Celebrating Arkansas III

Music and Art History and Culture. Outdoor Adventures and family fun. No matter what you're looking for you can find it in Arkansas. Come along as we visit a few of the fairs festivals and special events that happen every weekend all across the state. Join us for celebrating Arkansas. In

1881 the Frisco railroad first came to Rogers Arkansas helping to establish the development of the community of Rogers and its surrounding cities each year in August. Rogers celebrates that long extinct railroad with the Briscoe festa first organized in 1984. The fresco festival takes place in historic downtown Rogers presented by Main Street Rogers this annual event was created to help reinforce the small town feeling associated with Rogers bring people close to the town's historical roots. Foster hometown pride the success of a community can best be measured by the willingness of the community to come together in a team like framework and put together programs like first go festival and I think you can see behind me that we've got a great team effort here in Russia expanding outward from the Frisco park area next to the railroad and the first go caboose.

The festival includes events tractions for all ages beginning with the Friday night street dance. The people celebrate by honoring all those who serve their community and their country. You know you're like oh yeah. It was a good year it was like oh yeah the night Saturday kicks off with an early morning pancake breakfast sponsored by the early risers road we were going to at 6:00 a.m. to begin the festivities at about 4:15. Sort of some of the other early risers and we've been hard at it ever say a 15 to 30 years under their numbers. I'm a strong and dedicated volunteer but plans develops and

oversees the festival providing fun activities for all ages. This community is fantastic. Thank you Ron. That's that cell we come in we say we need something here and then what. And this is why you get this. Watch this they like it and they make it. Early Saturday morning all the fit folks gather for a run. The kids battle through the downtown streets on a one hit one followed by a 2.5 and a pipe a run for those wanting to prove their mettle against the best. What would a festival honoring the Frisco railroad be without a locomotive race. The great frisbee Oh cardboard tree frogs. Yes the big strong true true train is recreated in cardboard creativity is important but most important is speed dating. Oh yes and the teams of four have some railroad duties to perform during the ranks

at what hard life but above all financial. It's rough after her back when she learns how when we let her out of the tub. Got a chicken. Eating is important at any festival which also leads to competition. The chili sauce of competition brings out the best cooks and the most secret recipes. No intimacy. But each must prepare their chili right on site in front of all those judges. Among the more our favorite kind of dinner.

Here come on. Can anybody say yeah Nala Pena those two minutes. Oh and then there's the unique Briscoe chicken barbecue all cooked up by volunteers on the city's own huge barbecue pit right in the middle of Briscoe park contests abound during the Briscoe festival. From a talent show highlighting Roger's most talented thing me to the ugly pick up contest the drug I want one for you but judging for the ugly pick up contest not only includes the ugliest pick ups you've ever seen but also the tallest tales about cheese pride and joy. Well it started out with a hubcap on a dirt road flipped up yet side truck throwed it back and look at it later. Can I ask routing glued to the side that took their

fireman's muster. Fun time. Pitting fire companies from the area against each other while demonstrating what a difficult and dangerous job it is to protect the community. From the beginning the Frisco festival has found its purpose in providing a low cost experience offering good clean family fun sponsored by area businesses. The Briscoe festival highlights the community spirit of Rogers by hosting the biggest party in town. The festival is a place to meet make friends and bring family bring they have fun in the sun. It is a culmination of everything one small town life of the people of the community working together to bring about an event that celebrates and recreate an easier more relaxed time in our history that embraces all that makes living in Rogers so

wonderful because of its historical the specular Briscoe railroad and its significance to the establishment of the city Rogers The Briscoe festival is the proud winner of the 1999 Arkansas festival Association heritage were given to the festival in Arkansas which best ties into a historical event and award for which the beer community is rough. As spring slowly fades into the lushness of summer a unique festival takes place in central Arkansas. The Wildwood festival of music in the arts brings the European opera tradition to a tranquil lake in the wooded hills west of Little Rock.

