Saturday, October 5, 2024
About the Fort Smith Fall Festival
Join us for the largest historical-themed event in Fort Smith! This year, the Fort Smith Fall Festival, in collaboration with the Fort Smith National Historic Site and various local museums and organizations, invites you to a day filled with history, fun, and entertainment.Date: Saturday, October 5
Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
About Oktoberfest
Join us for a fun-filled day at the Oktoberfest + Kids Zone event, hosted by the Fort Smith Downtown Business Association! Bring the whole family to 601 Garrison Avenue (First National Bank Parking Lot) for delicious food from local food trucks, exciting carnival games, bounce-arounds for the little ones, and live music that everyone will enjoy.It's the perfect way to celebrate Oktoberfest with a family-friendly twist! Don't miss out on this fantastic community event!And, adults, please be sure to stick around for the Oktoberfest Pub Crawl which features a scavenger hunt at participating local bars! (this event goes until 2:00 am)Date: Saturday, October 5
Time: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm
Activities
MORE ACTIVITIES TO COME!Reenactments, car shows, trolley rides, arts and crafts, carnival games, and MORE! Click one of the buttons below to get more information on each activity.
Schedule
Don't want to miss out on the fall fun? Check out the comprehensive schedule below--split up by location/organization!
Clayton House
The Clayton House will be hosting a birthday celebration for Judge William Henry Harrison Clayton from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.Enjoy carnival games, food, and fun all for FREE!
Fort Smith Farmer's Market
From 7:00 am to 12:00 pmFresh produce, flowers, baked goods, organic eggs, grass-fed beef, and more!
Museum of History
Special Discounted Admission:
$5.00—Ages 10-99 years
$2.00—6-9 years
Free: 5 years and Under
Free: FSMH Museum MembersHISTORY ALIVE: Voices from Early Fort Smith will be 1 PM to 3 PM
offering re-enactor depictions of Judge Parker, Belle Starr, Bonnie &
Clyde, General Darby, and other historical figures.Enjoy a build-your-own sundae bar ($5 per person) and reduced admission to the museum!
Miss Laura's Brothel Museum
Free Admission.
Open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.FREE SCREENINGS of Emmy nominated short film, “Step Into Miss Laura’s,” by Mad Possum Pictures with tours to follow.Our tour guides will be dressed in attire reflective of the early years of operation at Miss Laura's.
Regional Art Museum
Join us for our Annual Fall Family Day taking place as part of the Fort Smith Fall Festival!Saturday, October 5, 10 am – 3 pmFREE – Just Drop by!
Sponsored by Arcbest and MercyThis year's RAM Fall Family has been announced and you better 'be-leaf' it's full of fun!Join us Saturday, October 5, from 10 am – 3 pm for FREE hot dogs, music, and local artists’ wares on the patio, as well as make-and-take Fall crafts in the RAM Studio. Art scavenger hunts with prizes will also be held in all three galleries.The trolley will bring you right to our front door! Make RAM a stop on your free trolley ride, courtesy of the City of Fort SmithDoors Open: 10:00 am
Fall Crafts Begin: 10:30 am
FREE Lunch Hours: 11:00 am – 1:30 pm (while supplies last)
Fort Smith Downtown Business Association
Tons of fun for the whole family!A car show, Oktoberfest celebration, and shopping at a Harvest Market full of local vendors.Oktoberfest Kids Zone & Food Court – 4 Inflatables, 50 feet of carnival midway, 10 food trucks and tents with tables and chairsCar Show: 9:00 am between 3rd and 5th Street on Rogers Ave.Harvest Market times: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at 800 Garrison AveOktoberfest times: 10:00 am to 7:00 pm at 601 Garrison AvePolka and German folk music from Die Lowenbande at 10:00 am and 5:00 pm
Main Street Fort Smith
FREE ELECTRIC TROLLEY RIDES and a 3/4 mile tour of historic
downtown Fort Smith, courtesy of Main Street Fort Smith.Look for the orange trolley stop signs for locations to climb aboard.10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Witches Ride
The Downtown Witches Ride is a fun event in Downtown Fort Smith. Women of all ages dress as witches and ride their brooms (bikes) & pass out candy along the way! Supports Bonneville House, Clayton House, FS Museum of History & Junior League of Fort Smith.The ride begins at 9:00 AM and flies down Garrison Ave between 6th and 9th Streets.
