INTO THE WOODS JR. An Arts On Main, Arts-In-Education presentation
2023-10-13 19:00, 2023-10-14 19:00 (America/Chicago) | AR
More information coming soon!

FALL FESTIVAL TRADIN' DAYS
2023-10-14 09:00 - 17:00, 2023-10-15 10:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago)
MORE INFORMATION SOON!

UAFS Drennen-Scott Historic Site we will have a Civil War encampment telling the story of the 1862 Union Raid on Van Buren.
2023-10-14 10:00 - 16:30, 2023-10-15 10:00 - 14:30 (America/Chicago)

Ride the Train Van Buren to Winslow
2023-10-14 11:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-17 11:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-18 11:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-19 11:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-21 11:00 - 14:00, 2023-10-25 11:00 - 14:00, 2023-11-04 11:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago)
This three-hour, 70 mile round trip excursion takes you through the ruggedly beautiful Boston Mountain range of the Ozarks, over three valley trestles and through the 1700-foot long Winslow tunnel for some of the most breathtaking scenery you are likely to see in ‘The Natural State’.
Departs Van Buren 11:00am

Boston Mountains, Trestles, Tunnel
Three hour round trip

James & the Giant Peach Jr presented by CSA @ the KOH
2023-10-19 00:00 UTC, 2023-11-17 19:00 (America/Chicago)
Based on one of Roald Dahl’s most poignantly quirky stories, Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach JR. is a brand new take on this “masterpeach” of a tale. Featuring a wickedly tuneful score and a witty and charming book, this adventurous musical about courage and self-discovery is destined to be a classic.
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When James is sent by his conniving aunts to chop down their old fruit tree, he discovers a magic potion that grows a tremendous peach, rolls into the ocean and launches a journey of enormous proportions. James befriends a collection of singing insects that ride the giant piece of fruit across the ocean, facing hunger, sharks and plenty of disagreements along the way.

A Christmas Story the Musical presented by CSA @ the KOH
2023-10-19 00:00 UTC
This musical, which received rave reviews on its Broadway run, is based on the movie classic that runs round-the-clock on television every Christmas. Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the musical follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his quest for the Holy Grail of Christmas gifts—an Official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Rebuffed at every turn with a similar echoing response, Ralphie plots numerous schemes to achieve his desperate desire for the coveted BB gun. All the iconic scenes from the movie are here: Ralphie’s friend, Flick, getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole; his brother, Randy, getting dressed in his snowsuit; the bullies, Farkus and Dill; the leg lamp award; the bunny suit; Christmas dinner; and many others. The delightfully versatile score ranges from gentle ballads to show-stopping full-ensemble numbers such as “Ralphie to the Rescue!”, “A Major Award,” “Sticky Situation,” “Up on Santa’s Lap,” “Somewhere Hovering Over Indiana” and the inevitable “You’ll Shoot Your Eye Out!” A Christmas Story, The Musical will bring an exciting new dimension to those who have seen the movie and will certainly stand on its own for those who haven’t.

