oakland Cemetery where stories of historic personalities come to life during the Daff odil Festival; Confederate General Marmaduke; Camden is rich in antebellum architecture; Tour of Camden’s Historic Homes.Civil War

ocated in downtown Fordyce, the allas ounty useum preserves local history from Native American to

Civil War relics to the popular “The Bear and the Bugs,” a permanent exhibit commemorating the life and legacy of famed Alabama football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant located in the museum’s Bill Mays Annex, which also houses sports history of the Fordyce Redbugs and the Dallas County Sports Hall of Fame. A little known fact – and point of hometown pride – is that Fordyce and Dallas County have the largest number of inductees in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. In addition to sports memorabilia, the museum contains exhibits on forestry, railroad history, geology, archaeology (including a dinosaur skull, tooth and bone) and more.

While in downtown Fordyce, stroll through the Charlotte Street Historic District, a collection of 18 craftsman-style homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places, some of which were designed by noted Arkansas architect Charles Thompson. Other fi nds in the area include the Main Street Antique Mall, Fordyce Art Gallery and Coff ee Shop, and Presbyterian Church, also listed on the National Register. Another stop on a historical tour of Fordyce would be Marks’ Mills Cemetery where Union soldiers were laid to rest following the Battle of Marks’ Mills. Plan your visit around the Fordyce on the otton Belt Festival, held annually on the fourth Saturday in April.

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The small farming community of mackover became an overnight boomtown after one of the largest, most dramatic oil discoveries in national history. The 68-square-mile oil fi eld led the country’s oil output in the mid-1920s. Today, the petroleum industry still plays an important role in the town’s economy.

Just off Scenic Highway 7, two miles south of Smackover, is the rkansas useum of atural Resources tate ark, a worthy stopover on a tour of the area. On-site is Oil Field Park, which includes actual oil derricks and equipment. Inside the museum are exhibits on the oil industry, explaining where it comes from deep in the earth’s core and how it is extracted through drilling. Interactive programs and interpretive panels

tell the story with authentic equipment such as diamond encrusted drill bits on display. One of the highlights of the museum is walking through a reproduction of the boomtown complete with old storefronts, a tavern, chow hall and jail. Other historical sites in Arkansas’ South to include on your historical tour of the region are the Bradley ounty

eteran s useum in Warren with more than 1,400 photos of veterans from the area; ewtown ouse

useum in El orado, an antebellum home listed on the National Register of Historical Places; and Wiggins

abin in rossett, the oldest structure in Ashley County.

9ArkansasSouth.com

LEFT TO RIGHT/TOP TO BOTTOM: Paul “Bear” Bryant Sculpture in Dallas County Museum, Fordyce; Wiggins Cabin in Crossett; Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival; Museum of Natural Resources State Park in Smackover; Civil War re-enactment during Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival; Ashley County Museum, Hamburg; Newton House Museum interior.

• Plate Lunches• Daily Specials• Seafood• Southern-fried Catfish at its Best• Homemade Desserts• Fast, Friendly Service• Statewide Professional Catering

For large groups and reunions, try River Woods located on the banks of the Ouachita River.

1173 Washington St. • Camden, AR 71701870-836-0474

Sponsored by the Camden Advertising & Promotion Commission

• WIFI Throughout• Specialty Soups, Salads & Sandwiches• Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials• Chicken, Fish, Steaks, Seafood, Mexican – THE Best Burgers In South Arkansas• Home Of The World- famous “Cream Of Cilantro Soup”

• Covered Sidewalk Dining• Private Meeting/Party Room for 100

• Beer & Wine Available • Catering Services• Open: Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

• Located Off Scenic Highway 7

107 Washington SECamden, AR 71701870-836-5566

Sponsored in part by the Camden A&P Commission

Major Joseph M. Graham and his wife Mary Washington Graham built the home in 1856. The Betts bought the home in 1973, placed it on the National Register of Historic Places

and restored it with antebellum gas light chandeliers, period furniture and handmade

drapes by Linnie Betts and Ann Wilson. Drs. George and Diane Betts currently

reside in the home, available for receptions, weddings and tours by appointment.

Graham-Gaughan-Betts Home

710 Washington St. • Camden, AR 71701 • 870-836-3125Sponsored by the Camden A&P Commission

ArkansasStateParks .com #ARStateParks

My park, your park, our parks

Moro Bay State Park

Experience Arkansas’ South from a statepark point of view. Go fi shing, fl oating,hiking, or biking. Learn about this region’soil boom. Tour a Civil War battle site.Then, relax and enjoy the view fromyour park campsite or cabin.

Arkansas Museum of Natural ResourcesSmackover • 870-725-2877

Logoly State Park McNeil • 870-695-3561

Moro Bay State ParkHermitage • 870-463-8555

Poison Springs Battleground State ParkCamden • 888-AT-PARKS

South Arkansas ArboretumEl Dorado • 870-864-7160

White Oak Lake State ParkBluff City • 870-685-2748

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It’s A Great NeighborhoodCall for more vacation planning in for mation from regional travel associations bordering the Arkansas’ South area.

A. Arkansas’s Great Southwest – (800) 223-4673 • www.agsw.orgB. Diamond Lakes – (800) SPA-CITY www.hotsprings.orgC. Arkansas’ Land of Legends – (888) 818-8742 www.thelandoflegends.comD. Arkansas Delta Byways – (870) 972-2803 www.deltabyways.com

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It’s A Great NeighborhoodCall for more vacation planning in for mation from regional travel associations bordering the Arkansas’ South area.

A. Arkansas’s Great Southwest – Arkansas’s Great Southwest – Arkansas’s Great Southwest (800) 223-4673 • www.agsw.orgB. Diamond Lakes – (800) SPA-CITY www.hotsprings.orgC. Arkansas’ Land of Legends – (888) 818-8742 www.thelandoflegends.comD. Arkansas Delta Belta Belta yways – (870) 972-2803 www.deltabyways.com

History lives in Camden on the Ouachita River. Experience our beautiful antebellum homes, Civil War legacies, historic landmarks, new scenic Downtown River Walk and marina, festivals and fairs. Start your discoveries at Camden’s original Missouri Pacific Train Depot, which now houses the Chamber of Commerce.

