Powhatan Historic State Park June and July events
Saturday, June 15, 2019
9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Potato Basket Weaving Workshop
Meeting Place: Courthouse
There is something about weaving a basket that takes you back to a simpler time and place. With today’s busy lifestyle, we all need to find a relaxing and enjoyable hobby. Join us at Powhatan Historic State Park and learn to weave a potato basket. This basket has a rich history that has traveled from the east coast across Tennessee with the settlers of Arkansas. All supplies are provided. Please bring a sack lunch. Space is limited. Call (870) 878-6765 or email powhatan@arkansas.com to reserve your space today.
Admission: 30.00
Saturday, June 22, 2019
10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Campfire 101: Basic Campfire Building and Cooking
Meeting Place: Courthouse
June 22 is the Great American Campout and Arkansas State Parks wants you to get the skills you need to enjoy the natural world! If you’ve ever been unsure how to build a great campfire, let a park interpreter show you how! We’ll cover fire safety, do’s and don’ts, and how to build the best campfire for your environment. We’ll finish it off with campfire cooking 101 and make a tasty treat that you can make at home. #greatoutdoors
Admission: Free
Saturday, June 29, 2019
9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Cane Pole Fishing
Meeting Place: Black River Picnic Area
Fish like your great-grandfather or great-grandmother! A regular cane pole is a no-frills classic way to fish, much like the earliest settlers of Arkansas did. We’ll fish the banks of the Black River and see what we can catch with our traditional cane poles. Poles and bait are provided first-come-first serve. Fishing license required for anyone over 16. #greatoutdoors
Admission: Free
Saturday, July 13, 2019
9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Canning Workshop
Meeting Place: Courthouse
Did your garden go overboard this year? Do you enjoy going to the farmer’s market and want to have some of those fruits and vegetables year round? Join the park staff and learn how to can food so it stays good all year long. We will discuss the history of canning and give some tips for making canning easy. Reservations are required. For questions and reservations, please call (870) 878-6765 or email powhatan@arkansas.com to reserve your space today.
Admission: 20.00
Saturday, July 20, 2019
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
The Lost Animals of Powhatan
Meeting Place: Courthouse
Join the park interpreter in the courthouse to learn about the lost animals of Powhatan and early Arkansas. The wildlife we see today is quite different from what the original settlers of Powhatan knew. Learn about the passenger pigeon, red wolf, and other historic species, and what changes have occurred since the 1800s in native wildlife.
Admission: Free
Saturday, July 27, 2019
9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Pearl Stringing Workshop: Necklaces, Bracelets, and Earrings
Meeting Place: Courthouse
Freshwater pearls from the bottom of the Black River have been a large part of our local history, but what do you do with the pearls once their found? Join the staff at Powhatan Historic State Park to make beautiful necklaces, bracelets, or earrings from milky white pearls and learn about the history of the freshwater pearling industry on the Black River. Space is limited; call (870) 878-6765 or email powhatan@arkansas.com to reserve your space today. Note: the pearls used in this workshop were not harvested from the Black River.
Cost per Necklace: 20.00
Cost per Bracelet: 10.00
Cost per Earring Set: 5.00
Powhatan Historic State Park
870-878-6765
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current publicity chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.