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Travelin’ the Arkansas River Valley: Events Taking Place During November |
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Jill M. Rohrbach, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Note to the Print and Broadcast Media:
In order to better serve your needs and to keep you from getting extremely long documents from the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, we have decided to break down our Travelin’ Arkansas release into regions organized by date. This way you will be able to look only at the areas you are interested in covering. The territories covered in Travelin' Arkansas adhere to the six geographical regions found in the Arkansas Tour Guide. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions: communications@arkansas.com or 501-682-7606.
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The 2009 Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series National Championship gets underway Nov. 1-8 at Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville.
The winner receives $100,000 and can win up to $205,000 plus an entry into the 2010 Bassmaster Classic® to fish for the world championship. The $680,000 championship is paid out to a field of both boaters and non-boaters alike. The top non-boater can take home up to $100,000 with the payout, and contingency awards are offered through 50th place.
The Triton Gold and Mercury Marine’s bonus programs make this a thrilling championship for the weekend angler. Imagine showing up for a no entry bass tournament where you can not only win $100,000 but an additional $105,000 in bonus money. The bonuses are not just for first place they too are available through 50 places to both boaters and non-boaters.
The entry for the boater champion into the Bassmaster Classic® makes the Bassmaster Weekend Series Championship the most prestigious championship for the weekend angler. Nowhere else can anglers compete in just a few tournaments and earn a shot at the biggest title in bass fishing. All anglers that make it to the Series Championship have a shot at the classic.
The Series Championship is a weeklong event that challenges the fishing skills of weekend anglers from across the country but with a huge payoff. Anglers qualify for the series championship by competing locally at qualifying events held across the country. Anglers don’t even need to own a boat to participate because the series includes a co-angler (or non-boater) competition that allows non-boaters to compete against each other like the boaters. Non-boaters are paired with boaters for a fun day on the lake at qualifying events. This is a great way for, anyone that likes bass fishing to learn more about catching bass.
Lake Dardanelle has been named as the number one bass tournament lake in Arkansas. Its state park visitors center is a unique facility which offers a 1,861-square-foot tournament weigh-in pavilion, a world-class park and recreational facility, and is the first of its kind to serve as a staging area for tournaments.
For more information on Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Weekend Series visit www.americanbassanglers.com or call 888-203-6222.
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Russellville’s 39th annual Arkansas Valley Arts and Crafts Fair serves as a great event to kick off the holiday shopping season. This year the fair dates are Nov. 6-7. The fair was formerly held at the Arkansas Tech University Coliseum, but has been relocated to the Pope County Fairgrounds. Admission is free. Email arkvalleycrafts@gmail.com or phone 479-641-1828 for more information.
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Tis’ the season for the Main Street Christmas Open House on Nov. 7-8 in Van Buren. The historic main street is transformed with holiday decorations and lights and merchants serve hot apple cider and homemade cookies. Visit www.vanburen.org or phone 479-474-5155 for information about shops and the town.
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Clarksville will hold a city-wide Merchant’s Open House on Nov. 22. To start off the Christmas season, local businesses open their doors with savings, door prizes and refreshments. On Nov. 27 the early bird sale begins at 7 a.m. for the Early Bird Sale. Visit www.clarksvillearchamber.com or phone 479-754-2340 for more information.
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The Merchant’s Holiday Open House in Paris is set for Nov. 22. The public is invited to start holiday shopping early in the downtown square and surrounding area. Participating merchants will be open for this event from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The 13th annual Tour of Holiday Lights starts Nov. 28 and runs through Dec. 31. More than 100,000 lights are displayed around the historic Logan County Courthouse on the town square. Visit www.ParisArOnline.com or phone 479-963-2244 for more information.
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Experience a primitive camp, and learn some of the survival skills used by early Arkansas pioneers during the 12th annual Mountain Rendezvous on Nov. 27-29 at Petit Jean State Park near Morrilton. The event includes a variety of demonstrations such as how to use muzzleloading rifles, and tomahawk throwing. Contact the park online at www.petitjeanstatepark.com or by phone at 501-727-5441 for a detailed program schedule. Admission is free.
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Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"