visit Arkansas City H
aving fun in Arkansas City has always been a priority. There are three annual festivals in Arkansas City that visitors as well as locals look forward to each year. Each festival brings visitors back year after year and we would love to include you this year. Arkalalah, an Indian word meaning “good times,” is the largest of three annual festivals. Over 20,000 spectators line the streets of downtown Arkansas City for the “big parade” on Saturday. Amusement park rides, 20+ food vendors, street games, craft show, and a queen coronation make this a week-long event. Come join us this year the last full weekend of October. The biggest car show in the region, the Last Run Car Show, is the second largest of our festivals. This festival often sees more than 1,000 antique and styled cars participate in one weekend. Hosted by the AC Tumbleweeds, this event has been held for 41 years. The three-day
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event features Family Fun Night on Friday with a drag on main street, music, and a dance in Wilson Park. A craft show is set up on Saturday and Sunday. Food vendors, games, contests and activities for all ages make this a family friendly event. Last Run Car show is hosted on the last weekend of September in Paris Park. The Renaissance Festival held at our beautiful Knebler Pond is growing and becoming an Arkansas City favorite for many visitors and locals. Come enjoy the sword fights, singing and dancing, fire dancing, royalty in costume, birds of prey and medieval re-enactments. The Renaissance Festival will be held in the spring of 2018. If you are unable to make it on a festival weekend, rest assured, you will still have many things to entertain you while you visit our town. The many antique shops, boutiques and retail stores are here for a unique shopping experience.
Snacking and dining are a favorite pastime of many, so don’t miss some of the unique local favorites such as The Green Door, Graves Soda Fountain and The Grinder Man. For the history buff, you will enjoy the beauty and history of our National Register Historic Downtown District and the rich local heritage on display at the Cherokee Strip Museum. For the biking/hiking enthusiast our community will not disappoint. You can visit Chaplin Nature Center, Camp Horizon Center or one of the two hike/bike trails that covers 6+ miles of our city. We would love to have you join us for an afternoon, evening, day or weekend. For more information on visiting Arkansas City go to www. arkcity.org or call the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 620.442.0230. Pam Crain, Arkansas City CVB