Annual Festivals & Events
Little Rock is Arkansas’s epicenter for fun. With year-round events and awesome festivals, there is always something new to experience. From music to marathons and food to fairs.
Get out and enjoy Little Rock – Arkansas’s epicenter for fun. With year-round events and awesome local festivals, there's always something new to experience. From music to marathons and food to fairs, you'll find plenty of things to do no matter the season. See why amazing events are better with a Southern accent!
Downtown Little Rock is fortunate to be the home of an incredible breadth of art, culture, and history. From established museums and institutions to individual galleries, every day residents and visitors are treated to a creative environment that expands the mind and warms the soul.
The Little Rock Marathon is nationally touted as the race with the “World’s Largest Finishers Medal.” It takes place in early March with a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K fun run/walk, and the Little Rockers youth marathon. More than 10,000 enthusiasts participate annually.
Little Rock's South Main Street, or SoMa to the locals, is defined by its funky, quirky and care-free vibes. An attitude that is reflected every February by the neighborhood's annual Mardi Gras parade. After the parade, stick around for The Root Cafe's annual Beard Contest judging at the Bernice Garden.
Wildwood’s annual deep-winter festival LANTERNS! celebrates the first full moon of the lunar new year. Held over three magical evenings, guests are transported to faraway lands and times as they stroll through the beautifully lit pathways of Wildwood’s gardens. Cultural vistas feature live entertainment, food, drink, games and more throughout the Park’s Butler Arboretum and inside the Lucy Lockett Cabe Festival Theatre.
Hosted by the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, Barkus on Main is a Mardi Gras-themed parade of pooches. It's way more than a typical dog walk, each year features a beer garden, crawfish boil, beads, beads and more beads, and an after-party of course. Prizes are awarded for Best Pet/Owner Look-a-Like costumes, Most Original, Best Large Breed, Best Float and Judge's Choice. Get more details on the DLRP's website.
The St. Patrick’s Day Parade is put on by the Irish Cultural Society of Arkansas in an effort to reconnect Arkansans with their Irish heritage. The parade starts at the corner of Third & Rock Street in front of Dugan’s Pub in downtown Little Rock and ends at Sixth & Main Street in North Little Rock.
The Six Bridges Book Festival is an annual celebration of literacy, language, and the written word. Sponsored by the Central Arkansas Library System, the festival takes place the third weekend of April with activities for readers and writers of all ages, abilities, and interests.
The Jewish Food and Cultural Festival brings together Jews from throughout the state of Arkansas who take pride in sharing their traditions with the broader community. This free festival includes traditional Jewish foods, entertainment and art created by local Jewish artists. Bring the kids and immerse yourself in Little Rock's Jewish culture.
The International Greek Food Festival is the largest ethnic food festival in Arkansas. More than 10,000 Sourota and 17,000 pieces of Baklava are served during for the three-day annual event. There's an incredible Old World Market featuring unique items from around the world, a full entertainment lineup, kid’s area and church tours.
Pops on the River is an annual event at the First Security Amphitheater each Fourth of July. It is a free event, with a wonderful fireworks display accompanied by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
Main Street Food Truck Festival is a popular annual festival on Main Street in downtown Little Rock that draws more than 60 food trucks, musicians and vendors for a full day of family fun. The food truck cuisine varies from international fare to down home southern cooking. You are sure to find something to tingle the taste buds!
The Big Dam Bridge 100 is Arkansas's largest annual cycling tour offering 100, 68, 50, 32 and 10-mile routes through Central Arkansas and across the Big Dam Bridge. The 4226-foot bridge is one of the longest bridges built for pedestrian and bicycle traffic in North America and connects over 15 miles of scenic riverside trails between Little Rock and North Little Rock. It also serves as the thoroughfare for connecting over 70,000 acres of various city, county, state & federal parks.
Boo at the Zoo, the Little Rock Zoo’s annual Halloween event, offers a safe alternative to trick-or-treating. Thousands of Halloween lights, carnival rides, the Boo Express Haunted Train, and lots of goblins help make the night special.
World Cheese Dip Championship has been recognized both locally and nationally as one of the best food festivals for its family-friendly atmosphere and the delicious cheese dips that are entered into the competition. People enjoy samples of exciting dips and are able to cast their vote to crown the World Cheese Dip Champions. Amateurs and professionals from around the country compete to impress your taste buds!
The Arkansas State Fair attracts more than 400,000 patrons each year. The fair features a livestock show, rodeo, carnival midway and many live musical acts each October. The 10-day event is filled with fun for the whole family.
Big Booseum Bash is an event where families can enjoy a fun and safe Halloween at many area museums that offer trick-or-treating, games, and much more! Pick up a game card at any participating location and collect stamps for visiting each museum, or cultural attraction, to be entered into a grand prize drawing!
The Susan G. Komen More than Pink Walk in Little Rock is one of the largest Komen events in the country, with over 40,000 registered each year.
The Arkansas Cornbread Festival draws thousands to downtown Little Rock each year with music, enticing aromas and the promise of family fun. Bonding over cornbread is a Southern tradition, and once you’ve had a taste of South Main in Little Rock (SoMa), you will come back for more! Vendors display and sell Arkansas art, handmade crafts, clothes, jewelry, home furnishings, locally produced food and gifts of all varieties.
IndiaFest is an event that bridges cultures, generations and communities through one-day of togetherness.
The Big Jingle Jubilee Holiday Parade is held the first Saturday in December in downtown Little Rock. The parade features floats, costumed characters, a band competition and more. After parading through downtown Little Rock, the official holiday lighting ceremony and fireworks display follows at the State Capitol.
The Arkansas Italian Food and Culture Festival celebrates the impact of Italian immigrants on Arkansas history and the influence of Italian culture in Arkansas. Attendees can expect Italian staples such as wine, pasta and cheese as well as live music, craft vendors and a children’s area.
Hosted by Central Arkansas Pride, Little Rock Pride Fest is held each October in conjunction with National LGBTQ History month. Vendors, musicians, and performers abound at this annual festival anchored by a parade through downtown Little Rock.