The City of Arkadelphia is encouraging residents to “Leap Into 2024” with the release of its 2024 special events calendar.
City officials announced the 2024 calendar at a “Leap Into 2024 Luncheon,” an appreciation event for area sponsors. This is the first year-long events calendar city officials have released since forming its special events department in 2020.
“We’ve always executed the events we planned to do throughout the years, but it took time to curate a calendar of events our community would love and look forward to from year to year,” City Manager Gary Brinkley said. “The 2024 calendar is a reflection of all the work that’s been done over the past 3 years that has prepared us for where we are today.”
The calendar features a mix of new and recurring events, ranging from festivals and family-fun nights to 5K’s and movie showings. Recurring events include the Cinco de Mayo (known as the May 4th Fiesta for 2024), the End of Summer Blowout (August 10) and the Arkadelphia Festival of the Arts (October 11 -12). The city’s summer movie series will return as an indoor movie series known as “Movies at the Rec.”
“Our outdoor summer movies series started during the [COVID-19] pandemic as a way to give people something safe and fun to do,” City Manager Brinkley said. “Now that we no longer have to be 6-feet apart, we can move the event inside – out of the heat and away from the bugs – which is something residents have been asking us to do.”
Movies at the Rec will be held on the first Friday of each month in June, July and August.
New events on the 2024 calendar include a pop-up event on April 18, a 3-week event series with the Clark County Farmers Market, an aviation event at the airport and a new holiday light display on Feaster Trail. The city will also be hosting a “Badger Tailgate” in November to celebrate Arkadelphia High School’s fall sports teams and the end of the regular football season.
City officials formed a special events department in 2020 with the passing of the Move Arkadelphia Forward tax initiative. The department was unable to host large public gatherings for almost 18 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Creating a sense of community during a time you had to be 6 feet apart was incredibly challenging, but absolutely necessary,” City Manager Brinkley said. “It’s hard to believe that’s where our special events department started. We are incredibly proud of where the department is now and excited for our 2024 calendar.”
2024 calendars can be downloaded from the city’s website, https://arkadelphia.gov.