• Outdoor Fun – Beautiful Sandy Beach Park has cypress-shaded picnic areas, a pavilion and boat ramp, and H.K. Thatcher Overlook on the Ouachita River. Visit our new Downtown River Walk with boat marina, walks and beautiful waterfalls.

• The Culture Scene – South Arkansas Symphony, community concerts and more.• Community Theater – Presents local productions. Located in the First

Presbyterian Church at 313 Greening Street.• Inviting lodging accommodations.• Shopping Adventures – Unique shops and the BPW Barn Sale (juried arts and

crafts show the last Saturday in September).• Historic Oakland Confederate Cemetery• McCollum-Chidester House Museum• Daffodil Festival – Colorful spring event the second weekend in March features

guided tours of daffodil gardens and historic homes, arts and crafts, our famous steak cook-off and a bumper crop of family fun.

• Bon Appetite! – Camden restaurants offer a variety of specialties that include Italian, Chinese, Mexican, catfish, seafood and steaks to popular fast food fare.

Camden Area Chamber of CommerceP.O. Box 99 • Camden, AR 71711 • (870) 836-6426

www.teamcamden.come-mail: bosteen@camdenareachamberofcommerce.org

Sponsored by the Camden Advertising & Promotion Commission

Visit historic downtown Camden during one of its most beautiful times of year. The Camden Daffodil Festival showcases acres upon acres of beautiful blooms. Enjoy a colorful citywide tour of private gardens and historical homes. Take a self-guided tour with a keepsake brochure, or ride the bus and experience these sites along the way: The Daniel Gardens, Grace Hill, Grady and Ann Beale Estate, Oakland Farm and The Dawson Daffodil Farm. Other events include the Confederate Cemetery Walk and Civil War Encampment on the banks of the Ouachita River, Annual Steak Cook-off, antique car show, motorcycle poker run, arts and crafts sale, quilt show, live music, great food and much more. History lives in Camden… and it’s beautiful.

Camden Area Chamber of Commerce • P.O. Box 99 • Camden, AR 71701

(870) 836-6426 • www.camdendaffodilfestival.comSponsored by the Camden Advertising & Promotion Commission

Second Weekend In March

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Located in Bradley County, the tomato capital of Arkansas, Warren hosts one of the oldest and most popular festivals in the state on the second weekend of June. The downtown streets are fi lled with people ready to celebrate (and eat) the prized pink tomatoes.

Pickin’The Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival The Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival

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TOP TO BOTTOM/LEFT TO RIGHT: The VIP tomato-eating contest gets juicy. An heirloom tomato taste testing hosted by Deep Woods Farm off ers a chance to sample seven homegrown varieties. Handmade quilts feature a tomato motif. The parade kicks off the start of a full day of fun.

n a sunny day in June in downtown Warren, people line the streets for the parade that marks the beginning of the annual Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival. It’s a much-anticipated event and a yearly tradition for folks born and raised in and around these parts, but to a fi rst-timer, a couple of things stand out the big crowd on average 30,000 people attend each year and the big tomatoes, boxes upon boxes of them. From green to pink to red to purple to the marbled and misshapen heirlooms, it’s a feast of farm-fresh, vine-ripened varieties. While the pinks are the main attraction, there are many to sample and to take home with you. And, over the weekend, there’s more to love than maters arts and crafts, contests, pageants, tomato luncheon, live music and more.

One of the oldest and longest-running festivals in Arkansas, the Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival got its start in 1956, but the his-tory of the pink tomato as a major agricultural product dates back to the 1920s, when local farmers hand-picked the variety that would ship well when the fruit was just barely pink. It only continues to grow as a source of pride and a symbol of the community.

Now in its 59th year, the Bradley County Pink To-mato Festival has received state, national and interna-tional attention. Since 1956, every Arkansas governor has attended the festival. The Bradley County Pink Tomato was designated the state’s o cial fruit and vegetable by the Arkansas Legislature in 1987.

One of the highlights of the festival and one of the most well-documented events by the media is the tomato-eating contest, which pits Arkansas’ most prominent politicians against each other in a little healthy competition. A large audience gathers around the tent to see these elected o cials roll up their sleeves and launch face-fi rst into the juiciest of debates.

For a true taste of Arkansas’ South, make plans to attend this year’s Bradley County Pink Tomato, second weekend in June.

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Save the date. This year’s festival is second

weekend in June.

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LEFT TO RIGHT/TOP TO BOTTOM: Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-Off , PurpleHull Pea Festival and World Championship Rotary Tiller Race in Emerson, Fordyce on the Cotton Belt, Armadillo Festival in Hamburg, El Dorado MusicFest, Hogskin Holidays in Hampton.

erhaps more than anywhere else in the state, it’s here in Arkansas’ South that locals love to celebrate their roots – the things that ground them and the things that come from the ground. In Warren, it’s pink tomatoes. In Camden, it’s da dils. In Emerson, it’s purplehull peas. In Magnolia, it’s magnolias, of course. Here are a few top picks for local festivals t at er an aut entic rkansas ut e perience.

Held over the second weekend in March is the Camden

Daffodil Festival in downtown Camden. Daff odils mark the fi rst sign of spring, and that’s something to celebrate, as is the history of this South Arkansas town. The event includes historic home and garden tours, Civil War re-enactors fi ring cannons on the river, Oakland Cemetery Walk with live demonstrations by costumed interpreters telling the stories unique to the community, plus the championship steak cook-off , art show, antique car and motorcycle show, and children’s activities.

April events include Hogskin Holidays in Hampton (the second weekend of the month), and Fordyce on the

Cotton Belt in Fordyce (the fourth weekend in April).

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A Festival for Every Taste

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El Dorado hosts the annual Mayhaw Festival the fi rst Saturday in May. Take home a jar of the famous mayhaw jelly you can only get right here in Arkansas’ South. Sample more Southern delicacies at the Southern Food and Wine Festival in mid-May, also in El Dorado. The Magnolia Blossom

Festival and World Championship Steak

Cook-Off is held the third weekend in May in Magnolia.

