Article by Andrea Bruner
It’s been three years since the last White River Water Carnival, and organizers are more than ready to bring the fun back to Batesville, and this year’s event will have a twist.
The 2022 White River Water Carnival will have a parade down Main Street at 10am on Saturday 6th August.
But while all water carnivals in years past have included a parade, what makes this year’s carnival different is that it will also combine activities from Big Fun on the Bayou.
The inaugural Big Fun was held in 2021, although there hasn’t been a Water Carnival since 2019, before COVID.
“The focus of Big Fun on the Bayou was centered around Poke Bayou in downtown Batesville, and the Water Carnival celebrates the White River, so when it looked like there wouldn’t be a carnival this year, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to combine both events,” said Karen Beller, president of the revived White River Water Carnival.
Karen Beller, president of the revived White River Water Carnival, recently visited with Arkansas 103.3’s “Slightly Scrambled” Wes Gwaltney about the big event’s upcoming return. Listen to their conversation below:
Following the parade, there will be a meet and greet with current local headliners at the Independence County Library, 267 E Main St., along with a 12:30 pm program on the history of the water carnival .
The Miss Historical Batesville and Miss White River pageants will be held at 2 pm at the University of Arkansas Community College at Independence Hall in Batesville. All other activities, as well as vendors, will be in downtown Batesville.
The first White River Water Carnival was held in 1938, as an estimated crowd of “12,000 to 15,000 people lined both sides of the parade route down Main Street,” according to an article in the Batesville Guard.
Over the years, the free family event has added other entertainment, food vendors, craft and commercial vendors, and children’s activities.
“Our goal is to bring kids and families to the White River Water Carnival,” Beller said. “We want to reconnect the Miss Historic Batesville pageant so that it can serve as the host of the carnival, along with King White River, which has served as the parade’s grand marshal in the past.
“The theme of this year’s parade is ‘A Return to Main: Throwback to the Water Carnivals of the Past’ and what better way to do that than to bring some of our oldest traditions, such as the King White River, to guide the participants of the parade down Main Street?” Beller said. “Let’s go back to the past of water carnivals: fun in the sun, bathing beauties and rock and roll are just a few. Let history be your guide.”
Entertainment by local performers will take place in the afternoon and early evening. The closing of the event will be a concert at 7 pm with UnRaveled as headliner. Admission to the concert is free. Attendees are welcome to bring blankets and lawn chairs.
Once the sun goes down, there will be a light race with participants encouraged to wear white or neon clothing, as well as glow sticks, twinkle lights and other fun accessories. The starting point is Pocket Park where brilliant runners of all ages, shapes, sizes and speeds will take off on the course, which winds along College and Main Streets and ends at the starting point.
“We can’t wait to see everyone ‘light up the night’ during the water carnival,” Beller said.
The schedule for Big Fun at the Water Carnival is as follows:
Friday, August 5, 2022
6.30pm – Mike’s Open Concert at Maxfield Park
8:00 – Concert with Danny Dozier and special guests: The Natural Disasters at Maxfield Park
Saturday, August 6, 2022
8:30 a.m. – Line up for the parade begins
9:30 – High Street traders open for duty free shopping
10:00 – Great presentation parade of the White River King
11:00 a.m. – Miss Historic Batesville and Miss White River meet and greet at the Library; registrations for boat races and animal contests at the Lemon Stand; Children’s activities at Maxfield Park, Bounce houses on Main
12:30 pm – History of the Riu Blanc Water Carnival in the Library
2:00 – Miss Historic Batesville, Miss Historic Batesville Outstanding Teen, Miss White River and Miss White River Outstanding Teen Pageants at Independence Hall (UACCB Campus)
6:00 – Presentation of the contest winners and local entertainment
8:00 – Summer concert series with UnRaveled in Maxfield Park
9:30 – The Glow Run starts at Pocket Park immediately after the concert.
Parking in downtown Batesville and admission to the carnival will be completely free. For more information about the parade or other water carnival activities, call (501) 503-1530. For questions about center activities, call (870) 569-1572.
The parade is sponsored by First Community Bank. The parade will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Town Plaza Shopping Center and will follow the traditional route along Carrer Major. Commercial and non-commercial entries will be accepted, but entries that are strictly for commercial advertising purposes may incur a fee; this does not include pageant title holders, non-profit organizations and school teams, bands, clubs and other groups. To enter, send an email to whiteriverwatercarnival@gmail.com or see White River Water Carnival on Facebook.
“We want to thank our sponsor and all the volunteers for helping us bring the 77th annual White River Water Carnival to life,” Beller said. “Our community is fortunate to have businesses and people who support our community. We hope everyone comes out on August 6th and has a lot of fun at the Water Carnival.”
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