Breathing new life into a Van Buren County tradition
JULY 25, 2024 – CLINTON, AR: This November, the Ozark Moonshine & Music Festival will be hosted for the first time at the Van Buren County Fairgrounds in Clinton. The move marks the start of an exciting alliance, as both organizations join forces with a shared vision for the community.
In the spirit of this new long-term partnership, festival organizers have stepped up to provide much-needed improvements at the Fairgrounds. So far, the organization has contributed over $18,000 in upgrades and repairs, including electrical overhauls of the kitchen and outdoor lighting, a 3-door refrigerator, and an ice maker – the first of many upgrades scheduled as part of a joint 2024/2025 Improvement Plan.
The annual festival, now in its third year, is a two-day cultural celebration embracing Ozark folkways though traditional country & bluegrass music performance, regional arts & crafts, artisans, and food vendors, and expos & historical exhibits focusing on the legacy of distilling in our state.
The event has drawn an attendance in the thousands each year, with past headliners such as Ricky Skaggs, Rhonda Vincent, Marty Stuart, and this year, country music sensation LONESTAR, along with rising local bluegrass stars, The Gravel Yard Bluegrass Band.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the hospitality the festival has received from the Fair Association & the city of Clinton,” said festival president, Wilba Thompson.
“Our goal is to become the largest event of its kind in Arkansas, and as it grows, we realized we needed a dedicated space to be able host something of this scale.
The Fairgrounds were an obvious choice because they’ve been an established venue for years, with the kind of facilities & parking space we needed to organize our event better and make it more accessible. More importantly, this allows us to keep the festival local.”
The Fairgrounds, currently located on Hwy 16 E in Clinton (the county seat), have been a community fixture since the property was purchased in 1983, giving the Fair a permanent home. Today, the property is still owned and managed by the Van Buren County Fair & Livestock Association, a non-profit responsible for maintaining the facilities, coordinating a full calendar of events (including Fair programs, the annual Christmas pageant, and various fundraisers) and overseeing initiatives such as the student scholarships program.
For this volunteer-based effort, the continuous demands of upkeep can be daunting, and fair organizers say the support of this partnership couldn’t have come at a better time.
“Most people who come to the Fair have no idea how much work it takes year-round to keep this going,” says Fair Manager, Dawn Williams.
“We really depend on help from other volunteers. When it all comes together, it’s just people who love this county, joining up to make something that everyone can enjoy.
We have exhibits from all over the county and kids from every school district getting to do what they love. That’s what makes it worth it.“
Williams, who has also joined the Moonshine Festival board of directors, took on her role with the Fair Association after long-time Fair Manager, Corinne Weatherly, passed away in 2023. Weatherly, an inductee to the Arkansas State Fair “Hall of Fame,” was a tireless organizer who served on the Fair board for over 40 years and played a key role in putting the Van Buren County Fair on the map.
Organizers say that the additional improvements will help position the Fairgrounds for additional revenue from private events hosted throughout the year, and help make the Fairgrounds a destination for visitors beyond Van Buren County. The 2024 County Fair is scheduled for Sept. 2-7, with the theme “Small Town Fair Fun.”
As for the Ozark Moonshine & Music Festival – an organization driven by empowerment and collaboration – this partnership represents a new chapter of festival building. Partnering with the Arkansas Distillers Guild, the festival aims to preserve the fascinating history of distilling in the Ozarks, and recognize the impact of today’s craft distillers, who are re-inventing their industry in ways that allow them to give back to their communities.
The festival’s diverse team is shaping a new platform for unlikely partners – craft distillers, children’s advocates, culture keepers, and community leaders – to come together with one voice to celebrate regional heritage while building a better, stronger community for the next generation.
True to this vision, the festival has already raised over $33,000 for the Children’s Advocacy Alliance, an organization that provides hope and healing to child victims of neglect and abuse in central Arkansas.
Through their grassroots approach, festival organizers aspire to expand their outreach – harnessing the power of community, and drawing on local support, skills, expertise, and volunteer involvement – to help the Festival become an integral part of Van Buren County identity.
“In tough times, real communities pull together to take care of what matters most, and put aside their differences to celebrate the things that bring us together. Those may be old-time values, but they are still relevant today.”
This year’s Ozark Moonshine & Music Festival is scheduled for November 1 and 2. Tickets and event info are available at https://ozarkmoonshinefest.org.
The Ozark Moonshine & Music Festival is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to preserving our Arkansas moonshine heritage through celebration and education, while providing hope and healing to children.
Left front: Tess Fletcher, Volunteer Coordinator; Linda Duncan, Treasurer; Pam Leal, Volunteer Co-Coordinator; Ginger Simpson, Chief Executive Officer
Right (front): Brecca Lathan, Hospitality Co-Coordinator; Dawn Williams, Board Member/Van Buren County Fair Association (Fair Manager); Wilba Thompson, President; Rod Corley, Founder
Right (back): Lacy Bradford, HR & Compliance; Melody Neubauer, Hospitality Coordinator; Kaleb Swenson, VP of Revenue; Donald J. Farrar III, Vice-President & Festival Coordinator.