Spring into Tourism Schedule Announced
Celebration Set for May 11 in Pocket Park
The Ozark Gateway Tourist Council will celebrate National Travel and Tourism Week on Monday, May 11, from 1:30 to 6:00 p.m. in the downtown Pocket Park. “Spring into Tourism” will include an afternoon of entertainment, activities, guest speakers from the tourism industry, and displays, exhibits, and demonstrations by artists, craftspeople, and others who contribute to the region’s tourism economy.
Many tourist attractions and related businesses from the eight county Ozark Gateway region (Independence, Jackson, Stone, Sharp, Izard, Randolph, Lawrence, and Fulton) are participating, including the Ozark Folk Center, Blanchard Springs Cavern, the Arkansaw Traveller and D&D Cake, Old Independence Regional Museum, MorningSide Coffeehouse, Mammoth Spring State Park, Powhatan Historic State Park, the Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour, the Arkansas Crafts School-Artisans Council, the Ozark Classic Craft Mall of Hardy, the Course at Turkey Mountain in Horseshoe Bend, cedar crafter Howard Collier, Black River Beads of Pocahontas, Choice Realty, and the Randolph County Tourism Association. The course at Turkey Mountain is bringing a portable putting green for golf enthusiasts.
The tentative schedule for the day’s activities in the Pocket Park includes a Lyon College bagpiper to open the ceremony at 1:30; a report on tourism from Richard Davies, executive director of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism; a report from Ozark Gateway president-elect Bob Pest on the Ozark Gateway Heritage Tourism Scenic Drives initiative; live music on the Pocket Park stage from 3:00 to 5:00; and a performance by the North Arkansas Dance Theater at 5:00 p.m. Local author Mark Rorie will also be present to sign copies of his new children’s novel, The Polk Bayou Kids and the Search for Civil War Gold.
“Spring into Tourism” is a joint project of the Ozark Gateway Tourist Council, Main Street Batesville, and the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce. Information is available at gateway@ozarkgateway.com or 800-264-0316
