June 2024: Northwest Arkansas Calendar of Events

Northwest Arkansas Calendar of Events for June 2024

June 2024 is here and that means loads of great summer activities in Northwest Arkansas. Click on the name of any event below to find some family fun this month!

Summer Reading Kickoff at FPL

This is Fayetteville Public Library’s biggest party of the year – and the public is invited. Stop by for free fun with bounce houses, Greedy Goats of NWA, face painting, the Fayetteville Fire Department, Lego and insect displays, Preschool Play, snacks, and more! Inspyral Circus will close out the kick-off with a performance from 1–2pm in our Event Center. Kick off a great summer at FPL and sign up for the annual summer reading challenge. 

Date: Saturday, June 1

Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Location: Fayetteville Public Library

Summer Reading Kickoff at SPL

Join the party in Murphy Park next to the library to sign up for the Springdale Public Library Summer Reading Program. There will be roaming performers from Inspyral Circus, a bounce obstacle course, airbrush tattoos, free Kona Shaved Ice, and a whole lot of fun and dancing. When you sign up for summer reading you get a free gift to get you started.

Date: Saturday, June 1

Time: 10 a.m. to noon

Location: Springdale Public Library

Summer Storytimes at Springdale Public Library

Springdale Public Library has storytimes for all ages this summer. Their children’s librarians incorporate books, rhymes, music, and other activities to introduce early literacy education to young children. All storytimes except Baby Bouncers and Toddler Time include a craft. See the full schedule here.

Date: Sorytimes every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday during June and July. The first day is Saturday, June 1.

Times: Varies

Location: Springdale Public Library

Terrific Tuesday Nights

Terrific Tuesday Nights is a family-friendly, free, summer series hosted at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks every Tuesday evening from June through August. The first Terrific Tuesday Night of the summer will feature Opera in the Ozarks performing Little Red’s Most Unusual Day, an operatic version of the story of Little Red Riding Hood based on scenes from operas by J. Offenbach and G. Rossini. Lawn chairs and picnic blankets are welcome.

Date: Tuesday, June 4

Time: 5-8 p.m.

Location: Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, Fayetteville

First Thursday Fayetteville

First Thursday is a vibrant, free monthly arts & culture festival brought to you by Experience Fayetteville. From May through October of each year, the event is based around a new theme each month. First Thursday transforms the Historic Fayetteville Square into an outdoor arts and music celebration from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The free, family-friendly event includes a diverse lineup of live music, artist demonstrations and installations, food trucks, and an arts market featuring more than 40 independent artists who create items in a variety of media. May‘s theme is Avant Garden. It’s a celebration of all things green and blooming, where art meets nature with innovative art, music, and fashion.

Date: June 6

Time: 5:30-9 p.m.

Location: Downtown Fayetteville Square

Weekend Starts in the Lower Ramble

An art-infused series of Friday evening “compact creativity festivals” that take place in Fayetteville’s Lower Ramble. Kick off the weekend with a burst of creativity and fun. June’s first event will feature music by UARK Music with Cole Birmingham and Friends and Art by Mount Sequoyah Creative Spaces with artist Mary Trulock showcasing dance and costuming. Weekend Starts take place every Friday evening from 5-7 April through October. The series is free, open to the public and all ages are welcome.

Dates: June 7, 14, 21, 28

Time: 5-7 p.m.

Location: 255 West Ave., Fayetteville

Movies in the Parks

This summer the city of Fayetteville will present Movies in the Parks, a series of outdoor film screenings, in partnership with the Arkansas Cinema Society.  The first event will be the screening of “Valley Inn,” a Fayetteville-produced, heartwarming independent film about Emily, a New Jersey college student who unexpectedly finds herself in a small Southern town. Through misadventures and endearing friendships with quirky residents, Emily learns valuable life lessons at the Valley Inn. This film is a love letter to small-town America.

The city will bring four movie nights to Fayetteville, offering the community an opportunity to enjoy classic films under the stars at Walker Park and Bryce Davis Park. The screenings are free and open to the public. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets to enhance their outdoor movie experience.

Date: Friday, June 7

Time: Begins at 8 p.m.

Location: Walker Park, Fayetteville

Gulley Park Summer Concert Series

Grab a lawn chair and join in celebrating the 28th Annual Gulley Park Summer Concert Series. In the heart of one of Fayetteville’s most appreciated parks, the community gathers each summer for a long-standing tradition of enjoying live outdoor music while dining from local food trucks. Hundreds of lounge chairs and blankets are scattered around the park each week as folks gather to enjoy Gulley Park and the fun-filled atmosphere. Family-friendly music is the centerpiece that brings all walks of life together. Spectators are encouraged to bring their furry friends as well.

Date: June 13

Time: 7-9 p.m.

Location: Gulley Park Gazebo, Fayetteville

Obstacle Runaround

 Summer in the City brings themed events to the Jones Center’s outdoor campus in June, July & September. On June 15, team up for double the fun at the Obstacle Runaround – and prepare to get muddy. Kids and adults team up for series of challenges designed to grow endurance, strength and agility while encouraging teamwork at the 2024 Obstacle Runaround. This much-loved obstacle race that grown-ups and kids conquer together. Teams of two navigate 10+ obstacles on the course, including a mud pit, a tire run, the noodle forest and more. Teams of two = one child (ages 3-12) and one adult (18+) Cost is $35 per team/$28 for Jones Center members. Deadline to register is June 13.

Date: Saturday, June 15

Time: 10-11:30 a.m.

Location: Community Park at The Jones Center, Springdale

Summer Forest Concert Series

Spend select Saturday evenings enjoying live music at Crystal Bridges with the return of its Summer Forest Concerts. Set outdoors in the museum’s beautiful North Forest, this family-friendly concert series features national and local artists surrounded by art and nature. Grab your lawn chair or blanket, kick back with friends, and enjoy live music under the trees. A food truck and cash bar will be available throughout the night, as well as kid-friendly artmaking activities. *Please Note: Though tickets for youth ages 18 and under are free, a ticket is required for entry. Reserve these tickets online or with Guest Services. The first concert is Ray Wylie Hubbard. **Please double check that this event has not been rescheduled.

Date: June 22

Time: 7-9:30 p.m.

Location: Crystal Bridges Museum