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Arts and Entertainment As its slogan proclaims, Fort Smith is as much "New South" as "Old West." The city features a diverse range of food and dining atmospheres at more than 200 restaurants and shopping opportunities at local boutiques, small shopping centers and the one-million-square-foot Central Mall. Nightlife in Fort Smith is anchored by Garrison Avenue, which is lined with restaurants and bars featuring live music. "There are restaurants everywhere," Legris said. "There is a wide range of Asian, Cuban, Mexican and other multi-cultural restaurants that are locally owned." Entertainment options at Fort Smith include more than diverse dining opportunities and live music at small venues, though. Scheduled to perform with the Fort Smith Symphony Orchestra during its 2004 season is Diane Schuur, a two-time Grammy Award winning jazz musician, as well as other noted guest musicians. Familiar and contemporary musicals, comedies and dramas are produced at the Fort Smith Little Theatre, which is the oldest all-volunteer theater group in Arkansas. And the Fort Smith Art Center, housed in a gracious Victorian Second Empire-style home built in 1857, contains fine paintings, sculptures and permanent and changing art exhibits. Its gift gallery features area artists' works.
Events and Festivals The Fort Smith River Park Amphitheater, located along the banks of the Arkansas River, hosts numerous events each year, and several of these, as well as events at other city locations, have become traditions anticipated by residents and visitors. Begun in the mid-1930s, the Old Fort Days Rodeo and Barrel Racing Futurity is a 10-day rodeo that starts on Memorial Day and draws competitors and spectators from across the country. Another Memorial Day event is Tales of the Crypt at Oak Cemetery, where actors in period clothing bring to life the stories of individuals buried at the cemetery. In September the city celebrates with the Riverfront Blues Festival and the Arkansas-Oklahoma State Fair, a 10-day event and one of the largest two-state fairs in the nation. The Old Fort Riverfest, which takes place in June, includes three days of food, fun, arts and crafts and activities. Frontier Fest takes place in late October and attracts Wild West re-enactors and historical exhibits. A complete listing of the city's special events can be found at www.fortsmith.org/calendar/.
"Along the Arkansas River [on the levy] there is a new running and biking trail about three miles long, and the city is working on expanding that little by little," Legris added. ATV enthusiasts can enjoy their sport at Twin City ATV Park, which has miles of trails on 300 acres. The trails feature sand dunes by the Arkansas River, about 100 acres of forested land and plenty of muddy, sandy areas to play in after rains. The Arkansas River Navigation System affords those visiting Fort Smith many fishing opportunities. The system has created scores of quiet inlets filled with fish native to Arkansas, including largemouth bass. And Fort Smith is well known among the state's birdwatchers. Because of its warm climate, abundant water, varied terrain and nearness to the migratory flyways, the area attracts all sorts of birds and waterfowl.
Talimena National Scenic Byway
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