BENTONVILLE -- The Bite NW Arkansas food festival will have a new home this year.
The event, part of the LPGA's Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, will be held June 22-23 at 8th Street Market in Bentonville. The Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion in Rogers hosted the first two years of the event, which were sold out. The 11th annual golf tournament runs June 19-25 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.
About 8th Street Market
Ten acres along Eighth Street in the Bentonville Market District near the Bentonville square will ultimately showcase culinary education, music and the arts, restaurants and hospitality venues, and other specialized food and drink concepts. The Northwest Arkansas Community College expanded culinary arts and hospitality program Brightwater operates at the site. Bentonville-based Bike Rack Brewery announced it will open an 8,000-foot facility at the site that will feature and teach the full production brewing process, as well as sell beer brewed on site.
Source: Octagon Events and Hospitality
"The LPGA [the NW Arkansas Championship] is such a regional event, it really impacts all of Northwest Arkansas," said Dana Davis, president and CEO of the Greater Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce. "With 8th Street Market becoming a foodie destination, and when you think of the businesses that are going to be there and the culinary things they're trying to do, it makes sense to hold [Bite] at that site."
The format of the two-day food festival will be the same as in previous years, comprised of Taste of NW Arkansas, a traditional restaurant showcase, on the first night and the Burgers and Beer Fest on the second.
The festival will coincide with the opening of 8th Street Market, a 10-acre location designed for culinary education, restaurants, entertainment and hospitality at 801 SE Eighth St., between E and J streets, approximately one mile from the downtown square. Northwest Arkansas Community College's program Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food operates out of the location, but the remainder of the facility will not open to the public until summer.
"As we look to the next 10 years, the vision is to expand into the greater Northwest Arkansas community," said Harry Hardy, event director. "The timing works out perfectly, almost too good to be true. We're excited to have a new home for Bite."
The venue was a natural fit for the festival because it was built with culinary purposes in mind and offers the cold storage and equipment necessary for it, Hardy said. The ability to host events indoor and outdoors, as well as its close proximity to the trail system were added benefits.
"Visit Bentonville and the city of Bentonville are very culinary focused, it's a key part of our image," said Kalene Griffith, president and CEO of Visit Bentonville. "Culinary is its own attraction -- an integral part of the tourist experience -- and having the festival is a huge bonus. It takes a regional effort, but we all benefit [from it]."
More than 35 restaurants and 15 area breweries participated in 2016 Bite NW Arkansas, which served 2,000 people. Most of the same vendors and chefs, such as Tyson Director of Research and Development Culinary Services Mario Valdovino, will return alongside a few new faces, Hardy said. The goal is to attract 3,000 ticket holders.
Bike Rack Brewery in Bentonville will be among the vendors inside the 8th Street Market. Beer will be brewed on site at Bike Rack's 8,000-square-foot facility that will feature a tap room with capacity for 90 people. Bike Rack Brewery also has its original location at 401 SW A St., Suite 6.
"We are ecstatic that Bite NW Arkansas is moving to 8th Street Market and that our brewery will have the chance to help grow the impact of the event," Jeff Charlson, CEO and partner of Bike Rack Brewing Company, said in a news release. "For two years, Bite has paired great food with great beer. That's authentic to the mission of Bike Rack and what I think we can expect to see at 8th Street Market in the long term."
Festival ticket prices will remain the same as 2016 -- $50 per couple, $30 for individuals, and will go on sale March 1.
"People think it's a really cool event, and we work hard to create an atmosphere about the community -- once you buy a ticket, you don't have to get your wallet out again," Hardy said. "That's the beauty of it, bringing restaurants from the whole region to one place."
The festival venue change will allow Brightwater to showcase its new culinary facilities and capabilities through hands-on cooking demonstrations.
"Given all the culinary and hospitality growth throughout Northwest Arkansas, Bite NW Arkansas is a great way to help introduce 8th Street Market and Brightwater," Glenn Mack, executive director of Brightwater, said in a news release. "Brightwater and our students have been a part of Bite from its inception and now that we share the site, I'm sure our engagement will only grow in the future."
Metro on 02/07/2017