PERRYVILLE, Ark. (KTHV) - Perryville, Arkansas is a small town with a big draw – the Arkansas Goat Festival.
“We believe we should be the Sturgis of goats,” festival organizer Sarah French said. “If you have a motorcycle, you have to go to Sturgis. If you have a goat, you have to go to Perryville.”
French estimates more than 6,000 people attended the festival – making this the biggest crowd since it started in 2016.
“I got on the internet; I couldn't find this offered anywhere, so I started the Arkansas Goat Festival to live out my dream of seeing a goat in a costume parade,” French said.
A steady crowd filled Perryville City Park throughout the day for the goat parade, goat milking, goat soap making, goat yoga, and “America’s Goat Talent.”
Goat farmer Karen Davis, owner of Whisper Hill Farm, brought two of her 64 colored angoras to the festival.
“I think they're a better pet than a dog even,” Davis said. “My goats all greet me when I go out; they know their name.”
While the festival is a celebration of the friendly farm animal, French said it’s become so much more than that for Perry County.
“It's not just a festival for festival’s sake. it's community development,” French said. “Rural America has a lot of problems and we're trying to put a small town on the map for a good reason, and it's really grown and helped our local businesses.”
Perryville City Park houses a goat park complete with a playscape, similar to a dog park, that’s open year round.
The 4th annual Arkansas Goat Festival is planned for October 5, 2019.