You're reading the very first Sweet Home River Valley Weekend Edition, which feels pretty good to finally say.
And we picked a good weekend to start. Friday brings a hometown moment you don't get to see very often. Saturday, you can ride a train into the Boston Mountains in the morning and watch the Black Rodeo take over Kay Rodgers Park that night.
I'm glad you're here. Here's where I'd start.
Weekend at a Glance
FRIDAY | Fort Smith honors Isaiah Joe
The city is naming part of North 25th Street beside Northside High School for Isaiah Joe, and he's expected to be there for the 6 p.m. ceremony.
SATURDAY MORNING | Take the train into the Boston Mountains
The A&M Railroad leaves the Van Buren Depot at 11 for a three-hour trip across high trestles and through the Winslow Tunnel.
SATURDAY NIGHT | Black Rodeo USA makes its Fort Smith debut
The Fort Smith Invitational Black Rodeo takes over Kay Rodgers Park Saturday night. Gates open at 5:30, and the rodeo starts at 7.
SUNDAY | Brantstock wraps up the weekend
The three-day fundraiser for the Branton Ramsey Legacy Foundation finishes Sunday evening in Huntington with Christian Music Night at The Good Fight.
A quick heat heads-up: It's going to be brutally hot this weekend. If you're heading to something outdoors, don't underestimate the heat and check the organizer's day-of updates before you leave.
Friday
A hometown moment for Isaiah Joe
If you don't follow basketball, here's why Friday is a pretty big deal.
Isaiah Joe grew up in Fort Smith, played at Northside High School, went on to play for the Arkansas Razorbacks and eventually made it to the NBA. He was also part of Oklahoma City's 2025 championship team.
Friday at 6 p.m., Fort Smith is naming part of North 25th Street beside Northside High School in his honor, and Joe is expected to be there.
If you've got a young basketball player at home, this might be an especially good one to take them to.
Friday, 6 p.m. | North 25th Street beside Northside High School | Free
Beyoncé, but make it a string quartet
If Friday night calls for something a little more grown-up, the Fort Smith Symphony String Quartet is taking on the music of Beyoncé at JKC Cellars.
The set includes songs like Love on Top, Halo, Single Ladies, XO and Cuff It. Tickets are $35 and include the concert and light refreshments, with wine available for purchase.
Friday, 7 p.m. | JKC Cellars | $35
Saturday
Illustration created for Sweet Home River Valley.
Ride the train into the Boston Mountains
Ever wonder what it might have felt like to travel through this part of the country before highways and interstates?
Before highways stitched this part of the country together, rail was one of the ways people covered long distances. Passenger trains are still part of everyday life in much of the world, but around here, getting on one feels a little like stepping into another era.
Saturday gives you a chance to experience some of that.
The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad leaves the Van Buren Depot at 11 a.m. for a three-hour trip into the Boston Mountains, crossing high trestles and passing through the 1,700-foot Winslow Tunnel before returning to Van Buren.
Saturday, 11 a.m. | Van Buren Depot | 3-hour round trip
Illustration created for Sweet Home River Valley.
Black Rodeo USA makes its Fort Smith debut
If you're trying to pick one big thing to do Saturday night, I'd put this near the top of the list.
Black Rodeo USA is bringing the Fort Smith Invitational Black Rodeo to Kay Rodgers Park for the first time, with bull riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, calf roping and more.
There are activities happening earlier in the day too, but the main event starts at 7 p.m. Gates open at 5:30.
Saturday, 7 p.m. | Kay Rodgers Park | Gates open at 5:30
Need an indoor Saturday option?
RAM has a free drop-in Collage Robot project from noon to 3 p.m., and with Saturday looking exceptionally hot, an air-conditioned art museum doesn't sound half bad.
Supplies are provided, there's no registration, and all ages are welcome. Show up whenever it works for you, make something, and head out when the kids are ready.
Saturday, noon to 3 p.m. | Fort Smith Regional Art Museum | Free
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Sunday
Brantstock has a story behind it
Brantstock started as a way to remember Branton Ramsey, a drummer and lifelong music lover, and five years later the music is still helping carry his name forward.
The fundraiser supports the Branton Ramsey Legacy Foundation, which provides scholarships and programs helping young people around the River Valley explore music, art, gaming, technology and career opportunities.
Brantstock wraps up Sunday with Christian Music Night at The Good Fight in Huntington from 5 to 8 p.m.
Sunday, 5 to 8 p.m. | The Good Fight, Huntington
Quick Hits
Not every good weekend plan needs a full write-up. Here are a few more worth knowing about.
Arts On Main is doing a hands-on Italian puff pastry class Saturday afternoon. You'll make Cannoncini and Millefoglie with Italian baker Chiara Bellante. It's $55 and for ages 18+.
Saturday, 1 to 3 p.m. | Arts On Main, Van Buren | $55
RAM's Friday night Paint 'n Sip is recreating Peter Max's Umbrella Man with Rainbow Sky. The class is capped at 15, so I'd register instead of assuming you can walk in. Ages 16+ can paint, and you need to be 21+ to sip.
Friday, 5:30 to 8 p.m. | Fort Smith Regional Art Museum | $25 members, $35 nonmembers
If Guns N' Roses immediately got your attention, Steven Adler is at Choctaw Casino & Resort in Pocola Saturday night. He's the founding drummer from the band's classic late-'80s era. Doors open at 7, and the show starts at 8.
Saturday, 8 p.m. | Choctaw Casino & Resort–Pocola
Worth the Drive
Illustration created for Sweet Home River Valley.
Hot air balloons over Muskogee
If you're willing to leave the River Valley for one thing this weekend, I'd make a case for this one.
The Muskogee Hot Air Balloon Festival takes over Hatbox Event Park Friday and Saturday. Gates open at 5, with tethered balloon rides, a free kids zone, food vendors, nightly balloon glows, fireworks and live music starting at 7.
Kaitlin Butts headlines Friday night, and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band takes the stage Saturday.
Admission is free, but parking is $20 per vehicle at the gate. Tethered balloon rides are $25 per person and first come, first served.
One thing to remember: balloon activities are weather dependent. If the glow or a balloon ride is the reason you're making the drive, check the festival's latest updates before you leave.
Friday & Saturday | Hatbox Event Park, Muskogee | Free admission | $20 parking
PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR
Plan Ahead
This is where we'll tell you about something before waiting becomes a bad idea.
Chris Lake is next weekend, and tickets are getting thin
If house music is your thing, Chris Lake plays the Momentary Green in Bentonville next Saturday, Aug. 29.
We're bringing it up now because The Momentary is already warning that ticket quantities are limited. General admission is still available at $85, but I wouldn't make this one a next-Friday decision.
Saturday, Aug. 29, 8 p.m. | The Momentary Green, Bentonville | GA $85
Zedd tickets are already getting thin
If the name doesn't immediately ring a bell, Zedd is the DJ and producer behind Clarity and Stay the Night, and he's coming to Bentonville Sept. 25.
We're telling you about a September concert in August for a reason. The Momentary is already warning that ticket quantities are limited, and the student tickets are gone. General admission is still available at $70.
If this sounds like your kind of night, I wouldn't assume you can wait until September to buy the tickets.
Friday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m. | The Momentary Green, Bentonville | GA $70
THE FULL CALENDAR
Looking for more?
We picked the highlights. The full Sweet Home River Valley calendar has everything we've found happening around Fort Smith and the River Valley.