Christmas caroling will return to Blanchard Springs Caverns this holiday season for the first time since 2019, but it won't be deep underground in the Cathedral Room, where it was held from 2001 through 2019.
Instead, Caroling in the Caverns will held be in an aboveground auditorium next to the visitors center.
That was a compromise reached with the Osage Nation, which considers Blanchard Springs Caverns a sacred site, said U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Rogers.
"They felt strongly that the caroling was inappropriate," he said of the underground performances.
Allowing tourists inside the caverns is "like building a waterslide in a church," according to the Osage.
Blanchard Springs Caverns is a "magnificent limestone cave system" starting more than 200 feet underground in the Sylamore Ranger District of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest, 15 miles northwest of Mountain View, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas. The Cathedral Room is more than 1,000 feet long and includes a stone column more than six stories tall.
Boozman recognized Blanchard Springs Caverns in the Congressional Record earlier this year on its 50th anniversary.
"Blanchard Springs Caverns is the second-largest commercial cave in the country and is often described as one of the most beautiful," according to his statement published in the Congressional Record. "BSC is referred to as a 'living' or 'active' cave, as it is constantly changing. The caverns include an underground river, delicate 'soda straw' formations, stalactites, stalagmites, columns, and huge areas of flowstone. Along with the unique formations, it is also home to a number of species of cave animals."
In the 1700s, the nomadic Osages lived mainly in Missouri, but regularly came into Northwest Arkansas to hunt and forage, according to the Arkansas Archeological Survey.
"The Caverns were well known to the Osage and other Native Americans," according to a statement on the Osage Nation's official website. "Cane and wooden torches were used by tribal members to light the cave. The burnt out torches were left behind, where later explorers found them. The cave reflects how the Osage see the world. The Osage consider places like this important and sacred. Osages performed ceremonies there many times. They would still be performed today if we hadn't been forced to move away."
The tribe, which is based in Pawhuska, Okla., isn't happy that the U.S. Forest Service turned Blanchard Springs Caverns into a tourist destination.
"The Osage were not asked if this was okay," according to the website statement. "The Forest Service punched a hole in one part of the cave for an elevator. Paved paths with lights were added to many areas of the cave. The Mountain View Chamber of Commerce began hosting Caroling in the Cave each Christmas. ...
"... The Osage have asked many times for public use of this sacred location to stop. ... Ozark-St. Francis National Forest will not close the cave for the Osage. The Forest Service is willing to protect the bats that live there, but not the spiritual connection of the Osage people."
This year, the musical performances are scheduled for only two nights: the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, but if things go well, more performances could be added.
Boozman, U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro and state Sen. Missy Irvin of Mountain View -- all Republicans -- worked with the community to resurrect the event this year.
Boozman said he spoke with Homer Wilkes, who is undersecretary of agriculture for natural resources and environment. Wilkes is over the U.S. Forest Service. A couple of weeks ago, Wilkes went to Mountain View to meet with chamber members to see if they could reach a compromise.
"They had worked out a preliminary compromise among the Forest Service," said Boozman. "They felt like if they were sued over it, they could defend. And that's really what they came up with was to carol outside the cave, drink hot chocolate, sing and then have a tour of the cave after it was over. So that's where we're at now."
Boozman said it will be a five-year permit instead of just one year, but "if two years from now, for some reason, people felt differently regarding objections, we could change it."
"It's not the outcome that we'd like," he said. "I'd very much like to actually experience being in the cave with the singing but I think this is the next best thing."
Pam Setser of Mountain View, musical director for Caroling in the Caverns, said the performances were cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic and Caroling in the Caverns hasn't been held since.
She's also a singer and musician who's on the board of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce.
Before Caroling in the Caverns went on hold, Setser would play mountain dulcimer, guitar, spoons and auto-harp during the performances, singing traditional songs like "Silent Night," "Joy to the World" and "O Holy Night" as well as more modern songs like "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Let It Snow."
"I totally respect their rights," Setser said of the Osage. "But we only go in the Cathedral Room in the cave. We do our program and we're out of there. We can't recreate that experience anywhere else. The sound in there is amazing. It's an experience to go to Caroling in the Caverns. A lot of people would say it's like a religious experience. Every Christmas year, they came. ...
"... Maybe down the road we'll get another opportunity. We had a lot of people rooting for us to get back in there but it didn't work out this year."
Video of Caroling in the Caverns from previous years is available here and here.
Caroling in the Caverns began in 2001. It was held for four weekends each year beginning the weekend after Thanksgiving. Setser said families would go Christmas shopping, have dinner, then attend Caroling in the Caverns.
This year, they'll have caroling in the auditorium on the first Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving at 6 p.m. Setser said the auditorium seats about 100, which is the same capacity as when the caroling was in the caverns. If it goes well, they could add some additional performance dates this year.
Setser said $25 tickets this year will cover the cost of caroling in the auditorium and a tour of the Dripstone Trail.
"We'll have a great Christmas concert and people will be able to go down into the cave," she said. "It will be good music and people will get to see the cave."
Setser said Caroling in the Caverns tickets will be available soon from the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce at (870) 269-8068 or online at mountainviewarkansas.com.