October still a busy month at Beaver Lake

ROGERS — Many tourists are still expected to come to Beaver Lake in October, said Alan Bland, a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

"It does (slow down now). But it picks up in October, because of craft fairs. A lot of people don't camp until October," Bland said recently.

Typically, tourism slows down in September, among other reasons because many families get busy with school at that time. But the lull is only temporary, he said.

"In October, we get what we call the Golden Agers, coming through for all the arts-and- crafts fairs in the area, and we'll fill up at least three parks just with them. A lot of people (coming to the fairs) are full-time RVers. They live in their RV," he said.

Such people, called "snow birds," typically work theirway south so that, by mid- to late-November they are down South, out of the winter's coldest weather, Bland said.

After the Golden Agersleave, tourism will slow down, a lot, Bland predicted.

"By the first of November it really, really slows down," he said.