The City of Magnolia was recently named one of the Top 10 Most Beautiful Towns in Arkansas by the Culture Trip, an international Web site headquartered in the United Kingdom dedicated to culture and lifestyle.
According to the site, theculturetrip.com is a one-stop, worldwide digital platform on global art, culture, food and travel. Think of what you would find in the New York Times food and travel supplement, but for every country in the world, the Web site states. The site has 2 million monthly readers from all corners of the globe and won the United Kingdom Website of the Year for Arts and Culture in 2014.
Magnolia was described in the article as "a lovely little town among lush pine forests incorporated in 1855 with a quintessential small American town feel with its quaint courthouse square and charming downtown decorated with unique murals depicting the town's history and culture. Activities for outdoorsy types abound with the beautiful Logoly State Park just north of town and Lake Columbia a short drive westward, and community activities come in the form of the annual Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cookoff, a weekend packed with family fun, food and music."
Magnolia Mayor Parnell Vann, when asked to comment on the award, said, "I'm giving the credit for this award to the merchants and business owners in the downtown area. They work hard to keep their storefronts and buildings immaculate, and that's why Magnolia (was recognized). As a city, we try to keep the roads and sidewalks clean and presentable but the merchants and people of Magnolia earned this award."
El Dorado was also listed among the Top 10 Most Beautiful Towns in the article, and it and Magnolia were the only two towns to win the distinction outside of northern Arkansas. El Dorado was cited for its rejuvenated downtown area and the many cultural events such as festivals held in the city.