Nelson receives first Arkansas Heritage Festival award
HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE — Rex Nelson, prolific columnist and senior editor at the Arkansas Democrat-gazette, was the recipient of the first Arkansas Heritage Festival Award at the inaugural Arkansas Heritage Festival held in Hot Springs Village Aug. 27-28.
The festival was made possible through a grant from the Department of Arkansas Heritage and was co-sponsored by the Lifelong Learning Institute of Hot Springs Village and the Hot Springs Village Property Owners Association.
The free event was open to the public. The festival included all aspects of Arkansas culture, entertainment and history. There were both indoor and outdoor venues showcasing music, speakers and vendors.
Special guests included Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin who opened the event. “A highlight of the festival was an award presented to the individual who best personifies efforts to spotlight and support Arkansas’s culture,” a news release said. Nelson is “one of the most high-profile writers and speakers in the state.”
The award was presented by Jimmy Bryant, director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. “Bryant invited the crowd at Woodlands Auditorium to join him in honoring Nelson for his long-standing work to spotlight Arkansas’ rich cultural diversity with his talent, humor, and love for our state,” the release said.
As senior editor and col
umnist for the Arkansas Democrat-gazette, “Nelson regularly travels the state to write about Arkansas history as well as events that relate to Arkansas culture.”
He is the author of three books about Arkansas culture, writer of several columns each week for the Democrat-gazette, and creator of the popular blog known as “Southern Fried.” Among many other honors, he has been named Rural Advocate of the Year for the state of Arkansas, was inducted into the Arkansas Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame, and represented Arkansas as a presidential appointee to the Delta Regional Authority. He was also recently named as a member of the Historic Arkansas Museum Commission. In addition, he serves as the voice of the Ouachita Tigers football radio network.
The second annual Arkansas Heritage Festival will be held in the fall of 2022. More information about this year’s festival is available at the website https:// www.arkansasheritage.hsvlli. org/.