This town in the north-central part of the state specializes in authentic crafts and mountain music. Both can be found in abundance at the Ozark Folk Center, a state park that promotes traditional folk culture with demonstrations of blacksmithing, pottery making and other traditional crafts. There are also music and dance performances and workshops, and the park has a restaurant that serves regional dishes. The nearby Blanchard Springs Caverns form one of the nation's largest cave systems.
Mountain View is the site of several cultural festivals, including the Arkansas Folk Festival in April and the Arkansas Old Time Fiddle Championships in September. For a true mountain experience, attend the Beanfest (held in October), where huge amounts of white beans are cooked in open pots and served free (along with cornbread and onions).
About 40 mi/65 km north is Mountain Home, where there is exceptional trout fishing on the White and North Fork rivers. There's also a full range of water recreation (and more fishing) on the giant Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake. You can rent houseboats for use on the lakes. Mountain View is 75 mi/120 km north of Little Rock.
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