Before we get started, we wanted to give a big thanks go out to our generous community partners including Walmart, the City of Bentonville, Visit Bentonville, The Walmart Museum, and the Walton Family Foundation.

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Here’s what you can expect from July First Friday fueled by ZOA Energy!

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1. The theme: The Great Outdoors.

Bentonville is known for its natural beauty, hiking trails, waterfalls, and, of course, its reputation for being the Mountain Biking Capital Of The World. July’s First Friday will be an exhibition of all of the wonderful outdoor activities that our area has to offer.

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2. Nothing says the GREAT OUTDOORS better than S’mores! Introducing July’s First Friday Sponsor: The Hershey Company

The Hershey Company is excited to bring s’mores to Downtown Bentonville!

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Guests will enjoy an immersive S’mores experience along with music, a photo booth, and giveaways. You can choose to either make your own delicious s'more or pick one up that is premade!

The First Friday Great Outdoors featuring S’mores will help you gear up for National S’mores Day (August 10th) with the classic, ooey, gooey treat with three simple ingredients and dozens of sweet memories.

#MakeSmoreMemories this season over the fire, in the kitchen, and anywhere your family and friends find one another.

3. Here are the vendors and activities this month that are bringing the GREAT OUTDOORS experience to the square:

• Ozark Axe House: Get ready to become an axe-pert thrower! Join OAH at their mobile trailer, try out your best throw, and prepare for an experience unlike any other.

• Ozark Natural Science Center: Will have interactive educational items, including a live snake ambassador, as well as various natural objects, and "No See 'Um" boxes.
• NWA Space: Simple Machines are basic mechanical devices for applying a force and doing work. More complex machines are made up of a bunch of simple machines. One great place to look for simple machines is in the Great Outdoors.

• If you put two inclined planes back to back, you get a wedge. A wedge is a simple machine used to push two objects apart. Another use for a wedge is to slice air or water to make vehicles more aerodynamic.
• NWA  will have a tabletop activity, exploring wedges, and how they are important to multiple different modes of transportation.

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Other fun outdoor vendors that you can expect to see:

JUNK Brands

Outdoor Cap

Swim OZ

37 North Expeditions

Moosejaw

Benton County Search and Rescue

Bentonville Bicycle Company

Berger Bee Farm

boot-scootin’

4.  Yoga on the Square!

Starting at 12:00 PM, our friends at Yoga Story Bentonville will host a complimentary yoga class. All ages and levels are welcome to attend! Bring your own mat and water bottle.

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5. First Friday Country Fest on the AVAD3 Mainstage

Dust off those cowboy boots, break out the hats, and get ready to dance the night away! We’ve got a boot-scootin’ good time planned for First Friday guests of all ages. Read on for the lineup…

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National Anthem by Erin Detherage                 4:50 - 5:00 PM

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“Bentonville’s Got Talent Winner” Gavin Sumrall 5:00 - 5:45 PM

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A&E Music                                                        6:00 - 7:00 PM

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Community Country Line Dance Lessons with Diane

• Teaching “Not Your Mama’s 2-Step” and “Hog Wild” 7:00 - 7:30

Headliner: DAVID ADAM BYRNES                       7:30 - 9:00

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Welcome to the stage!

Our July First Friday EMCEE is….

Former Arkansas Razorback football great DJ Williams!

DJ played for the Hogs from 2007 to 2010.  Following his senior season, DJ won the Mackey Award, given to the top Tight End in the country.  DJ also won the 2010 Disney Spirit Award, given to a player who is the most inspirational in college football.

In 2011 DJ was drafted by the Green Bay Packers.  He played for several teams during his time in the NFL.  He currently is a Real Estate Agent and a local television anchor in Little Rock.

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6. First Friday Neighborhoods: First Fridays in 2023 are bigger, better, and easier to navigate by being divided into 4 sections called “Neighborhoods” - Engaging, Creating, Welcoming, and Belonging. Read on to learn more.

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Engaging sponsored by Bentonville Acupuncture:

Our “Engaging” Neighborhood will feature a variety of interactive, interesting, and entertaining action.  Vendors and activities will be located on 2nd Street.

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Creating sponsored by McClarty Daniel: Stroll up NE A Street to visit the “Creating” Neighborhood. The booths will include some of Bentonville’s most talented artists and makers. As well as an interactive craft for the whole family.

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Welcoming sponsored by NW Orthodontics: Continuing over to SE Main Street is the portal to our “Welcoming” neighborhood. This neighborhood is where you’ll find family and kid-focused vendors, games, and activities including Segway, the NWA Rolling Video Game Truck, and Gel Blaster!  

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Belonging sponsored by Lifewater International: Our final neighborhood is the “Belonging” neighborhood which can be found on NW Main St. It will include vendors and booths from groups that make up our unique Bentonville community. And of course all our pets!

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7.  The Schmieding Foundation Inc. presents Sensory Alley

• First Friday is a large, loud event that can be overstimulating.
• The Schmieding Foundation Inc.’s Sensory Alley is an inclusive space for individuals who experience barriers in attending First Friday.
• DBI and The Schmieding Foundation Inc. want all individuals who experience these barriers to have a safe and inclusive space inside the First Friday footprint in order to attend and enjoy First Friday.
• Sensory Alley is a drop-in, cool-down space. To ensure a safe and inclusive space, all individuals requiring support must be accompanied by a family member/caregiver while visiting the space.

The July Sensory Alley will be hosted by our friends at Social Space ABA Therapy.

Sensory Alley is generously funded by The Schmieding Foundation Incorporated.

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8. Yummy Food Trucks

Food Trucks will be open starting at 11:00 AM for lunch on the square! They will continue to be open until the event wraps at 9:00 PM. Here’s the full food-truck lineup:

• Cacahuzintle
• Carsten Concessions
• Downtown Dawgs
• Kona Ice of Bentonville & Fayetteville
• Monster Food Truck
• Steak & Taters Food Truck
• The Smackin Shack
• Wicked Wood Fired Pizza

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9. First Friday Kids Zone hosted by FBC Bentonville.  

Behind Studio 412 on Main St, FBC hosts a free, fun kids zone. Bouncy house, slides and more!

10. Now let’s talk parking.

We want to offer as much guidance as possible when it comes to parking downtown because we know it can get tricky.

Please remember that roads directly around the Bentonville Square will be closed to accommodate the crowds.  

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Follow this link to a virtual map courtesy of our friends at Visit Bentonville.

https://www.visitbentonville.com/wander-map/

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As always, we recommend carpooling with your friends and family.

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11. Event Hours

The full First Friday fun will officially start at 3:00 PM and run until 9:00 PM.

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Please be advised and be respectful of downtown street closures during this time.  

We’re all in this together!

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12. Share your photos with us & follow along.

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@DowntownBentonville is the official social media account for Downtown Bentonville Inc.  We’ll post all event updates on our accounts first, so follow us for the latest news and be sure to check out our stories for fun sneak peeks.  

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If you attend First Friday, fueled by ZOA Energy, make sure to tag us on Instagram at @downtownbentonville for a chance to be featured on our channel.