August 2024 Calendar of Events for Northwest Arkansas
First Thursday Fayetteville
First Thursday is a vibrant, free monthly arts & culture festival held from May through October of each year. There’s a new theme 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. August‘s theme is Game On – With games of all shapes and sizes, where everyone can play. On the mainstage: a pep rally with Razorback Athletics at 6 p.m., School of Rock at 6:30 p.m. and at 7:45 p.m. DJ Dribblz holds down the floor. This month, you’ll find Flyway Brewing on the Fayetteville Town Center Plaza. August’s presenting sponsor is Razorback Athletics.
Date: Thursday, Aug. 1
Time: 5:30-9 p.m.
Location: Downtown Fayetteville
First Friday Bentonville
The August First Friday theme is Going For The Gold in honor of the summer Olympics. As always, Bentonville First Friday is a FREE, community event for the whole family.
Date: Friday, Aug. 2
Time: 3-9 p.m.
Location: Downtown Bentonville Square
Super Saturday: Artsy Craftsy
Get creative at the Fayetteville Public Library. Families can drop in anytime between 10:00 a.m. and noon at the Children’s Library to enjoy a wide array of fun self-guided craft projects.
This event is free and no registration is required. Art projects are geared toward preschool-age children and older.
Date: Aug. 3
Time: 10 a.m. to noon
Location: Fayetteville Public Library
Insect Olympics
Do you know that there are some amazing abilities in the insect world? Join Park interpreter Chris and learn about some of our area’s insect athletes. Can your long jump match up to a grasshopper? How do you compare to a cockroach in a sprint? This informative and active program is designed to get you thinking and moving like an insect. Meet at the education pavilion near the Visitor Center. Recommended age 6+
Date: Saturday, Aug. 3
Time: 10-11 a.m.
Location: Hobbs State Park, Rogers
Tontitown Grape Festival
Free parking, admission and nightly entertainment. Famous spaghetti dinners served Aug. 8-10. There are carnival rides and grape stomping, too.
Date: Aug. 6-10
Time: Varies
Location:
Second Saturdays: National Book Lovers Day
Crystal Bridges Museum is hosting Second Saturdays this summer, a fun family program. In August, the museum is celebrating National Book Lovers Day with story times and artmaking presented by the Crystal Bridges Library. Enjoy Deborah Underwood’s celebrated book Outside In—written about all the ways nature finds us inside, even on hot summer days—and dance to music by local kids’ favorites Candy Lee and the Backyard Bugs. Create art for your own bookmark and become Library famous by entering it to be selected for a new collection of Library placeholders. Free, no registration required.
Date: Aug. 10
Time: Drop in at 1, 2, or 3 p.m
Location: Crystal Bridges Museum, Bentonville
Washington County Fair
General Admission Gate Entry: Cash $5.00 | Card $7.50; Children 5 and under enter free. Daily Deals: Two-Buck Tuesday: $2 Gate Entry and $2 Rides; Wristband Wednesday: $25 arm bands; Partner Up Thursday: 2-for-1 arm bands; Family Friday: $30 arm bands with Midnight Madness; and Super Saturday: $30 arm bands for all-day rides
Date: Aug. 20-24
Hours: Varies
Location: Washington County Fairgrounds, Fayetteville
Wild Creativity Exhibit
How does a kangaroo gain energy as it bounces? Why do birds have different beaks? How does a prairie dog cool its home? Creatividad silvestre | Wild Creativity invites visitors of all ages to explore fundamental concepts of biomimicry through hands-on design challenges, spotlighting the interplay between the art and science of nature and how it continues to inform our world. The exhibit reveals how animals and nature work in unique, sustainable, and efficient ways.
Date: Now through Sept. 2, 2024
Time: Museum hours
Location: Amazeum Children’s Museum
Live! at Turnbow
Enjoy live music in downtown Springdale at Turnbow Park on the last Thursday of the month from April to September. Concerts are free and begin at 6:30PM. In August, it’s the Sons of Otis Malone, a country and bluegrass string band based in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Formed by four friends pretending to be half-brothers in 2006, the band has recorded three albums of original music and played all over some of the country. The Sons are known for their high-energy live performances, featuring instrumental virtuosity, and their fresh takes on the bluegrass and country canon that are at turns both humorous and poignant
Date: Aug. 29
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Turnbow Park, downtown Springdale
Venomous Snakes of Arkansas
Everyone who lives in, or visits Arkansas should be aware of what venomous snakes we have and what they look like. This short program led by Park Interpreter Steve identifies the six venomous snakes that we have in Arkansas, four of which are found in northwest Arkansas.
Date: Sunday, Aug. 25
Time: 1-1:30 p.m.
Location: Hobbs State Park, Rogers
Live Amphibians & Reptiles
Herps (short for herpetology) are one of the most fascinating groups of animals in Arkansas. Join Park Interpreter Trish to learn more about the habits, behaviors, and importance of these amazing creatures. During the program, participants will have the opportunity to touch/interact with a few herps including a snake, a salamander, a turtle, and of course frogs and toads.
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Time: 1-2 p.m.
Location: Hobbs State Park, Rogers
