Pumpkin patches are a fall staple, and in Arkansas, we step up the game. This list has a wide variety of pumpkin patches featuring other attractions for the whole family, like pig races and haunted corn mazes. Check out a few of awesome pumpkin patches across Arkansas!
BoBrook Farms
Located in Roland, BoBrook Farms pumpkin patch is more than just a pumpkin patch. After picking your pumpkin of choice, stick around for the pig races on Saturday and Sunday that occur every hour starting at 10 a.m. There is even a food truck on Fridays and three food trucks on Saturday and Sunday. BoBrook also has mazes, lawn games, farm animals and more! Click here for more information.
Photo courtesy of BoBrook Farms
Farmland Adventures
Farmland Adventures is in Springdale and offers tons of attractions in addition to the pick-your-own pumpkin patch. The nine-acre corn maze, pony rides and kids play area is just a few of the things to do while visiting. Click here for more information.
Photo courtesy of Farmland Adventures
Circle D Funny Farm
Located just outside of Malvern, Circle D Funny Farm honests a wide variety of family-friendly activities, including a corn pit, pumpkin-shaped bounce pad, zipline, petting zoo (including a kangaroo!), and MUCH more. Click here for more information.
Photo courtesy of Circle D Funny Farm
Peebles Farm
Peebles Farm is in Augusta and has 60 acres of wholesale and retail pumpkins. They offer thousands of pre-picked pumpkins, but visitors can pick their own too. The farm also has a large corn maze and several other activities such as a jump pad, pumpkin blaster and a cow train ride. Click here for more information.
Photo courtesy of Peebles Farm
Schaefers Pumpkin Patch
Schaefers Pumpkin Patch is located in Mayflower and has plenty activities for visitors to enjoy. They offer several different kinds of pumpkins for visitors to pick from. There is also an educational center for people to learn more about the farm. Activities include a sandbox, a barn yard, playground and more. Click here for more information.
Tailgating time is near and that means you better have a few go-to recipes under your belt. The right food will ensure that everyone, die-hard football fan or not, enjoys the party and satisfies their hunger. Here are five recipes that will have you wanting more!
Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
Sausage balls are a tailgating classic. While there many different variations of them, cream cheese keeps the sausage balls moist and tender, unlike other recipes. Make the recipe your very own by opting for hot sausage over regular for a kick. These are sure to keep your guests coming back for more. Click here for the full recipe.
Photo courtesy of Plain Chicken
Baked Pizza Dip
Don’t have time to run to the store? This recipe uses ingredients that you probably have in the refrigerator and pantry. The dip also takes little time to assemble, making it a staple tailgating food. Add your favorite pizza toppings for personalization. Click here for the full recipe.
Photo courtesy of The Cozy Cook
Fire Crackers
This is a fun spin on the classic saltine cracker, especially for those who enjoy a kick. Besides a great tailgate snack, these are fantastic for all of your get togethers or special events. This recipe is completely customizable, from the seasonings to the type of cracker you use, so you can put your own spin on it. For the full recipe, click here.
Photo courtesy of Pate G. via Food.com
Buffalo Chicken Dip
If you have been to a tailgate in recent years, chances are you have eaten buffalo chicken dip. This recipe is one of the top-rated buffalo chicken dips because of how easy and delicious it is. It is very versatile and can be eaten alone, with your favorite veggie or favorite chip. Be prepared for guests asking for the recipe at the end of the night! Click here for the full recipe.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Melendez via Food.com
Bacon Crescent Bites
This is a great grab-and-go snack so your guests can run back just in time to watch a touchdown. This recipe is deliciously easy. This variation uses bacon as the main protein, but you can substitute sausage, hamburger or any other meat you choose. The creamy filling between crescent rolls makes it hard not to like. For the full recipe, click here.