The PurpleHull Pea Festival and World

Championship Rotary Tiller Race takes place on the last Saturday in June in Emerson. This now-famous festival got its start back in 1990 when Columbia County resident Glen Eades noticed that the town of Emerson needed a bit of “shaking up.” Soon, the seed of an idea a festival featuring the popular legume had been planted and was ultimately brought before the mayor. It was discussed that the event could use some kind of competition associated with cultivating the peas, and the garden tiller race was off and running. The rest is history as the event continues to grow, and the races become more and more competitive each year with rip-roaring, souped-up modifi ed tillers. The last Saturday in September, thousands of people descend on Camden for the annual BPW Barn Sale. From its beginnings as a fl ea market, it has grown to become South Arkansas’ largest arts and crafts show.

Fall festivals include the Wiggins Cabin

Festival in Crossett on the fi rst Saturday of October. Also held on the fi rst weekend in October is MusicFest in El Dorado, six-time winner of Arkansas festival of the year.

Cities and towns across the region host holiday celebrations and lighting ceremonies in December.

For a complete calendar of events, visit

ArkansasSouth.com.

CROSSETTHARBOR/RV PARK5977 Hwy. 82 W.• Crossett, AR 71635

Six miles west of town

www.crossettrvpark.comTerry and Cheryl Montgomery

870.364.6136870.415.9635870.415.2628

crossett.rvpark@yahoo.com

Come experience everything Hamburg has to offer. With a beautifully remodeled square, unique shops, restaurants, museum and restored National Historic Register churches, Hamburg is a place that you and your family will truly enjoy.

Mark your calendar for the World Famous Armadillo Festival the first weekend in May. The Festival fills the square

with excitement, including a wide variety of shopping, singing and family-oriented events.

Hamburg Holidays – First Week in DecemberHamburg Area Chamber of CommerceHamburg, AR 71646 • (870) 853-8345

E-mail: hamburgchamber@sbcglobal.netwww.hamburgark.com

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16

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AT THE CROSSROADS OF Old Charm New AdventuresAND

One of the oldest continuously running rodeos, now over 60 years old

One of the original company homes of the Crossett Lumber Company,

dating back to the early ’20s

One of the few free zoos in the U.S.

18 ARKANSAS’South

ne of the many unifying elements of Arkansas’ South is its colorful history, another is how its history is depicted in big, bold murals in towns across the region, including Camden, El Dorado, Magnolia and Smackover.

Camden’s eye-catching murals are the work of artist Terry Mashaw. It’s easy to spot the bright colors of the Ouachita County courthouse in the mural at the intersection of Adams and Washington streets and old-time scenes of a beautiful lady, riverboat, and horse and buggy at the corner of Adams and Jeff erson on Scenic 7 Byway.

The mural in El Dorado on Peach Street depicts the “Life Cycle of Wood” in Union County. The painting shows a beautiful forest, followed by scenes of cutting and logging, then trees being planted.

Downtown Magnolia is the Mecca of murals. Created to raise awareness of and foster interest in the visual arts, these murals cover a wide range of subjects unique to the area and can be found indoors and out. In all, there are fi ve large outdoor wall murals, three smaller outdoor murals and four indoor murals.

Outdoor displays mostly found along Main Street include “Cotton Wagons on the Square 1904” by Susan Tooke and Bruce Rickett, which depicts the cotton industry of Magnolia and Columbia County at the turn of the century; “Logoly Mural,” which illustrates the transitional history of Magnesia Springs from 1880 into the current Logoly State Park; “Magnolia Blossom Festival,” which showcases the activities of Magnolia’s famous festival; “Oil Boom,” commemorating oil discovered in Magnolia Oil Field in 1938;

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I N A R K A N S A S ’ S O U T H

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19ArkansasSouth.com

LEFT TO RIGHT/TOP TO BOTTOM: “Movie Mural,” Magnolia; mural in Camden; “Logoly Mural” in Magnolia; “Oil Boom” mural in Magnolia; mural in Magnolia; Smackover mural.

and the “Movie Mural” by Alan Wylie and Ann Downs, which includes scenes from 70 movies and an autograph by Charlton Heston who was on hand at the 1998 dedication of the mural.

Among the impressive indoor murals are “Wheat Harvest” by Joe Jones located in the Magnolia Public Library and the four-panel “History of SAU Represented through the Arts” by Melchor Peredo Garcia, which can be found in Southern Arkansas University’s Harton Theater.

Smackover is also home to several murals. “Smackover Arkansas 1922” located at 7th and Broadway illustrates the oil industry with derricks and drills. Another at 8th and Broadway shows the early days of the boomtown.

the Town

DININGWelcome to

JJ’sLip Teasin’

Palate Pleasin’

Selected as“Best Restaurant” inWhere the Locals Eat

Dining Guide

Barbecue & Catfish Restaurant

EVERY NIGHT IS “CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF” STEAK NIGHT!

Open Mon.-Thurs. 11 am-8 pm Fri. 11 am-9 pm

1000 East MainEl Dorado, Arkansas 71730

(870) 862-1777 • jjsbbq.com • jjsgourmetbbq@msn.com2051 North Jackson • Magnolia

870-234-29842422 North West Avenue • El Dorado

870-862-2190

The Best Tex-Mex Food Around!

Banquet Facilities and Catering

Available

Waffl es • Omelettes • Pancakes

Soups • Salads • Seafood

Sandwiches • Steaks • Full Dinners

GrillBreakfast

Served

Anytime!Voted Best Breakfast in South Arkansas by Arkansas Times!

211 South West Ave. • El Dorado870.862.9927

Lunch, Dinner

Sun.-Thurs. – 10 am-9 pm Fri.-Sat. – 10 am-10 pm Catering Available • To Go Orders Welcome

870-875-8804870-875-88041650 North West Avenue, El Dorado

Margaritas, SangriaCold Beer!&

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Hours of Operation:Monday-Saturday 11 AM-8 PM,

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721 North West Avenue, El Dorado870-864-9707

Oldest Mexican

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22

Bring your event to El DoradoThe El Dorado Conference Center is the premier facility for events in South Arkansas with opti ons for banquet or theatre seati ng in

the impressive 12,000-square-foot Murphy Hall.

