High-jumping mules and fast-rolling outhouses are among the wackiest acts on this autumn's calendar of Arkansas festivals, with grape stomping and Ding Dong singing tossed into the mix.
Festive events are scheduled somewhere in the Natural State virtually every weekend during the fall. Here's a sampler of some livelier ones. Admission to the grounds is usually free of charge:
• Depot Days Festival, Newport, Friday-Saturday. The heritage of rock 'n' roll in Jackson County is the focus of this musical showcase on the banks of the White River. Along with two acts on Friday evening and eight more on Saturday, the weekend features Sonny Burgess dedicating a historic piano at the Rock 'n' Roll Highway 67 Museum. Visit depotdays.org or call (870) 523-3618.
• Ding Dong Days, Dumas, Saturday-Oct. 2. Activities extend for nine days at this whimsical festival spun from the nonsense lyrics of a Roaring '20s ditty, "I'm a Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas." It is sung each year by an honorary Ding Dong Daddy. Family-friendly fun includes a beauty pageant, a barbecue cook-off, a street dance, an antique car show and a Ding Dong eating contest. Visit dumasar.net or call (870) 382-5447.
• High Cotton on the Bayou Festival, Scott, Oct. 1. Arkansas rural life before the advent of mechanized farming is portrayed in detail at Scott Plantation Settlement. This festival includes demonstrations of butter churning, sorghum making and blacksmith work, along with face painting for children and music. Admission is $3 for adults, $1 for visitors 6-17. Visit scottconnections.org or call (501) 351-5737.
• Timberfest, Sheridan, Oct. 7-8. Headlining this get-together is the Arkansas State Lumberjack Championship, with competitions including the ax throw, horizontal chop, Jack-and-Jill crosscut, vertical cut and chainsaw. Cooks can vie for prizes in Dutch oven cook-offs. There's also a horseshoe tournament, a bow shoot and a pine-wood derby race of miniature cars. Visit grantcountychamber.com or call (870) 942-3021.
• Pea Ridge Mule Jump, Pea Ridge, Oct. 8. This festival's website explains that mule jumping "comes from a tradition in coon hunting of having mules jump over fences rather than finding gates. Hunters throw a blanket over the fence so the mule will jump it. Mules can jump flat-footed." Seeing is believing, in a field next to Pea Ridge High School. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for youngsters 6-12. Visit pearidgemulejump.com or call (479) 451-1102.
• Wiederkehr Wine Festival, Wiederkehr Village, Oct. 22. There's a competitive bouquet to this celebration of the grape. Contests involve throwing stones, tossing logs and stomping grapes. A German band provides the tunes for polka dancing and a conga line winds its way through Wiederkehr's cellars. Arkansas wine flows to accompany bratwurst, sauerkraut and other Old World fare. Visit wiederkehrwines.com or call (479) 468-9463.
• Arkansas Bean Fest & Great Arkansas Championship Outhouse Race, Mountain View, Oct. 28-29. At noon on Oct. 29, 2,000 pounds of pinto beans are dished up free along with cornbread and onions. Then comes the parade of outhouses on wheels, followed by racing on Jefferson Street. Drivers steer while perched on a toilet seat, with two pushers providing the motive power. Visit yourplaceinthemountains.com or call (870) 269-8068.
• Wings Over the Prairie Festival, Stuttgart, Nov. 19-26. A carnival and midway along with arts and crafts enliven this gathering staged annually since 1936. But the big deal is the World Championship Duck Calling Contest, offering the winner a prize package worth more than $15,000. There are also duck-calling competitions for women and youngsters, as well as the World Championship Duck Gumbo Cookoff. Visit stuttgartarkansas.org or call (870) 673-1602.
Information on other fall events is available from the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism at arkansas.com.
Weekend on 09/22/2016