Homegrown Festival celebrates autumn

The fifth annual Homegrown Festival in downtown Siloam Springs will celebrate autumn while showcasing local shopping, food and music.

The free event, hosted by Main Street Siloam Springs, is planned for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6. It will include homemade goods and curated vintage items from local vendors, food trucks, live music, a pumpkin patch, photo booth, creative demonstrations and free children's activities.

Live music schedule

10 a.m. — Melody Pond

12 p.m. — Sons of Otis Malone

2 p.m. — Mother Moon

3 p.m. — Ashtyn Barbee

Bands will play on the old mail truck bays at the Phat Tire Bike Shop, formerly the post office.

The festival will extend down S. Broadway Street and East Main Street, and a pumpkin patch will be located in Twin Springs Park. Farmers Market vendors will continue to have their booths in City Park next to the American Legion Community Building.

"We think it's really important to celebrate all things local and handmade," said Kelsey Howard, Main Street director. "It's all in this downtown setting. ... It's a celebration of our community setting as well as the community itself."

Music will be one of many highlights this year, according to Howard. A lineup of four local groups will be playing at the former post office building, which is now Phat Tire Bike Shop.

"The live music alone is a great reason to come on Saturday," she said. "Our four bands will play all day long from a new central location at the Phat Tire Bike Shop, which used to be the post office building. We are opening up the old mail truck bays to turn the loading dock into a quirky outdoor venue in the heart of downtown."

Ben Bergstrom, former member of the The Sons of Otis Malone who moved to Florida, will be flying back to Northwest Arkansas to play with the band for the festival, along with his wife Meredith Bergstrom, former Main Street director. Additional bands include Melody Pond, Mother Moon and Ashtyn Barbee.

Another highlight of this year's festival will be an increase in the number of food trucks, Howard said. All of the food trucks are from Northwest Arkansas, so those who attend the festival will be able to see familiar faces and discover new flavors, she said. Gluten free and vegan options will be available.

"Between the food trucks and the restaurants that are here, people will not leave hungry," Howard said.

Children's activities will continue throughout the entire festival this year, Howard said. Local nonprofits are providing free activities in addition to a bounce house.

DaySpring's Creative Greenhouse will provide hand lettering demonstrations, as well as caricatures and cartoons. The company will also provide a card sending station where attendees will be able to send a card directly from the festival and have the outside decorated with custom hand lettering.

Craft vendors will feature one-of-a-kind or limited-run handmade items or curated vintage goods, Howard said.

"This is a very special festival because you know when you're shopping around, the people you're meeting made this by hand or that it's really special vintage items they've curated that we've juried and vetted as a high quality vendor," Howard said.

Many of the items would make unique Christmas gifts, Howard said.

"This is not only stuff that supports local people and the local economy that you are all a part of but also you can get such thoughtful, personalized gifts for people, all in one place in one day, done," she said. "And then obviously, you can indulge and treat yourself too."

More information about the festival, as well as posts featuring vendors, is available on the event's Facebook page, Homegrown Festival 2018.

General News on 10/03/2018