TROUT FISHING IN AMERICA! @ the KOH
2023-10-21 19:00 (America/Chicago)
Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet formed Trout Fishing in America in 1979 as a means of survival. They traveled to California as a part of the Texas-based five-piece band St. Elmo’s Fire with hopes of being discovered and signed by a major record label. When no such opportunity arose, and the promising tour dissolved, Keith and Ezra peeled off from their bandmates to fend for themselves. Busking on the streets of Santa Cruz with an acoustic guitar, and an upright bass, the pair quickly learned that engaging listeners instantly was the only path towards dollars and coins in the open guitar case. When entry in a music contest required them to have a name for their act, they chose Trout Fishing in America as an homage to Keith’s love of writer Richard Brautigan and Ezra’s love of fishing.
They returned to Texas and continued performing as a duo, landing gigs in the southeast United States. For a band comprised only of a guitar, a bass, and two vocalists, Keith and Ezra could sonically fill whatever space they played. Trout’s genre-defying musical style and unique stage presence did not lend itself to standard marketing strategies so their following developed through word-of-mouth recommendations from fans and club owners. No one could explain what kind of music Trout played but would also tell you that theirs was not a show to miss.
Rather than waiting for a record label’s attention, they formed their own Trout Records label in the 1980s and released two vinyl albums and two cassettes. Drawing inspiration from childhoods spent listening to top-40 AM radio, the two songwriters seasoned their music with stylings from rock and roll, blues, folk, country, bluegrass, funk, Latin, and reggae…whatever sound would best bring out the flavor of the lyrics they wrote. From the beginning, they were a song writing team with Keith typically being the lyrical generator while Ezra developed the music. Their collaborative natures allowed them to edit each other’s contributions without egos clashing.
Through hard work, strong musicianship, solid friendship, supportive families, and a genuine ability to connect with their audience, Trout’s homegrown success and appeal exploded in the 1990s. This led to regular touring throughout the US and Canada in their infamous red truck, Robert RedFord. They retired The Red Truck in 1997 after accumulating over half a million miles. The 1990s ushered in the era of compact discs and Trout released 9 more albums from 1990 – 1999 on their label. They were nominated for Grammy awards in 2001, 2004, 2006, and 2008.
Keith and Ezra have always been road dogs, driving tens of thousands of miles throughout the United States every year. In March 2020, years of touring came to a halt. After a month apart, they reunited at the Trout House Studio and did what they do best: they wrote songs together. With live gigs disappearing, Keith and Ezra had lots of time to experiment and create. The studio became their safe house. They wrote over a dozen new songs and performed monthly live streams to stay connected with their fans. The result is Trout’s 25th album, “Safe House”.
It is not unusual for three or four generations of a family to show up at a Trout performance and this is a point of pride for both Keith and Ezra. It may still be impossible to tell you what kind of music Trout plays, but after attending a show, you’ll know exactly what you’ve witnessed: two guys who still love what they do and are excited to share it with you.

1st Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
2023-10-27 00:00 UTC, 2023-11-17 18:30 - 19:30 (America/Chicago)

HALLOWEEN ON MAIN
2023-10-27 17:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)

COUGHRAN'S HOT ROD SHOP & AUTO SHOW
2023-10-28 08:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago)
Details soon!

Movies @ KOH "Hideout"
2023-11-04 14:00 (America/Chicago)
This year the King Opera House is be offering a series of movies from the Fort Smith Film Festival. Admission is free, but a $5 donation is suggested. Please note that these independent movies are not rated.

Drug dealer Guo-hao hopes to make enough money so that he and his girlfriend can leave their life of crime behind. One day, he is contacted by Michael, a drug broker with an offer to buy a batch of rare cocaine.
Guo-hao teams up with long-time buddy Da-wei to borrow money from local crime boss Uncle Ma to complete this deal.
On the day of the exchange, however, Michael is found dead and the drugs are already gone. The owner of the cocaine threatens to kill Guo-hao if he fails to come up with the drugs or money. At the same time, Uncle Ma dispatches his henchmen to recover the loan.
In the middle of the night, Guo-hao receives a phone call from a mysterious man claiming to be in possession of the lost cocaine, telling Guo-hao he has a new deal for him…

Santa's Workshop Sponsored by The Rotary Club of Van Buren
2023-11-07 00:00 UTC

18th Annual Festival of Trees presented to you by The Rotary Club of Van Buren
2023-11-07 00:00 UTC

Annual Holiday Open House Girls Night Out in Historic Downtown Van Buren
2023-11-10 16:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)

Annual Holiday Open House in Historic Downtown Van Buren
2023-11-11 10:00 - 20:00 (America/Chicago)

21st ANNUAL VAN BUREN VETERANS DAY PARADE
2023-11-12 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago)

Lighting of the Crawford County Court House
2023-11-13 00:00 UTC
