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Keo may be small, but it is mighty – and it is totally nuts about pecans. This tiny Delta town has turned a love of Arkansas agriculture, a spirit of community cooperation and a lot of creativity into one of the state’s most charming festivals. The Arkansas Pecan Festival has quickly become a must-attend December tradition and the energy behind it is transforming Keo into a model of what rural communities can achieve when people work together with heart, humor, and vision.
What You Need to Know About Keo
It all starts with a simple truth: Keo believes in itself.
That belief has taken root in Lonoke County, about 20 miles southeast of Little Rock on Highway 165. Keo is a peaceful farming community surrounded by pecan orchards, rice fields and fertile Delta farmland. It’s known for Keo Fish Farms, Charlotte’s Sweets, antique shopping among historic storefronts and wide, quiet streets that immediately feel welcoming. With around 200 residents, Keo is the kind of place where everyone waves, everyone knows each other, and everyone pitches in when something needs to be done.
That sense of shared ownership is exactly how the Arkansas Pecan Festival came to life, and why it has grown faster than anyone expected.
Arkansas Pecan Festival
The festival started the way many good Arkansas ideas begin: with a chat between neighbors. Keo had long been recognized for its stunning pecan orchards, so when a friend in economic development suggested, “Why don’t you host a pecan festival?” it seemed like the right kind of wild idea worth giving a shot.
In 2022, the town organized its first Arkansas Pecan Festival, featuring vendors, music, pie, a bike ride and several events run entirely by volunteers. The community came together, the turnout greatly surpassed expectations and suddenly, the event didn’t seem small at all.
A turning point occurred when Keo partnered with THRIVE in Helena to create a bold, cohesive brand just in time for National Pecan Day. Within two weeks, the team developed the festival’s now-famous squirrel mascot and visual identity. The branding spread rapidly, giving the festival a distinctive look and propelling Keo into a new stage of regional recognition.
In just three years, attendance has increased from a few hundred to over 3,000 visitors and the momentum keeps rolling.
Festival Highlights: A Day Full of Nutty Fun
The Arkansas Pecan Festival provides the ideal mix of family entertainment, unique contests, local culture and small-town atmosphere. It all happens on the first Saturday in December in downtown Keo, and entry is FREE.
The Pecan Pie & Pecan Dish Contest
One of the most beloved traditions of the Arkansas Pecan Festival is the annual pie and pecan dish competition, where bakers from across the state bring their best creations. This year, the contest features two categories: the classic pecan pie and an open “everything else with pecans” division that includes appetizers, desserts, savory dishes and anything else that bakers get creative with.
There are no age groups or professional distinctions, just friendly competition and a lot of pride at stake. Entries are judged based on taste, appearance and originality, and winners earn serious bragging rights in a town that knows its pecans. The contest is an official qualifying competition for the Arkansas Pie Festival, with the winner earning an automatic golden ticket for the competition!
The Squirrel Calling Contest
If you’ve never watched a squirrel calling contest before, it’s probably because this is the only one in the world! This fun, quirky event attracts big crowds each year as contestants step up to the mic and give their best squirrel impressions. It’s charming, hilarious and unexpectedly competitive, with both youth and adult divisions. It’s one of those small-town festival moments you won’t find anywhere else, and one you’ll be talking about long after the day is over.
Keodore Kids’ Corner
Named after Keo’s official squirrel mascot, this area is full of storytime sessions, activities and fun for families. After the first year, a major step was naming the mascot, and a regional competition resulted in “Keodore,” who now serves as the festival’s mascot.
Antique Car Show
Vintage vehicles line the streets of downtown Keo during the festival’s popular antique car show. It’s a perfect backdrop for photos and a great way to enjoy a bit of nostalgia between events. Owners come from across the region to display beautifully restored classics, making this a must-see stop as you walk through the festival grounds.
The Pie Ride
What began as a simple community bike ride has evolved into a signature festival called the Pie Ride. Cyclists from all over Arkansas and neighboring states come to enjoy Keo’s famously flat, wide Delta landscape, ideal for riders of all experience levels. The ride celebrates Charlotte’s Eats and Sweets, the cherished local pie shop that inspired the event’s name and its whimsical squirrel-on-a-bike logo. Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist or just here for fun, the Pie Ride offers stunning scenery, small-town hospitality, and the sweet reward of pie at the finish line.
85+ Vendors, Makers and Food Trucks
The Arkansas Pecan Festival also features a lively vendor market with over 85 artisans, makers, small businesses, and food trucks filling downtown with unique finds. From handmade gifts to seasonal treats (and, of course, plenty of pecans), this open-air market brings together some of the region’s best talents for an unforgettable day of shopping and sampling.
Arkansas Harvest for Hope Benefit Concert
An added attraction for 2025, hosted in partnership with the Arkansas Farm Bureau and Farm State of Mind. This concert raises awareness about farmers’ mental health. It features an incredible lineup of Arkansas musicians, including Congressman Rick Crawford’s band “Triple Nickel,” Hanna Blaylock from Three Times a Lady and headliner Matt Stell (of Morrilton).
Keo is a Proving Ground
While the festival takes center stage, the bigger story is what’s happening behind the scenes. Keo has become a testing ground for rural collaboration, a prime example of what can happen when leadership, agriculture, innovation and community spirit come together.
Under Mayor Stephanie White’s leadership, Keo has adopted a forward-thinking mindset focused on agriculture and regional collaborations. The town partners closely with THRIVE, Farm Bureau, the University of Arkansas agricultural programs and extension offices to boost local farming efforts and create new opportunities in pecans, aquaculture and Delta crops.
Keo is a place with a champion, doers and an open-minded community to wonder “what could happen if…?” Mayor Stephanie shared, “What makes Keo special isn’t just the ideas, it’s the army of people willing to make them happen!”
The Keo Collective, a community development group often lovingly called “the mountain movers,” has become an essential engine of progress. These volunteers have cleaned up parks, built new gathering spaces, supported beautification projects, and funneled festival proceeds into scholarships for local students.
“If we have an idea, we think about it and try it. We want to be a proving ground for successful things that we just may not know about yet!” – Mayor Stephanie White
Their mindset is contagious:
No one says, “That won’t work here.” Instead, the attitude is, “Let’s figure out how we can make it happen.”
Keo’s combination of hospitality, creativity, and shared leadership has gained respect across the state. Other rural communities are now watching Keo, learning from its methods, and working toward building similar momentum locally.
In the Delta, that kind of belief is powerful.
Experience the Magic Yourself
The Arkansas Pecan Festival is the perfect way to experience what makes Keo special – the people, the pride, the pecans, the pie, and the community spirit that’s creating something bigger than any single event.
Come for the pecan pie.
Stay for the fun.
Leave inspired by a tiny Arkansas town with a big vision.
Keo is growing, dreaming and leading with purpose, proving one pecan at a time that small towns can spark big change.
Oh, before you go, you’d better be ready with some squirrel and pecan jokes if you’re headed to Keo!
Arkansas Pecan Festival
First Saturday of December (Sat Dec. 6, 2025)
Main Street Keo
Follow all the details on Facebook
Questions – arpecanfestival@gmail.com
The Arkansas Pecan Festival and Keo Collective provided images throughout the story.
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