The Wildwood festival is an outgrowth of the Arkansas Opera Theatre in 1907 a part for the Performing Arts was constructed so opera would have a permanent home in Arkansas. The park includes an indoor performance venue Bellew C-K theater and an outdoor stage. The theater at Swan Lake or any great city in the United States and throughout the world has an opera house and opera facility. It is one of the five great art forms and in the western world and for Little Rock to have won it is just a bonus. We have a wonderful symphony a wonderful thing water. Center and so our our mission was just to finish the compliment of arts activities here. The park is open year round but the festival itself takes place over a few weeks each summer. Musical performances dinners wine tasting events and nature walks through the

gardens and around the 8 acre lake are all part of the festival. But Opera hold center stage but it's a very intimidating art form for folks in Arkansas and central Arkansas because they just don't have a lot of opportunity to be exposed to it. So I would hope that they would come away going wow that's a lot like a soap opera drama only with great music and great lyrics in that that come back opera's been around for over five hundred years now. And for something to last that long there's a reason for it to have lasted that long and for people who are coming I have never seen an opera. You know you get away from the from the stereotyping you know it's boring and all that well if you know if you love sex murder and greed that's basically the whole operation or itself in a nutshell. Bringing the opera experience to Arkansas is not easy. There may only be two or three performances of an opera during the festival but producing it is a multi-year task.

I will begin planning too in three years out what the production will be my next step is to cast and sometimes you have to get harvested three years in advance and then we will begin working with them 18 months out bringing the stage director the person who will direct all the actors so they have a chance to decide what they like what that piece says to them and what they would like it to look like visually on the stage. Professional opera singers perform most of the leads but the chorus members are from Central Arkansas. After weeks and weeks of rehearsals opening night finally arrives backstage the dressing room is a hive of activity. The performers are fitted with elaborate costumes and wigs. Are you following me. Professional makeup artist transform the cast into a larger than life characters. It hurts really bad when you shave that day because you can't see the stuff the square on your face to keep you from sweating and it really stings. But it's fun to sit down with as big a hand as I have and then watch somebody draw it into a

cartoon character in a matter of 30 minutes. It's always interesting to see what you start with and what you get at the end. That's all the planning and hard work comes to fruition as the cast members make their way to the stage and the performance begins. The new the way you manage it. Yes you are a man you think you will be a hit and you're right it wasn't really that.

News performances at Wildwood whether inside the cage theater or outside are not formal affairs. Many people bring blankets spread out on the lawn that slopes down toward the stage it's one lane for the setting sun is behind the audience and as the sun sets on you're looking out over this really gorgeous like it's just a it's a magical experience on the course the moon's coming up right over the like. You get this nice Christmas in the air because realize we're not in town so we're always 10 degrees cooler than anybody so it's not you're not

fighting the the summer heat that Arkansas has. The Wildwood festival is not just for Qana sewers of the arts. The goal of the festival is to expose as many people to this art form as possible and cultivate an appreciation of opera in Arkansas. Children in particular are encouraged to attend. The festival will include children's opera performances and a traveling group which takes opera to schools across the state. My children have been raised on opera and there's been no intimidation about this art form. It is so colorful and active and visual. Children are naturally drawn to what's been extravagant. I have an incredible passion for what I do and I know that

regardless of what art experience a person has it touches the soul of a person. In my passion is developing those things which touched that inside of somebody and make them feel things that they've never felt before because once you get out and beyond yourself you realize that that the world is a bigger place than you are and you're become lost in this this great opportunity to express emotion. Is it something that's exciting and something that it's passionate it's funny they make you cry to make you laugh it will make you booed and make you clap. Unless you've tried it. Don't knock it. It's Arkansas made in Arkansas grown there's a lot of people that do not know Wildwood is here and that puts on the quality of programs that we do.

And just like to see everybody come out you get to enjoy the the fantastic vessel that they put on here. I was. Go ahead when you're OK. Hello how are you doing. I am fine thank you. It is not often that we hear a greeting like this but in the flatlands of the south west between Arkansas citizens hear language like this at least once a year. The Trail of Tears commemorative powwow has been taking place there for the past three years. On the second weekend in September we were really have something special here in equate with a trail of tears going through really the end of the Trail of Tears for Arkansas a four year at Oklahoma Indian Territory.

