It’s hard to believe that 2017 is almost at a close. Now the question remains – what will you do to ring in the New Year? In Fayetteville, you can find parties all along Dickson Street or Block. But the biggest party of all is downtown on the square for Last Night Fayetteville.

For seven years, Arkansas’s largest New Year’s festival has celebrated the end of the year with music, food, drink and family entertainment. Look for 11 stages of entertainment featuring more than 100 local performers. This year’s Main Stage at the Fayetteville Town Center will present Randall Shreve & the Devilles, The 1 Oz. Jig, National Park Radio, and Serrano-Torres. Ten additional stages around the square will host more than 35 acts, with live music, comedy, theatre, dance and kids’ performances, promising to provide a full evening of entertainment for revelers of all ages. The tradition continues as Fayetteville welcomes 2018 with the famous Hog Drop countdown to midnight followed by a spectacular fireworks display.

Last Night Fayetteville showcases the area’s finest talent, and this year is no exception. In addition to live music on the Main Stage, the Folk Stage will host The Trumann Rail Boys, Woody & Sunshine, Route 358 and The Lark & the Loon. The Shindig Stage at Stage Eighteen will offer a taste of several music genres, featuring Shannon Wurst, Foggy Bobcat, Jamie Lou & the Hullaballo, and the Irie Lions. The newly added Electronic Stage at Axis Lounge will feature several local DJs including Purp Loder, No.Faces, Meesh, NUGSTUFR, Fractal Sky, and more.

Those looking to laugh away 2017 will enjoy the Comedy Stage at Art Ventures with sets by Comedians NWA, Roughhouse Comedy Collective and improv group Rodeo Book Club. Things will get risqué on the Cabaret Stage with Terranova Tribal Bellydancers, followed by adults-only performances from True Grit & Grind Burlesque, Diamond Divas Drag and illusionist Michael Weiss. Offering even more variety is the Theatre Stage featuring the folk operetta “There Ain’t No More” by Willi Carlisle, local storytelling group That’s What She Said, and poet Doug Shield’s “New Year New Poetry” show. Also, Inverse Performance Art founder Cynthia Post Hunt is curating an immersive visual art/performance experience exclusively for festival guests.

For younger party-goers, a dedicated Kids’ Stage will have activity all night long, with Art Feeds brand new mobile art bus stopping by for a night full of fun crafts, and performances by Shaky Bugs, illusionist Michael Weiss, storytellers & more. Additional family friendly entertainment can be found on the Side Stage at the Town Center, with performances by The Institute of Jugglology and a daring aerial escape by Professor Gallico. The fun continues outside with spotlight performances by Sacred Somatics taking place throughout the evening, and leading up to the famous Hog Drop Countdown to Midnight followed by the only New Year’s fireworks display in Arkansas.

General admission tickets are $30 (increasing to $40 on the day of), and include access to all entertainment stages, as well as the Hog Drop Countdown & fireworks. Kids’ tickets for ages 2-12 are just $5. A limited number of VIP tickets are available for $95, and include access to the VIP Lounge at Main Stage with catered hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine and craft cocktails from Pink House Alchemy, a midnight champagne toast under the fireworks, priority seating, express check-in and more. Tickets and full schedule are available here.

Wherever you go and whatever you do, be safe. Have a great 2018!

Photo courtesy of Jamie Seed Photography