The 60th Annual Arkansas Folk Festival is coming Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16, to Mountain View.
Festival events, sponsored by the Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce, will include live music and craft vendors on both days. On Saturday, there will be a parade on Main Street at 10 a.m. with floats depicting old-time scenes.
This year‘s Grand Marshall is Joel Breeding of Mountain View, a longtime resident and supporter of local events.
New to the festival this year will be a pie and dessert auction along with a pie-baking contest.
The auction will take place at 12 p.m. on the courthouse lawn on Saturday.
Donations of pies or other desserts for the auction can be arranged by contacting Rianna Kendrick at (870) 214-2737. Items can be dropped off at the chamber office on Friday afternoon or at the courthouse square on Saturday morning.
Anyone interested in baking for the contest should contact Kendrick at (870) 214-2737 or Michelle Atchison at (870) 615-0644 by April 14 at 5 p.m.
The annual Artesians Market on the Square will be presented by the Arkansas Craft Guild with a juried show of crafts and art by current and potential guild members. The show will be held Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the northwest corner of the courthouse square. There will also be vendor booths for handmade items around the square and in the nearby facilities on both days.
Arkansas Craft School, located on the southeast corner of the square, typically hosts special demonstrations by member auditions during the weekend.
Live music programs will be presented on the courthouse stage Friday and Saturday, and informal jam sessions are expected — weather permitting — around the square in a nearby venue such as Washington Street Park.
There will be music shows in the evenings on the courthouse stage with the group, Rewind, on Friday, and Stringed Union on Saturday. Showtimes for both begin at 7 p.m.
For more information, contact the Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce at (870) 269-8068.
Shop Mountain View area merchants. Free shuttle service will be offered to and from the Ozark Folk Center.
Friday, April 15
10 a.m. Ozark Folk Center Spring Opening.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Artesians Market on the Square
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Music on the Square
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Music by Rewind
Saturday, April 16
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Artesians Market on the Square
10 a.m to 5 p.m. Ozark Folk Center
10 a.m. Folk Festival Parade
12 p.m. Cake and Dessert Auction
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Music on the Square
7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Music by Stringed Union
There will also be an Easter Egg Hunt at the ballpark on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.
On Sunday, April 17, there will be an Easter Sunrise Service at the City Park Amphitheater at 10 a.m.
*Ad paid for by City of Mountain View, state, and Ozark Gateway regional funds. For more area information, visit OzarkGateway.com, or call 1-800-264-0316. For more information on festivals in Arkansas, visit Arkansas.com.
