The Story in Van Winkle Hollow
A quiet place along Highway 12 between Rogers and Eureka Springs holds...
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It’s time to Get Down Downtown in the beautiful Downtown Searcy! From September 25-26, Main Street Searcy is hosting Get Down Downtown 2026, its two-day music festival, featuring attractions, family-friendly activities, vendors and events.
Craig Morgan at 8 P.M. on September 26
Country music star and Army Reserve soldier Craig Morgan is set to headline Get Down Downtown with a free concert at 8 pm on Saturday, September 26 in downtown Searcy!
Singer, author, actor and soldier Craig Morgan has made a name for himself as a country music hitmaker who has amassed more than 2.5 billion career streams and charted more than 25 songs on Billboard. With signature hits including “Redneck Yacht Club,” “Almost Home,” “International Harvester,” “Soldier,” “That’s What I Love About Sunday” and his faith-filled tribute, “The Father, My Son, and the Holy Ghost,” the multi-faceted entertainer’s music has formed the soundtrack to our lives for more than two decades. His new music, “Blanket of Stars” and his latest EP American Soundtrack (BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville), are no exception, with all of the songs infused with Morgan’s faith and patriotism.
Morgan received one of country music’s highest honors when he was inducted as a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 2008. Prior to becoming a country music star and TV sensation, he spent seventeen years serving in the Army and Army Reserve and in 2023 enlisted again in the Army Reserve, continuing his military career as a Chief Warrant Officer 2.
Get Down Downtown kicks off at 6 pm on Friday, September 25 with live music, vendors and family-friendly activities lining the streets of downtown Searcy. Activities resume at 8 am Saturday, September 26 with the annual Funnel Cake 5K and Cotton Candy Classic. Saturday’s activities will draw to a close at the end of Morgan’s concert on the First Security Bank Stage, located on the Courthouse Square. Admission is free; bring your lawn chairs!
Frank Ray at 6:30 P.M. on September 26
As a tumbleweed kid from the American Southwest, Frank Ray grew up with an intense collision of cultures, bouncing between the border towns of Laredo, Texas, and Columbus, New Mexico. Tim McGraw, Tracy Lawrence, Rascal Flatts and George Strait blasted out of every speaker, but so did Tejano, Ranchera and Norteño music-especially family favorites like Selena, Vicente Fernandez and Bronco. Meanwhile, 1990s pop and 2000s punk rock inspired Ray to start his first band…but country fed something deeper.
Before starting his country music career, the singer-songwriter was inspired to serve, and spent 10 years in uniform as a law enforcement officer in Las Cruces, New Mexico, with a warm smile and easy charisma in a close-knit community. He started a country band and performed self-written tunes on weekends, and they quickly became a local favorite.
Regular shows led to a win at a regional battle of the bands, where first prize was an opening gig for Keith Urban. When Ray hit that arena stage, everything changed. He soon left the force to perfect his honky-tonk pop and smooth Latin twang. Two Texas radio #1s, “Drive” and “Just For A Minute,” were the result. Then, the R&B-inflected “Country’d Look Good on You” reached the Top 20 of Billboard’s Country Airplay chart in 2022-the same year Ray made his Grand Ole Opry debut.
Ray’s credentials were solidified on nationwide tours with Luke Combs, Kane Brown, Old Dominion, Luke Bryan and more. Rolling Stone, CMT, The Los Angeles Times and NBC’s TODAY sang his praises. TIME Magazine called him “one of the most influential Latinos,” and Good Morning America echoed the sentiment, listing the rising star among the “Latino country artists that are expanding the genre while honoring their roots.” A 2023 album debut played up his vibrant Tex-Mex style, and after landing on Country Radio Seminar’s coveted New Faces showcase that year, he was also named a Pandora Country and Amazon Music USA “Artist to Watch.”
The Chris Baker Band at 8:00 P.M. on September 25
Start your weekend at Get Down Downtown on Friday, September 25, with the headline act, The Chris Baker Band. The Chris Baker Band brings Texas blues and southern rock to stages around the state. With original music that keeps the party going, you won’t want to miss this show! Born and raised in central Arkansas, Beebe resident Chris Baker covers lead guitar and vocals, drummer Gary Collie is from Cabot and bassist Junior Dennison is from Rose Bud.
Unity Health Kid Zone
The Unity Health Kid Zone in Spring Park will be open Saturday, September 28 from 10:00 A.M.- 4:00 P.M. Visitors will enjoy kid-friendly entertainment at the Spring Park Pavilion, a petting zoo, pony rides, kiddie karaoke, carnival games, hula hooping clinic, inflatables and more. Spring Park carnival games only cost 25 cents each, pony rides cost $5. Entrance into the petting zoo, inflatable jumpers and other activities are free, thanks to our Kid Zone sponsor, Unity Health.
Unity Health Stage Lineup – Spring Park Pavilion
10 a.m. – Harding Academy Chorus, Harding Academy Band and Harding Academy Cheer
11 a.m. – Little Rock Zoo “Creature Feature”
Noon – Crosspointe Preparatory Vocal Ensemble
12:30 p.m. – 4 Mile High Taekwondo
1:30 p.m. – Searcy High School Cheer, Searcy High School Lionsteppers and Searcy High School Choir
Funnel Cake 5k
You had me at funnel cake! The annual Funnel Cake 5k is on Saturday, September 26th, starting at 8 a.m. Everyone who finishes the 5k will receive a voucher for a FREE funnel cake during the Get Down Downtown festival. Pre-registration is $35 until midnight on September 25; the price will increase to $40 on race day. If the 5k is too much and you want a fun run, The Cotton Candy Classic is for you! Everyone who finishes the 1-mile fun run will receive a voucher for one FREE cotton candy during the festival.
For more information, visit the Main Street Searcy Facebook page or the Get Down Downtown website.
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