Hot Springs Halloween

If you are in or near Hot Springs Halloween weekend, several options for celebrating await you, but beware there may be witches or zombies. On any holiday we know how to celebrate, but on Halloween we pull out all the stops starting with the International Horror Film Festival Oct. 23-26 at Central Theatre in Downtown Hot Springs. The second annual Festival brings together filmmakers, fans and horror fanatics for four days full of films including insidious indie films, blood spattered scream queens and movie monsters. For more information go to HotSpringsHorrorFilmFestival.com.

Other notable Halloween events in Hot Springs include:

7^th Annual Haunt Springs Trick or Treat for Children – from 4-7 p.m. Oct. 30 in Downtown Hot Springs from Ridge St. to Whittington Ave. Downtown businesses will hand out candy and treats. Costume contest takes place at the Parking Deck on Exchange Street at 4:30 for strollers to 6 year olds, at 5:30 for 7-12 years old and at 6:30 for 13-17 year olds. For more information go to hauntsprings.org.

Haunted Springs – Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Masonic Lodge on Albert Pike Rd. includes speakers, workshops, documentaries, psychic gallery and vendors. The event features speakers with authentic and documented paranormal cases from the area. Also includes a ghost hunt and costume contest. For more information go to hauntedsprings.net.

Halloween at Oaklawn – 6-10 p.m. Oct. 31 at Oaklawn Racing and Gaming includes a costume contest with a $1,000 prize. The event also includes prize drawings and drink specials.

Murder and Macabre Mystery Dinner Theater Presents The Night of the Dead Living – 6:30 p.m. dinner and 7:30 p.m. show time at the Porterhouse Restaurant in Downtown Hot Springs. Participants are asked to dress in their favorite Zombie attire. The event includes fun, food, dancing and some pretty weird characters. Call 501.262.4521 for reservations.

“Magic Screams” – 4-11 p.m. on Saturdays, 4-9 p.m. Sundays and 4-11 p.m. on Halloween night through Nov. 2 at Magic Springs & Crystal Falls. The event includes two haunted houses, a children’s house, trick or treat trail, Fright Flicks Terror Trail and several of the rides in the Park. For more information go to magicsprings.com.

Our local Halloween event at Diamondhead is the annual Halloween Trunk or Treat from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Clubhouse parking lot. The event includes Diamondhead residents who decorate their trunks and fill them with candy to hand out to children on Halloween. Prizes are awarded for best costume and the best decorated trunk. It is a safe and fun way to celebrate the holiday. At Diamondhead we enjoy celebrating all of the holidays with our neighbors and especially Halloween. Diamondhead is a safe, gated community with lots of amenities and gorgeous fall scenery throughout the area and on Lake Catherine. For more information on Hot Springs or to schedule a tour of Diamondhead, give us a call at 501.520.9201 or 501.262.9310. We’d love to show you around.

With Cooler Weather Comes Health Benefits

It’s definitely getting a little cooler, with more to come. Fall is my favorite season, and I think it’s simply because we get a break from the hot, humid summer. The leaves are turning and it’s time to dust off my tennis shoes, go outside and get moving. Hot Springs is such a beautiful area to take advantage of the great weather on one of the wonderful hiking and biking trails and get some exercise.

Garvan Gardens is one of my favorite places to go take a walk. When we moved to Hot Springs about 15 months ago, one of the first things we did was buy a membership to the Gardens. During the cooler months we walked the Gardens at least once a week. Now that fall has arrived organized exercise events are also offered:

 

Health Walks for Beginners – takes place at 9 a.m. now through the end of November on Tuesday mornings. The guided one-mile walk includes an invigorating walk through the colorful autumn plantings and beautiful scenic views at Garvan Gardens.

Health Walks for Intermediates – takes place at 9 a.m. now through the end of November on Monday mornings. The guided walks are three miles and include different routes on over five miles of Garden trails.

Tai Chi in the Gardens – Kathy Packard of the Oaklawn Center on Aging leads Tai Chi, an ancient low-impact method for staying flexible and toned, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays through Dec. 4. Participants meet on the Great Lawn for class.

In Hot Springs we have multiple hiking trails including Hot Springs National Park, Lake Catherine State Park, Cedar Glades Park and others. Every Saturday morning at 9:15 a.m. until Jan. 31, 2015, Hot Springs National Park has a guided walk starting at the Fordyce Bathhouse at 369 Central Ave. No reservations are required. Hikers are encouraged to wear sturdy shoes, bring water and insect repellent. For more information go online to www.nps.gov.

Lake Catherine State Park has walks with a park interpreter scheduled for 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. a.m. Saturdays, Oct. 13, 20, and 27. This peaceful walk on the Falls Branch trail is an easy ½-mile short cut to the waterfall. For more information go online to www.arkansasstateparks.com/LakeCatherine.

Cedar Glades Park encompasses 432 acres of cedar forests, panoramic views of streams, miles of nature trails, biking trails and camping areas. The Park is situated near Historic Downtown Hot Springs off Cedar Glades Road. For more information online go to www.hotsprings.org/places/cedar-glades-park-garland-county/.

It’s time to go outside and get moving. In Hot Springs we have so many great places to exercise either individually or as a group. At Diamonhead Resort Community we also enjoy exercise on the golf course, in Aerobics and Strong Women and Men classes, in the weight room, playing disc golf or just taking a walk around Diamondhead. The air is crisp, the leaves are turning and the area is beautiful. For more information on Diamondhead or to schedule a tour, give us a call at 501.520.9201 or 501.262.9310.

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival Coming Soon

Last year my husband and I attended many of the documentaries during the annual Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival and we enjoyed every film we saw. We had no idea what to expect and it far exceeded our expectations. We had so much fun picking which films we wanted to see and trying to make the schedule work so that we saw as many of the documentaries as possible.

And, we’ll do it again this year. Once again, this is an event that Hot Springs does well. The films are national and international in scope and subject matter, and they are very well done. They broadened our horizons and were the subjects for lots of conversation. For more information and a schedule go online to www.hsdff.org.

 

So, I highly recommend attending as much of the Film Festival as possible. This year it takes place Oct.10-19 at the Arlington Hotel and Low Key Arts. On opening night the featured film is “Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me.”  The movie will be screened at 6:15 p.m. followed by a Q&A with Director and Producer James Keach, Producer Trevor Albert and members of the Campbell family including Kim Campbell and children Ashley, Cal and Shannon.

 The featured documentaries for the Film Festival include:

“Satellite Beach”

“The Story of the Rhinestone Cowboy”

“Meet the Patels”

“An Honest Liar”

“Stray Dog”

“George Takei”

If you’re in Hot Springs during the week for the Documentary Film Festival and have some free time, we’d love to have you come out to Diamondhead Resort Community and take a look around at our relaxing and fun lifestyle. We are a safe gated community situated near Lake Catherine State Park with many homes on Lake Catherine. Our golf course is beautiful and challenging with homes on the course. The fall leaves are beginning to turn and the scenery is beautiful. Give us a call at 501.520.9201 or 501.262.9310 and we’ll be glad to arrange a tour of Diamondhead. We’re a short drive from Downtown Hot Springs.