April 2025: Northwest Arkansas Calendar of Events

NWA Calendar of Events for April 2025

We have hippity-hopped right into April, mamas! Don’t miss out on the best family-friendly events this month. Here’s the list we curated just for you!

If it’s Northwest Arkansas summer camps you’re looking for, we’ve got a huge list to choose from!

Click on the name of each calendar event below for more details:

April First Friday: Family Fun Land

April First Friday is generously sponsored by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Family Fun Land will feature fun for the whole family, complete with Toddler Zone: Little kid-sized fun, bunny set, ball pit, and bounce house; Pet’s Place: All things pet palooza; and Teen Zone: 2 Escape Room Trailer! The Mermaid’s Escape & Temple of Razum and NWA Rolling Video Games

Date: Friday, April 4

Time: 3-9 p.m.

Location: Downtown Bentonville

Balloon Glow Days at Rivercrest Orchard

A unique springtime experience. Watch as vibrant hot air balloons light up the evening sky, creating a stunning view over the orchard’s blooming tulip fields.

Dates: April 5-6

Time: 6-8 p.m. each night

Location: Rivercrest Orchard, Fayetteville

2025 Farm Friends

During Farm Friends, the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Arena in Fayetteville transforms the floor into a multi-station event where participants can walk through various agricultural products produced regionally. Live animals, informational posters, and farmers provide a learning opportunity for attendees to ask questions and learn about farming in the state. The event is free to the public. You won’t want to miss this event! Come learn, engage and see the friendly faces of NWA Farms.

Date: April 8

Time: 5-7 p.m.

Location: Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Arena, Fayetteville

Back to the Future: The Musical

Great Scott! Back to the Future: The Musical, the beloved cinematic classic, is now a Broadway musical with its destination set for Northwest Arkansas. Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical and the Broadway World Award for Best New Musical, Back to the Future is adapted for the stage by the iconic film’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future  trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump) and directed by the Tony Award®-winner John Rando with original music by multi-Grammy® winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”), alongside hit songs from the movie including “The Power of Love,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Earth Angel” and “Back in Time.”

Dates: April 8-13

Times: Vary

Location: Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville

Center Stage Comedy: Shiny Happy People Laughing

The Jones Center’s final 2024-25 Center Stage Comedy Series event is happening this month. Don’t miss your chance for a LOL Friday night. Karen Morgan’s latest comedy album, Shiny Happy People Laughing (named with special permission from REM), was recorded in her home town of Athens, Georgia. She now brings this nostalgic and hilarious comedy material live to performing arts venues around the country. Audiences are loving her hysterical trip back to a time when rocks were pets, carpets were shag, and bike seats were bananas. This clean comedy show is particularly suited for folks of a certain age who grew up playing outside without bike helmets, adult supervision, or bottled water.

The Jones Center is also offering a Parents’ Night Out add-on for kids ages 5-12 during the show. 

Date: Friday, April 11

Time: 8 p.m.

Location: The Jones Center, Springdale

Outdoor Bentonville Farmers Market Opens

Visit the Bentonville Farmers Market on the Bentonville Square every Saturday morning to shop fresh, locally grown produce, fruits, veggies, and more. Support small businesses and connect with local farmers and artisans. Season dates: April 12th – October 25, 2025. This is a free event. No registration required.

Date: Opens April 12

Time: 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. every Saturday

Location: Bentonville Square

Champions of Magic

One of the most successful magic shows in history, Champions of Magic is back with an explosive brand-new show featuring thrilling and mind-bending illusions. Fusing grand scale magic, a flair for spectacle and undeniable showmanship, this interactive, high-energy show is sure to entertain the entire family. Combining their signature humor with groundbreaking magic, the world’s only team of illusionists present a production unlike anything that has come before.

Date: April 23

Time: 7 p.m.

Location: Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville

Saturday, April 26th, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Earth Day Garden Market

Prep your garden for spring and enjoy a day of family fun. Enjoy a plant sale, live music, food trucks, and a kids zone. Botanical garden members enjoy early access and a complimentary mimosa from 10am to noon. The event combines sustainability, community, and nature’s beauty. This event combines two beloved BGO traditions — a vibrant Earth Day Festival and the popular BGO Plant Sale. Shop from 20+ local vendors to prep your garden for spring. Enjoy live music starting at noon, and then grab lunch from one of the food trucks on site. Bring your kids and take them to our Kid’s Zone, packed with educational booths, craft stations, and more.

Date: Saturday, April 26

Time: Noon to 5 p.m.

Location: Botanical Garden of the Ozarks

Family Day: Art of Play

This day is all about hands-on discovery, fun, and play. Participate in a toy swap (don’t forget to bring a toy or two to trade for something new to you), get creative with local makers and community partners, build in our cardboard city, challenge your friends to a board game in the game zone, and create your own pin pal in our studios. With something for everyone, it’s a fantastic blend of art, play, and entertainment that promises a great time for the whole family. Don’t miss out on this unique experience that combines creativity, community, and joy. Free, no tickets required.

Date: April 27

Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville

Hobbs Earth Day Event: Bird Fest

Join Hobbs State Park for a fun and educational event that’s “for the birds” and help bird conservation organizations as well. Besides the timed presentations there are also tabletop booths with kids activities from 9 a.m.– 2 p.m., which are come and go as you please. Bring your own lunch or enjoy a hot dog or hamburger, chips, and a drink provided by the Friends of Hobbs. Donations to Friends of Hobbs are accepted.

Date: Saturday, April 26

Time: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• 8-9 a.m. Birding Walk at Sinking Stream and Van Winkle Trails: Meet at the Sinking Stream Trailhead to explore both of these easy, 0.5-mile trails which typically attract many different birds. This beginner-friendly walk is led by Taylor Long, field trip leader for the NWA Audubon Chapter. Bring your binoculars or borrow a pair from us.
• 9-10:45 a.m. Birds and Breakfast: See live songbirds that were captured and banded in the park by ornithologists, who then release the birds. Breakfast snacks, juice and coffee will be provided. Come and go as you please. Sponsored by the Bluebird Shed, 3-D Pet Products, Ozark Bird Conservancy, and Friends of Hobbs. Donations to Ozark Bird Conservancy are accepted.
• 10-11 a.m. Birding Walk at Ozark Plateau Trail: Meet at the pavilion near the Visitor Center to explore this easy, 0.5-mile trail looking for birds. This beginner-friendly walk is led by Taylor Long, field trip leader for the NWA Audubon Chapter. Bring your binoculars or borrow a pair from the park.
• 11-11:45 a.m. Discover Migratory Birds: The peak of bird migration for our area is right around the corner! Join Mitchell Pruitt from the Ozark Bird Conservancy for a program in the Discovery Room to explore this incredible phenomenon and the migratory birds that visit our area. Donations to Ozark Bird Conservancy are accepted.
• Noon to 1 pm. Live Raptor Program: Join Lynn Sciumbato from Morning Star Wildlife Rehabilitation and get an up-close view of some magnificent birds of prey, or raptors. Donations to Morning Star Wildlife Rehabilitation are accepted.

Location: Hobbs State Park, Rogers

Sundays on the Square

First Thursday, the longstanding Fayetteville festival series, is changing to Sundays on the Square. The free, family-friendly events include a diverse lineup of live music, artist demonstrations and installations, food trucks, group bike rides and an arts market featuring makers and creators in a variety of media.

Date: April 27

Time: Noon to 4 p.m.

Location: Downtown Fayetteville