Celebrate!

Cleveland County

BLUEGRASS, CRAFTS & MORE

This event offers a backyard barbecue cookoff, pageant and talent contest, a 5K race for scholarships and 1-mile walk for education, quilt show and professional bull riding event. It happens annually on the second Saturday in May.

RISON IN THE FALL

Every October, Rison celebrates Autumn with a festival of arts & crafts, live entertainment, concessions, a variety of great food, a barbecue cook-off, and plenty of fun for the entire family.

Grant County

TIMBERFEST

Held the first weekend of October, Timberfest is Grant County’s hearty festival where the finest talents in the area are showcased. Enjoyed by over 8,000, the free-admission event celebrates old-time skills such as dutch oven cooking, good gospel singing and timber felling (with an ax). Craft-lovers will find items from around the state and the kids will love the face painting, pony rides, miniature stock car races and other family activities.

Jefferson County

INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION

The Community 4th of July Celebration takes place annually at Pine Bluff’s Regional Park Amphitheater. The celebration begins early in the day with children’s activities and food vendors. A local radio DJ provides musical entertainment.

Just after 9:00, the night really lights up with Southeast Arkansas’ largest display of fireworks. It's the perfect way for the entire family to safely celebrate our nation’s birthday. Admission is FREE!

SMOKE ON THE WATER BARBECUE FESTIVAL

Smoke on the Water Barbecue & Music Festival is produced by Smoke on the Water Productions, a local promotor that has become the largest in professional barbecue competition. The production company organizes competitions across the U.S. with the world’s richest purses. The Pine Bluff event was voted Arkansas’ Best New Festival in 2001 and Festival of the Year in 2005 by the Arkansas Festival Association. In addition to the barbecue competition, the festival features barbecue sampling and a variety of family entertainment.

ENCHANTED LAND OF LIGHTS & LEGENDS

The Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends transforms Regional Park into one of the brightest spots on the planet beginning annually on the week of the Thanksgiving holiday. Imaginative displays and well over a million lights provide a wonderful setting for this magical drive-through tour. Start a family tradition and let Pine Bluff light up your holiday season. Approximately 300,000 spectators drive through the award-winning display annually.

POP-UP IN THE BLUFF

Bring the whole family and experience Pop-Up in the Bluff. Sponsored by Pine Bluff Downtown Development, this is a community development demonstrating what a downtown area can become with imagination and investment. The Pop-Up is filled with vendors, food trucks, children’s activities and musical entertainment for all. Each year, a designated block in downtown Pine Bluff hosts the event where visitors mingle with vendors, local artists, merchants and other consumers to get a glimpse of how downtown Pine Bluff can flourish and thrive.

FORWARD FEST – BLUES, BATTER AND BREW

A one‑day event that takes place on Main Street in Downtown Pine Bluff, featuring live music on a large outdoor stage. Musical acts are a mixture of nationally known and local artists. Past performers have included Justin Teal Morgan, Hwy 49 Blues Band, SynRG Band, Mr Sipp, On Call Band, Southern Avenue, Kingfish Ingram and Anthony Hamilton. Additionally, there’s shopping for arts & crafts, festival food vendors, and children’s activities.

BOO ON THE BAYOU AT DELTA RIVERS NATURE CENTER

The Governor Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center in Pine Bluff invites all  goblins to come out for Boo on the Bayou from 6:00 until 9:00PM on the Friday and Saturday nearest Halloween night. Bring your family and enjoy all the fun and not-too-scary activities at the area's largest free Halloween event. Carnival area includes music, concessions, hunting and fishing games, candy, inflatables and a jack-o’lantern trail. Come in costume and don’t forget your flashlight. Free parking will be available.

OPERATION SKYHOOK – PINE BLUFF REGIONAL AIRPORT

This fly-in is sponsored by Black Pilots of America, Inc. Every Memorial Day weekend, member chapters arrive for a few days’ fun, aviation camaraderie and serious flying competition. Most participants own their aircraft and take pride in showing off their most prized possessions. Generous BPA, Inc. members volunteer to give airplane rides – “Young Eagle flights” – to hundreds of enthusiastic kids from the surrounding area.

The event culminates with an awards banquet as trophies are awarded to the members and chapters. There is also an individual “Top Gun Award” for the supreme pilot accumulating the highest number of points..

CROSSROADS FESTIVAL – ARTS & SCIENCE CENTER

Sponsored by the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, the Crossroads Festival is a one-day event that explores the region’s diverse cultural heritage from its historic roots to contemporary iterations through the interpretive lens of oral history, music and performing arts. Each year, the festival highlights different cultural groups who have made a lasting impact on the history, culture, and traditions of Southeast Arkansas.

MISTLETOE MAGIC

This three-day event kicks off with the annual Main Street Christmas parade on the first Thursday in December. Saracen Landing becomes the focal point of the long weekend’s activities, including ice skating, games and Ferris wheel rides. Food trucks are on hand to warm and fill bellies, as well as purveyors of other holiday treasures to delight every member of the family. The air is filled with the sounds of Christmas, provided by live performers. More information here.