We really need to do something to commemorate that and something so our local folks will know how bored this area is and also an opportunity for all of the all of the Indians whose ancestors were part of that to come in and maybe have a different experience in Arkansas a marker at the fairgrounds in between stands as a reminder of the route taken by Native Americans during the Indian Removal of 1830 the removal forced Indians from the southeastern United States to Oklahoma along this trail. Thousands of American Indians die for this reason. Patrons see this as something other than a festival a lark grew up without a member. This is remembered of being called for by this community. That this isn't the historic place a trail of a problem on the way to the present hour each year the event seems to get larger. Two or three thousand people come to the Queen to participate in this event. American

Indians from the five civilized tribes Chickasaw Choctaw Creek Cherokee and Seminole gather to share their culture in various ways. I'm just really proud to be a part of this because we tried. Tradition in New York City press out to the general public and also very one of the first events is a parade complete with an American Indian color guard Indian medicine man loyalty that local flavor and motorcycle at the fairgrounds people enjoy everything from what they make in the arts and crafts storytelling

an art show for children and adults is held at the city or county museum. I'm astonished that there are still some of the thanks of the lovely and they evidently the teachers have studied with different cultures because I'm learning a lot myself. I had no idea about the American well how to educate the children starting with the children and because while they might think they know a little bit about Indian culture many of them are not familiar with the Trail of Tears and the tragedy that occurred. And so it's mainly to educate Americans and perhaps through education. The largest crowds for the event come for the actual however. This is the

power I'd say off is a tradition that the anons come and bless the ground and then they pray to the D.A. which is God bless their grounds and their holy as long as a pow wow is going on. These are holy grounds and if they're broken they are to the end and are very disappointed. Even a feather holes on the ground and they find the person isn't participating or later turn around. Powwow is a ceremony that the world we now have a large drum with singers around the drum in the middle. We will start out with the gourd dance which is usually made up of veterans or someone who is representing veterans and we we do it we dance at the board dance around the drum for several hours and asked the Great Spirit

the Lord Jesus bless. This is Brian that was dancing on them when we danced we dance in in honor also of our ancestors who died in the war and then after the war we have branded we asked the color guard that represent all of the tribes that are present or any dignitary or honorary person is allowed to be in the ground in Korea and they enter into the Ranger and we have a prayer also and then they separate and we started with children dancers and we let them dance competition. Each part of the regalia has a meaning that is important to the dancer for a variety of reasons because I for my family colors and I this Amman bustles and these my K and this bus of hang out I'm on right now but they're red white and blue and I thought represent what a 9/11 and my order made up for me.

Several dances in competitions happen throughout the day and into the night here competitions for children as well as adults. Often attendees are asked into the arena as a show of unity honor and respect. There are so many people really interested and they ask questions and that's good because we like to tell them and all the people let's hear the dances and stuff and you can ask any of them and they'll enjoy telling you about themselves about their tribe and about their beliefs and things and the people the more you talk to them the better understanding the people

get of the Indian people. The citizens of the Queen and the American Indians who attend have similar ideas about the significance of the event. We would like for him to leave feeling better about their sales. Feeling better about the American Indian feeling closer to them knowing that and that they really are part of our blood flows in them also because most people from the south are some way related to the American Indian. We we have a tremendous amount of respect for where the Great Spirit through Jesus and we want people to grow to realize that bond that we have. You know it's not not to celebrate the end of the physical road but that that that that segment of American history came to an end then and now we can get together and learn lessons from it and learn about one ourselves or have a big fun time on a big Sunday and enjoy it it's really good.

Straight folks

the sight of a hot air balloon gracefully drifting through the Arkansas skies is a rare and beautiful sight to behold. On one weekend each fall the skies over here a center filled with balloons. Harrison is home to the Arkansas hot air balloon state championship where pilots test their skills in balloon races and share their love of ballooning with the public. We bought the ones from all over the country here too to just play in the Championship we call the rights but it's really not a race as far as what people consider racing cars or things like that it's usually more target oriented than the actual speed or or distance the championship races take place in the early mornings and late afternoons whether it's usually the calm but the weekend starts off on Friday evening with an event that

directly involves the public. The pilots and their crews assemble in the fleet their balloons at the Harrison High school football field. People bring their kids cameras and lawn chairs and get ready for an evening of family fun. The people are just naturally curious to know what to do and you naturally you're going to share because he need their help alone is not a one man sport bikes crowed and it's fun to recruit crowed crowd. Ultimate never done before and show them what you need in the bedroom and with that you cannot can't share your school without a history of blow put up. Stretch it out. Flatten it out we got the eye toward our family photo succinct proppant puts cold air in the envelope. They're all quite shy but it's full of cold air the cold air that's in the blood of the bone with this band. It's a bright kid of the year

