The fifth annual ARKtoberfest will return to Mountain Home’s Baker District Square on Saturday, Oct. 3, offering an afternoon of craft beer, German-inspired games, and lively competitions. The event, hosted by Rapp’s Barren Brewing Co., runs from 3 to 7 p.m., with VIP ticket holders granted an hour of early entry. All profits from the festival will benefit Backpack Food 4 Kids, a program providing weekend meals to more than 300 students in Mountain Home who might otherwise go hungry.
“It’s about community,” said Rapp’s Barren co-owner Russell Tucker after last year’s festival. “About bringing people together to celebrate the good things we have right here in Mountain Home, and using that joy to give back.”
The festival has grown in popularity and fundraising success, generating $15,790 for the program in 2024 and $25,228.36 last year—amounts that help cover a significant portion of Backpack Food 4 Kids’ annual budget.
Highlighting the day is the “Beer Mile,” which begins at 3:30 p.m. Participants complete a quarter-mile loop, stopping to drink a 12-ounce craft beer before each lap, for a total of one mile and four beers. Awards will be given to the fastest male and female runners. Only individuals aged 21 and over may enter, with ID checks starting at 2:30 p.m. Registration covers all four beers, and Jack’s Package Store is sponsoring the race in collaboration with Rapp’s Barren and Pirate Perry Events.
For those less inclined to run, the Masskrugstemmen steinholding championship kicks off at 6 p.m. Competitors hold a full 1-liter beer stein at arm’s length, striving to outlast their competitors to claim the title of 2026 champion. Entry is $20 and includes a commemorative stein and the beer within it, though festival admission is required to compete. Anstaff Bank sponsors the steinholding event.
Additional games include Hammerschlagen, sponsored by Farmers & Merchants Bank, where participants drive nails into a log using the wedge end of a blacksmith’s hammer, and a barrel race, sponsored by 1st Arkansas Bail Bonds, where teams roll large barrels to the finish line. Both games are free for attendees.
Beyond competitions, the festival features a variety of local and regional craft beers, food trucks, live entertainment, and a Kids Zone. Last year’s ARKtoberfest showcased brews from 11 Arkansas and Missouri breweries and saw downtown businesses join in with German-inspired fare and decorations.
VIP tickets include early entry as well as a $10 food voucher redeemable at Rapp’s Barren Brewing Co. or participating food trucks. Tickets are available online through the festival’s website and Facebook page.
Originally launched 20 years ago by First United Methodist Church, Backpack Food 4 Kids started with only nine students. Today, the program serves approximately 310 backpacks weekly, each costing $5 to $6 and containing about 11 kid-friendly food items. Around 30 volunteers, including local community members and groups like Black Hills Energy, assemble the packs.
Donations to Backpack Food 4 Kids can be made year-round through First United Methodist Church or by calling 870-321-0019.