BENTONVILLE, Ark — Bentonville has canceled this week's back-to-school-themed First Friday event due to the rise in COVID-19 cases in the region.
According to state and local officials, Benton County has “extremely high” COVID-19 case levels.
Downtown Bentonville Inc. partnered up with Bentonville Schools to organize this event to celebrate the district's 150 anniversary. All district schools, high school marching bands, cheer squads, principals, and multiple staff members had been scheduled to attend.
“This hard decision was made in the best interest of public health and after recommendations from top Northwest Arkansas medical professionals. Our event could potentially draw hundreds of young, school-aged children and their families to booths with hands-on activities,” said Kirk Gober, Executive Board President of Downtown Bentonville, Inc. “It breaks our heart to cancel a First Friday, but it’s the right thing to do to keep our community safe and not create additional strain for our regional health system.”
Despite the event being canceled, a planned COVID-19 vaccine clinic will still be available for walk-ins. It will be open from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at 105 South Main Street. No appointment, ID, or insurance card is required.
“The physical and mental health of our community is our top priority. As much as we want to continue gathering, we cannot ignore the fact that our local healthcare facilities are running at full capacity,” said Andrew Heath, Executive Director of Downtown Bentonville Inc.
Bentonville Farmers Market and Art Market will be restricted to local farmers, growers, artisans, and makers. Additional interactions will be temporarily limited. Space between vendor booths will still be offered to respect social distancing and provide safe shopping.
There are currently no plans to cancel other downtown Bentonville events at this time.