Passport to the South

From Cajun dance halls to the State Fair of Texas, here are 18 Southern rites of passage to cross off your list this year.

Arkansas

Where: The Victorian village of Eureka Springs, AR

Earn your stamp: Stroll this artists’ hamlet in the Ozarks. Explore Susan Morrison’s Signature Gallery, and spend the night in the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa (from $120), a haunted hotel that hosts nightly ghost tours. Attention architecture buffs: Downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places.

When to go: In May for the Festival of the Arts. Daily events include concerts, painting classes, and tours of artists’ home studios.

Plan it now: Most festival of the arts events are free. mayfestivalofthearts.com; crescent-hotel.com

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