NWA Calendar of Events for October 2024
Mamas, it’s October already. That’s batty! We’ve curated the best family-friendly events below. Just click on the title if you need more info.
Note from the mamas: Find more fun this fall in our 2024 Fall Fun Guide: Top 10 Events, Activities and Things to See in Northwest Arkansas!
Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites
Beloved children’s books will come alive at the Amazeum’s new traveling exhibit called “Storyland,” which opened on Sept. 29th and will run through Jan 6. Storyland: A Trip Through Childhood Favorites transforms seven beloved and award-winning picture books – The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter; The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats; Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill; If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff; Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault; Abuela by Arthur Dorros; and Tuesday by David Wiesner into three-dimensional play and bi-lingual (English and Spanish) learning environments. The exhibit was built by the Minnesota Children’s Museum and provides imaginative, book-based experiences for children and models early literacy experiences to parents and other adult caregivers.
Dates: Sept. 29-January 6, 2025
Times: See museum’s hours
Location: The Scott Family Amazeum, Bentonville
Time Loop: Crystal Bridges Museum
The new “Time Loop” show is running now through Jan. 5, 2025, in the North Forest. It has light, sound, and state-of-the-art projection mapping to transform acres of Ozark nature into a never-before-seen journey across time and space.
Dates: Now through Jan. 5, 2025
Time: See museum hours
Location: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Farmland Adventures’ “Mother’s Day Out” Events
Anyone can take advantage of special “Mother’s Day Out” days with discounted pricing at Farmland Adventures. It’s only is $8 per person for anyone 3 years and older. (Kids 2 years and under are FREE with paying adult.) In addition to a giant corn maze and a pumpkin patch, Farmland has a petting farm, pig races, pony rides, a maze tracker, a mini-maze for little ones, pedal karts, human foosball, a play area, and more.
Dates: Oct. 3, 9 and 14
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Farmland Adventures
Hideaway Circus “Canvas Sky”
Hideaway Circus is a new kind of American circus: open-air, family-friendly, and showcasing world-class performers who combine skill, storytelling, and artistry. Audiences are amazed by the high-flying aerial stunts, jaw-dropping acrobatics, juggling and more – all set to an effervescent original score. “Canvas Sky” blends the enchantment and thrill of a classical circus with a contemporary and touching narrative. Created by the innovative minds of Hideaway Circus founders Josh and Lyndsay Aviner, the show follows the story of a circus clown struggling to find his voice until a friend helps him discover how he is wonderful and unique. “Canvas Sky” is performed on a custom-built circular stage and aerial rig under a canopy of sky and stars.
Date: Oct. 4-6
Time: Friday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m.; Oct. 5, 2 and 7 p.m.; and Oct. 6, 2 p.m.
Location: The Jones Center, Springdale
A Musical Tribute to Jim and Joyce Faulkner
The Faulkner Center season begins with a tribute to building namesakes Jim & Joyce Faulkner. Although both Jim and Joyce passed in 2021, their generous support in the creation of the Faulkner Performing Arts Center ensures their legacy will live on at the University of Arkansas. This tribute is a collaboration of multiple campus and community performers and will be conducted by Emmy winner and UA alumni Lendell Black.
Date: Friday, Oct. 4
Time: Doors open at 7 p.m., 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Location: Jim and Joyce Faulkner Performing Arts Center, 453 N Garland Avenue, University of Arkansas
Crystal Bridges Art Fair
This incredible celebration of craft and creativity will take over the Art Trail starting from the museum’s Lower Parking on October 5 and 6. See a vibrant showcase of artwork featuring talented artists from across the country spanning different mediums. There will also be food trucks, live art demos, culinary experiences, and more. Support these amazing creators and find something special to take home. Free, no tickets required. Drop by anytime.
Date: Oct. 5-6 (there’s a ticketed kickoff event on Oct. 4)
Time: Oct. 5, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville
Arkansas Apple Festival
Come see over 100 craft vendors all on the Lincoln Square selling unique and handmade merchandise at the Arkansas Apple Festival. There will also be plenty of food vendors with all your favorite funnel cakes, corn dogs, deep fried oreos, and much more. Free apple slices and apple cider samples.
Date: Oct. 4-6 p.m.
Time: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Location: Lincoln Square
Peter Rabbit & Friends
Four favorite Beatrix Potter stories, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tailor of Gloucestor, The Tale of Jeremy Fisher and The Tale of Tom Kitten, come to life in this mesmerizing puppet show, complete with Potter’s original text and live music. Three charming performers interweave classic narration and puppetry with gentle interactive moments, recruiting the audience to join the adventure.
