BATESVILLE — A Batesville tradition that spans several generations will soon make its return.
The 73rd annual White River Water Carnival will take place at Batesville’s Riverside Park on Aug. 27. The free festival will include a car show, the Kidzone, a parade, music performances and more.
“The Water Carnival is a chance for Batesville and the surrounding area to show itself off, show its talents off, show our talent to everybody, and then also bring the entire community together in a way to get people outside and get them to do something in their own community,” said Kyle Christopher, tourism director at the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce. “It gives them an activity, and making it free opens it up to everybody.”
Jamie Rayford, chief operating officer for the chamber, and Christopher said tradition keeps the spirit of the White River Water Carnival alive.
“It is a time-honored tradition in our community,” said Rayford, a Rector native who first attended the festival four years ago. “Everyone knows what time of year it is. It brings about a lot of nostalgia. People can remember when certain things were affiliated with it; they can tell you when things changed with it. There’s just a lot of history.”
About 10,000 people typically attend the White River Water Carnival each year. Festivalgoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or a blanket, and to make a picnic out of the event, which will also include food and drink vendors.
Christopher said changes to the carnival’s Kidzone will strengthen the event’s family-friendly offerings. Beginning last year, the carnival has included more attractions for youths, elementary-school age through high-school age. The Kidzone, which requires purchased tokens to enter, will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Through Friday, the chamber will sell 15 tokens for $10.
“We pick rides that you don’t typically find at your typical county fair,” he said. “So it’s new things for kids, like the rock wall, zip line, laser tag. It’s things that kids don’t get to do but maybe once a year.”
The annual carnival parade will begin on Chaney Drive, which is along Riverside Park.
“The intentions of that was to keep the crowd in one location instead of splitting it up,” he said. “We found we’ve had a much better experience keeping everybody together at Riverside Park, where all the events are.”
The theme of this year’s parade is “Boatin’ Down the White.”
“People’s favorite way to navigate the White River — that’s what their floats will be themed as,” Rayford said.
Rayford said the White River Carnival has never included as much music as it will this year. Acts such as the Alicia Williams Band, the Lyon College Pipe Band and the Roadshow Band will perform. In past years, music acts would take place in various locations at the same time as other carnival events, such as the car show, but the chamber has aimed to cease that kind of scheduling.
“In the past, entertainment was decentralized and happening at the same time,” Rayford said. “This year, we made a big focus to bring everything back to the main stage.”
The carnival’s music headliner is Backroad Anthem, a Fayetteville-based band that lost member Craig Strickland in a boating accident last December in Oklahoma. Backroad Anthem will take the stage at 7:30 p.m.
“We’re hoping that a lot of people come out and show support for their revival,” Rayford said.
Rayford said the best aspect of the carnival is the number of activities a family can participate in during the event.
“There’s just so many different things and ways to spend time with your family and your loved ones during the day,” she said. “It’s just a place to make memories, and we’re proud of that.”
For more information, visit www.mybatesville.org. To volunteer with the carnival, email tourism@mybatesville.org.
Staff writer Syd Hayman can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or shayman@arkansasonline.com.