As the leaves turn brown and the breeze gets cooler, many people get excited about the fall season. Fall is the time of year for pumpkin spice lattes, fuzzy sweaters, and spending time with family. And if you’re from Northwest Arkansas or just curious about the region, you may be wondering about any upcoming events happening this fall.
A few exciting events you can look forward to this fall in Northwest Arkansas include Format Music Festival, Nightmare on Block Street, The Ledger, Bikes, Blues, and Barbecue, and the Listening Forest.
Keep reading to learn more about some of the most exciting events — at least the ones I’m excited about — happening this season in Northwest Arkansas.
1. Format Music Festival
The first thing that I am very excited about this upcoming fall is the Format Music Festival.
It’s a one-of-a-kind festival, although it’s a little bit out of my wheelhouse because it’s not necessarily my preferred style of music.
Format Music Festival is all about Indie, artsy music. But the exciting thing about this event is that the person who created Lollapalooza in Chicago is coming to Northwest Arkansas to organize a music festival. So I’m really excited to see the unique things that he can produce down here.
If you aren’t familiar with the Format Music Festival, it’s a combination of technology, art, and music. There’s a whole bunch of interesting bands performing. There are some mainstream ones like The Flaming Lips, but the interesting thing is that the performers are more like mid-size mainstream bands, and they’re all very Indie. Format Music Festival is not your usual run-of-the-mill music festival.
Tickets to the Format Music Festival are getting sold very fast, and many people are coming in from out of state. And on top of that, it’s gonna be perfect weather. I’ll be curious to see how it works out!
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2. Nightmare on Block Street
Number two on this list is Nightmare on Block Street. This event is in Pinpoint, a pinball bar in Fayetteville, right on Block Street.
Every single year, for the month of October, Pinpoint bar celebrates an event called Nightmare on Block Street. During this event, they take apart the whole bar and make it a popup bar where they remove everything and put in all Halloween stuff.
And they go all out!
If you’re into scary costumes or scene culture, Nightmare on Block Street is the event for you. They do all things fun, including naming their drinks differently. You’ll discover exciting and unique items.
You’ll be amazed how the actual owner completely decks out everything on the actual arcade bar itself.
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3. The Ledger
This October, The Ledger is finally opening. If you’re unfamiliar with The Ledger, it’s the world’s first fully bikeable building. And it’s located right in Bentonville, the mountain biking capital of the world.
Building The Ledger this whole year has been a remarkable process. In October, the first level will be finished, and then one more level after that will be constructed. A coffee shop is going underneath, and specialized bikes will go there, too.
Shops selling specialized bikes are located in Boulder and Santa Cruz, California. And now the third location will be right in Bentonville, which is a big deal in the biking world. I think it’s really cool for them to be on the bottom floor of The Ledger, located near a coffee shop and a few other businesses.
The first level of The Ledger will be done soon, and then they’re gonna start finishing up the next levels. The building will be completely done by October, and they’re going to start leasing more stuff out as time passes.
But a lot of it’s already been leased, and I’m curious to see what other businesses have to offer. I’m sure there will be a lot of co-working spaces and a lot of other things that Bentonville will definitely leverage.
4. Bikes, Blues, and Barbecue
And number four is Bikes, Blues, and Barbecue. This year it’s going to be held in Rogers instead of Fayetteville.
I can appreciate a good bike, but I’m more on the blues and barbecue side of things. So I’m absolutely excited about this event, and I’m sure it will be fun. It brings so many people from across America who are very enthusiastic about all those three things. I’m excited to have everyone in the area and see them just enjoying everything.
If you are an avid biker, check out my other article on the Best Places To Hike and Bike in Northwest Arkansas
Bikes, Blues, and Barbecue brings a lot of good tourism here. It brings a lot of money for the businesses around here. So I’m so excited to see this event in Rogers this year and witness all the fun, exciting things that are about to happen.
5. Listening Forest
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And last but certainly not least is Crystal Bridges’ Listening Forest. This event includes an interesting art show with plenty of lights inside the actual North Forest. If you go to Crystal Bridges at nighttime, you’ll be amazed to see how they deck out the whole forest in fascinating lights.
During this event, people push the boundaries of “just interesting things” to mess with your mind. There will be lights, projectors, and all sorts of fun stuff. I haven’t been there yet, and it has been open for about two days. I’m excited to go there and just see what they’re doing.
In previous years, I’d go to Crystal Bridges for some of their awesome light shows whenever I got an opportunity. It’s always fun because last year’s event was held during Christmas, and I had a great time.
North Forest is a great event to check out with family and friends. If they are coming down to the area, or you’re coming down to look at homes, or just want to see if this is the area for you, you definitely need to check out Listening Forest.