By EMMA MILNER | City of Arkadelphia

ARKADELPHIA — The second annual Arkadelphia Festival of the Arts (AFOTA) is set for this weekend and features a variety of new attractions — including football.

Friday, September 23, Arkadelphia High School’s football game against Nashville will be live streamed on the jumbo screen at the Arkadelphia Festival of the Arts.

“This year, we really wanted to focus on incorporating [Arkadelphia High School, Ouachita Baptist University, Henderson State University] into the festival,” Arkadelphia City Manager Gary Brinkley said. “Streaming the game is just one way we’re featuring the Badgers. We’re excited to cheer them on, and showcase our Badger Pride throughout the weekend and beyond.”

In addition to streaming the game Friday night, the AHS varsity cheer team will be performing at the festival on Saturday, along with Ouachita’s cheer team, and Henderson’s pom team. The groups will be performing throughout the day on the Hostess Brands stage. A performance schedule can be found on the AFOTA website.

Another new feature of the festival is a live art demonstration on Artist Row, sponsored by Southern Bancorp and The Ross Foundation. A muralist will be creating a custom piece on the former Sav-U-Mor building throughout the weekend. The design of the new mural has not been disclosed to the public, but it is intended to highlight the community in an artistic way.

Artist Row will open at noon on Friday. Live music and food will begin at 5 p.m. The Badgers kickoff is at 7 p.m.

To view the full schedule for this weekend, visit https://arkadelphiafestivalofthearts.org/.