Beavers Bend hosts annual Folk Festival & Craft Show

Broken Bow, OK- The Forest Heritage Center in Beavers Bend State Park is the site of one of Oklahoma’s most popular fall festivals. The Folk Festival & Craft Show kicks off on Friday, Nov. 10 and runs through Nov. 12.

This is the 28th year for this popular free festival, which draws around 16,000 visitors and 70 vendors to southeast Oklahoma, just in time for the beautiful fall colors.

A stroll through the halls of the Forest Heritage Center is a glimpse into another time when paper and books were crafted by artisans, yarn was hand spun with natural fibers, and friends gathered together to strum on banjos and guitars. Visitors can enjoy one-stop holiday shopping by browsing through rooms filled with hand-crafted wooden toys, arts and crafts, Oklahoma wine, and homemade quilts and aprons.

The central courtyard is a haven for children of all ages. Kids will love getting up close and personal with some furry friends in the petting zoo and decorating toy tops with the woodturners while their parents watch some turn-of-the-century, hands-on demonstrations like the blacksmith working at his forge, the basket maker weaving intricate designs, and woodturners delighting crowds with the magic of the lathe.

The sounds of bagpipes, banjos, and fiddles will draw visitors to the outdoor stage area to enjoy some Celtic and early American tunes with the backdrop of a southeast Oklahoma forest. Four of the country’s best folk musician groups will have you clapping your hands and tapping your toes to their rousing tunes.

The outdoor food court will be filled with the tantalizing aroma of roasting corn, smoked barbecue, fish tacos and juicy burgers. Sweet treats will be abundant with funnel cakes, kettle corn, fresh apple cider and homemade ice cream. Take a taste of Folk Festival home with savory beef jerky, sweet sugared pecans, and hand crafted old-time root beer.

Mother Nature will be providing quite a show of her own with the vibrant colors of fall foliage reflecting off our Mountain Fork River. Be sure to check out the rest of Beavers Bend State Park with its hiking trails, train rides, horseback riding, camping, and trout streams.

The Beavers Bend Folk Festival & Craft Show is made possible by the Forest Heritage Center Advisory Board, Oklahoma Arts Council, McCurtain County Tourism Authority, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, and Oklahoma Forestry Services.

The Folk Festival is free to the public. There is a parking fee, which the funds go back to supporting the museum upkeep and operations.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The festival is located at Beavers Bend State Park, seven miles north of Broken Bow on Hwy. 259A.

Cash for purchases is advised as cell reception as well as card devices can be spotty at times.

For more information, contact the Forest Heritage Center Museum 580494-6300 or email haley.harris@travelok.com.

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There are some who get every vaccination available and some who do not. Personally, I try to get all that I feel may benefit me. It is a matter of my choice. I do not impose my values or priorities on others and expect the same in return. It is unfortunate that civility and freedom of choice seems to have gone by the wayside. Covid-19 brought out the worst in us. Many lost their jobs after refusing the vaccine. Many more died. I believe the vaccine kept it from being worse than it could have been. I do not, however, believe the vaccinations should have been mandated. One day history will judge us and the whole truth may finally be known.

That being said, while picking up prescriptions recently I became aware of a new vaccine for Shingles. I received my first Shingles shot over 12 years ago and the effectiveness may have diminished over time. My initial Shingles vaccine was on advice of my doctor. Any improved Shingles vaccines that become available after that I will get immediately after having watched a good friend suffer needlessly from Shingles. What she has suffered, and continues to suffer, no one should have to endure.

As I was getting prepped for the shot, I inquired of the pharmacist if the article I read about getting shots and boosters in the same arm to increase effectiveness had any merit. They had not read those articles. I asked because this Shingles shot requires a booster in about 2 months. I recently read articles from CNN, News Day, and USA Today that quoted a study from Germany that showed that the Covid-19 shot, and boosters given in the same arm increased their effectiveness. The study concluded that shots given in the same arm had increased “Kill- er T-Cells (CD8+T) by 67% verses 43% given in different arms”. If you go online there are many sources that quote the same study and I encourage you to read and make up your own mind about what you believe is right for you.

By choice I always receive shots in my left arm. There have been shots that leave my arm sore for a few days, and being right-handed, I prefer not to lose any function of my right arm. I mention this only because I have spoken to people who prefer to spread out the soreness in different arms and possibly may be losing some effectiveness of the vaccines they receive. When it comes to managing my own health, I want all the data available to make informed decisions, and for that reason I share these study results with you.

As always, I thank you for a forum to express my thoughts though we may at times peacefully disagree.

With respect and kindest regards, Ronald Goss, retired, Mena

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