Visit a Spring town
Your options this weekend: Jump into the thick of it…the annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ festival in Fayetteville, or try and get away from it. In the latter category here are a few options.
Head to Eureka Springs. However, don’t think you’ll be getting away from the bikes, you won’t. They’ll be there, too, but in fewer numbers. We don’t have to tell you that fall is the best time to be in the quaint Ozark hamlet just for strolling. But in addition, a couple of special events are also on tap this weekend.
Little Rock’s Red Octopus theater group will be at Eureka Live, at 35 N. Main St. for a 9 p.m. performance Saturday. Founded in 1991, the theater company specializes in original adult themed sketches and comedies. For the Saturday show, they’ll be doing their newest production, “Bad Company’s Comin.” Red Octopus delves into all things political, social, satirical and just plain inane. For tickets and information call (479) 253-7020.
Also happening in Eureka this weekend is the third annual artist studio tour. The self-guided tour begins today with a “Meet the Artists” reception at the Carnegie Public Library Annex from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The tours will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Guidebooks and maps are available at, Keels Creek Winery and Art Gallery, The Auditorium and Visitors Information Center or go to eurekaspringsstudiotour.com.
The Cherokee Red Star Dance and Pow Wow with gourd dance exhibitions and competitions will be at Blue Springs in Eureka on Friday and Saturday. For more information go to redstargourd.com.
While we’ve got you on the hook about Eureka, next weekend will be the big Coalescnce Festival. This event will focus on consciousness, music, health and more. The keynote speaker will be theoretical physicist Fred Alan Wolf, who is best known for his role in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know? The festival is described by organizer Corey Call as “uplifting the vibration of the planet with three days of music, health and consciousness.” The event begins at 3 p.m. Oct. 3. Check out next week’s Free Weekly or go to. coalessencefest.com for more details.
If Eureka Springs is even more action than you want this weekend, head for Cave Springs for the “Red, White & You” Cave Springs Days Fall Festival.
The festival kicks-off on at 5 p.m. Friday with a BBQ dinner and gospel music at the Community Building. Saturday morning there will be a pancake breakfast at the Fire Station from 6 to 10 a.m. At 11 will be a parade, followed by a dog show at noon. There will also be pageants, entertainment, a car show, bingo and of course, food. Cave Springs is one of the small communities that keeps the Ozarks charming. Check it out.
And a heads-up on another festival happening next week — the Twist of Green Festival happening Oct. 3-5 in downtown Fayetteville. This new festival will offer ideas on living green and will also be a lot of fun. Longtime Arkansas favorites The Greasy Greens have been booked for the Green Bean Ball. For info check out next week’s Free Weekly or go to twistofgreen.org.
Allman Brothers Band
Although the players may have changed, the music’s still the same. We’re talking about the legendary Allman Brothers Band who will be playing the Tyson Track Center on Friday night as part of Bikes, Blues & BBQ.
Led by Gregg Allman on vocals and Hammond B-3, the band includes Butch Trucks, Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johansen, along with Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule), Derek Trucks (Derek Trucks Band, Eric Clapton), Marc Quinones (Willie Colon, David Byrne, Marc Anthony) and Oteil Burbridge (Oteil and the Peacemakers, Aquarium Rescue Unit).
Formed in 1969, the band was led by brothers Gregg Allman and the late Duane Allman — who died in a motorcycle accident —along with current band members Butch Trucks and Jaimoe and former band members Dickey Betts and the late Berry Oakley, who was also killed in a motorcycle accident.
The Allman Brothers Band took rock music on a new path, with hard hitting guitars and their hard southern rock style that made history and earned them a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Duane Allman is known as one of the best guitarist ever. In the original band, he and Dickey Betts crafted a unique twin lead guitar style that has been copied many times over, rewriting the rulebook on rock guitar. Ably taking their place in the current ABB line up are Haynes and Derek Trucks.
It’s time…eat a peach.
If you can’t spring for the $40 plus for a ticket to the Allman Brothers, you can have a bang up time with the Lee Boys who are returning to BB&Q. This rockin’ outfit will play a free concert at 8:45 p.m. Friday night on the Dickson Street Stage and there’s no buts about it, they’ll have you dancin’.
Bikes, Blues & BBQ
Bikes, Blues & BBQ, the event that brings thousands of motorcycles to Fayetteville revved up on Wednesday and runs through Saturday night.
The event is headquartered at the Walton Arts Center on Dickson Street and there are two activity centers this year: the parking lot at the corner of Dickson Street and West Avenue and the Tyson Track Center on 15th Street between South Razorback Road and South Beechwood Avenue. Both areas will have vendors, beer gardens and an outdoor music stage. Vendor booths open at 10 a.m. daily.
The headlining concert with the Allman Brothers Band will be Friday night inside the Track Center. Tickets are $42.50 and are available at Rally Headquarters at the Walton Arts Center, Sound Warehouse in downtown or online at tcbconcerts.com. See Highlights on page 15 for info on the band.
The Track Center area will also be the site of the BBQ contest, where people can sample and vote for their favorites beginning at 6:30 p.m. Friday night at the east parking lot of Baum Stadium. The official judging takes place Saturday.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, the Battle of the Bikes competition begins at the Track Center. After the winners are announced at 3 p.m. the bikes will be lining up for the Parade of Power.
The bike parade will begin on 15th Street at South Beechwood Avenue, travel north on Razorback Road to Maple Street to the UA campus, turn south on Garland Avenue traveling through campus to Dickson Street and then to College Avenue, where the parade will head back south following Archibald Yell Boulevard and School Avenue to 15th Street to the Track Center. The Parade of Power usually last 30 or 40 minutes.
For complete information, including information and maps of local rides, pick up a copy of the Rally News magazine or the Pocket Guide at area hotels or at the event.
In addition to music on the outdoor stages, local clubs have lined up full slates during the festival. Here’s the outdoor music schedule.
Today
Track Center
2 -10 p.m. Beer Garden open
4 – 8 p.m. Kids Zone open
Music Stage
4 p.m. Twosome Trio
6 p.m. Cousin Eddy
Dickson Street
2 p.m. – Midnight Beer Garden open
Music Stage
4 p.m. Lil Hogin
6 p.m. Thanks for Nothing
8 p.m. Rev. Payton’s Big Damn Band
10 p.m. Michael Burks
10 p.m. Ms. Bikes, Blues & BBQ preliminary at George’s Majestic Lounge
Friday
Track Center
1 p.m. Jeff Pratt
2:15 p.m. Foxy
3:30 p.m. Polar Bear Eruption
5 p.m. Thanks for Nothing
6:30 p.m. Leah and the Mojo Doctors
Dickson Street
Noon Gary & John
2 p.m. TJ Scarlett Band
3:30 p.m. Taken with Daryl Brooks
5:15 p.m. Bel Aires
7 p.m. Big Un’s
8:45 p.m. Lee Boys
10:30 The Groove Hogs
Saturday
Track Center
Noon Gary & John
1:30 p.m. The Honkies
3 p.m. Another Fine Mess
4:15 p.m. Robert Hatfield Blues Band
6 p.m. The Groove Hogs
Dickson Street
Noon JCBC Blues Duo
1:30 p.m. Leah & The Mojo Doctors
3 p.m. Dave Stiles Band
4:15 p.m. Joe Giles & the Homewreckers
6 p.m. Oreo Blue
7:45 p.m. Steve Pryor
9:15 p.m. Nace Brothers
10:45 p.m. Big Bad Bubba
12:15 a.m. Miss Bikes, Blues & BBQ finals
