Jacksonport Holiday Gala Ball in Newport

Jacksonport State Park hosted its 20th annual Holiday Gala Ball on Nov. 22 at the historic Jacksonport Courthouse in Newport. The evening offered a step back in time with live music and ball dancing from the 19th century. Partygoers were transformed into ladies and gentlemen of the 1860s with the period’s costumes and etiquette. Mark Ballard, Jacksonport State Park superintendent, said the event memorializes and re-enacts the traditional balls that were held at the courthouse in the 1800s. With its construction completed in 1872, the courthouse hosted the Mardi Gras Gala Ball. The annual Holiday Gala Ball pays tribute to that first gala ball. The 52nd Regimental String Band of Memphis played for the dance for the 10th year. Arkansas Steele Associates contributed financial support for the event. For information on next year’s Holiday Gala Ball, call Vicky Schoeneweis at (870) 523-2143. (Photos by Cheryl Mauldin, Contributing Photographer)