because a lot of children never go up close to the heart of the bill and they get in the basket because of rides for the kids and they can touch the balloon fabric with their lightness in and just the Gray family or you know the as the sun sets something truly magical begins to happen. Flames from the burners balloon and the balloons premiums on the entire balloon liked up like a giant lantern against the night sky. That the native saying about the it's just a given the mask and let it look up and when the banner he says reflection of the bloom in their eyes they're out there out shine in England. Kids go I smile and enjoy. I've had a good nap mom better get hot and probing the next

morning as the sun rises over the Ozarks. The championship races began slowly the balloons appear over the horizon and drift across Harrison heading toward several targets. The closer pilots get to the targets the more points they school. Balloons aren't arrow stamps or vehicles. Static in the air. Pilots rely on wind for movement the competition's test the pilot's ability to use different wind speeds and directions of different elevations to guide the balloons through the race. If it wins what color color that would be easy. You don't know what that wind's doing until you get a ninety thousand cubic foot hot air balloon in it and if you made a goal for the layoff then the winds are going to lay off. You're not going it's exciting the people on the ground don't understand it. It's fun to listen to them come up with your current car and come over here. Early risers gather again at the high school to see how close the pilots can come to a full placed in the middle of a field. If a balloon comes close enough

the pilot has a chance to grab a set of keys to a brand new vehicle atop the pole but the winds don't always cooperate and if a pilot misses one target it's on to the next one across town. Each race only lasts about an hour when the balloons end up spread out all over the surrounding countryside. Once all the targets have been passed it's time to find a place to land one of the main questions we get a lot before we take off is where you land but we never know because we're just we're after each race is over. The balloons must be plated and taken apart until the next event. Spectators who chase the balloons across town by car may be recruited to assist the group but if you land with with just your crew there that this is your fourth slot of a weekend in your car. A blend of heavy that when I come back up that I haven't worn out a body to go whale rest. Late in the afternoon the pilots

again gather in town begin assembling their balloons for another competition. The Arkansas hot air balloon state championship is the perfect opportunity to experience the magic of hot air balloon. The blow is so big and the most I'm a colorful they just drop the kids are wobbling all about like the little bitty kids are. Oh right here it's like maybe a blend of yours. Ask all the questions you ask will have a copy of because without that people just don't matter. It's just something that it's for every day it's just you know hard again. Altus Arkansas is in the heart of the natural state's rich River Valley region. Its name is synonymous with wine grape juice production

as harvest time draws near each summer. Altus welcomes tourists and townspeople in an annual celebration the last weekend of July the Altus great festival. There's a real feeling of community spirit in this Franklin county city and folks are passionate about the festival. Our great festival started back in 1994. It was a re creation of the earlier festivals held in the early 1920s and those were hailed as appreciation to the great growers here in Franklin County. Arkansas we recreated this in 1984 because that's when Altus became a cultural region. It's a federal recognition by the U.S. government as in a cultural area our wine grape growing region just as Napa and Sonoma. Ours is the Altus Valley region. And we're pleased to have that distinction so we recreated the celebration of the grape and celebrate the harvest to show our appreciation because that is the lifeblood of our small community.

Festival goers sample Arkansas wines juices and participate in a variety of grape related activities. We start on Friday evening and by then we have a street dance in the evening from 8 to 11. We come back on Saturday morning brought in early with breakfast from 7:00 to 9:00. We have celebrity gripes with news media and then we have public gripes on swarm or during the night. We have also just try Rice competition beautiful craft with some wonderfully handmade items from all over and the very most special thing to me being the mayor and the publicity chairperson is the fact that people come from far and wide and even foreign countries and that's what I love is the people coming to celebrate with that. This is distinguished as the wind capital of Arkansas. Decades ago dozens of wineries dotted the map at Cao a wine cellars in Paris. Wine maker and historian Robert Cowley displays antiquities that give visitors a glimpse into Arkansas's wineries long gone now.