Summer is in full swing, and if you’re looking for a way to beat the heat without hitting the waterparks, then Arkansas’s vast array of fine arts museums and activities may be what you’re looking for. With everything from world-renowned artists to mountain music and beautiful gardens, Arkansas is home to fine art activities that can appeal to any audience. Checkout some of few fine arts places below!
Ozark Folk Center State Park – Mountain View
From the Heritage Herb Garden to the Bluegrass Mountain music and an extensive craft village, there is something for everyone to do at Ozark Folk Center State Park. It is in the heart of the Ozarks in Mountain View, allowing a vast number of picturesque scenes throughout the park. It is open from mid-April to late-October. Click here for more information or to purchase tickets.
Photo courtesy of Ozark Folk Center State Park
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville
Located in Bentonville, Crystal Bridges is sure to entertain all art enthusiasts with an extensive collection of American artworks that spans five centuries. The museum cycles through several different exhibitions throughout the year. If guests are looking to get outside, there are five miles of sculptures and walking trails just outside of the museum to explore. Click here to visit.
Photo Courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts – Little Rock
This museum opened in 1937 and a recent renovation has expanded it to include 14,000 works. The Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock has various programs such as “Fridays on the Lawn,” where visitors play games and interact in MacArthur Park just outside of the museum. Art classes are also offered to learn more about the fine arts and create your own. Click here to learn more or purchase tickets.
Photo Courtesy of Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
Walton Arts Center – Fayetteville
The Walton Arts Center has a history of famous performing artists in the venue and is continuing to entertain guests in the same manner. Located in Fayetteville, the venue also houses a small permanent art collection and scheduled featured collections and artists. Click here to see collections or upcoming events.
Photo Courtesy of Walton Arts Center
Garven Woodand Gardens-Hot Springs
The Garvan Woodland Gardens is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas and contains several different sections for all guests to enjoy. A woodland walk shows a few of the different gardens such as the Daffodil Hill and Camellia Trail. The Pratt Welcome Center also features monthly art exhibits for guests to see while visiting Hot Springs. For more information or to purchase tickers, click here.
In Arkansas, we have been blessed with an early spring this year and temperatures have been on the rise for the last several weeks. For most of the state, school bells have rung for the last time – at least for a couple of months. As Arkansans, we know our entire state serves as a natural playground, adventures only limited by our imaginations.
If you’re scrolling your favorite search engine, looking for a little inspiration to clock some time outdoors this summer, then look no further. We’ve built a list of seven adventures to keep you on the go and enjoying the Natural State.
Pitch a Tent
Arkansas offers a host of great options for camping, where you’re sure to find a spot in all four corners and everywhere in between. From state parks to island getaways, you’ll be able to choose your own adventure here in the Natural State. Where to look? Resources like the Arkansas State Parks website is a great place to start, but options The Dyrt and Hipcamp are also good resources to find your next outdoors home away from home.
Wet Your Line
Arkansas has a host of options when it comes to catching your next fish. From lakes and ponds to rivers and streams; your choices are almost endless. You can visit the state’s tourism website for your next honey hole or check out the Arkansas Game & Fish resources to find a spot based on what you want to catch. No matter where you land, you’re sure to make some great memories along the way.
Take a Hike
It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to raise your heart rate a few beats or spend a few nights in the woods, hiking is always a great way to spend time outdoors and Arkansas has plenty to offer. From the Ozark Mountains to bayou-side trails, you’re sure to find a perfect hike to fit your mood. Check out a list of places and options here. Just don’t forget to pack a snack and plenty of water!
Set Sail on the SS Adventure
With more than 1,000 square miles of water in its borders, Arkansas offers lots of options for enjoying a nautical adventure. Whether you prefer to float in a kayak or canoe or cruise the lake pontoon-style, you’re in the right place. Hop on over to the Arkansas tourism website to see a list of great options and start planning your next trip on the water right now.
