Clothesline Fair Celebrates 66th Year

PRAIRIE GROVE — More than 140 vendors are expected to show up Friday to set up tents and wares in preparation for the 66th annual Clothesline Fair.

The Clothesline Fair opens at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, with activities scheduled throughout Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The fair concludes Monday night with the finals of the square dance competition.

The fair is hosted by Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, in conjunction with Prairie Grove Lions Club and Arts Center of the Ozarks.

Eve Smith, who coordinates the crafts fair for the Arts Center, said this year’s fair will have regular, returning vendors and some new vendors.

Handmade items that are returning include wooden toys, dried food mixes and quilts.

New booths will provide items geared for men, such as handmade products for beards, and handmade exfoliating cremes.

“These are new contemporary products we haven’t had in the past,” Smith said.

Last year, record crowds enjoyed three days of crafts, food, square dancing and live music at the Battlefield State Park. Park officials estimated attendance at 48,000 people, based on parking, and attributed the high attendance to cooler temperatures and lower humidity that hit Northwest Arkansas just in time for the annual event.

The Lions Club coordinates food concessions for the fair, as well as the popular square dance exhibitions and competitions.

Craig Battles with the Lions Club said more food trucks will be on site this year and some of the food trucks will be open Friday for lunch. He encouraged area residents to come to the park for lunch on Friday.

The Lions Club will have its regular items, smoked baloney sandwiches and turkey legs in the Latta Barn. Other food available will be kettle corn, the Donut Burger food truck, Philly cheesesteak sandwiches, roasted potatoes, nachos and other county fair type menu items.

Battles said 54 exhibition square dance groups are signed up to perform, with 11 groups competing to win the 2017 square dance championship. Square dancing starts at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Another round begins at 2:30 p.m. Monday for the younger groups, with the finals for competition dancing to start at 7 p.m. Monday.

“We expect a good year like last year and are expecting a lot of people to come out,” Battles said. “We just continue doing what we’ve always been doing.”