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Getting to the War Eagle Fair

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A view from above: The Fair in the 80s War Eagle is nestled in a beautiful river valley amongst the rolling hills of Northwest Arkansas.  The journey is a scenic one regardless of what time of year you decide to make it.  However, if you are not a local, or even if you are a local but not familiar with the more rural areas of Northwest Arkansas, finding War Eagle can seem challenging.  Here are some basic directions from a few different directions.  (For more specific directions, we recommend that you use Google Maps or Mapquest .  You can put in 11037 High Sky Inn Rd, Hindsville, AR in as the physical address.) Please note that we recommend arriving from the Springdale/Fayetteville direction in order to avoid traffic back-ups around the historic War Eagle Bridge.  Also note, our parking fee is collected when you exit our parking lots .  This keeps traffic from backing up on the roads.  If you pay a parking fee when you enter the parking lot, you have not parked at the War Ea
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Where Should I Eat?

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It's a question that we hear frequently during the Fair.  So, recently, we put the question to Fair visitors and exhibitors.  They came up with some really great suggestions.  Without further adieu, in no particular order, here is a list of great places to eat in Northwest Arkansas: Fuzzy's Taco Shop, Rogers and Fayetteville Tacos 4 Life, Fayetteville Chuy's, Rogers Marketplace, Springdale Sam's Hamburgers, Rogers Copelands of New Orleans, Rogers Sushi House, Bentonville Sparky's Roadhouse Cafe, Eureka Springs Uncle Maddios Pizza, Rogers JJs, Rogers Bliss Cupcakes, Rogers and Fayetteville Butter Biscuit, Bentonville The Egg and I, Rogers Parkside Public, Downtown Rogers Catfish Hole, Fayetteville Monte Ne Chicken, Rogers AQ Chicken, Springdale The Social Taco, Rogers TNT Diner, Sonora Venesian Inn, Springdale Rockin Pig Saloon, Eureka Springs Casa Collina, Eureka Springs Smokin' Joe's, Bentonville and Rogers Susan's, Springdal
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A House Full of (War Eagle) Memories

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For some, dusting is a chore.  For me, it's a trip down memory lane. My house is filled with beautiful creations from the hands of decades of War Eagle Fair exhibitors.  Some of these pieces were gifts.  I purchased some of them.  Some of them have been passed down to me from family members. This summer, I will turn 35.  I have spent my entire life at and around the War Eagle Fair.  From before I was born until midway through my twenties, the Ozark Arts and Crafts Fair Association (the non-profit organization that runs the Fair) sponsored three events each year: an arts and crafts fair in the spring and the fall, and a teaching seminar in the summer. There are many stories of me at these events throughout the years.  I was tiny (maybe two or three) when I brought the Seminar to a screeching halt because I had "gone missing."  Turns out, I had actually gone with one of the seminar students to check the beans she had cooking in the cabin that she was renting.  I pro
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How do I become an exhibitor at the War Eagle Fair?

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We get this question a lot.  Hopefully this post will provide a few helpful tips. Becoming an exhibitor at the War Eagle Fair starts with submitting a screening application ( click here to download ).  The screening application is your chance to blow away our jury members with your unique, high quality, handmade items.  It's a basic introduction to you, with information on you, your craft, and your experience. Once you have your screening application filled out, the next step is to select the pictures you wish to submit with your screening application .  We ask for four to six pictures.  Included among these pictures, we need to see your items.  Make sure to show us good pictures that reflect your item as positively as possible.  We also ask to see the process you go through to make your items.  The process pictures are an important part of the screening process but tend to be the most forgotten.  (It's important to include both process and finished product pict
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New War Eagle Bridge Restrictions

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The beloved War Eagle Bridge is aging, quickly. In an effort to slow the deterioration process until  repairs or replacement can be done, the Benton County Road Department and Arkansas Highway & Transportation Division have put out the following restrictions in regards to traffic crossing the bridge. Please be aware that these are being very strictly enforced . Plan ahead for any adjustments to your normal travel. No vehicles weighing more than 3 tons will be allowed to cross the bridge.  To put that in perspective, that is barely more than a Chevy Tahoe with 4 passengers. No vehicles pulling trailers will be allowed to cross. No box trucks. Only one vehicle will be allowed to cross at a time. Pedestrian traffic will also be closely monitored and a limited number of people will be allowed on the bridge at a time. These restrictions and precautions will cause delays .  In order to minimize the delays, we are recommending that all visitors plan to not drive across
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A Short History of War Eagle Weekend

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War Eagle Weekend has become as synonymous with fall in Northwest Arkansas as changing leaves and football.   For many people, annual trips to War Eagle Weekend are a longstanding tradition.   Each October, more than a hundred thousand people converge on the War Eagle River Valley to browse tents full to the brim of arts and crafts, nibble on turkey legs and funnel cakes, and catch up with old friends.   Many visitors do not realize that they are taking in three separate craft fairs when they visit the War Eagle River Valley.   The first craft fair was held in War Eagle, Arkansas, more than sixty years ago in the fall of 1954.   It was the brainchild of Blanche Elliott.   Blanche wanted to give traditional artists and crafters of the Ozarks Mountain region, including members of a local weaving guild, a place to display and sell their wares.   So, in October 1954, she and a few other folks in the War Eagle area opened their living rooms to host the first War Eagle Fair.
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VIP Parking Pass Tips

A few years ago, we began giving away VIP Parking Passes.  The VIP parking spaces are located next to the Fair's Information Booth right inside the main gate.  These spots are the absolute closest you can park to the exhibits.  When we first started offering these passes, there were two VIP parking spaces available.  This year, two more spaces were added for a total of four VIP parking spaces. As with all new things, there have been a few hiccups along the way.  We have received a lot of helpful feedback from past VIP parking pass winners and have tried to make adjustments accordingly.  Below are a few tips for VIP parking pass holders.  If possible, arrive in War Eagle from the Springdale direction (see this post for helpful driving directions).  The War Eagle Fair is located on the west side of the War Eagle River.  Arriving from the Springdale direction allows you to avoid crossing the old, one-way bridge over the river. When you arrive, let the deputy directing traffic k
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