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by Deborah Dove
From the songs of the season to the millions of lights across the state, Arkansas illuminates with wonder and awe during the holiday season with its Trail of Holiday Lights. And in the middle of it all is Little Rock. Although Little Rock, Arkansas, is probably best known as the home of former president Bill Clinton, there’s a lot more to the capitol city of Arkansas.
An unconventional small city with significant historical roots and a natural beauty—thanks to the Arkansas River to the north and the Ouachita Mountains to the west—the city also makes a fantastic holiday getaway with just the right mix of "big city" holiday activities. Shopping, dining, nightlife, cultural events and unique events such as the lighting of the Capitol and Christmas- themed cruises aboard a riverboat are there for your enjoyment.
Historical Sights
Begin your weekend in Little Rock—an easy five-hour drive from Allen on the interstate—with a look at several landmarks that put Little Rock on the map. The Clinton Presidential Center and Library is an interesting place to visit, regardless of your political persuasion, with displays of the Oval office and cabinet room during Clinton’s presidency (look for the raccoon footprints left when raccoons got in during the building’s construction), as well as a video and artifacts.
Just behind the Clinton Library is Heifer International’s headquarters, where you can purchase a flock of chicks or a beehive to help sustain families in third world countries—the perfect holiday gift for the person on your list who has everything. The Old State Building, the city’s first capitol building and now a museum, houses other historical items such as Clinton’s saxophone and running shoes.
Little Rock’s gothic-style Central High, built in 1927 and now a historical site, gained international attention in 1957 when nine African American teenagers attempted to integrate the all white school, making Little Rock the first test of the Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education of
Topeka ruling. A museum across from the still-operational high school offers a permanent exhibit and Commemorative Garden.
No visit to Little Rock is complete without a visit to the State Capitol, which is modeled after our nation’s capitol and is lit up with lights and decorated for the holidays beginning December 5. The building sits on a knoll overlooking downtown and the Arkansas River, and offers free tours between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on holidays. Movie buffs will enjoy a visit to the Old Mill, a water-powered mill featured in the opening credits of Gone with the Wind.
Cultural Offerings
Throughout the holiday season, Little Rock offers numerous holiday cultural shows such as the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Holiday Pops on December 18 and 19, featuring dancers, singers, popular bands and choirs joining together to celebrate the season. Tickets run $20-$72. The symphony also offers Jingle Bell Little Rock on the 19th at 2 p.m. This is a kid-friendly hour-long concert featuring seasonal carols and songs with stage and lighting effects, with a "Deck the Halls" children’s fair beforehand. Ballet Arkansas also presents The Nutcracker on December 12 at 7 p.m. and December 13 at 3 p.m.
Holiday Happenings
There’s quite a lot to do during the holiday season in Little Rock. Begin with the Festival of Trees "Stroll Through the Forest" on December 3-5, benefiting Arkansas cancer patients. Five dollars buys you a stroll through the "forest" at the Statehouse Convention Center, featuring 20 dazzling trees elaborately decorated for the holidays. December 5 is also the city’s Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis, with participants receiving jingle bells to attach to their shoes and goody bags.
If you’re in town on this busy first weekend in December, be sure and catch the Big Jingle Jubilee Holiday Parade which begins at 3:30 p.m. on the 5th in downtown Little Rock and features a variety of floats and marching bands, followed by the official lighting ceremony and a fireworks show at the capitol building.
Regardless of when you visit during the month of December, be sure and stroll the River Market district, Little Rock’s major entertainment district—for great places to eat, shopping and nightlife. Carriage rides through the downtown area are available through the Little Rock Carriage Company, or you can see the downtown area aboard the River Rail, a trolley festively decorated with lights and a tree for the holidays. You can take the south route, which makes a loop through the downtown area to the Bill Clinton Center; the north route, which loops around North Little Rock; or stay on board for both.
For another Little Rock holiday tradition, board the Arkansas Queen, an elegant three-deck replicated sternwheeler riverboat for a unique cruise with unparalleled views of the Arkansas River. Ho, Ho, Ho Cruises, featuring Santa and his elves, depart Saturdays through December 20 at
10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Sundays from December 6-20 at 2 p.m.
Sandwiches, drinks and snacks are available. The Arkansas Queen Christmas Music Cruise departs Sundays through Thursdays at 7 p.m. through December 22.
Luxurious Accommodations
When it’s time to turn in for the night, Little Rock has a variety of hotels for every price range. If you’re looking for something unique, two accommodations fit the bill.
The Peabody Hotel, modeled after its famous sister hotel in Memphis, is centrally located in the River Market District in Downtown Little Rock and features the famous "Peabody ducks" that march down the red carpet to the lobby fountain every day at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. The Peabody will also offer a Christmas Day Brunch and New Year’s Eve celebration. Please visit www.peabodylittlerock.com for more information.
If small, yet luxurious historical inns are more your style, the Empress of Little Rock won’t disappoint. While a visit to the Empress at any time of year is like stepping back in time, the hotel really gets into the Victorian spirit at Christmastime with Victorian decorations throughout the historic inn, including a special themed tree for each guest room. A sumptuous breakfast, as well as homemade eggnog served daily from 4-5 p.m., is included. The Empress also offers tea parties or High Tea, tours of the Empress, as well as a "Victorian Affair" New Year’s Eve celebration with wine, dinner and dancing in the parlor. Visit www.theempress.com for more information.
Outdoors
Should the weather allow, be sure to walk across the Little Rock Big Dam Bridge—the world’s longest pedestrian and bicycle bridge that extends 3,463 feet above the Arkansas River—climb a mountain at Pinnacle Mountain State Park, or bike, jog or walk along paths that wind around the banks of the river at Murray park.
For more information, visit www.littlerock.com.
Deborah Dove is a freelance writer from Allen. |
