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Arab/Marshall County: Recreation & Entertainment
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| Attractions |
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 Located in Arab City Park, the Historic Complex will transport you back to decades past with seven buildings that have all been moved, renovated and restored to their original beauty. These buildings include a church, school, grist mill, country store, blacksmith shop, quilting clubhouse and a museum filled with artifacts and donated items that depict many different historical places and events. The complex is open on most weekends and by appointment.
Two city parks are the focal point of recreation in the greater Arab area, which also includes numerous 18-hole golf courses and more than 69,000 acres of water for recreational opportunities.
The family-friendly atmosphere can be found in Arab in the form of baseball, softball, football, basketball, swimming and soccer. A variety of regional and district softball and baseball tournaments are held in the city, and facilities at Arab City Park include a walking trail, 10 ball diamonds, picnic and playground facilities, a pair of community centers, volleyball courts, a tournament-size swimming pool, a football field, and eight tennis courts. All outdoor sports fields are lighted.
Arab recently completed the building of a new 26-acre facility on the west side of town. That new addition, known as Thompson-Edson Park, includes a 5,000-foot walking trail and three soccer fields, one of which is tournament size.
Other sports facilities open to the public are a gymnasium, racquetball courts, and meeting rooms.
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| Entertainment |
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 A wide range of entertainment venues is available in the Arab community. From bluegrass music to theatre, there is something to please all ages. Located in the Ruth Community, on the outskirts of Arab, the Long Branch Opry has long been thrilling fans with a diverse mix of bluegrass and bluegrass gospel music. This local theatre provides fun in a friendly, clean and family atmosphere. Each September, the Arab Chamber of Commerce hosts an annual Community Fair, which attracts thousands to the area. This event is widely known for its open-air country fair type atmosphere and features a wide variety of entertainment, numerous activities for young children, and an abundance of arts and crafts. Just 15 minutes from Arab, the Whole Backstage Community Theatre has produced a wide range of quality shows for over thirty years. The WBS is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization and provides young and old alike the opportunity to participate in intensive theatre experiences.
 In addition, the Arab High School Drama Team prepares an annual dinner theatre production. Attendees are dazzled by wonderful food, beautiful vocals, and a broad range of talent provided by many young adults. Beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving, the City of Arab opens a month-long event - Christmas in the Park. This event features over 1,000,000 Christmas lights displayed at Arab City Park. The lights are on each evening through December 31, and live entertainment, featuring Christmas music, is available each week-end until Christmas. As one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for the months of November and December, you won’t want to miss this event! Also, in December the Arab First Baptist Church production, A Singing Christmas Tree, has become a holiday tradition for many. The Arab Parks and Recreation Department hosts a Walking Horse show each July that brings in enthusiasts from all over the southeast and has been recognized as the best one night show by the Walking Horse Association of Alabama for several years. With these, and many more events throughout the year, entertainment options abound for Arab residents.
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| Recreation |
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 Recreation facilities and activities are key ingredients in the family-oriented lifestyles prevalent in the Arab community. Activities include organized sports such as softball, baseball, football, basketball, swimming, and soccer. Most of these are geared toward the youth of the community and are available to city residents and those in surrounding areas. Many regional and district softball and baseball tournaments are held in Arab.
Facilities at the Arab City Park include two walking trails, thirteen softball and baseball fields, playground equipment, and five pavilions for picnic facilities, one community center, a competition-size swimming pool, volleyball courts, a football field, five tennis courts and a horse show arena. All outdoor sports fields are lighted for night use. A large pond stocked with fish, is accompanied by a pier for youth fishing rodeos and open fishing for local residents. Also, a new skateboard park is presently under construction.
Thompson Eidson Park is located on the west side of the city. On this 26-acre complex is a 5,000 foot walking trail and four soccer fields, one of which is regulation size. An indoor gymnasium, racquetball courts, and meeting rooms also contribute to sports facilities available to the public.
Golfing facilities are also prevalent with a nine-hole and an eighteen-hole course located inside the city limits. Several other eighteen-hole courses are located within the immediate area. Cherokee Ridge Golf Community is just a short drive from Arab, as well as Hampton Cove Golf Community, one of the many Robert Trent Jones Golf Courses, which is approximately 34 miles from Arab. Another 18-hole course is available at nearby Guntersville State Park.
Beautiful Lake Guntersville, located ten miles away, offers more than 69,000 acres of water for recreational opportunities such as fishing, water skiing, and boating, including a national bass tournament. This area also offers premiere opportunities for bird-watching, in particular, American bald eagle nesting activities; and, is a locale of a major gray bat cave with hundreds of thousands exiting everyday at dusk.
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| Shopping |
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Shoppers are sure to bag a bargain in Arab. Whether its antiques from the picturesque downtown area or the latest in fashion from one of the retail chain stores located on Hwy. 231, you’re sure to find it here. Arab is the shopping for several more rural areas, as is most of Marshall County. This makes Marshall County second in the state in the amount of sales tax dollars that are generated from shoppers who live outside of the county.
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| Dining |
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 Dining opportunities in Arab are typical of today’s Southern small town. They are, like most suburban or commuter-based communities, a mixture of fast food outlets, combined with locally operated sit-down restaurants. The latter traditionally specialize in country cuisine, including fried chicken, barbecue, catfish, vegetable plates, and home-cooked breakfast, but include other meals and sandwiches. Other sit-down restaurants include those associated with specialties, such as Chinese, Mexican and Italian cuisine.
Significant numbers of exclusive restaurants, typically associated with larger cities, are found within an easy 25-30 minute travel distance between Arab and Huntsville to the north on a four-lane highway. A growing number of such restaurants continue to emerge in a community located 15 minutes to the east of Arab.
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