Date: Sunday, Oct. 6
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville
Luther George Park Grand Reopening
The Downtown Springdale Alliance recently announced Luther George Park Revival Weekend on Friday, October 11th, and Saturday, October 12th, 2024. This two-day fall celebration marks the grand reopening of Luther George Park, showcasing its stunning new design and offering a variety of community activities, live performances, and family-friendly events. This event is free and open to the public. The park now serves as a connective gateway, bridging the active corridor of the Razorback Greenway with the vibrant life of Emma Avenue. Located along Spring Creek in Downtown Springdale, the park promotes healthy community engagement by providing a sustainable venue for recreation, play, and outdoor performances.
Date: Oct. 11-12
Time: Varies
Location: 300 Park St., Springdale
Movies on the Mountain: The Parent Trap
Grab your lawn chair and drive to Mt. Sequoyah for Movies on the Mountain, in Cottage Circle. They are offering a fantastic lineup of classic films at just $5 per ticket (kids get in free). October 11th: The Parent Trap (1998). Enjoy a fun evening with popcorn, candy, sodas, and a donation-based bar featuring beer, wine, and seltzers. All proceeds from the event will support Mount Sequoyah’s initiatives and programming. **No outside food or drink**
Date: Friday, Oct. 11
Time: 7:30-10 p.m.
Location: Mt. Sequoyah, Fayetteville
Wave of Light Ceremony (in recognition of pregnancy and infant loss)
Circle of Life will host its annual Wave of Light Ceremony for those in the community who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. The candle-lighting service brings together those who have grieved the loss of a child in a ceremony of unity. The remembrance will feature a memorial service with music, readings, candle lighting and a memory walk. The day is observed annually in the U.S. on October 15, and it’s a day of remembrance for pregnancy loss and infant death, which includes but is not limited to miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or the death of a newborn. The ceremony seeks to ease the pain of families who have lost a child by offering another means of acknowledging and remembering a deeply loved and missed family member. The Wave of Light Ceremony will unite friends around the globe in lighting candles for one hour to honor the memories of the sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, and grandchildren who left too soon. As candles are lit at 7 p.m. local time, hundreds of thousands of people around the globe will commemorate and honor the memory of all children gone too soon in each time zone. The continuous chain of light encompasses and spans across the world for a 24-hour period illuminating the night in love and light in honor and remembrance of our children.
Date: Tuesday, Oct. 15
Time: 6:45 p.m.
Location: Orchards Park Pavillion, 1100 NE John Deshields Blvd, Bentonville
Billy Blagg: Family Magic
Wands Up, Boogie Down! ✨ FamJam returns to the Jones Center with a renowned magician’s show and a musical rendition of a kids book favorite. FamJam 2024-25 kicks off with laughter, wonder and endless surprises as renowned magician Bill Blagg presents Family Magic! With over 60 minutes of non-stop magical fun, Family Magic is specifically designed to entertain and engage audiences of all ages. Bill Blagg’s unique blend of comedy, audience participation and mind-bending magic will keep kids and adults on the edge of their seats eagerly anticipating what’s coming next. Prepare to be amazed as ordinary objects come to life while others vanish in the blink of an eye. You could even be chosen to float in mid-air! FamJam Saturday is for families who want to kickstart their weekend in a fun and active way. Kids and parents are invited to an ultimate afternoon of moving, playing and learning together.
Each FamJam Saturday includes:
- Featured family entertainment performance (2pm or 6pm)
- Indoor ice skating (12:30-2:30pm) and swimming (12-6pm)
- A themed craft activity (after the show)
Tickets are $10/$8 for members and include access to ALL of the day’s FamJam events.
Date: Saturday, Oct. 26
Times: 2pm and 6pm
Location: The Jones Center, Springdale
Festivals and Craft Shows:
There are several fall festivals and craft shows this month! The Junk Ranch Fall Show will be held in Prairie Grove on Oct. 3-5, 2024. There’s also the Homegrown Festival in Siloam Springs, set for Oct. 5. Vintage Market Days of NWA will be at the Benton County Fairgrounds on Oct. 11-13, 2024.
Craft shows include It’s Fall Y’all Craft Fair in Bentonville on Oct. 17-20, 2024; the Ozark Regional Arts & Crafts Fair in Fayetteville on Oct. 17-19, 2024 and Springdale on Oct. 18-19, 2024. One of the most popular craft fairs in the region is War Eagle and it will run Oct. 17-20, 2024.