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Our executive inn located in beautiful Downtown El Dorado offers 9 suites, 8 junior suites and 6 luxury suites with all amenities, complimentary breakfast buffet, deluxe fitness center, high-speed Internet and secured wireless.

The Party Car next to Union Square Guest Quarters is an 1883 Central of Georgia Parlor Car with train shed and patio. It’s the perfect place for a meeting, catered dinner or reception.

Make your reservations today!

www.usgq.net

234 East Main Street • El Dorado, AR 717301-877-864-9701 • 870-864-9700

email: usgq@seark.net

South Arkansas’ Finest Lodging

23

24 ARKANSAS’South

A place rich in history, El Dorado continues to invest in its future and in that of Arkansas’ South.

El DoradoEl DoradoBooming Boomtown

S P O T L I G H T

25ArkansasSouth.com

on’t call it a comeback – even though that’s exactly what CNN.com did in 2013 on its list of “America’s Best Small Town Comebacks.” “Arkansas’ Original Boomtown,” where oil was fi rst discovered in the state in 1921, El Dorado has been on the rise for decades. Perhaps it’s just in recent years that news is traveling, people are talking, and “the pride of South Arkansas” is on the map again. With major renovations to Union Square, a new $14.4 million conference center and a $50 million arts and entertainment district underway, El Dorado is doing big things through a concerted and communal eff ort to celebrate and enhance arts and culture in the region.

Anchored by the restored 1929 Rialto Theatre, the transformative arts and entertainment district will be situated downtown in the El Dorado Commercial Historic District, home to many buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A mix of old and new, the development of the district, which will include music and performing arts venues, restaurants, playscapes for children and green spaces, is the task of El Dorado Festivals and Events, a nonprofi t founded to create the “Festival City of the South.”

Well on their way, El Dorado Festivals and Events currently stages dozens of concerts, theatrical performances, festivals and events a year in venues across town, such as the South Arkansas Arts Center, which hosts the annual El Dorado Film Festival. SAAC is very much at the heart of the local arts scene as a visual and performing arts center with three gallery spaces, a ballet studio, a 207-seat theater, scene and costume shop, classrooms and more.

The 70-member South Arkansas Symphony is another proud part of the El Dorado community as one of the state’s oldest and longest-standing symphony orchestras.

In addition to the arts, Union Square off ers great shops and restaurants for fi ne dining and ethnic cuisine. It’s a walkable downtown with much to see and do and always something new to discover on your return trip.

El Dorado Film Festival September 17-19 Celebrates independent fi lmmaking

with screenings, workshops, parties and special events.

MusicFest October 4-5 More than 30 acts converge on Union

Square for a fun-fi lled weekend of live music.

Southern Food & Wine Festival Mid-May 2016 Traditional delicacies from regional restaurants and more than 75 wines for tasting.

For a complete list of events, visit GoElDorado.com.

D

The Festival City of the South

LEFT TO RIGHT/TOP TO BOTTOM: El Dorado Square circa 1920, Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville; Oil fi eld workers following the discovery of the Richardson No. 1 well at the Smackover Pool in Union County, July 1922, Courtesy of the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives; MusicFest; South Arkansas Arboretum; El Dorado Southern Food and Wine Festival.

2015/16 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Third Saturday Each Month Union Street Station Country Music Show, Magnolia

Third Saturday Each Month Music Jamboree at Bill Mays Annex of Dallas County Museum, Fordyce

FEBRUARYThird Weekend – South Arkansas Kennel Club Dog Show & Obedience Trials, Camden

MARCHSecond Weekend Daff odil Festival, CamdenFourth Saturday – Antique Power Show, El Dorado

APRILFirst Weekend – Hogskin Holidays, ThorntonFirst Weekend Hogskin Holidays ickoff , HamptonSecond Saturday Festival On The Rails, McNeilSecond Weekend Sawmill Days, SparkmanSecond Weekend Calhoun County Annual Rodeo, HamptonThird Weekend Oil Discovery Days, StephensFourth Saturday Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival, FordyceFourth Weekend Re-enactment of Battle of Marks’ Mills, Marks’ Mills Battleground State Park

MAYFirst Saturday Mayhaw Festival, El DoradoFirst Saturday – Heritage Day, White Oak Lake State Park, CamdenFirst Weekend Thornton Music Festival, ThorntonFirst Weekend World-Famous Armadillo Festival, HamburgSecond Saturday Bugs, Bands Bikes Festival, El DoradoSecond Weekend Bluegrass Festival, Crossett Harbor RV ParkSecond Weekend Montrose Heritage Festival, MontroseMid-Month Southern Food Wine Festival, El Dorado Third Week Annual Magnolia Blossom Festival

World Championship Steak Cook-Off , MagnoliaMemorial Day Weekend – Oil Belt Four Ball Golf Tournament, El DoradoFourth Weekend – Grand Marais Fest, Felsenthal

JUNEFirst Thursday-Saturday Natural State Chautauqua “Reconstruction Final Year of the Civil War,” Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, SmackoverFirst Saturday – Annual Hooked on Fishing Derby, White Oak Lake State Park, CamdenFirst Weekend Hampton Rodeo, HamptonSecond Saturday Felsenthal Spring Bass Tournament, FelsenthalSecond Weekend – Annual Pink Tomato Festival, WarrenSecond Weekend Juneteenth Festival, Camden

Third Weekend Gazebo Festival, BeardenThird Weekend Annual Oil Town Festival, SmackoverFourth Saturday – Annual Fun Day, White Oak Lake State Park, CamdenLast Saturday PurpleHull Pea Festival, EmersonLast Saturday – Showdown at Sunset, El DoradoLast Saturday – The Summer Concert Series, El DoradoLast Saturday – Crossett Area Chamber of Commerce Buddy Bass Tourna ment, Crossett

