The White River Water Carnival
Batesville, Arkansas
By: Matthew A. Ramsey
The White River Water Carnival is significant to Arkansas history because it provided an opportunity for the people of Northeast Arkansas to escape from everyday life and get their minds off the hardships they had to endure during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Many activities such as beauty pageants and fireworks displays highlight the annual carnival held each August.
Batesville, Arkansas is
credited as being the second oldest city in the state as well as
the seat of Independence County. Located in the beautiful
foothills of the Ozarks, Batesville is the perfect site for the
White River Carnival to take place. The first carnival was
in August of 1938 ("Batesville, Arkansas"). For
more information about the city of Batesville, select the picture
overlooking Batesville above Lock and Dam I at the top of the
page or follow the link on the link page.
Image: Collage of the W.R.W.C program covers ("Water Carnivals").
The founder of the White River Water Carnival was the Young Business Men's Club of Batesville, Arkansas. Click here to read more.
Please select an area of interest by clicking on the link or the associated picture below:
For pictures from the first (1938) White River Water Carnival, please click here.
For pictures of famous people
that have attended the carnival, please click here.
For additional pictures and
information about the White River Water Carnival, please click here.
To view a bibliography for this site, click here.
Click here
for a list of everything
contained
in this page and additional
links to pertinent
outside information.
Click here
for information about the author.
Click here for a teacher's lesson plan.