Health Fair at Pendergraft Park
A free health fair brought to you by our partners at the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education.Dance Party from Noon to 2:30! Come join in the fun and dance! Nina, Parul, Juanika, Veronica, Isaac, Heather, Cludia, Ana, Amita, and Erica, all fitness instructors from local gyms, will lead us in their dances. Come dance your way to a healthier you!
U.S. Marshals Museum
Welcome Fall with a "Seven Dollar Saturday" at the U.S. Marshals Museum, featuring admission for only $7 during the Fall Festival!Experience what it’s like to be a frontier marshal by participating in roping activities and ponies from Packard Point Ranch from 10 am to 11 am.We will also have a Curator Cart showcasing artifacts from our collections from 9:30 am to 11:30 am, "Bass Reeves is Innocent" Curator Talk at 1:00 pm, and Tommy Wildcat, Cherokee Flute Player at 2:00 pm.
National Historic Site
Located at 301 Parker Ave.Program Schedules:
· 10:00—Belle Starr Trial Reenactment~
· 11:00—Civil War Musket Demonstration
· 11:30—Civil War Artillery Demonstration
· 12:00—‘Running at the Heads’ Cavalry Demonstration
· 1:00—Belle Starr Trial Reenactment in the Visitor Center Courtroom
· 2:00—The Rifles of Fort Smith Weapons Demonstration at North Parade Ground
· 2:30—Civil War Artillery Demonstration at North Parade Ground
· 3:00—‘Running at the Heads’ Cavalry Demonstration on South Parade Ground
· 3:30—Civil War Musket Demonstration at North Parade GroundOther Offerings (happening from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM)
-Children's Activity Area with arts, crafts and games
-Live music
-Vendor Fair
-Food Trucks with eating area
-Volunteer Fair
-Laundress Demonstrations
-Deputy Marshal and fur trapper encampments
-Military Timeline including War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Spanish American War, WW1, WW2, and Desert Storm
Map
This year, the Fort Smith Fall Festival + Oktoberfest is BIGGER than ever, so we created a map of all the participating locations. Click the button below to access the map.
Events
Witches Ride - 9:00 am
RAM Family Day - 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
History Alive -
Transportation
Free trolley bus transportation (courtesy City of Fort Smith Transit) will perform regular stops at each location from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.Additionally, free streetcar trolley rides will be provided courtesy of Main Street Fort Smith!
Food
Come hungry to this year's Fall Fest + Oktoberfest!Food Trucks will be located at 2 spots:- 3rd St between Garrison Ave and Rogers Ave.- 6th & Garrison in the parking lot across from First National BankHere are just a few of the food trucks you can expect:
- The Boujee Lemon, LLC.
- Garrison Goodies Snow Cone Truck
- Wing Kraze
- Smoky B's BBQ
- Kona Ice
- Brew House Catering & Food Truck
- Mike’s DogsAlso, be sure to grab some free food at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum and top it all of with a build-your-own sundae bar at the Fort Smith Museum of History!
Vendors
Be sure to check out the vendors at the Fort Smith Farmers Market, 3rd Street Fair, Harvest Market, & National Historic Site.Click the appropriate button below for more information on each event!
Oktoberfest
There is something for everyone at Fort Smith Oktoberfest!Bounce-arounds, carnival games, food trucks, and live music for the family.And a pub crawl at participating local bars for the adults.For times and more details, click the appropriate button below!
Organizations
An event as big as the Fort Smith Fall Festival + Oktoberfest takes a ton of coordination and collaboration between multiple organizations.Here is a list of 2024's participating organizations!
Reenactments
There will be several reenactments and demonstrations throughout the day at the Fort Smith National Historic Site. See the schedule of events below!Program Schedules:
· 10:00—Belle Starr Trial Reenactment
· 11:00—Civil War Musket Demonstration
· 11:30—Civil War Artillery Demonstration
· 12:00—‘Running at the Heads’ Cavalry Demonstration
· 1:00—Belle Starr Trial Reenactment in the Visitor Center Courtroom
· 2:00—The Rifles of Fort Smith Weapons Demonstration at North Parade Ground
· 2:30—Civil War Artillery Demonstration at North Parade Ground
· 3:00—‘Running at the Heads’ Cavalry Demonstration on South Parade Ground
· 3:30—Civil War Musket Demonstration at North Parade Ground
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