Sora tells the history of the wine making of Arkansas. We would encourage people to come and learn about this history and the ethnic backgrounds of the people and the wine in our song. Now he is joined by area businesses in the wineries of Altus post MT Bethel and chateau Ozark making the great festival possible. We took her wine sellers is the oldest and largest winery in mid America great festival each year gives an opportunity to show to people what that our industry is cohesive it can work together to promote a product that we want to see going nationwide. Post family vineyards and winery continues a tradition of growing grapes and making wine for well over a century. Matthew poste Jr. is manufacturing juice and alcohol free naturally sweetened beverage for grape lovers of any age. It's chilled and ready for tasting imposts boom. Mt. Bethel winery produces

great big musket and wines and wines from other locally grown fruits such as berries peaches and while plums presidents and wine maker Mike Post has ancestors and family members in common with other elders wine producers. Great this A-list weekend it was an event started by my grandparents and great grandparents and aunts and uncles and other relatives of mine back in the 1920s it was an event created to celebrate the great harvest here in Altus grapes for a crops that the people here started growing when they emigrated here from Switzerland and Germany back in the 1870s 1890s. How does his newest wind producer chateau Ozark obtain your gin winery opened its doors in 1998. Your analysis there's a sense of humility that I've never found anywhere else and that's why I got involved with the great fest and this is our 19th Annual out this great fest we've had all these people come out and vendors from all over the United States it's been a great turnout and it's all about the great

before the official start of the festival. But other Hillary Philly outro gives thanks. Let's turn back to realize that God created all that heaven and earth in there with him in that regard as well. Where are you and her blessing. We have about your phone the grapevine we thank your for the harvest that we have the right to claim the grade for this year. I'm right here right here. That it might be great stops embody the overall spirit of the festival. Radhika and her husband Paul prepare contestants white grapes to step on it. Oh ok ok. Ladies and gentleman on the way get ready and you're going to get in the barrel there we're going to wait a few seconds and I get so you get set and go go go.

You're ready to go meet her. Right stopping is exciting fun. Here at our great festival you get a chance to stand in this wonderful tub of gripes refreshing like on a warm day. The hotter the better because I don't bank on what you and I have done and it's time to man the right way. Tell that age Marcy writes There are a few I would call our stomping strategies that are maybe a little tricks of the trade. Always always. This is such a surprise. Who wins. Now this is one of Arkansas treasures an unforgettable place full of natural beauty

good clean fun and friendly people. Come celebrate right here with us in wine country Arkansas the last weekend of July every year. You'll love it and we love the Altis grape festival. Come taste for yourself. The shrill sound of bagpipes in the distance. The colorful plans of Scottish tartans everywhere. Is it the Highlands of Scotland. No it's the Arkansas Scottish festival hosted each year in a small Ozark mountain town. Why Batesville. What better place than in the foothills of the mountains up Batesville really waken up then us. And in the sound of the bagpipes you swear you are right. You know Scotland if it wasn't for the sun in a funny cough the man behind the Arkansas Scottish

festival and lion college's Scottish heritage programme is Will new or head himself an accomplished Piper originally from Scotland. That was in 1980 that the college decided to resurrect us and what better way really then and have a festival as a kickoff for the new program. Almost one out of every five Arkansans playing some form of Celtic heritage ancestry from Ireland Scotland and or Wales. Each spring since 1980. People come to enjoy the fun and festivities of the Scottish game Arkansas style. All day long the drone of pipers in the background and the feel and flavor of the festival. Pipers make final contest preparations. Step up to the judge. Learn how to perfect their talent. Very good guide to work on

Manning and watch your work on your pet. It takes years of practice to become an accomplished Piper. Some start at an early age and others after they've reached adulthood. While Piper's are performing athletes some dressed in Scottish garb try their hands a traditional highland games the games which additionally Haldin and megatons and and I think the mega mosque and is it the time when people can be selling goods. I think the competition aspect was on the side where the Kleins and the clans champions pride was involved whether it was a pipe or not fleet. Today a main attraction of the games is turning the caber competitors pick up a small telephone pole and attempt to toss it end over end. They go for accuracy rather than distance and without hurting themselves or others. Anyone can get into the action and sometimes like this international student they quickly become honorary Scotsman.

There are other games as well. The start of the origin of the sheaf toss is from farming. As you can see putting the she falls or the bar with the pitchfork is very similar to loading bales of hay into a barn through a trap door. The other events being contested today are the Braemar stone which is very similar to throwing a shot put except the stone weighs 20 pounds and its throne standing still you're not allowed to take an approach so you can't use a spinner and glide like an Olympic chopper with use. One last game is the weight for height toss. Much like the Olympic hammer toss. Competitive sports tend to be very cutthroat Island games last competitive and everybody seeks to do the best there was also very friendly hand. Competitors pull for each other will help each other out with tips on technique with providing each other equipment. So it's a very friendly atmosphere considerably different in the other sport I participated in. Back at the music contests the drummers are preparing for their performances in tight band competition.