(Do) Go Chasing Waterfalls
We’ve already established that Arkansas has plenty of water to host your adventure and, as they say, what goes up, must come down. Only we’re talking about falling water… not falling apples. With names like Car Wash, Fuzzy Butt and Bossy Lady; there’s plenty to see. Just make sure you’re going after a good rain to maximize the waterfall potential and you won’t be disappointed. For a full list of waterfalls in the Natural State, check out the Arkansas Waterfalls Guidebook.
Hop on Your Bike and Ride
Of course, you can ride your bike around your neighborhood and that totally counts. But hitting a trail can be a lot more fun. If you’re the type who doesn’t mind a little mud and dirt, check out the vast selection of mountain bike trails around the state. Options like the Monument Trails in Arkansas State Parks or the OZ trails in Northwest Arkansas are probably your speed. If you’re more of a beginner looking for a flat surface and a little wildlife scenery, check out the Arkansas River Trail in Little Rock. Whatever your preference, there’s an option for your two-wheeled adventure.
Find your Fortune
Arkansas is home to one of the only places you can publicly search for a real diamond, so book a trip down to Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro and get to digging. It’s a large space and, depending on the weather, you may be next to hundreds of others also searching for buried treasure. Want to keep it a bit more low-key? Check out one of the quartz crystal mines in the state as an alternative and still have lots of fun.
Scripture says the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles was a harvest feast, a colorful and joyous time drawing great throngs to Jerusalem where all would enter carrying a piece of fruit. They called it “the season of our gladness.” More than 2,000 years later, many Arkansans recognize the bounty of the state’s largest industry in similar ways. Agriculture drives Arkansas’ economy and it’s celebrated on summer weekends with fruit festivals. Below are a few favorites to visit.
Cabot Strawberry Festival (May 2-4)
Bright red, juicy and delicious! Taste and purchase fresh strawberries while taking in a carnival, pageant, kid zone, 5k and more. The 20th annual festival focuses on family fun and promoting local businesses, but its stars are Lonoke County strawberry growers. The Junior Auxiliary of Cabot has grown it to one of the state’s most popular festivals with multiple food booths and 120 exhibitors. Facebook.com/StrawberryFestivalCabot
Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival (Jun 14-15)
One of Arkansas’ longer running festivals returns for a 68th year. Pink tomatoes first sold commercially in Bradley County in the early 1920s when cotton became less profitable. Tomatoes are characterized as a pink breed when the skin is translucent, and the interior looks more pink than red once mature. This ‘world famous’ event always happens the second full weekend of June (including a Friday) in the “Land of Tall Pines and Pink Tomatoes.” There is a tomato eating contest and “Great Bowls of Fire” salsa contest, pageants, truck and car show, and live music both nights. Pinktomatofestival.com
Johnson County Peach Festival (July 18-20)
Arkansas’ longest running festival started in 1938 and has only missed a few years due to wars and Covid. Peach Pickin’ Paradise, a local farm in Lamar, provides most of the peaches for the festival at the Clarksville Courthouse Square or you can pick your own at the orchard. There will be a peach eating contest, peach pit-spitting contest, a parade, multiple pageants (Baby Peach, Petite Peach, Princess Elberta) and lots of live music, featuring the Kentucky Headhunters on Saturday night. Festival president Milisa Woodard tells us the greased-pig chase on Saturday morning is her favorite event. Jocopeachfest.com
Cave City Watermelon Festival (July 25-27)
This festival started in the very hot, dry summer of 1980 with 2,400 attendees, including Gov. Bill Clinton. The weather had made melons hard to find but a grower named Herschel Runsick, who planted his in the nearby Strawberry River bottoms, produced enough for that first free feast presented by the Chamber of Commerce. The festival has expanded to three days with up to 10 area growers supplying “the world’s sweetest watermelons.” Catfish dinners, pancake breakfasts, talent shows, watermelon judging contests, 5k runs, ice cream making contests, car shows and local entertainment fill the weekend. Grab a lawn chair, lift a slice of melon and let the juice roll down to your elbows. Cavecitywatermelonfestival.com
Altus Grape Festival (July 26-27)
