Spend Arbor Day in the Crystal Bridges North Forest with Live Music, Art, and a Free Tree Sapling
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is celebrating Arbor Day with a free afternoon in the North Forest, and the event is built around trees, nature, and hands-on learning for all ages. The Tree Party spans the entire North Forest trail from Campus Parking to the Village, with artmaking, live music, artist demos, nature experts, and community organizations spread across every stop. It’s one of the more content-packed free events Crystal Bridges puts on each year, and it’s designed to get people outside and engaged with the natural landscape right in the heart of Bentonville.
THE DEETS
📅 Saturday, April 25, 2026
🕙 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
📍 Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Campus Parking North Forest, Bentonville, AR
🎟️ Free — no tickets required
🔗 More info
What’s Going On
The afternoon spans the entire North Forest trail with activities, demos, and performances spread across multiple stops. Here’s a look at what’s happening throughout the day.
At the Campus Parking Plaza, you can pick up a tree sapling while supplies last — members get early access at 11:00 AM and the giveaway opens to the general public at 11:30 AM. Weave tree ornaments and connect with organizations including Arkansas Forestry and Yarb Apothecary. Traci Rae Manos performs live at 11:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 1:30 PM. Artist demos include wood turning with Ray Taylor. Nature’s Tabletop with the Amazeum, Tree Puzzles with Serious Toy Company, and drop-in forest bathing with Ozark Forest Therapy are also available.
Along the North Forest Trail between Campus Parking and the Deer, musicians from the Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra perform at 12 PM, 1 PM, and 2 PM. Character sightings with NWA Fairytale Princess Fun, face painting with Art of FuN, Bella Vista Garden Club, Benton County Master Gardeners, Garden Club of Rogers, Ozark Compost and Swap, NWA Stormwater Program, and a woodworking demo with Built by Bittle are also in this section.
Further along the trail between the Deer and the Village, you’ll find plein air artmaking, a watercolor demo with Gerald Hatley, a Twining Vine Designs artist demo, Tai Chi with Ozark Integrative Medicine at 12 PM and 1 PM, and organizations including the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Ozark Natural Science Center, and NWA Master Naturalists. The Wizard of (the) OZarks performance by the NWA Master Naturalists runs on the North Forest Trail at 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 2:00 PM.
At the Village, Apple Seeds Teaching Farm, Wild Birds Unlimited, Arkansas Folk and Traditional Arts, and a tote printing demo with Anna Evans are all on-site.
A Good Reason to Get Outside
Crystal Bridges’ North Forest is one of the more underrated outdoor spaces in Bentonville, and Arbor Day is a fitting occasion to spend time in it. Head out Saturday and bring the family.