JULYFirst Week – Fantastic Fourth Celebration, El Dorado3rd Jaycee Independence Day Celebration, Eastside Park, Magnolia4th Star Spangled Spectacular, CamdenSecond Saturday – Star Party, White Oak Lake State Park, CamdenSecond Weekend Hamburg Rodeo, HamburgSecond Weekend – Pine Belt Four Ball Golf Tournament, FordyceLast Saturday – Showdown at Sunset, El Dorado Last Saturday – The Summer Concert Series, El Dorado

AUGUSTFirst Weekend – Annual Play Day, PortlandSecond Wednesday-Saturday – Annual Crossett PRCA Rodeo, Crossett Last Week Ashley County Fair Livestock Show, HamburgLast Saturday – Showdown at Sunset, El Dorado Last Saturday – The Summer Concert Series, El Dorado

SEPTEMBERFirst Week Calhoun County Fair, HamptonFirst Saturday after Labor Day – Dallas County Fair, FordyceSecond Week Ouachita County Fair Livestock Show, CamdenSecond Week Bradley County Fair Livestock Show, WarrenSecond Saturday – Fair on the Square, MagnoliaSecond Saturday SouthArk Outdoor Expo, El DoradoThird Week Columbia County Fair Livestock Show, Mag no liaThird Week Union County Fair Livestock Show, El DoradoThird Saturday Annual Deer Dog Festival Hunt ing Horn Blowing Contest, VillageThird Saturday – Annual Boomtown Classic Football Game Featuring Diff erent Teams Each Year, El DoradoThird Saturday – Celebrate the Outdoors, Felsenthal National Wildlife RefugeLast Saturday – BPW Barn Sale, Camden

OCTOBERFirst Weekend – Annual MusicFest, El DoradoSecond Saturday – Annual Wiggins Cabin Festival, CrossettSecond Saturday Harvest Festival, StephensSecond Weekend Southern Arkansas University Rodeo, MagnoliaThird Friday-Saturday Nights All Hallows Eve Cemetery Walk, CamdenColumbus Day (Monday) – Dallas County Medical Center Golf Tournament, FordyceLast Saturday Norphlet Crater Cook-Off , Norphlet

NOVEMBERFirst Thursday-Friday Annual Methodist Women’s Christmas Bazaar, FordyceFirst Friday-Saturday – Klassy Kruzers Antique Car Show, CrossettFirst Saturday – Frontier Days, Fountain HillSunday before Veterans Day – Ceremony in Peace Park Honoring Veterans, FordyceSecond Saturday – Ouachita County Arts & Crafts Show, CamdenSecond Weekend Buck Fever Festival, BanksSecond Sunday Christmas Open House, CamdenThird Weekend Christmas Open House on the Square, MagnoliaOpening Day of Duck Season – Waterfowl Days, FelsenthalFourth Tuesday – Christmas on the Square, HamburgFourth Friday-December 31 Lights Extravaganza, Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources, SmackoverSaturday after Thanksgiving-December – Downtown Christmas Open House Fes ti val of Lights, El Dorado

DECEMBERAll Month – Christmas Celebrations, Crossett, El Dorado, Fordyce, Hamburg & MagnoliaFirst Week – Celebration of Lights, Christmas Parade, Lighting of the Bell Tower at Southern Arkansas University, Caroling Holiday Buff et Dinner, MagnoliaFirst Thursday State’s Largest Christmas Parade, El DoradoFirst Thursday – Hamburg Holidays, HamburgFirst Thursday – County Tree Lighting Ceremony, HamptonFirst Thursday – Christmas Parade, FordyceFirst Thursday Annual Chamber Chili Supper Silent Auction, FordyceFirst Friday – Annual Crossett Christmas Parade & Downtown Christmas Festival, CrossettFirst Saturday Hogskin Christmas, HamptonFirst Sunday – Crossett Christmas Tour of Homes, CrossettFirst Sunday – Christmas Tour of Homes, HamburgSecond Saturday – Christmas Tour of Homes, WarrenSecond Saturday – Main Street Camden Christmas Parade & Lights Around The Courthouse, Camden

FEBRUARY

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

26 ARKANSAS’South

OCTOBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

JUNE3, 10, 17 – Magnolia Arts, Free Family Movies, Magnolia 19 The Arkansas Shakespeare Festival presents “As You Like It”

at South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado 25-28 – Magnolia Arts, Summer Musical, “GodSpell,” MagnoliaJune 29-July 2– Magnolia Arts, Theatre Day Camp – S.T.A.R

Academy, Magnolia30 The Arkansas Shakespeare Festival presents “As You Like It”

at Magnolia Arts, Magnolia

JULY16-26 – Summer Musical, “The Wizard of Oz,” South Arkansas

Arts Center, El Dorado

SEPTEMBER17-19 – El Dorado Film Festival, South Arkansas Arts Center,

El Dorado 24-27 – Magnolia Arts, “Steel Magnolias,” Magnolia

OCTOBER1-2 – Magnolia Arts, “Steel Magnolias,” Magnolia 27 – Magnolia Arts, All Hallows Art Fundraiser, Magnolia

NOVEMBER27-29 – Holiday Play “Miracle on 34th Street,” South Arkansas

Arts Center, El Dorado

DECEMBER3-6 – Holiday Play “Miracle on 34th Street,” South Arkansas

Arts Center, El Dorado 10-13 – Magnolia Arts, “The Velveteen Rabbit,” Magnolia20 – Magnolia Arts, Youth Holiday Art Class, Magnolia20 – Magnolia Arts, Handmade Market, Magnolia

FEBRUARY11-13 – Magnolia Arts, Annual Murder Mystery Dinner,

Magnolia

MARCHTBA – Spring Play, South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado

MAY16-21 – Magnolia Arts, 66th Annual Art Show at the Blossom

Festival, Magnolia

JULYTBA – Summer Musical, South Arkansas Arts Center, El Dorado

27

JUNE

JULY

SEPTEMBER

NOVEMBER

DECEMBER

FEBRUARY

MARCH

MAY

JULY

OCTOBER

on Center Stage in Magnolia and El Dorado

P E R F O R M I N G ARTS

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit South Arkansas Arts Center at SAAC-ARTS.org and Magnolia Arts Center at MAGNOLIAARTS.net.

