Little Rock - Airdate: June 5th, 2008

School is out, prices are up, and parents are looking for things to do with their kids - for free. In tonight’s “Your Money” report Jason Pederson has some suggestions:

#1. This is free fishing weekend in Arkansas (Noon on Friday, June 6th through midnight on Sunday, June 8th). You can catch your limit all weekend without a license. There will also be Free Kid’s Fishing Derbies held on Saturday at five hatcheries, including the Joe Hogan State Fish Hatchery in Lonoke and the Andrew Hulsey State Fish Hatchery in Hot Springs. The derbies are for kids 12 and under, there is a three fish limit, and they will take place between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

#2. Once you've caught your limit of fish Saturday, you can visit the Old Statehouse Museum and help celebrate Arkansas' 172nd birthday. Actors and re-enactors will help you experience life as an early Arkansan. There will be militia drills and firing demonstrations and a 3 p.m. debate between gubernatorial candidates in 1836.   Plus you can check out our 1836 Constitution and the oldest statehouse west of the Mississippi. Activities start at ten a.m.

#3. About 100 years after Arkansas became a state the opening scene of "Gone With The Wind" was filmed at the Old Mill in North Little Rock (1300 Fairway Avenue). Built in 1933, this site remains free and is a great place for kids to explore and activate their imagination. It was renovated in 1991 by the grandson of the original designer and recently new bathrooms have been added to the park, which is also known as T.R. Pugh Memorial Park. 

#4.   If your child is interested in martial arts, you may want to visit to the 1.4 million dollar H.U. Lee International Gate and Garden. The 80 ton gate, made of Douglass Fir in South Korea, opens into a beautiful garden with educational artifacts explaining martial arts. Located next to the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, it symbolizes the friendship between South Korea and America and honors the founder of the American Taekwondo Association.  

#5. Another free event taking place on Saturday (June 7th) will be held at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History (503 E. 9th Street, Little Rock). The 12th annual Flag Day Concert in the Park featuring the Little Rock Wind Symphony will begin at 6:30. Come early and tour the museum, which is also the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur (1880). Plus there will be free ice cream.

 

And just for you internet readers, here are a few other suggestions that we didn’t have time to fit in our broadcast report:

 

#6. Pinnacle Mountain State Park. Located west of Little Rock on Highway 10, this park is a favorite for hikers. Take a leisurely walk along the level Kingfisher trail or hike up Pinnacle Mountain, tracking your progress with ten numbered markers. There is also lots of greenspace, bathrooms, and a nice playground for the kids. There may be programs or festivals going on depending on what weekend you visit. Call ahead to find out (501-868-5806).

 

#7. The Big Dam Bridge. A recently completed part of the Arkansas River Trail, it is the longest pedestrian/bicycle bridge built specifically for pedestrians and bicyclists and the second longest in the U.S. It is 14 feet wide and rises nearly seven stories over the Arkansas River. 

 

#8. Burns Park. While some of Burns Park will cost you some money (reserving pavilions, batting cages, amusement park, playing golf) much of it is totally free…including several very nice playgrounds and a Frisbee golf course (if you have your own discs). Burns Park is one of the nation’s larger municipal parks, covering 1,575 acres.   Exit 150 off Interstate 40 in North Little Rock.

 

#9. The State Capitol. The first floor rotunda has been remodeled into a state-of-the-art visitors center. Interactive touch-screen computers help visitors learn the history of both the Capitol and the state. The beautiful Capitol completed in the early 1900’s. The exterior is made of limestone from a quarry in Batesville and the interior features marble from Vermont, Alabama and Colorado. The six solid bronze doors, purchased for $10,000, are now worth an estimated $250,000. Several monuments are located on the grounds.   

 

#10.  Movies in the Park.  Once again this year, Riverfront Park in Little Rock will show free movies for the public each Wednesday night.  Get there by 6:30 if you want a good spot.  Many are for little ones, but not all.  Here is the schedule:

June 11th:  Rocky     June 18th:  Happy Feet      June 25th:  Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

July 2nd:  Notting Hill     July 9th:  Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory    July 16th:  Casino Royale    July 23rd:  The Wizard of Oz

 

 

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