The 41st annual will include traditional attractions at Altus City Park, but just easing by the beautiful vineyards makes it worth the drive. If you take exit 41 off I-40, you’ll see rows of grapes on rolling hills and a majestic, Romanesque church built with stone in 1902. There will be a grape stomp at the festival, live music, food and beverage competitions, including an amateur wine competition with lots of taste testing. The wine industry has driven the Altus (population 662) economy since 1872. It is an official U.S. viticultural (wine growing) area. Facebook.com/altusgrapefest
Hope Watermelon Festival (Aug. 8-10)
It dates to the mid-1920s when close to 20,000 attended a one-day event and farmers sold ice-cold, giant melons (weighing close to 200 pounds) to passengers on the many trains that stopped in Hope. It became an annual event in the 1970s and is now a three-day celebration featuring chilled melons sold whole or by the slice. There will be close 150 arts and crafts booths from six states, dozens of food vendors, a car show, entertainment and other family-oriented activities like a melon-toss and seed-spitting contest. Hopewatermelonfest.com
Warm temperatures are the preference for most Arkansans. If you don’t believe us, just check the nearest body of water here in the Natural State any time between April and October. That said, we often get a little cabin fever during the colder months, so it’s good to have a list of climate-controlled activities that will keep your family active and smiling all winter long.
We’ve pulled together a list of some of the best spots to have a little indoor fun while we wait on the thermometer to rise a bit more. From Smackover to Jonesboro and Little Rock to Bentonville, here’s a list of 9 great options for non-stop action that should definitely hold you over until it’s shorts-and-sandals season again.
Mid-America Science Museum is a resource for innovative Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) and serves as a unique destination for families. It provides an escape for curious minds of all ages and is located less than a mile from Hot Springs National Park.
This indoor hub of fun and fitness features climbing walls, top-rope stations, auto-belay stations, a fitness gym, large bouldering area and much more! Day passes are available and they’re open seven days a week.
The Amazeum features approximately 50,000 square feet of exhibit and learning spaces inside the museum to bring learning to life and enhance family involvement, while evoking a sense of curiosity and discovery through hands-on activities.
The Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center on the southern edge of Jonesboro tells the story of a unique ridge atop the Mississippi Delta with indoor and outdoor exhibits, films and trails. The three-story facility adjoins the southern boundary of Craighead Forest Park and includes a 5.5-acre prairie, 2.5-acre pond and approximately 100 acres of woodlands. Game and Fish Nature Centers are also located in other areas of the state. See a full list here.
Complete with immersive exhibits and interactive storytelling, get the history of the U.S. Marshals Service. From tales of colonial days and the western frontier to challenges of a Marshal’s life today, you’ll encounter an America you never knew and be inspired by the men and women whose service and strength helps hold it all together.
South Arkansas is home to the unique story of the 1920s oil boom. Inside the museum, tour a reproduction of a boomtown with an old jail and café. The streets are even lined with vintage trucks and gas pumps. Walking the grounds of the state park, you’ll see working oil field equipment used in the area, including a replica of a 112-foot derrick and a central power station that could pull up to 15 wells.
Located in Stone County, approximately 2 miles off Highway 14 near Mountain View, the Blanchard Springs Caverns is one of the most spectacular and carefully developed caves found anywhere. Visitors enter a “living” cave where glistening formations like stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and flowstones are still changing.
From bowling to ropes courses to laser tag and everything in between, there’s lots to choose from at this NEA hotspot offering a host of family entertainment options for fun-seekers of all ages and skill levels. The only problem might be getting your family to leave!
The Museum of Discovery is Little Rock’s premier science and technology center, with a mission to ignite and fuel a passion for science, technology, engineering, arts and math through dynamic, interactive experiences. For kids young and old, the museum is a great place to explore the exciting world of science!
