The 61st Annual Arkansas Folk Festival is coming Friday and Saturday, April 14 and 15, to Mountain View.
This year is a special celebration of the 150th anniversary of Stone County. To commemorate this rich history, we will be showcasing “150 Years of Makers,” which will highlight the skills of local craftspeople who make everything from furniture and ironworks to ceramics and food.
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 historical scenes.
This year‘s Grand Marshall is Truman Bullard of Mountain View, a longtime resident and supporter of local events.
Above image: An image from a past Arkansas Folk Festival parade. Image: Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce
This year will include live demonstrations by chainsaw sculptor, Termite, and local “Forged in Fire” Grand Champion bladesmith Shawn Ellis. Their pieces will be raffled off Saturday afternoon, along with other artisan-made items. One free raffle ticket is available when you register for the festival through the Chamber’s website. Additional entries can be purchased.
We’ll also be having a handful of games and other demonstrations ranging from a goat milking competition to an operating gristmill and a rodeo on Saturday afternoon. We also have a face painting booth for the kiddos.
The annual Artisans 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, will host special demonstrations during the weekend and is adding a hand-forged iron rose to the raffle.
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 nearby venues such as Washington Street Park.
There will be music shows in the evenings on the courthouse stage with the group Sylamore Special on Friday and The Gravel Yard 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, or visit the chamber’s Arkansas Folk Festival page by clicking here.
Shop Mountain View area merchants. A free shuttle service will be offered to and from the Ozark Folk Center.
Above image via Mountain View Area Chamber of Commerce
*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.