I'm looking for and I'm sure that's what you're looking for also as a drama as a complement to pipe music. And given the good and the fact that you do know more elsewhere on the field there is activity from the dancers the Highland dance judge looks for precision and timing with relaxed control. American plugging in square dance on their routes to Irish step dancing as well as Scottish dances which are thought to have originated in the Scottish Highlands around the 11th century. Participants of all ages in ancestral backgrounds work long hours for many years to perfect their talent. One of the more unusual events to watch is the sheep dog event. And since these dogs came from Great Britain Scotland England Ireland and Wales they have may come and demonstrate to the dogs from their country and

they've been used over there for hundreds of years to handle the livestock. We start off we give them last commands first and I can hear the last commands up close but you can hear the bagpipes playing behind me. If I were to talk to that dog he's very far away from me would hear my voice but I can hear all this wessel and I'm told in a in a country setting they can hear that wessel for two miles. And what a festival be without food. Well there is the usual festival food fare. This festival has Scottish meat pies. The concoction of ground meat in a savory gravy with potatoes onions peas and carrots baked inside of a delicate pie crust is the original fast food of the British Isles. Most of us in Arkansas would recognize this ancient delicacy as the American pot pie. Whether tracing your ancestry or just mildly curious there are always vendors ready to sell their wares. But don't stop at the vendor stands. Visit the clan.

And that's the clientele was a guiding point when the clients came in in these markets. And he is and that's where they met and they got together and they call on Beth's das what Sam was doing that's what setf was doing today it's more of a genealogy place where you can go and go in the clientele and find as your family has set down this clown a lot. Klein thanks thanks thanks. The highlights of the festival are the march of the plans and the massed bands. They are an opportunity to see tartans of many different plans and the folk who proudly display their heritage. The march of the clans is followed by a hundred or more pipers and drummers playing and marching together. The sound of the pipes makes you stand tall and proud if you have Scottish ancestry and may even do so if you don't. Thank you thank you.

Thank you. Yes thanks. You don't have to be Scottish or have Scottish ancestry to enjoy the Arkansas Scottish festival. It is a festival that celebrates wife in Arkansas Scottish style. Thank you. Heavy

Jeanne mountain is nestled between the Ozark could watch Utah mountains in West Central Arkansas an area rich in natural beauty. Petit Jean is also to the Museum of automobiles founded in 1964 by the late governor Winthrop Rockefeller. The museum houses the governor's personal collection of cars and other vintage vehicles. We've got 51 cars that we exhibit one time plus several motorcycles and we do change the collection from time to time over half the cars are on a loan to us from

collectors around the Arkansas and surrounding states and I can almost say of them are in our permanent collection. It includes governor Rockefeller's 1951 Cadillac. This rare 1933 offered both tale speedster. Anyone remember the 1936 coffin nosed cord of Green Hornet comic book Fame. Don't miss the futuristic 1934 Desoto airflow design. The distinctive hood ornament and grill sets off the 1939 Packard. How many heroes going off to war left their family or sweetheart behind in a 1941 Chevrolet sedan or pickup truck. Betty Jean is the home to classic cycles including a 1913 model built only a decade after Harley first teamed with Davidson. But it's the annual Father's Day weekend swap meet and car show that really draws a crowd to pet e.g. the angle made in June. It was started back in 1968. I mean what is what has grown over the years.

The first year we had 14 vendor spaces this past year we had around fifteen hundred fifty and it was a sellout and it's grown to me quite a large show. The five day event draws a crowd of over 100000 folks making one of the largest towns in Arkansas at least for the weekend. This swap meet is proof positive that one man's trash is another man's treasure. If stamp collecting is a bit too laid back for you how about adding a few anti gasoline pops around the house. They like to sit him out by their garages or put them in a rec worms. We did make one that had an entertainment center and we took a Sixties Palme put a 19 inch TV in it put a VCR in it open the bottom door and store your tapes. Of course no Arkansas festival is complete without the aroma of Carnival delights wafting on the breeze right

