A goat lingerie show?
No “kidding!” That’s one of the events at the one-of-a-kind Arkansas Goat Festival, which returns to Perryville on Oct. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. after a two-year pandemic break. This year’s festival, held at Perryville City Park, includes a full lineup of fun, goat-themed activities.
Perryville Mayor and First Electric Cooperative Board of Directors member John Roland expects approximately 8,000 people to attend this year.
“The Arkansas Goat Festival is a good, family-oriented, fun event organized by our community to help promote our local vendors, craftsmen and our local businesses,” Roland says.
This year’s festival has not one but two goat parades: one for goats in costumes, and the au naturel parade for goats who prefer to just be themselves. The crowd-favorite costume contest recognizes the most creatively dressed goats. This year’s contestants will have to up their goat-game, as past goat getups included a gnome, a hippie, a unicorn, a taco and a bee.
And then there’s Nannies at Night, the goat lingerie show. The Victoria’s Secret runway show has nothing on these goats.
“The lingerie show is always a hit,” Roland says with a laugh. “We’ll also have goat milking, all kinds of goat products and plenty of goat activities for everyone’s enjoyment.”
Nannies at Night, the goat lingerie show, is a hit with festivalgoers.
Goats have their own play area in the Perryville Goat Park. Like a dog park, it’s the only designated municipal goat park in the U.S.
Admission is free at the festival, which features music, 14 food trucks and over 120 arts and crafts vendors. Kids of the two-legged variety will also find fun activities like the library’s story time, a petting zoo, crafts and a playground.
So, get your goat and show it off at the Arkansas Goat Festival! While there’s no cost to bring your goat or enter the contests, preregistration is encouraged at arkansasgoatfestival.com.
Goats must always wear leashes or harnesses. Festival organizers strongly discourage intact male goats to attend due to breeding season (and perhaps the goat lingerie show).