Artosphere art & nature festival returns in May

Trail Mix Concert / Courtesy photo

Spring is springing, the weather is warming, and Walton Arts Center’s annual art and nature festival will be back for another season.

The Artosphere Festival runs May 4-27 at several locations across the region.

This year’s event includes the return of the full Artosphere Festival Orchestra – a regular feature that had been suspended the last few years because of the pandemic. Also scheduled are the AFO “Off the Grid” shows featuring pop-up performances with orchestra members at unexpected places around town, along with the popular Trail Mix series of concerts along the trail system. A visual arts show curated by Fayetteville artist Kathy Thompson is planned, as well as indie films at the Walton Arts Center, performances by legendary Fayetteville acts such as Trout Fishing in America and The Cate Brothers, and more.

All events are inspired by elements of the natural world, and are intended to provide a creative framework for the community to discuss issues of sustainability and environmental awareness.

The festival kicks off on May 4 with a performance by local duo, Trout Fishing in America, at Botanical Garden of the Ozarks. It’s a free show.

The Trail Mix Concert series of performances along the Razorback Greenway is set for May 6. The lineup of performers for this year’s trail concerts will be released at a later date, officials said.

The legendary Cate Brothers will perform at Railyard Live in Rogers on May 6, and local favorites Funk Factory will play that same venue the next day as part of the festival.

Live from Crystal Bridges: Mozart in the Museum, featuring the Artosphere Festival Orchestra, is set for May 19, and the AFO will also be together in Fayetteville for a performance of An Evening of Strauss & Stravinsky on May 27 at Walton Arts Center.

For more information, including the full lineup of programming for this year’s Artosphere Festival, visit waltonartscenter.org/artosphere.