Conway is getting a blast from the past this weekend as RetroFest Arkansas rolls in with a full-on celebration of all things retro, from video games and vintage toys to throwback fashion and a recreated Blockbuster-style video store. (PHOTO: Retro Fest Arkansas)
CONWAY, Ark. (KATV) —Conway is getting a blast from the past this weekend as Retro Fest Arkansas rolls in with a full-on celebration of all things retro, from video games and vintage toys to throwback fashion and a recreated Blockbuster-style video store.
Organizer Rick Hutchinson said the idea grew out of his love of ’80s and ’90s nostalgia and his experience traveling to festivals and conventions around the country. Hutchinson, who also runs a YouTube channel focused on that retro world, said he and his team kept thinking Arkansas needed something similar, and Retro Fest Arkansas was born. This year marks the event’s third year, and Hutchinson said it has grown quickly.
The crowd is expected to be big. Hutchinson said hotels are sold out and that organizers are “hoping to have around five to 6000 people that come this year.” He also said the event draws heavily from outside Arkansas, adding that based on analytics, “we actually have more people from out of state than in state that come.”
The goal, Hutchinson said, is to “transport people back to the ’80s and the ’90s,” with different exhibits each year. This year’s centerpiece is a recreated Blockbuster experience, a ’90s-style video store setup complete with “1000s of VHS,” designed to bring back the feeling of browsing the aisles and picking out a movie the old-fashioned way.
Beyond the nostalgia factor, Retro Fest Arkansas is set up like a full weekend festival. Hutchinson said the event will feature about 200 vendors selling everything from old-school video games to vintage toys, including Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles items. There will also be voice actors on site, and Hutchinson said this year’s headliner is Winnie the Pooh. Last year’s headliner, he added, was Goofy.
Hutchinson said the event is designed to be family-friendly and fun across generations, a place where parents and kids can connect over the games and pop culture they grew up with, even as yesterday’s consoles become today’s collectibles. As Hutchinson put it, “Even like Wii’s are retro now; they’re like thing of the past.”
Retro Fest Arkansas runs Saturday and Sunday and will also include live bands and a classic car show. Hutchinson said the car show will feature vehicles like the DeLorean and other movie-style cars.
Tickets and event information are available online. Hutchinson said early bird tickets are available online, and tickets can also be purchased at the door.
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