105½ S. Court SquareMagnolia, AR 71753www.thelo� sq.com

P: 870-901-6300 • F: 870-901-6305

• Located in Historic Downtown• Luxury Suites• High � read Count Sheets• Co� ee/Breakfast Bar• Mini Fridge• High-Speed Internet• SAU, Military, State Rates• Long/Short-Term Stay

Art ClassesPlay Productions

Music Coffee HouseImprov Coffee House

Check Our Website For Current Events:

www.magnoliaarts.net

Magnolia Arts Center116 South Washington

870-235-5274

Calhoun County

History and Legends of Hogskin County

Celebrate the people, places and things that make Calhoun County

unique. Must-see attractions include the stately Calhoun County

Courthouse in Hampton, Hampton Cemetery and The Lost Forty, a

40-acre tract of untouched, virgin pine forests. Some of the Loblolly

pines measure 10-14 feet wide and are 120 years old. Discover the

legends of Hogskin County at Hogskin Holidays Festival and Pork

Cookoff held in Hampton on the second weekend in April.

Sponsors: Calhoun County, City of Hampton, Hogskin Holidays Festival

County Judge 870.798.4818870.798.2100 • www.hogskin-hoildays.com

Sponsored by:• Dallas County • City of Fordyce

For more information, contact: Fordyce Chamber of Commerce

119 West Third • Fordyce, AR 71742 • (870) 352-3520

• Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival 4th Saturday in April. Popular cele bration of the town’s railroad heritage; arts and crafts, entertainment, parade, 5K run, several Cotton Belt pageants, Redbug Reunion Rally, Cotton Belt Rodeo, model train displays and antique car show. (870) 352-5125

• Antiques Galore Shop for gifts and collectibles in downtown Fordyce.

• Civic Center Complex Meeting rooms, racquetball courts, gym, swimming pool and kiddie pool, softball fields and tennis courts. (870) 352-3000

• Marks’ Mills Battleground and Cemetery Honors 1864 Civil War battle. The resting place of early settlers has unique displays, nature and hiking trails, and picnic facilities.

• Nutt Trussell Building/Bill Mays Annex Built in 1884, the oldest two-story brick building in Dallas County is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home of the Dallas County Sports Hall of Fame and the Dallas County Hall of Honor. The Paul “Bear” Bryant “The Bear and the Bugs” exhibit now open in the Annex.

• Prosperity Baptist Church Listed on the National Register. Built in 1904, services are still held every Sunday at 11 a.m. All visitors welcome.

• Dallas County Museum Includes Paul “Bear” Bryant memorabilia and exhibits on forestry, geology and communications. Also on display is a robe worn in babyhood by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth born in 1901.

(870) 352-5262

Dallas County Sports Hall of Fame

Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival

Dallas County Museum

DALLAS COUNTYBoyhood Home of Paul “Bear” BryantDALLAS COUNTYFORDYCE

Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival

The Southern Arkansas University campus in Magnolia has a lot to catch your eye, from blossoming azaleas in spring on the landscaped lawns to thousands of twinkling lights in winter as the Georgian-inspired buildings are decorated for the holidays and the 187-foot tall water tower is transformed into a blue candle.

We encourage you to look beyond the columns where you will find the Complete College Experience, a campus rich with tradition, and endless Mulerider success stories.

100 East UniversityMagnolia, Arkansas 71753

(870) 235-4040

www.SAUmag.edu

Southern Arkansas UniversityMagnolia, Arkansas

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30 ARKANSAS’South

Six miles northwest of Magnolia is Lake Columbia. Flooded timber covers half of the 3,000-acre lake and makes for excellent fi shing for big bass, channel catfi sh, bluegills, panfi sh and crappie. The lake is divided into four zones, including a small off -limits area. Fishing is allowed on the rest of the lake, and the western half is open for pleasure boating and water sports.

31ArkansasSouth.com

Reeling inParadise

Catching bass, catfi sh, crappie and sunsets on Arkansas’ South lakes

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32 ARKANSAS’SouthLake Enterprise

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33ArkansasSouth.com

LEFT TO RIGHT/TOP TO BOTTOM: Saline River, Bayou Bartholomew, Calion Lake, White Oak Lake, Lake Jack Lee in Felsenthal Wildlife Refuge, Lake Enterprise.

Lake Enterprise

P ine and hardwood forests cover the landscape in Arkansas’ ine and hardwood forests cover the landscape in Arkansas’ P ine and hardwood forests cover the landscape in Arkansas’ PP ine and hardwood forests cover the landscape in Arkansas’ PSouth, a place that’s home to the longest bayou in the world and the world’s largest green tree reservoir, as well aspremier lakes, pristine rivers and signifi cant wildlife refuges.

Meandering some 350 miles from Pine Bluff to Sterlington, La., Bayou Bartholomew is the world’s longest bayou. One of the most diverse streams in North America, it cuts across Ashley County creating four oxbow lakes – Enterprise, Grampus, Wallace and Wilson – and an abundance of fi shing and birding opportunities before emptying into the Ouachita River. Many consider it one before emptying into the Ouachita River. Many consider it one before emptyingof the state’s most underrated catfi sh holes.

An oxbow of Bayou Bartholomew, also located in Ashley County, is the 200-acre Lake Enterprise near Wilmont. Draped in cypress trees, it’s a peaceful, scenic spot stocked with largemouth bass, blue catfi sh, bluegill, bream, sunfi sh, crappie and other varieties. Open to the public,it also features city park facilities, picnic tables and a playground.

Near Crossett, the 65,000-acre Felsenthal Wildlife Refuge, the world’s largest green tree reservoir, is located in what’s known as the Felsenthal Basin, an extensive naturally sunken area laced with a vast complex of sloughs, bayous and lakes, including the 15,000-acre Lake Jack Lee. The region’s two major rivers, Saline and Ouachita, fl ow through the refuge. These wetlands surrounded by bottomland hardwoods, pine forests and uplands support a wide variety of wildlife and provide excellent hunting, fi shing and birding, as well as environmental education opportunities.

Located 11 miles from El Dorado in Union County is Calion Lakewith ramp access off of Hwy. 167. A well-known fi shing spot, it’s a popular place for boating and water sports in the summertime.

