Home
ABOUT
EVENTS
APPLY
Explore
DWTN
NEWS
GIVE
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.
Here’s what you can expect from June First Friday fueled by ZOA!
Art Fest will be a festival for all of your five senses! Smell, sound, sight, touch, and taste!
Smell: Leatherwork, homemade soaps, and spices.
Sound: Custom chimes, musical instruments, and artisans at work. Plus, a live DJ Experience on our AVAD3 Main Stage.
Sight: Over 80 artists and craftspeople will join us at Art Fest. Painters, leatherworkers, woodworkers, potters, candlemakers, photographers, jewelry-makers. Cool eclectic artwork and designs will weave their way all throughout Downtown Bentonville.
Enjoy live paintings and speak and learn from local artists!
Touch: Join Better Homes and Gardens-Journey center-square for handprint pairing, get a customized henna tattoo, or wander the footprint for other, fun, hands-on craft and art experiences.
Taste: Delight your taste buds at one of our many food trucks and visit our sponsor, The Hershey Company, as they celebrate National Candy Month.
The Hershey Company is excited to bring a street art flair to Bentonville’s First Friday Art Fest on June 2nd. With the Month of June being National Candy Month, The Hershey Company is excited to showcase its iconic brands and bring more moments of goodness to Downtown Bentonville!
Inside the Hershey immersive experience, guests will be able to show off their creative skills by collaborating to develop a one-of-a-kind art piece, take-home coloring pages, and have the opportunity to be drawn by a caricature artist.
Show off your good side at the Hershey photo booth and take pictures with the Hershey iconic brands that will be dispersed throughout the square. For our competitive folks, hit the lawn games and challenge a friend to a game of cornhole. And don’t forget to take home some pretty sweet (no pun intended!) giveaways, including candy and more!
M. Bolez 5:00-5:50
M.Bolez is a Northwest Arkansas-based Electronic Dance Music Producer & DJ, who focuses on Hip Hop, House, and Bass Music with his original production, remixes, edits, and DJ sets.
Allen.MP3 6:00-6:50
Get ready to raise the roof and for an unforgettable experience! Dance the night away with DJ Allen.MP3’s EDM - Rap/ Hip Hop - Throwbacks- House Remixes…what more could you ask for?
DJ Afrosia 7:00-9:00
“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing people free
themselves on a dance floor. Everyone bops to their own vibe and
as a DJ it’s the coolest sight to witness. I’ve never felt more at
peace than when I’m behind the ones and twos. I strive to keep
everyone movin’ and shakin’! You can even bring your ma or pa to
the party because with my set we all kickin’ it like karate!” - DJ Afrosia
Bring a lawn chair, or an outdoor blanket, or use the black Signature Bank chairs that are in the bens by the stage.
That’s right! Kitten Yoga is back for another First Friday. Yoga Story will team up with Mew Cat Rescue at 1:30 pm and 5:00 pm. But hurry, because these classes fill up quickly.
Tickets: $22 (space is limited)
http://Www.yogastory.info/workshops
Join us for Lunch Break at 11 AM. The food trucks will remain on the square until First Friday closes at 9 PM.
Here’s the full food-truck lineup:
K'Zolis LLC
Downtown Dawgs
Cacahuzintle
Carsten Concessions
Arkan-Thaw Ice Shavers
Takashimura hibachi express llc/ Hillbachi Japanese Grill
Steak & Taters Food Truck
Crackerjack Gastro Lab
First Fridays in 2023 are now easier to navigate by being divided into 4 sections called neighborhoods - Engaging, Creating, Welcoming, and Belonging. Read on to learn more.
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.
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.
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!
Belonging sponsored by Lifewater: 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!
The Schmieding Family 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.
Sensory Alley is generously funded by The Schmieding Foundation Incorporated.
Check out last month with our guests from the Amazeum.
Fun Pops will be bringing a 2-day pop-up to Downtown Bentonville. Pun intended. 😉 Starting Thursday morning, 6/1, from 10 AM - 12 PM join Fun Pops at Lawrence Plaza to kick off the fun. Then catch them at the Bentonville Farmers Market on Thursday evening from 5 - 8 PM.
Friday morning Fun Pops will be outside Ledger from 10 AM - 1 PM. So be sure to stop by and walk the ramps! Then get ready for the last stop: June First Friday Art Fest from 3-9 PM.
Behind Studio 412 on Main St, FBC hosts a free, fun kids zone. Bouncy house, slides, and more!
We can’t wait to cheer on all the 2023 GLOW Run participants. Wear your neon, glow attire, and grab a ZOA Energy drink to keep you fueled in the race!
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 Bentonville Square will be closed to accommodate the crowds.
Follow this link to a virtual map courtesy of our friends at Visit Bentonville.
https://www.visitbentonville.com/wander-map/
As always, we recommend carpooling with your friends and family.
- Food Trucks will roll up to the square and be available starting at 11:00 AM for lunch.
- First Fridays will now start at 3:00 PM and run until 9:00 PM.
Please be advised and be respectful of downtown street closures during this time. We’re all in this together!
@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.
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.
