Fireworks, Free Music and Fishing: July in Arkansas

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Hi Arkansas, It’s the middle of summer in Arkansas and things are hopping. Everything from Independence Day celebrations to a world championship takes place. Outdoor events such as concerts, a canoe marathon, lake tours, bird and butterfly watching, wakeboarding, cardboard boat races, and outstanding fishing make July an exciting month to be in Arkansas.

Start the month off with a bang – literally – with Fourth of July festivities in Little Rock. Bountiful Arkansas showcases locally grown produce at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute near Morrilton. Construction skills are tested at the annual World Championship Cardboard Boat Races in Heber Springs while canoeing is the focus in Pocahontas. Enjoy Ding Dong Days at Dumas.  Lots of free music is featured in El Dorado’s Summer Concert Series. Keep on Reading! Summer is perfect for outdoor activities. Purple Martin Watch Lake Tours are offered at Lake Ouachita State Park. Bull Shoals Lake hosts the Brostock 2010 Wakeboarding Competition. An Adventure Overnight Camp, Hooray Herps! Weekend, and Ruby Throats & Silver Bands are three Pinnacle Mountain State Park events this month. Petit Jean State Park’s Seven Hollows Trail near Morrilton provides a great opportunity for butterfly watching. One of the country's top triathlons takes place at Village Creek State Park. The beautiful night skies over Davidsonville Historic State Park are perfect for star gazing. Keep on Reading! Warmer weather means hot fishing in Arkansas.  Introduce your kids to fishing at the Junior Fishing Derby at Cane Creek. The icy waters of the famed Little Red River are a trout anglers dream. Great places to fish are found in some surprising locations in central Arkansas. Numerous spots in the Arkansas River Valley are bass havens. Lake Ouachita lands the 2011 Forest L. Wood Cup, the world championship of bass fishing. Keep on Reading! Make plans  to hear country music star Joe Nichols in concert on July 7.  The Rogers native is helping raise fund for the East End community hit hard by a May tornado. Keep on Reading! A new motorcycling event just for women takes place in Fayetteville this month. Keep on Reading! An Evening with Clint Black - July 2, 2010 East Arkansas Community College Fine Arts Center Forrest City, AR 66th Annual Homecoming Picnic - July 3, 2010 Wynn Park Corning, AR Sparks in the Park - July 3, 2010 Four States Fair Grounds Texarkana, AR 83rd Annual 4th of July Homecoming and Picnic - July 3, 2010 Picnic Grounds Piggott, AR Homespun Day - July 10, 2010 Scott, AR 9th Annual Bordertown Bash BBQ Competition - July 16 - 17, 2010 Fort Smith Park Fort Smith, AR 13th Annual Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival - July 16, 2010 City Parks and Auditorium Eureka Springs, AR 6th Annual Spa-Rib Cook-Off - July 24, 2010 500 Central Avenue Hot Springs, AR 27th Annual Grape Festival - July 30 - 31, 2010 Altus City Park Altus, AR