Written by Emma Weber // Graphic by Makayla McDonald
Since 2007, with a brief pause for COVID-19, Get Down Downtown has been providing a sense of community by bringing food, fun and tunes to the streets of Searcy. With free admission, the 15th annual festival will commence Sept. 29 from 6-9 p.m. and continue Saturday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Vendors will line Art Alley to Spring Park with opportunities to purchase local goods. Money earned will go to help support the volunteer-based nonprofit organization Main Street Searcy, which works to preserve historic downtown Searcy.
Get Down Downtown has been slowly increasing in engagement and activities. Festival director and the Executive director of Main Street Searcy Amy Burton said she is encouraged by this year’s projected turnout.
“This year, there is an expected range of 25,000 to 30,000 people,” Burton said. “It has such a draw, obviously, because that’s larger than Searcy’s population, but we draw from the surrounding area and even different states with our lineup and vendors.”
On Saturday, the third annual Funnel Cake 5k and Cotton Candy Classic start the morning off at 8 a.m., according to the Get Down Downtown website. Participants in the Funnel Cake 5k will receive a voucher for a free funnel cake and participants in the Cotton Candy Classic will receive a free bag of cotton candy.
“It wouldn’t be a festival without funnel cake,” Burton said.
Musical artists ranging from David Lee Murphy, Love and a Revolver, East Nash Grass and Erik Smallwood will perform on the First Security Bank Stage in downtown Searcy. Smallwood is a new resident of Searcy who is excited for his debut in Get Down Downtown.
“I am very honored to perform and humbled by them asking me,” Smallwood said. “My wife and I just moved to Searcy about two months ago, and I’m looking forward to sharing a little bit of myself with the community.”
Other events include train rides and the Searcy Fire Department firefighter combat challenge. These events will occur throughout the festival along with Cirque Adventure performances on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the Spring Street parking lot. A fire breather will also be in the Spring Street parking lot at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. Activities for children, ranging from face painting to pony rides, will take place in the Unity Health Kid Zone at Spring Park from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday.
With something for every age, Get Down Downtown will electrify Searcy’s downtown. These events and vendors provide opportunities for a variety of experiences. Visit downtown to participate in a diverse selection of local businesses, concessions and activities.
