We've all heard that famous song by the one and only Frank Sinatra a time or two - The Best Is Yet To Come!
...Wait till your charms are right, for these arms to surround You think you've flown before, but baby you ain't left the ground
A wait till you're locked in my embrace Wait till I draw you near A wait till you see that sunshine place Ain't nothin' like it here
The best is yet to come, and babe, won't it be fine? The best is yet to come, come the day you're mine...
The very real thought of coping with Covid-19 in some way forevermore sounds daunting, but living with an endemic virus is very different than what we all experienced across the globe during these past two years.
As with most places, this transition isn’t happening overnight here but the good news is that The Best Is Yet To Come and in Eureka Springs we are forward thinkers that know in our hearts that there is much to look forward to if you simply stop and take a moment to look up, look forward and move yourself forward.
The endemic is near and Aubree Gordon, an infectious disease epidemiologist and Associate Professor at The University of Michigan, says that more vaccinations will certainly help decrease the amount of severe cases, hospitalizations and deaths, and it is those decreases that will signal the beginning of Covid’s transition to endemic.
As you and yours make plans to transition into endemic life and decide to venture out and explore the world again, please remain hopeful in your heart and keep a positive outlook because there are wonderful moments ahead.
As you've heard me say time and time again on this blog and in person, I truly believe that it is the beautiful people of Eureka make the experiences happen here for locals and visitors alike and this town would be a very different place for all, if it were not for the joyful, loving people that make it so each and every day.
With that, there are currently many Eurekan elves working behind the scenes to make new things happen and yes - there IS much to look forward to.
Take out your calendar and save-the-dates as we take a brief moment to feature some of what's ahead in the coming months for all to enjoy right here in Eureka Springs, Arkansas:
SATURDAY, March 19, 2022 | 2:00pm | Downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas
ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE
This famous day that commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland also celebrates the heritage, the culture and the Irish people. St. Patrick's Day, March 17, is celebrated in more countries than any other nationally celebrated festival. Here in Eureka Springs, you will not be surprised that this annual event serves as one of the largest events to take place in our community and our little town of about 2500 residents has been known to swell upwards of about 10,000 visitors. It's wonderful to see The Krewe of Blarney bring it back again! Wear your green!
SATURDAY, April 2, 2022 | 8:30pm - 10:00pm at The Auditorium.
COCO PERU IS BITTER BOTHERED & BEYOND
She’s BACK!
After everything that's been going on in the world, Coco is ready to unleash her thoughts about the past, present and future! Yes, this exhausted dinosaur of drag is not holding back anything in her new show Bitter Bothered & Beyond!
Thursday, April 27, 2022 at 9:00am and into the weekend, ending on Sunday, April 30, 2022. More Information Here
SPRING FLING
Five days of fun brings biker friends together carousing, shopping and riding trails of the beautiful Ozarks. This 6th Annual Spring Fling Rally is when the community comes out of hibernation and after two years of slow-paced living, this event is sure to bring vibrancy.
VISIT THIS SPRING, SUMMER & FALL | The Eureka Springs Historical Museum.
ES HISTORICAL MUSEUM TURNS 50
Happy 50th Birthday to The ES Historical Museum.
Visit to learn about the 1889 Calif House, how the Elks converted it into a nightclub with a full time bartender, or how the Calif Spring next to the museum was subjected to experimental ultraviolet rays in the 1920s.
Read about their humble beginnings with the Ozark Folk Festival Board, and see a full 30 year old 3D model of Louis and Elsie Freund's vision for the museum.
The museum is currently open 9:30am to 4pm daily, closed on Sundays and Wednesdays. Check the link above for updated hours of operation as the seasons change.
ZIP, FLY & WEE
OZARK MOUNTAIN ZIPLINES
There’s no doubt that flying through the Ozarks is radically cool and you can do that right here amongst the treetops with Ozark Mountain Ziplines!
It's an experience for all ages and it's a great way to appreciate the natural beauty in The Natural State. At points along the ride, you’ll be hanging 300 feet above the forest floor, soaring over lush hardwood greenery and limestone cliffs. There are ten cables to traverse with Ozark Mountain Ziplines, and the longest is 2,000 feet. Wee Weee Weeee Wee Weeeeee.
. . . and a little further down the line, be sure to plan ahead for these fun "not to be missed" events below . . .
SATURDAY, October 29, 2022 | 6:00pm | Downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas
EUREKA SPRINGS ZOMBIE INVASION
When each October rolls around, Eureka Springs becomes Halloween City and on the last weekend of the month, Spring Street is taken over by a hoard of zombies during the annual Zombie Invasion. This event draws thousands of dead visitors with supernatural powers (that according to voodoo ritual) come back to visit the land of the living inside their own dead body. This event is huge and in a town this size, it does feel like an invasion. What's most amazing is that nearly everyone (95%+) in attendance makes an effort to become a Zombie for an evening.
This parade happens right downtown and usually ends at Basin Park where the local Zombie's shock the crowd and break out in a (flash-mob style) choregraphed dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller.
Not Kidding! The first time I saw those random Zombie dancers bust out in moon-walkin' moves, I laughed my vampire teeth right out of my mouth. Don't miss this!
Beginning, FRIDAY, January 6, 2023 | Mardi Gras Events begin in Eureka Springs, Arkansas
STEAMPUNK EUREKA GRAS 2023
Krewe du Kork has already started the necessary planning and organizing efforts to deliver next year's Steampunk Eureka Gras 2023 - and "we're gonna party like it's 1899!"
The Karnival Season Kickoff Event will take place on January 6, 2023 at the Mardi Gras Bead Tree followed by the Annual Benefit Wine Dinner January 28, 2023 continuing on through Karnival Season for A Taste of Eureka Gras on February 8, 2023 until the season festivities conclude on the infamous Fat Tuesday, February 21, 2023.
Proceeds will benefit the Eureka Springs Historical Museum.
My friends, kiss the dog and leave the house; or better yet, take the dog with you, for
The Best Is Yet To Come.
Venture out and explore the world again, remain hopeful and keep a positive outlook.
There are wonderful moments ahead for you.
Listen! Hear that? That's Eureka Springs calling you back for another dose of joy.