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What To Expect: August First Friday - Capital of Cool

We are thrilled to have Walmart back as our presenting sponsor for the 2025 season. We also want to give a big THANK YOU to our incredible community partners, including the City of Bentonville, Visit Bentonville, and the Walton Family Foundation.

1. AUGUST’s Theme: Capital of Cool

Airplanes, Bikes, Bubbles, Tattoos, Flyovers, The Orbotron, Stilt walkers, Escape Room,  and more! 

August  Presenting Sponsor: Drip Drop will be giving away bottles of Voss water along with packets of Drip Drop. Try samples of Drip Drop to taste at the booth. We will be giving away fans to the first 1000 visitors to help keep them cool.

2. AUGUST’s First Friday Schedule

11:00 - 9:00 PM Food Trucks on the Square

  • Carsten Concessions
  • Downtown Dawgs
  • Kona Ice of Bentonville & Fayetteville
  • Holey Moley Mini Donuts
  • Takashimura Hibachi / Hillbachi Japanese Grill
  • Rolling Taco

12:00 - 1:00 PM: Yoga on the Square with Yoga Story (FREE)

  • Before the First Friday festivities begin, join Yoga Story at noon on the Bentonville Square for a complimentary yoga class. All ages and yoga levels are welcome to attend! Be sure to bring your mat, blanket, towel, and plenty of water.

3:00 - 9:00 PM: First Friday booths officially open! (Giveaways and samples begin at 5:00 PM)

Mainstage Schedule:

4:30 - 4:45 PM Perry Ryan Theater

5:00 - 5:45 PM Thomas Stringfellow

5:50 - 6:40 PM One Penny Shy

6:50 - 7:50 PM Sam and the Silver Linings

8:00 - 9:00 PM Baang

3. First Friday Highlights:

  • Live Mural Painting- Witness muralist Erin Ashcraft paint a Bentonville-themed mural live on the square.  Visit the neighboring Downtown Bentonville Inc. booth for a silent auction to win said mural. The auction will benefit the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
  • What says cool more than an airplane flyover?!  Take a look up at the sky during this First Friday!  FLY OZ will be drawing for a free discovery or scenic flight over NWA, too, so be sure to visit their booth!

4. 2025 First Friday Neighborhoods

Divided into two distinct zones: Venture Village, sponsored by Deep Roots Health Center, and Travelers Trail, sponsored by McLarty Daniel. Each zone will be packed with fun vendors and activity booths for you to explore. Tune into your sense of adventure and community, and get ready for a stellar time!

5. Sensory Alley at August First Friday!

First Friday is a large, loud event that can be overstimulating. Sensory Alley is an inclusive space for individuals who experience barriers in attending First Friday. We 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.

This month, our friends with the Scott Family Amazeum are taking over Sensory Alley with stimulating activities and helping us create a calming environment.

Build, play, and discover with bubbles as we explore science in a hands-on, sensory-friendly way!

6.  Kids Zone at First Baptist Church

Located behind Studio 412 on Main St, FBC hosts a FREE KIDS ZONE including bouncy houses, blow-up slides, yummy waffles on a stick, and so much more!

7. August’s Non-Profit Partner

This season at First Friday, we will have a new non-profit partner each month. August’s non-profit partner is the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. (ACS CAN) They are the advocacy pillar of the American Cancer Society (ACS). ACS CAN empowers cancer patients, survivors, their families, and other experts on the disease, amplifying their voices in public policy matters that are relevant to the cancer community at all levels of government. They mobilize their powerful grassroots network of cancer advocacy volunteers to bring awareness to lawmakers on cancer issues that matter to their constituents.

Community Drive: Each year, they host an event called Lights of Hope to celebrate those whose lives have been impacted by cancer. They display hundreds of Lights of Hope bags, which can easily blow away in the wind. They will be doing a canned food drive! Be sure to bring canned goods to their tent for drop off.

8. All things PARKING 

We want to offer as much guidance as possible when it comes to parking downtown because we know it can get tricky. As our town is growing and developing, we are here to help.

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

Use our NEW, interactive parking map. https://downtownbentonville.org/explore/parking

As always, we recommend carpooling with your friends and family. Arrive in Downtown Bentonville early and explore the many shops and restaurants this sweet town has to offer. To explore more, click the link here.

9. Share your photos with us & follow along.

@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.

Be sure to tag us for a chance to have your photos and videos reshared!

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