The 2,667-acre White Oak Lake in Bluff City, 18 miles northwest of Camden, is the second largest lake constructed by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. This big lake has a reputation of producing big fi sh. A state-record catfi sh has come from these waters, and the lake has given up several fi sh over 13 pounds. Most of these lunkers are pulled in the spring.

Accessing the lake is easy with concrete boat ramps on the lower lake and two on the upper lake. Also on the upper lake is White Oak Lake State Park, which includes a marina with boat rentals,a barrier-free fi shing pier, campsites, picnic areas, hiking trails and a playground.

There’s More to See in

Discover our oil boom heritage and thriving small town.

Tour the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources and discover the impact the oil boom had on Smackover. Relive historic moments as displayed on colorful murals in the restored downtown. Browse quaint shops or kick up your heels at the Oil Town Festival held annually the third weekend in June and featuring FREE concerts, arts and crafts, games, contests and much more.

www.themartincompanies.com Smackover, AR 71762

T R A N S P O R T

870.725.2296MartinTransport.com

2346 Pershing Hwy.Smackover, AR 71762

34 35

This ad sponsored by: Insurance Center Inc. (102 E. 7th Street, Smackover, AR 71762; 870-725-3911), City of Smackover (201 E. 7th Street, Smackover, AR 71762; 870-725-3572; mayor@cityofsmackover.com), Smackover Chamber of Commerce,

Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources (870-725-2877) and Smackover State Bank (870-725-3051)

Our free-standing stoplight is the oldest working stoplight in the United States.

Call or write for more information:Smackover Chamber of Commerce

P.O. Box 275 • Smackover, AR 71762 • 870-725-3521 • www.smackoverar.com

Dine in or take out • Shop our Farmers Market for local produceMonday-Friday 6:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

2362 Pershing Highway • Smackover, AR 71762870-725-2882

Farmers Market & CafeCheck our Facebook page for delicious daily specials

Sand Lake Farms

34 35

CAMDENDriving Tour of Historic Homes

Clifton, Greening and Washington StreetsSee the Art Deco county courthouse, McCollum-Chidester House Museum built in 1847 and more than 20 other homes listed on the National Register. Visit the Clifton-Greening Street Historic District.

McCollum-Chidester House Museum

926 Washington St.Open for tours Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Oakland Cemetery 100 Block of Maul Rd. off Pearl St.

and Madison Ave. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it encompasses 20 acres and 683 graves. It is the burial site of many of Camden’s leading citizens, as well as Confederate soldiers who died near Camden at the Battle of Poison Springs and the Battle of Marks’ Mills.

Poison Springs Battleground Historic Monument

Hwy. 76 W.Marks the area where Confederate soldiers captured a Union supply train in 1864 during

the Union’s Red River Campaign. Hiking trail and picnic sites. Re-enactment second weekend of March.

Sandy Beach ParkOff Van Buren Street Located on the Ouachita River, amenities include a boat ramp, small sandy beaches, fi shing areas, picnic areas, playground, barbecue grills, gazebo, amphitheater, basketball courts, walking trail and overlook.

Washington Street Historic District314 Adams SWResidential area listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Arkansas’ South

ATTRACTIONS LISTINGS

A R K A N S A SA R K A N S A S

CAMDEN

36 ARKANSAS’South

White Oak Lake State Park563 Ark. 387 (Bluff City)Centerpiece is White Oak Lake, a favorite fi shing spot. Abundant wildlife, walking and biking trails, and campsites.

CROSSETTCrossett City Park/Lucas Pond

1141 Parkway Dr.Features a 51-acre pond, 2.8-mile walking trail and is also home to the Crossland Zoo, one of only two licensed zoos in the state and one of the few zoos in the nation that is admission free.

Old Crossett Company HouseArk. 133TA shotgun mill house built in 1910.

EL DORADODowntown El Dorado Historic District

This charming district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is now home to lively restaurants, shops, other places of business and gift shops. Additional sites listed on the National Register include the Newton House Museum, McKinney-O’Connor House/Granite Club, Charles Murphy House, Myrtelle House, Murphy-Hill Residential Historic District and Mahony Historic District.

El Dorado Conference Center311 South West Ave. Multi-purpose facility with banquet seating for up to 1,000 people, theatre seating for up to 2,500 people. Includes 12,000-square-foot Murphy Convention Hall with an expansive, decorative concourse ideal for vendors and receptions.

El Dorado-Union County Recreation Complex

2409 Champagnolle Rd.Softball and baseball fi elds, two large pavilions, playground and RV hookups.

LEFT TO RIGHT/TOP TO BOTTOM: Shopping at the Posh Pearl in Crossett, Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, Newton House Museum in El Dorado, Ouachita River, Hampton Courthouse, South Arkansas Arboretum State Park in El Dorado.

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CROSSETT

37ArkansasSouth.com

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www.daysinn.com/hotel/304082500 West 4th Street • Fordyce,

Arkansas 71742

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Fordyce, AR

Historic El Dorado SquareBeautifully restored 1920s and 30s businesses, ornate county courthouse and 70 National Register structures.

Rialto Theatre 117 E. Cedar This art deco theatre built in the 1920s is a landmark part of the historic downtown district of El Dorado. Restored in the late 1980s, it is now one of the coolest places to catch some of the greatest live performances in the South.

South Arkansas Arboretum State Park

Mount Holly RoadFeatures 17 acres of paved nature trails and many species of fl owers and trees. Handicap accessible with pavilion and restrooms.

South Arkansas Arts Center 110 E. 5th St. Two visual arts galleries, permanent and temporary exhibits, a ballet studio, classrooms for art education and workshops on various subjects, plus a 207-seat auditorium for live productions and special events, including the El Dorado Film Festival.

FORDYCEDallas County Museum

221 Main St.Exhibits on forestry; pottery; communications; railroad history; geology; archeology, including a dinosaur skull, as well as a dinosaur tooth and bone; and medicine in the Dr. T.E. Rhine exhibit (runner-up for National Doctor of the Year in 1949).

