Seniors Enjoy A Stop In Magnolia

Enjoy yes! and why not.  Magnolia is home to the World Championship Steak Cook-off plus it possesses the World’s Largest Charcoal Grill which are both part of the annual Magnolia Festival. Senior visitors enjoy the aroma of the grills as 70 cooking teams compete for $4,000, the Governor’s Cup and of course bragging rights.

Over 3,500, 16-oz. rib-eye steaks are served in just 30 minutes. The total prize money awarded for the Festival event is $9,000. The festival for this year is over but mark May 15-16, 2015 on your calendar for next year, seniors and don’t miss the next one.

Magnolia has the honor of rating one of the Ten Best Food Festivals in the entire country by USA Today. The festival has been featured on the Food Network and attracts 40,000+ to the event and Anthony Armstrong of the Food Network came to town to take in the great food displays in Magnolia.

Anthony is on a mission to discover what’s truly at the heart of America, one super food festival at a time. Anthony will travel to the most colorful and delicious festivals in America, tasting everything from classic interpretations to surprising twists.

Senior Visitors Enjoy One  Of The State’s Treasures

Located in southwest Arkansas just east of Texarkana and north of Shreveport, LA, deep in the beautiful pine forest, Magnolia is considered one of the state’s treasures. As senior visitors enjoy the fragrant blossoms on the Magnolia trees lining the courthouse square they know that they are somewhere special.

Logoly State Park is highly popular with tourists all season long. Other major attractions are Steve’s Outdoor Sports and Lois Gean’s clothing store. The Festival of Lights is another special attraction in Magnolia and takes place from late November through Late December.

Magnolia is not huge (10,900+) and has a lot going for the town besides the Festival. It has history on its side,  founded in 1853 and at the time of its incorporation in 1858, the city had a population of about 1,950.

Agriculture, Cotton and Oil

The city grew slowly as an agricultural and regional cotton market until the discovery of oil just east of the city in March 1938. The Magnolia Oil Field was an important discovery, not just for the city but for the nation…it was the largest producing field during the early years of World War II, helping to fuel the American war effort.

Founded in 1909, Southern Arkansas University, a liberal arts college that calls Magnolia home, offers a varied calendar of events and tours of its 658-acre Agricultural and Horticultural Farm. Lake Columbia is popular with both anglers and outdoor enthusiasts and boasts over 3,000 acres of water.

So when you are traveling in southern Arkansas, drop by Magnolia and enjoy all it has to offer. jeb