here they say. After a quick bite to eat you can always crank up the volume on a drive in movie loudspeaker. Close your eyes and remember all the hours you wild away watching Frankie and Annette in those beach blanket flakes. Need a quart of oil in a round metal can for your Buick straight-A Petit Jean is the place to find just that. Remember when 59 Chevy seemed to smile back at you as they moved on down the road where but America the car engines have names you will find a buyer don't V8 from a DeSoto in Paris my friend. OK this one needs a little work. Perusing fifteen hundred fifty swap meet spaces can make anyone want to stop and sit a spell. It's carburetor expert Kirk Young says about Betty Jean who I met that is one of my very favorite places if it is a

very family oriented and very very laid back for a serious car collectors. The Petit Jean swap meet is one of the premier events to find just that special part you need to complete a restoration project old or new. Folks like Hershel Hill are true specialists have been collecting and furthest darkness apelike Amnon 1960 fad and has started collecting all day long about that. A Navy cat but it's been a real good hobby have enjoyed it and a lazy person like me need to have a hobby he can set around a lot here to collect in life. But given enough time and cash you could start with offenders and work your way up to a Chevy like this or maybe even a classic 65 Mustang. Our wives go wild on the ranch so

we're not here oh yeah i think i got one like a Petit Jean you can be sure to find everything from Model T magnetos and fancy early stop signals to radiator caps that let you know old tin Lizzies about the blower cool would it be great to get behind the wheel and drive away in this 56 T-Bird. Or perhaps a vintage Vette or maybe even one of these long last name plates of yesteryear. Well maybe in a few years. Paris argot song is a town of 4000 nestled in the Arkansas River Valley. It's a few miles down Highway 22 from Subiaco Academy and is the gateway to Mt magazine. Twenty seven hundred fifty three feet

above sea level not Magazine is Arkansas's tallest mountain and newest state park vistas of the Arkansas River Valley stretch far over the distant peaks in the rich farmland below. On a Clear Day You can see 40 miles. The altitude geography and climate combined to create unique habitats for plants animals and the Diana fritillary butterfly is a matter of fact not Magazine has an extraordinary richness of butterfly species which has spawned the MT magazine International butterfly festival that has five butterflies because over here or throughout the year. Forty

three. Better buys said that I need to add 130 is quite a significant younger and that's partly due to all the wildfires it's just and it's going to look cooler out here because butterflies do lethal temperature it can get to most places when a caterpillar so the entire lifecycle takes place out here. You come up here for the scenery. You come up here for the recreation look you'll hear all the wildlife. If you can do all that in a day care can someone say who was no more a pill. That's a problem with trails in the Ozarks. There uphill no matter where you're coming or going. I think the butterfly festival up here now magazine is unique in many different ways. It kind of gets people at sort of the kick off the summer season. It sort of forces people to get out into Mother Nature and make them look at something that's right if you're the spirit of

all the time trying to find the overall grandiose view. Arkansas has a lot of what I call intimate landscapes and butterflies are a perfect example of that. You know you don't have to look very far for them and but you do have to be conscious of the what's going on right here right now. Oh there goes the whole look there's a big assassin that's called the SAS the geek on it. OK as we approach just now that's approach very very slowly and gently. There's a bear making spot. You'll see where they are. The pair may think presence with their wings popping a little bit. Oh they're they're giants well-told biggest butterfly North America. Hey it's not a giant. Yes it is this the biggest butterfly and North America. Not the biggest individual but still when you have a butterfly in the net you want to immobilize it as quickly as

possible. You get their wings above their back kind of scissored in there like that. So they're immobile and they can't hurt themselves just as quickly as you can. It's easy on a big butterfly harder to do on a smaller butterfly. Then you come in with your tweezers or forceps not like a flat bladed kind that you get from a stamp store stamp and coin store and have the wings and you just to ease them near the body near the body so you get all four wings and that way they can't flap their wings. Doesn't work if they can flap their wings because they hurt themselves. You can actually hold them by your hand your thumb and forefinger or middle finger by the thorax as well but you don't want to squeeze hard when you do that too. OK here we go. This is one I very much hope we would encounter today so come on all the calls make a little ring up here I

always enjoy butterfly festivals because they are a chance for people to really express their love of butterflies and to learn something new about them and how we can incorporate the merrier. What I've loved about today is to see all these people coming in were not necessarily already you know as well but butterflies as they have no sound they want to know more. And then to see their eyes open as they actually see the creatures and also to see the joy to see as a people feeding off one another's love of this stuff. So and then of course the best thing is to actually be out there and see the butterflies themselves. And once again the people react to them. So that's what the day's been like for me has been just plain exciting me. I'm a Lepidoptera So that's a person who studies the Lepidoptera let the main

