Travelin’ Arkansas: Events Taking Place During September

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   "The Vietnam Experience," a traveling exhibition from the Navy Art Collection, can be viewed at the Rogers Historical Museum in Rogers, now through Oct. 28.

   The U.S. Navy participated in a wide variety of roles and missions during the Vietnam War. Navy combat artists recorded many of these activities, typically sharing the same dangers as the sailors and Marines they accompanied. The scenes depicted in the exhibit give a visual sense of the War: the colors, the landscape, the people, and adrenaline-charged combat actions. Artwork is accompanied by artifacts illustrating the participation of Northwest Arkansas residents in the Vietnam conflict.

   Admission is free. The museum is located at 322 South Second Street. For more information, phone (479) 621-1154 and visit www.rogersarkansas.com/museum .

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   Mountain View will be the starting point for the 5th Annual Off the Beaten Path Studio Tour Sept. 15-17th. The free tour will provide a rare opportunity to visit the private working studios of the area’s finest artisans and craftsmen. All studios are within 30 miles of Courthouse Square and original works of art will be on exhibit and for sale by the artists. The artists will also demonstrate their craft.

   Established in the 1870s, the town is famous for the preservation of folkways and traditional music. Tour maps will be available at the Mt. View Chamber of Commerce at 107 N. Peabody on Courthouse Square. For more information, call (888) 679-2859 or e-mail artists@offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com . Further details can also be found at www.offthebeatenpathstudiotour.com .

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   Prepare your taste buds for the 11th annual Arkansas State Championship Hillbilly Chili Cook-off set for Sept. 16 at Bull Shoals-White River State Park in Lakeview.

   Live entertainment is provided all day, along with arts and crafts vendors and plenty of chili to taste during this International Chili Society sanctioned competition. These professional cooks are not only competing for the title of the Arkansas’s best chili, but also for automatic advancement to the world championship and a chance to win $25,000.

   Admission to the cook-off is $1 and the event is sponsored by Bull Shoals-Lakeview Rotary Club. For more information, phone the state park at (870) 431-5521.

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   Looking for some good chicken, pickin’, and politickin’?  Craft booths, children’s activities, musical entertainment, beauty pageants, chicken calling contests, basketball tournaments, and a 10K race are just a few of the many exciting events set for the 57th annual Mt. Nebo Chicken Fry on Sept. 16 at Mt. Nebo State Park. Of course, the highlight of the day will be the famous fried chicken dinner served all afternoon.  For more information or to register for the pageants, contact the Dardanelle Chamber of Commerce at (479) 229-3328.

   Another fall event at Mt. Nebo State Park will be September Skies Over on Sept. 23. Explore the night sky with Dr. Jeff Robertson, an astrophysics professor from Arkansas Tech in Russellville. The astronomy program will begin at 6 p.m. or dusk at the park’s Sunset Point. Bring your own blankets and chairs. The program is dependent on the weather. For more information, phone the park at (479) 229-3655 and visit www.ArkansasStateParks.com.

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   The comedy “It Runs in the Family” will play at the Imperial Dinner Theatre Sept. 16-17 in Pocahontas.

   The dinner and show costs $19.95 for adults and $17.95 for students. For the show sans dinner, tickets are $12.00 for adults and $10.00 for students. Show times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays, with a meal served at 6:30 p.m., and 2:00 p.m. on Sundays, with dinner served at 1:00 p.m.

   The Imperial Theatre offers a year-round season of shows. The theater is located on Hwy. 304 across from Black River Technical College Library, less than an hour from Jonesboro. For more information, contact Michelle Kercheval at (870) 892-0030.

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   The very popular River Rhapsodies Series offered by the Clinton Presidential Center and Park in Little Rock begins its season with “Beethoven & Schumann” on Sept. 19. Presented in conjunction with the Arkansas Symphony orchestra, the 7:00 p.m. concert features pianist Fabio Bidini. The performance includes Beethoven’s first string quartet (String Quartet No. 3 in D Major) and Schumann’s first piano quintet (Piano Quintet Op. 44), which, with its prominent and difficult piano part, was dedicated to his piano virtuoso wife Clara. The concert is held in the Center’s Great Hall and a buffet dinner is available at Café 42 in the Clinton Center. A pre-concert cocktail reception will be held on the Great Hall terrace. Seating is limited; tickets are $20.