FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 4, 2019

Contact: Andrew Heath, Executive Director, 717-824-2281

DOWNTOWN BENTONVILLE INC. ANNOUNCES

APRIL FIRST FRIDAY DETAILS

(BENTONVILLE, AR) – Today, Downtown Bentonville Inc. announced details for the April First Friday celebration taking place on April 5th, from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm, at the Bentonville Square. The theme for the event is Growing Greener and the title sponsor is Unilever.

Unilever is a company committed to using less plastic, and also ensuring the plastic they do use can be reused, recycled or composted.

Unilever wants to inspire more people to ‘Bring it to the Bin’ by educating the public about the importance of recycling. At First Friday: Growing Greener, the company will be activating an art installation that starts as an oversized wall of plastic.  Attendees will have the opportunity to make a personal impact by making a commitment to “recycle” and by removing a bottle off the wall and bringing it to the bin. As each bottle is “recycled”, it begins to unveil a mural that shows why recycling is important.

Kids may also participate by coloring stickers and adding them to their own mural.

First Friday: Growing Greener will kick off with food trucks serving at 11:00 am; a special Cherishing Children Pinwheel Rally with the Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County at 11:30 am; Ashtyn Barbaree will be taking the mainstage at 4:00 pm; followed by Jamie Lou and the Hullabaloo at 5:15 pm and 1 oz. Jig at 6:45 pm.

The Children’s Advocacy Center of Benton County will host their annual Cherishing Children Pinwheel Rally in honor of National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month to spread awareness and shine a light on the issue in our community. The community to encouraged to gather at the Courthouse steps with featured guest speaker, Garrett Lewis, Chief Meteorologist with KFSM-TV. Following remarks, the public will choose one of 18 partnering agency locations to help place 353 pinwheels representing the total number of confirmed child abuse cases across Benton County in 2018.

For First Friday: Growing Greener, more than 70 vendors will be participating. To highlight this theme of sustainability and environmental protection, a number of participants will be providing theme-specific items and experiences. Some of these vendors include:

• Bay Cities

• Beaver Lake Watershed District

• City of Bentonville Waste Water Utilities

• Buffalo River Watershed District

• Arkansas Container Deposit Law

• NWA Land Trust

• Food Loops

• Imagination Station

Freeride Studios will be on hand with a number of bikes on the street and will have bottles that have been made with recycled tires.

Also, Whiteline Waste will be showcasing a Speleo Cave, built from recycled materials and housed in a dumpster, for ages four and up to enjoy exploring.

First Fridays are free and open to the public.

For more information on First Fridays, please visit downtownbentonville.org/firstfriday.

ABOUT DOWNTOWN BENTONVILLE INC.

Downtown Bentonville Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization creating the social infrastructure of the community by fostering a welcoming environment when the world, including our neighbors, comes to work, live and play in Downtown Bentonville.

Downtown Bentonville Inc.’s mission is to be a place-maker in the economic and cultural development landscape of Downtown Bentonville, while creating the social fabric that makes Bentonville unique, welcoming and one of the best places to live.

For more information, visit www.DowntownBentonville.org

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