For 111 years now, Tontitown, Arkansas has been celebrating grapes, spaghetti and sweltering heat like no other city in the world. Except for maybe Grapeghetti, AZ*.
Yes, it’s time once again for the Tontitown Grape Festival.
Every year, thousands of Northwest Arkansans gather to ride The Hustler, lose tons of quarters, eat gigantic plates of pasta and to celebrate the crowning of Queen Concordia.
Awesome.
Although this year’s crowning ceremony won’t feature a new UA head coach (it’s Rick Schaeffer), word on the street is that a new carnival company has been brought in to spice things up a bit. Anyone wanna take one for the team and give us a ride review?
Things actually kicked off at 4:30pm Tuesday but if you’re just now remembering the festival, don’t worry, it lasts until Saturday. And if it’s spaghetti you’re in need of, you’ve still got until Thursday before they start filling up the paper plates.
Ever wondered about the history of Tontitown? If so, make sure to pick up a copy of Susan Young’s book while you’re there. Susan is the outreach coordinator of the Shiloh Museum in Springdale and her book, “So Big, This Little Place: The Founding of Tontitown, Arkansas, 1898-1917” has over 100 photos and a register of some of Tontitown’s earliest Italian families.
For a full schedule of events, look no further than about 20 pixels below:
Tuesday, August 4
4:30pm – Midnight – Carnival (armband night)
7pm – 9pm – Grape Stomp
7pm – Music: Kelly Road
9pm – Music: CMT’s Joey + Rory
Wednesday, August 5
4:30pm – Midnight – Carnival (armband night)
7pm – 9pm – Grape Stomp
7pm – Music: Meagan White & Company
9pm – Music: Highway 101
Thursday, August 6
9am – 9pm – Used book sale
1pm – 4pm – Open museum
3pm – 10pm – Arts and crafts fair
4pm to 10pm – Book signing: Susan Young
4:30pm – Midnight – Carnival (armband night)
4:30pm – 8:30pm – Italian spaghetti dinner
7pm – Music: Jason Strode & On the Run
9pm – Music: Mark Wills
Friday, August 7
9am – 9pm – Used book sale
10am – 7pm – Open museum
3pm – 10pm – Arts and crafts fair
4pm – 10pm – Book signing: Susan Young
4:30pm – Midnight – Carnival
4:30pm – 8:30pm – Italian spaghetti dinner
7pm – Music: Maud Crawford
9pm – Crowning of the Queen Concordia (by Rick Schaeffer)
9:30pm – Music: The Paul Amstutz Band
Saturday, August 8
7am – Run for the Grapes 5K run/walk
8am – Run for the Grapes kids fun run
9am – 9pm – Used book sale
10am – 7pm – Open museum
10am – 10pm – Arts and crafts fair
2pm – Anticipated holy mass for Sunday obligation
4pm – 10pm – Book signing: Susan Young
4:30pm – Midnight – Carnival rides
6pm – Music: Kyla Horton
7pm – Music: One Night Stand
9pm – Music: Ty Herndon
11pm – Grand Prize presentation by 2009’s Queen Concordia
* There is no such thing as Grapeghetti, AZ.
