Things are coming together for the second annual Hay Days, a Bella Vista community festival that will be held Friday and Saturday at the Arts and Crafts Festival grounds at Forest Hills Boulevard near Rogers Road.
"Everything is set," said Tom Wooters, chairman of the event. "There are things to do for people of all ages."
Hay Day Schedule
Friday, Sept. 19
5 to 7:30 p.m. — Kids’ games
5 to 8 p.m. — Food pavilion
5:30 p.m. — Bingo
5 to 6:10 p.m. — Keith Nicholson Trio (blues)
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Brian Odle and Hillbilly Underground (country)
Saturday, Sept. 20
All Day — Arkansas Game and Fish traveling aquarium, antique tractor show, inflatable games and face painting
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Bella Vista Public Safety Day
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Kids’ Fly Tyers casting contest
10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. — Earthshakers Junior Gearheads Spark Plug Challenge
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Kids’ woodcarving
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Department of Conservation aquarium
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. — Kids’ games, face painting, train rides and fish pond
11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. — Food pavilion
11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Wiener Takes All dog races
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. — Open car show
Noon to 3 p.m. — Kids’ pony rides
1 to 3:30 p.m. — Marshall Mitchell, the singing cowboy
2:30 p.m. — 5K Walk for Charities
3:30 to 4:45 p.m. — Jeff Fox and the Man on the Wall (folk music)
4:30 p.m. — Bingo
5:30 to 7:30 p.m. — Joe Giles and the Homewreckers (’60s and ’70s rock)
More than 100 volunteers are involved with putting on the two-day event, he said. All the proceeds from the event benefit children charities in northwest Arkansas.
Hay Days was moved back two weeks this year because of the hot weather a year ago, said Wooters, who is hoping for cooler weather this time around. Last year's event attracted more than 5,000 people during the two-day run, and he wants to top that number this year.
Wooters said the Hay Days website -- www.bvhaydays.com -- has seen an increased amount of traffic the past couple of weeks.
Hay Days activities include the annual Weiner Takes All dog races, Bella Vista Public Safety Day, lots of kids' activities, a charity 5K walk, concerts, an open car and bike show, bingo and food.
Wooters said Public Safety Day will be a lot bigger than last year since it won't conflict with Bentonville's Public Safety Day.
In addition to the car and bike show, the Northwest Arkansas Antique Tractor group will be bringing three semitrailers full of antique tractors.
Saturday is the main day for kids' activities, Wooters said. All the activities are free.
The Bella Fly Tyers will have a casting contest for the kids as well as a fishing pond, he said. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will have its traveling aquarium at Hay Days as well.
The Bella Vista Woodcravers will set up a table where kids can carve a piece of soap.
The Cooper Community 4-H Club will have a spark plug changing contest for kids with prizes, Wooters said.
There will be pony rides as well as a lot of inflatable toys, including a giant slide, a bouncy house and an obstacle course.
The Bella Vista Sunrise Rotary and Kiwanis clubs, along with the Cooper Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, will be serving food both days of the event, he said.
On Friday, ribs will be featured along with brats and hot dogs. Saturday's menu will feature brats and hot dogs as well as ribs . Blue Bunny will have an ice cream wagon on site, the Cooper 4-H'ers will provide popcorn and a local church will be serving snowcones.
Band concerts play a major role at Hay Days, Wooters said. There will be concerts both days. Those attending the shows are asked to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.
The Keith Nicholson Trio, an Americana-folk trio, will be the opening act at 5 p.m. Friday on the concert stage at the east end of the fairgrounds. At 6:30 p.m., Brian Odle and Hillbilly Underground will play country music hits.
On Saturday, the music begins 1 p.m. with singing cowboy Marshall Mitchell, whose music is geared to children. He will perform in the kids' arena.
At 3:30 p.m., the Jeff Fox Band will perform Americana and folk music. Joe Giles and the Homewreckers will close out Hay Days at 5:30 p.m. with their classic 1960s and '70s rock music.
General News on 09/17/2014