
Discover Events

Petit Jean State Parks
Arkansas State Parks Calendar of Events
Explore the Ridge!
Friday, October 03, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
How did this big hill get out here in the middle of the Delta? Answer this question and more as you join the park interpreter for a time-traveling adventure on Crowley's Ridge. We will be hiking the…
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What's the Catch?
Friday, October 03, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Do fish have a sixth sense? Meet a park interpreter to discover how fish use their senses to navigate their underwater world. We will make a paper fish craft, all while uncovering the secret…
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Bird Names and Bird Games
Friday, October 03, 2025
/ 3 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Do you think you could name all 424 bird species that we find in Arkansas? Beginning birders may be intimidated by the vast number of birds to be remembered. Thankfully, the names of birds often help…
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Dixie's Home Front
Friday, October 03, 2025
/ 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
With their fathers, brothers, and husbands gone off to fight in the Civil War, Southern women had to do not only their own housework, but learn to take on the jobs of their male relatives, too! Join a…
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Nature Connections Stroll
Friday, October 03, 2025
/ 4 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Join a park interpreter to connect with nature on the Arboretum Trail. We will use our senses to explore what makes Village Creek State Park Special, all while capturing our discoveries on paper. This…
Heart Healthy
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Nature Jeopardy
Friday, October 03, 2025
/ 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Here is a chance for you and your family to be in the “hot seat!” Bring your whole family to this fun game and challenge your brain on every aspect of the nature of Arkansas. Meet a park interpreter…
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Nighttime Critters Night Hike
Friday, October 03, 2025
/ 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Most of the critters living at Lake Poinsett State Park are nocturnal and only come out at night. Join a park interpreter to discuss these nighttime critter calls, behaviors, and how to spot them…
Heart Healthy
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Fire Building Basics
Friday, October 03, 2025
/ 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
What’s a camping trip without a campfire? From making s’mores to sharing campfire stories, sitting around a campfire can spark lifelong memories. Join a park interpreter to learn…
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Dutch Oven Cooking: Pumpkin Spice Cake
Friday, October 03, 2025
/ 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Join the park interpreters to learn about the history of Dutch oven cooking for early Arkansas pioneers, then stay to make a tasty pumpkin spice cake dessert. Bring your friends and family for a fall…
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Great Arkansas Cleanup
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Join us for the Keep Arkansas Beautiful 2025 Great Arkansas Cleanup and help protect our valuable park resources with a day of park litter removal! Please check in on the day of the event at the…
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The Story of the Jackson Guards
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.
Made up of the best young men of Jackson County, the Jackson Guards, Company G, left Jacksonport with great fanfare May 5th, 1861, the day before Arkansas seceded from the Union. Young and…
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Birding Hike
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 10 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Join a park interpreter on a hike to look for some local feathered flyers. Discover fun facts about these park residents and weary travelers as we identify them. Bring water and binoculars if you have…
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Animal Signs Hike
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.
Sometimes we don't see the animals that live at Lake Poinsett State Park because they're nocturnal or good at hiding. How else can we see signs of these critters at the park? Join a park interpreter…
Heart Healthy
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There's Something Fishy Going On
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 10:30 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Join us to explore the anatomy of fish and the unique species found in Lake Frierson. Learn about where these fish live, how their features help them survive, and discover the diverse aquatic world…
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What is That?
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Join the park interpreter for a game of furs and riddles and see if you can answer one of Lake Frierson State Park's most exciting questions: "What is that?"
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What's that Smell?
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 1 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Visit with a park interpreter to learn about the beautiful, but smelly striped skunks that call Arkansas home. What do they eat? How long do they live? Other than their odor, what makes them special?…
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Who Flooded the Lake?
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
What is pollution? How does it affect our waterways? Join a park interpreter for an interactive demo of what can happen when we dump things into waterways and lakes. How can we keep the fish in Lake…
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Guess That Critter!
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 3 p.m.
How much do you know, or think you know, about the critters that make Jacksonport State Park their home? From mammals to birds to reptiles, this is a chance to hone your cognitive skills with other…
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Mr. Whitney’s Cotton Gin
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Cotton plants grow fluffy white bolls, but you can’t just pick them and turn them into cloth. Join a park interpreter to learn how one important machine built an entire industry in the past…
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Mammals of Lake Charles
Saturday, October 04, 2025
/ 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Join the park interpreter to learn about some of the local furbearing residents that call the park home. You will have the opportunity to feel the furs of various mammals as we discuss their…
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