scales or shingles Taro means wing in Greek. So the leopard doctora are the scaly winged or shingle winged insects. And I think all of us here at the butterfly festival really are levodopa tourists. On one level or another you know the first time I saw this butterfly mad eye for three days go I've been wanting to see it all my life. This is the Diana fritillary the most famous butterfly in this part of the world. Well that's very special to me and beautiful but if you know what they'll do sometimes and you get just regular hair to go on you know it won't hurt you a bit of a tickle OK. You mind that. OK we do. Diana fiddler name for Diana the goddess of the hunt. Or.

Or you see what he's doing is going for the. Finally discover the sweat of my finger that he's putting us proboscis down. Just like a drinking straw say two drinking straws. And there are two fertile areas here and the other one is called The Great spangled and it's almost as big as this. But you see how that one of the black is so much near the center there. The other one the great spangled has a brownish spots and they are spotted all over the way this is a female Diana the one we're looking at here is a male and this is the female and very very different in fact none of the other fritillaries look like this. I think I would think seven of the dead of the winner every time I come up to my magazine I see butterflies and the park is kind of set up where there are a lot of great viewpoints where you can get out close to the edge of bluffs and look across and see other bluffs and they're just spectacular views. Today you can probably can even see the ballast floor in some places but you know a real hazy day

like today was a lot of moisture and humidity in the air makes a fabulous sunset. You could get out somewhere for the sunset in Miami. The city of Akron's is located about 65 miles west of Little Rock in the Arkansas River Valley for 56 years. The biggest industry in the small town of just under 3000 was pickle packing. That's why Atkins is known as Pickle City USA. Twelve years ago a citizens group called People for a better Atkins started looking for ways to bring the city together and raise money for community improvements at the same time they decided to hold an annual festival and named it Pickle fast

has been associated with pickles for years and years and years. Even though we got rid of the highlife pickle plant would highlight the community and we would have to call it something. So when I got a pickle. We have a noun hexagon loaf in the center of the square where we always pass out. Take a sample you know and I'll ask you to stand on a pick with to hear your heart to be salty. If regular pickles aren't to your liking maybe you'll enjoy the fried variety. Atkins is the home of the original fried dill pickle tackles that Ashbury fried dill pickles were invented by Burnell lost in the back ins back in 1960. Today people line up and down the street to buy them from Bernal son David.

You start out with a whole big deal but I would tell you. Likewise only slice them with a special Seacrest paid for the for the braiding that we use only We've raised the praise be to year to now we're up to 760 gallons a year which is approximately fifteen hundred dollars. We sell in today's hearing that again. Never did it land regular at 9:00 a.m. here and there but there still remain on the right side. Well a lot of luck and some people don't you know it. It's hard scrabble taste the entire downtown of Athens was blocked off for Pickle Fest weekend food vendors and Grant boots lined the streets and there are plenty of diversions for the young. There are other objects that have that old fashioned small town flavor like the parade down the section of Highway 64 passes through town. Children lined the street

to grab candy thrown up by members of the Atkins writing club. A lucky few get to ride in the pickle fast pick away. And then there's a baby beauty pageant a little Miss Sweet little Mr. Dill Pickle contest. But the most well known event happens on Saturday afternoon. Crowds gather for the pickle eating pickle juice drinking contests. Good. Now I am a man for man or woman that's it power.

Now I am. Last year the pickle plant became the victim of corporate downsizing. Dean Foods the company that bought the Atkins plant several years earlier announced it was closing the plant moving operations to Texas because local farmers were growing enough cucumbers pickle city was in danger of losing its identity. But even though the plant closed people of Atkins have decided to carry on the tradition of pickle fest pickle fest as it is a thing that brings the community together people of the crowd the streets downtown visit with people am seen for years a lot of people schedule their vacations around people there so they

can come and see people they haven't seen for years and kind of are you into. Things FOAD has agreed to keep us in all the pictures that we have been using were We'll fight for those without thinking it would be a Akins is always looking for reading these very same means a lot. There's something for everybody and the entertainment is something for everybody and we just like to invite everybody to come by. Just say you never want to miss it. There are hundreds of exciting rest of the company each week. So why not visit one yourself. Then you too can celebrate.