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1YR Regionally Exclusive Commercial Use License - Fayetteville Visitor's Bureau (Until May 18, 2016)
It seems like most current and former residents of Fayetteville were happily confused by a sketch on the season finale of Saturday Night Live.
The show closed with a performance by the Harkin Brothers, a fake Southern rock band, which includes Fred Armisen, Maya Rudolph, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudekis, Larry David, Carrie Brownstein and others. Their song describes typical southern summertime scenes you might think of if you’ve never actually been to the south in the summer.
Things like frogs at the local swimming hole, eating plates of honey ham (wait, what?), running on rocks and sleeping in a burned-out truck.
I think most of us were relatively flattered to be mentioned on SNL at all, even if the description had no basis in reality. If you think about it, Fayetteville fits into the song better than a lot of southern cities would; it’s a very singable word and has the same number of syllables as summertime (summertime in Tuscaloosa just doesn’t have the same ring).
But we do wish the song were at least a little bit about what does make Fayetteville a great place to be in the summertime. Here are just a few things.
Sudden Population Drop
Ask anyone who’s ever worked on the University of Arkansas campus what the best thing about summertime in Fayetteville is and they’ll tell you it’s the fact that most of the students go home.
Campus is quiet in summer, which is great for people working there, but also for townies who like to stroll through, or grab a bite to eat or a drink on Dickson without the crowds.
Fayetteville feels more like the small town it used to be in the summer.
The only exception to that rule is the first week of June, when the Walmart shareholders meeting comes to town. Campus – and every local Walmart – is packed with visitors from many countries, which can be really fun or really annoying depending on your attitude.
Patio Dining
Drinking a local beer on the patio of your favorite establishment might be the most Fayetteville thing there is. We love outdoor dining and listening to music on patios, sprawling and tiny.
And when we’re not out enjoying our favorite local restaurants, you can often find us cooking out and eating outside at home, often with produce from our amazing farmers’ market.
Park Life
Fayetteville is known for its multitude of parks and green spaces (according to the city’s website, we have 35 parks, 16 natural areas and more than 50 miles of trails).
But the parks really shine in the summer, whether you’re playing at the castle in Wilson Park (or catching a movie in the swimming pool), taking in the Gulley Park summer concert series (or a little Shakespeare) or checking in with the butterflies at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.
Music Festivals and More
It happened that the sketch aired the night before the Block Street Block Party, which is sort of the beginning of summer in Fayetteville and may very well have drawn some characters like the Harkin Brothers and their fans.
But summer music also includes the Fayetteville Roots Festival, happening in August, and music at venues all over town (and beyond, at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, when we’ve a mind to leave town for a while).
Leaving Town
Of course not everything we love about summertime in Fayetteville actually happens in Fayetteville. The regional trail system can take us wherever.
We love hikes at Devil’s Den, on the Ozark Highlands Trail and beyond, buying happiness (at least of the bluebird variety) at Terra Studios, float trips on the Buffalo River and all the time we can spend at Beaver Lake, among other things. The natural beauty of this area is something the SNL song missed; it goes far beyond the lily pads at the swimming hole.
Rewriting the Song
Everyone’s version of Summertime in Fayetteville might be different, but here’s one option we’re more likely to agree on:
The students have finally left campus
Dickson Street is quiet again
Can’t wait to float down the Buffalo
Arkansas is calling my name
Nothing like a concert or a play in Gulley Park
Fireflies dancing all around the place
Then I see Lioneld
Summertime in Fayetteville
Hot, hot summertime.
(For non-locals, Lioneld Jordan is the mayor, and he seems to be at every event all the time, which is certainly worthy of praise in a song.) How would you change the lyrics? We’d love to hear your Fayetteville favorites.
Photos courtesy of Fayetteville Convention & Visitor’s Bureau.
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