Singer Melissa Carper. — Courtesy Visit Hot Springs
Melissa Carper, the nationally acclaimed country singer with deep ties to Arkansas and a profound commitment to nature, will open the inaugural Birding Festival of the South Presented by Oaklawn Hot Springs, with a concert October 8 on Bridge Street in downtown Hot Springs.
Carper plays old-school country music that resonates across time and place, with a repertoire that weaves together the threads of old-time country, bluegrass, western swing, jazz, and blues that all intertwined to form American country music back in the day.
Carper’s performance will take place at the Bridge Street Entertainment District at 6:30 PM on the opening night of the festival, which has already drawn weekend festival pass sales from 14 states.
Pass holders who register by August 8 will receive a Birding Festival of the South field guide, tumbler and tote bag, as well as access to keynote presentations, field trip opportunities, workshops, a vendor hall, and musical performances. Information on passes and the festival is available at https://www.hotsprings.org/events/birding-festival-of-the-south/. Weekend passes are $35.
Carper joins singer/birding advocate Bonner Black and bird-sounds expert Alison Kondler in the initial list of guest celebrities announced for the festival.
The Birding Festival of the South, October 8-10, 2026, presented by Oaklawn Hot Springs, will be designed around the interests of beginner, novice, and serious birders alongside cultural arts events that will be inspired by birding. The timing of the event will coincide with the annual Fall Migration, opening the exciting opportunity to see birds not native to Hot Springs.
For more information, call Alexis Hampo at 501-321-2027.