Downtown FordyceListed on the National Register of Historic Places. Includes Main Street Antique Mall; Fordyce Art Gallery and Coff ee Shop, show casing local artists’ works and serving specialty coff ee drinks; Presbyterian Church Peace Park; and Nutt-Trussell building, now the Bill Mays Annex to the Dallas County Museum, home of the Dallas County Sports Hall of Fame and \the Dallas County Hall of Honor.

Magnolia Cottage412 W. 4th St.1940s bungalow restored as home away from home. Completely equipped for short or extended stays.

Marks’ Mills CemeteryArk. 95Burials dating from 1843 include prominent South Arkansas pioneer families. Site of initial interment of Union dead from Battle of Marks’ Mills, part of the Red River Campaign.

The Bear and the Bugs221 Main St.A very special permanent exhibit commemorating the life and legacy of local native Paul Bear Bryant, will be featured in the Bill Mays Annex of the Dallas County Museum. Also included in the annex will be an illustrious history of Fordyce Redbug sports. Fordyce and Dallas County have the largest number of inductees in the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame.

HAMBURGAshley County Museum

302 N. Cherry St.The county seat features the Ashley County Museum, a charming town square and Old Veterans Memorial. Enjoy the world-famous Armadillo Festival in the spring with its karaoke contest, armadillo pageant, arts and crafts, and live entertainment.

HAMPTONCalhoun County Annual Rodeo

Held the second weekend in April, the rodeo has been a popular Calhoun County attraction for years. Top Arkansas Rodeo Association and International Professional Rodeo Association competition is featured.

Calhoun County Park/HamptonCooks Lake Rd.Natural area including picnic facilities, a softball complex and riding arena; home to

annual rodeo.

Hampton Historic Courthouse309 W. Main St.Boasting native sons Harry Thomason, TV producer of “Designing Women” and “Evening Shade” fame, and Charles B. Pierce of “Legend of Boggy Creek” fame. Visit the historic courthouse on the square featured in “Evening Shade.”

Woodberry Park3857 Ark. 203Natural area with pristine forest and plant life, natural springs, hiking trails and picnic pavilion.

MAGNOLIACalhoun Community School

211 W. Main St.Oldest remaining four-room schoolhouse in Arkansas. The Calhoun community holds their annual garden show there the fi rst Saturday in April.

Downtown Magnolia The historic downtown is anchored by the 100-year-old courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Great shopping and dining on the town square.

Lake Columbia 1260 County Rd. 53This 3,000-acre fi shing lake is divided into four zones, including a small area off -limits to unauthorized visitors. Fishing is allowed on the rest of the lake, and the western half is open for

HAMPTON

HAMBURG

FORDYCE

38 ARKANSAS’South

boating and water sports. Largemouth bass is the lake’s main draw. Crappie, channel catfi sh, blue-gills and red-ear sunfi sh are also plentiful.

Logoly State Park County Rd. 47 off U.S. 79Arkansas’ fi rst environmental education state park, interpreters present workshops on ecological/environmental topics. Most of Logoly’s 368 acres comprise a State Natural Area that includes unique plant species and mineral springs. Facilities include six group tent sites (no hookups), a bathhouse with hot showers, pavilion, picnic sites, playground, trails and a visitor center with exhibits and an indoor classroom.

Murals in Downtown Magnolia211 W. Main St.Murals are painted on many of the buildings. These murals depict the rich history of the town. The Movie Magic mural is signed by Charlton Heston in his role as Moses in the “Ten Commandments.”

Norphlet CraterNorphlet, AR between El Dorado and SmackoverA 600-foot-wide and 100-foot-deep crater created in 1922 by a natural gas explosion.

South Arkansas University Brinson Fine Arts Building

100 E. UniversityAward-winning art gallery houses works by national and international artists, faculty and students.

Wilson GardensOff the SquareLocated just off downtown in Magnolia and built in 2004. The beautiful garden landscape is planted with many diff erent species of plants. This is a must-see for every Master Gardener.

MCNEILLogoly State Park

County Rd. 47 off U.S. 79Area has been attracting visitors for over 100 years. Come spend the day at this 368-acre park camping, hiking, bird watching and learning about nature.

SMACKOVERArkansas Museum of Natural Resources

3853 Smackover Hwy.State museum in Smackover tells the story of the 1920s oil boom in South Arkansas and the oil and brine industry past, present, future. Now also telling the history of the timber industry.

Smackover Ghost Tours10 Pershing Hwy.For a night of thrills and fun, take a haunted tour.

WARRENBradley County Park

383 Bradley 220Forty-acre Warren Park features a lake, picnic grounds, pavilions, and basketball and tennis courts.

Bradley County Veterans’ Museum210 N. Main St.There are more than 1,400 photos of veterans from Bradley County that are grouped by the wars dating back to World War I. The museum ishoused in a renovated facility built in 1922 that served as the fi rst Bradley County American Legion Hut. The museum is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m., Sunday.

Kartways of Arkansas (Arkansas Motorsports Park)

916 Bradley 7 Rd. S.Arkansas’ only sanctioned sprint car track, located on 100 acres just west of Warren. Fully lighted for night racing.

Moro Bay State Park6071 Hwy. 600 (Jersey)One of the county’s most popular spots for fi shing and water sports. Includes campsites, picnic area, store, marina, pavilion, interpretive programs and the Moro Bay Ferry exhibit. Five fully equipped cabins featuring two bedrooms, two baths and a kitchen. The park is located 29 miles southwest of Warren on U.S. 63.

Warren Speedway916 Bradley 7 Rd. S.Hosts dirt track racing on Saturday nights, April through October, featuring factory, mini stock, hobby stock, sport mod, outlaw street stock and more. Heat racing starts at 7 p.m. sharp.

LEFT TO RIGHT/TOP TO BOTTOM: Logoly State Park near Magnolia; Hamburg Square hosts The Armadillo Festival; Crossland Zoo in Crossett; Art student at work, South Arkansas University in Magnolia; Crappie; Rodeo at Hampton.

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SMACKOVER

WARREN

39ArkansasSouth.com

Complete Guide to Arkansas South’s Attractions

P.O. Box 10245El Dorado, AR 71730

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