Jonquil Festival

Jonquil Festival

First weekend in March

This three-day (Friday through Sunday) festival allows participants to enjoy about 10,000 jonquils in Old Washington Historic State Park in the town of Washington, Ark. The first of these jonquils and daffodils were planted by pioneer families who came here along the Southwest Trail that ran from Missouri to Texas. Washington was the home of the state government after Union troops took Little Rock, Ark., during the Civil War. It is also where James Black, a blacksmith, forged the original Bowie knife for James Bowie in the 1830s.
This festival focuses on the history of Washington; the Pioneer Washington Restoration Foundation, established in 1958, has restored buildings that recreate the period of the early 1800s. Tours are given of these historic buildings. Other events are folk music concerts, food vendors selling funnel cakes (round, greasy, flat cakes made by pouring dough through a funnel onto a grid and sprinkled with powdered sugar) as well as hot dogs and lemonade, an arts and crafts show, blacksmithing, and a special worship service on Sunday morning. The festival attracts about 60,000 visitors.

CONTACTS:
Hope-Hempstead County Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 250
Hope, AR 71802
870-777-3640; fax: 870-722-6154
www.hopemelonfest.com

Celebration days:
2011: Mar 5; Mar 6
2012: Mar 3; Mar 4
2013: Mar 2; Mar 3
2014: Mar 1; Mar 2
2015: Mar 7; Mar 8