EUREKA SPRINGS, AR – The Ozark Foundation, with support from the Eureka Springs City Advertising & Promotion Commission, has announced the return of the Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival, a three-day family-friendly mountain bike festival scheduled for September 26-28, 2025.
Originally launched in 1999, the Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival grew to become Arkansas’s largest annual mountain bike festival before production was paused in 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally held during the summer, the festival featured multiple mountain bike competitions, group rides, and social gatherings. Event organizers plan to revive several key elements, including Short Track and Downhill competitions, along with the popular Big Town Ride, a guided tour of the extensive mountain bike trail system throughout Eureka Springs.
In addition to these returning events, recent developments in gravity-focused trails across Eureka Springs have provided an opportunity to align the festival with the Arkansas Enduro Series and the annual Eureka Enduro. Enduro mountain bike racing combines elements of cross-country and downhill mountain biking in a time-trial format that has gained popularity nationwide, attracting professional and amateur athletes.
Brannon Pack, Senior Director of Operations for the Ozark Foundation, highlighted the historical significance of mountain biking in Eureka Springs and the organization’s commitment to revitalizing the festival. “Eureka Springs has a long-standing tradition of mountain biking in Arkansas. The Ozark Foundation is excited to bring back the Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival while incorporating competitions that reflect modern trends in the sport, such as the Eureka Enduro,” Pack stated.
Additionally, the Ozark Foundation will use the festival weekend to introduce the Arkansas Downhill Series, a new competitive downhill mountain biking series designed to take advantage of investments in downhill trail networks across the state, including those in Eureka Springs.
The Fat Tire Festival will be based at Lake Leatherwood City Park, a 1,610-acre outdoor recreation area that features more than 25 miles of singletrack trails, including the Lake Leatherwood Gravity Project and Arkansas’ largest downhill mountain bike park. The park offers a variety of lodging options, including cabins, campsites, and RV spaces. Beyond the park, the festival is expected to generate a significant economic impact for the Eureka Springs community.
Mike Maloney, Executive Director of the Eureka Springs City Advertising & Promotion Commission, emphasized the role of mountain biking in the city’s tourism strategy. “Mountain bike tourism continues to grow across Arkansas, and Eureka Springs’ world-class trail development positions our community as a prime destination for events like the Fat Tire Festival,” Maloney said. “The Eureka Springs City Advertising & Promotion Commission recognizes the positive impact mountain biking has on the local economy, so much so that it has been identified as one of the four pillars in our annual advertising strategy. Mountain bike tourists are drawn to the same experiences valued by our residents—they seek out local dining, lodging, and entertainment, all of which are abundant in Eureka Springs.”
Registration for the 2025 Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival, including the Eureka Enduro, will open on June 1, 2025. Additional information is available at www.arkansasenduroseries.com.
All photos from the 2014 Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival plus, enjoy our video from the 2014 festival:
- Urban Trails in the Heart of Eureka Springs
- Walton Family Foundation and Eureka Springs Parks Open New Trails
- Three Days of Fatty Fest 2014
This article was originally published on ArkansasOutside.com, your trusted source for outdoor news and updates in The Natural State. Unless otherwise credited, all photos included in this piece are the property of Arkansas Outside, LLC. We take pride in sharing the beauty and adventures of Arkansas through our lens—thank you for supporting our work!
