Saturday, October 4, 2025
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.Some highlights are:
- Historical reenactments
- Free trolley rides (Courtesy Main Street Fort Smith)
- Activities for the whole family
- Free admission to local museums and historic sites
- Food trucks
- Tons of vendors
- Live MusicDate: Saturday, October 4
Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Participating Organizations
An event as big as the Fort Smith Fall Festival takes a ton of coordination and collaboration between multiple organizations.Here is a list of participating organizations for 2025!
Kids Zone
FREE ADMISSION
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
200 Garrison AveBring the whole family to Pendergraft Park for a full day of kid-friendly fun! Kids can bounce and play on inflatables (including a bounce house and bigger-kid attractions), get creative with arts & crafts, and enjoy face painting, temporary tattoos, and hands-on activities
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 from 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.
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—School of the Soldier: Musket Drill Children’s Program
· 11:30—Civil War Artillery Demonstration at North Parade Ground
· 12:00—‘Running at the Heads’: Cavalry Demonstration at South Parade Ground
· 1:00—You Be The Judge! Kid's Court Photo Booth
· 2:00—The Rifles of Fort Smith: Historic Weapons Demonstrations 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 Artillery 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
Check out the map above for parking information, trolley stops, and all the participating locations.
National Historic Site
FREE ADMISSION
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
301 Parker AveExperience history like never before with dozens of living history encampments and a military timeline spanning from 1817 through World War II.Highlights include:- Belle Starr Trial Reenactment
- Horseback cavalry demonstrations
- Civil War artillery firings
- Kids Zone with activities, crafts, and programs in partnership with the Choctaw Nation and U.S. Marshals Museum
- Dozens of vendors and food trucks between the park and the Fort Smith Museum of HistoryEvent Schedule
10:00 AM – Belle Starr Trial Reenactment
11:00 AM – School of the Soldier: Musket Drill Children’s Program
11:30 AM – Civil War Artillery Demonstration (North Parade Ground)
12:00 PM – Running at the Heads: Cavalry Demonstration (South Parade Ground)
1:00 PM – You Be The Judge! Kid's Court Photo Booth
2:00 PM – The Rifles of Fort Smith: Historic Weapons Demonstrations (North Parade Ground)
2:30 PM – Civil War Artillery Demonstration (North Parade Ground)
3:00 PM – Running at the Heads: Cavalry Demonstration (South Parade Ground)
3:30 PM – Civil War Artillery Demonstration (North Parade Ground)
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.Park near one of the seven trolley bus stops, then take the trolley bus to each location,Additionally, free streetcar (cablecar) trolley rides will be provided courtesy of Main Street Fort Smith!
Food
Come hungry to this year's Fall Festival!Food Trucks will be located on 3rd St between Garrison Ave and Rogers Ave.FULL LIST OF FOOD VENDORS COMING SOONAlso, be sure to grab some free food at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum and top it all off with a build-your-own sundae bar at the Fort Smith Museum of History!
Harvest Market & Vendor Fair
Be sure to check out the vendors at the Harvest Market located between 3rd & Garrison and 5th & Rogers!Artisans and craftsmen from all over the region will be participating.
Clayton House
FREE ADMISSION
11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
514 N 6th StJoin us at The Clayton House as we celebrate Judge Clayton's birthday during this year's Fall Festival.This is a free event and fun for the whole family with cookies, lawn games, story time with Mrs. Clayton, and craft activities.
Miss Laura's Brothel Museum
FREE ADMISSION
Open from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
2 N B St.Step back in time at Miss Laura’s with free admission all day and a 10% discount in the gift shop. Staff will be dressed in 1930s-era attire, adding to the historic charm. Plus, enjoy tasty bites from food trucks in the parking lot (full list coming soon!)FREE SCREENINGS of Emmy-nominated short film, “Step Into Miss Laura’s,” by Mad Possum Pictures, with tours to follow.
Fort Smith Regional Art Museum (RAM)
FREE ADMISSION
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
1601 Rogers AveSponsored by ACHE and BHC InsuranceGet ready for a wonder'fall' time this year at our annual RAM Fall Family Day!Join us Saturday, October 4, from 10 am – 3 pm for FREE hot dogs, goodie bags, chalk art, photo op, and 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)
US Marshals Museum
FREE ADMISSION
10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
789 Riverfront DrEnjoy Free Admission at the U.S. Marshals Museum during the Fort Smith Fall Festival. Stop in and explore our galleries, discover the tales of legendary lawmen, and soak up the history!Then, make your way to the Fort Smith National Historic Site Visitor Center (301 Parker Ave.) from 10 AM–4 PM for our offsite children’s program, “The Lawman’s Satchel.” Kids can create a marshal badge, design a western town map, and assemble an outlaw case file, then pack it all into a special take-home satchel. History, hands-on fun, and a whole lot of adventure, don’t miss it!
Fort Smith Museum of History
FREE ADMISSION
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
320 Rogers AveJoin us at the Fort Smith Museum of History from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. with free admission for all.11:00 a.m. – Author Mark Archuleta presents The Reel Thrilling Events of Bank Robber Henry Starr, followed by a book signing. He’ll also be in the lobby throughout the day, selling and signing copies.1:00 p.m. – Don’t miss the Trial of Belle Starr reenactment.All day – Roaming reenactors bring history to life throughout the museum.Treat yourself at the $5 build-your-own sundae bar!
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