Fairfield Bay to host month of celebrations

Johnnielynn Pace and her dog Rogan Rae are shown in a kayak that will be part of the Paddle Battle event Sept. 17 at Greers Ferry Lake in Fairfield Bay.
Johnnielynn Pace and her dog Rogan Rae are shown in a kayak that will be part of the Paddle Battle event Sept. 17 at Greers Ferry Lake in Fairfield Bay.

— With a racing competition, a street festival and more taking place this month, Fairfield Bay has plenty to offer both locals and visitors to the area.

Fairfield Bay will present the BayFest Street Festival from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The festival is designed to be a celebration that includes fun for the entire household, including pets.

“Fairfield Bay is a community of camaraderie,” said Dan Feuer, festival chairman. “People love to get out together and do things together. They just enjoy each other’s company.”

Now in its second year, the festival was founded by Feuer and a friend who thought the community could use a celebration to join everyone together at the Fairfield Bay Village Mall, where most of the event’s activities take place. This year, Feuer said, planning for the festival began in May, after the city wrapped up its Blues & BBQ event.

A festival like BayFest “takes a little bit of time” to put together, but people are still interested in getting involved, he said.

“We still have people calling in today wanting to be vendors,” he said.

Though not affiliated with BayFest, the Great Southern Stone Skipping Championships will kick off the day’s activities at 9 a.m. at the Fairfield Bay Marina, 4350 Arkansas 330. The inaugural competition will include Kurt Steiner, who holds the world record for stone skipping with 88 skips. The entry fee for the championship is $10, and proceeds will benefit the Arkansas Food Bank.

John Baker, co-founder of the Great Southern Stone Skipping Championships, said stone-skipping is fun for both participants and spectators.

“It’s something that you can do at any age, any ability, and it gets the competitive juices flowing between friends and family members,” he said. “It exposes one to nature.”

Baker said he hopes to see 100 people participate in the event and that what he looks forward to most are the crowd’s reactions.

“I’m looking forward to the laughter that we’re going to have from the spectators because when somebody skips a rock, and it keeps going and going and doesn’t quit, the crowds go nuts,” Baker said.

Feuer said that during BayFest, he will oversee how the event is coming along.

“[I look forward to] the anticipation of it coming up, how it is going to go,” he said. “It’s just getting out there and getting things set up and meeting everybody.”

The festival will continue with street vendors who will offer clothing, jewelry and crafts from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m at the Fairfield Bay Village Mall, 300 Dave Creek Parkway.

“We have a lot of artists out here, crafters, and they just enjoy sharing their work,” Feuer said.

Live music will take place at the mall beginning with the band Hwy 31 at 10:30 a.m., and Lucky Draw will perform from 3-6 p.m. Feuer said both acts have a solid following.

A classic car show will also take place and will provide a chance for attendees to chat with car owners about their cars’ histories. Awards for the car show will be presented at 5 p.m., and Feuer said that event will be popular with festivalgoers.

“We have people that will really enjoy the car show,” he said. “We have so many beautiful-looking vehicles this year.”

New to this year’s BayFest is the Everyone Loves a Pet Parade, which encourages people to dress up their pets for a parade and competition, with the winner receiving a painted portrait. Proceeds from food sales at the festival will benefit the Fairfield Bay Animal Shelter.

“We decided we wanted to do something different, so we added a pet parade this year,” Feuer said. “People love their pets around here in Fairfield Bay.”

Feuer said the festival will even offer a place for children to play.

“The bouncy house gives parents a chance to say, ‘Hey, go over there and play while we do our thing,” he said.

Other celebrations will also take place throughout the month. From Sept. 9-11,

Fairfield Bay will present the Love the Lake and River Weekend, which invites both visitors and locals to stop by the city’s trails, restaurants, shops, marina and other attractions.

On Sept. 17, the city’s second annual Paddle Battle at the Bay will invite racers of all experience levels to grab a kayak, canoe or stand-up paddleboard to compete in one of the races. The Paddle Battle will begin at 10 a.m. at the marina, and entry into the races is $10.

Feuer said he hopes that after people attend BayFest, they’ll get a sense of the friendliness among Fairfield Bay residents and will want to return for another celebration.

“Bring your lounge chairs so you can sit and enjoy the entertainment,” Feuer said.

Staff writer Syd Hayman can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or shayman@arkansasonline.com.

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