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The Ozark Folk Center is an
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
living history Living history is an activity that incorporates historical tools, activities and dress into an interactive presentation that seeks to give observers and participants a sense of stepping back in time. Although it does not necessarily seek to ree ...
state park State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
located in
Mountain View, Arkansas Mountain View is the largest city in and the county seat of Stone County, Arkansas, United States. Located in the Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U ...
, dedicated to preserving and presenting
Ozark The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant porti ...
cultural heritage and tradition to the public.


History

The
University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas (U of A, UArk, or UA) is a public land-grant research university in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and the largest university in the state. Founded as Arkans ...
Cooperative Extension Service, in an early attempt to preserve the vanishing heritage of the
Ozark Mountains The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...
, assisted local craftsmen and musicians to form the Ozark Foothills Crafts Guild in 1962. The guild started with 30 members and grew to a membership of over 300 master craftsmen and musicians. In 1963 the guild, in cooperation with local civic organizations and education advocate Bessie Moore, organized the first Arkansas Folk Festival which attracted approximately 15,000 people. The festival became an annual event and within a few years was attracting almost 100,000 people to Mountain View. Because of the success of the annual festival the guild realized that they needed a permanent home. The guild, in cooperation with local government, obtained a grant from the United States
Economic Development Administration The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) is an agency in the United States Department of Commerce that provides grants and technical assistance to economically distressed communities in order to generate new employment, help retain exist ...
to establish a private commercial craft center at Mountain View. Prior to its opening in the Spring of 1973, the state of Arkansas recognized the potential of the project and folded the center into the state park system and provided additional funding. The Ozark Folk Center produces the nationally distributed radio show ''Ozark Highlands Radio''.


Other area points of interest

Many visitors to the Ozark Folk Center also visit Blanchard Springs Caverns, float the
Buffalo National River The Buffalo River, located in Northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is long. The lower flow within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where the str ...
, or enjoy
trout Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-salm ...
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...
on the White River, all of which are located in the Folk Center area. The town of Mountain View bills itself as the "Folk Music Capital of the World" and local musicians often gather in small groups to play their instruments in the town square after dark during the summer months. Visitors have always been welcome to attend these impromptu free concerts and often bring their own lawn chairs. Food and drink are usually available from vendors on the square at these times.


See also

*
List of music museums This worldwide list of music museums encompasses past and present museums that focus on musicians, musical instruments or other musical subjects. Argentina * – Mina Clavero * Academia Nacional del Tango de la República Argentina – Buenos ...
*
List of Arkansas state parks There are 52 state parks in the U.S. state of Arkansas, as of 2019. ''Note: this list of all 52 parks is the default reference for current individual Arkansas state parks.'' The state parks division of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, ...


References


External links

* {{authority control 1973 establishments in Arkansas State parks of Arkansas Living museums in Arkansas Museums in Stone County, Arkansas Protected areas of Stone County, Arkansas Buildings and structures in Mountain View, Arkansas