ASBTDC at The Chamber

The UAFS Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is an economic development program that assists entrepreneurs both new and seasoned. They help with every aspect of business creation, management, and operation.    Ty Barrett, the Regional Off......More

The UAFS Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is an economic development program that assists entrepreneurs both new and seasoned. They help with every aspect of business creation, management, and operation.    Ty Barrett, the Regional Office Director of the ASBTDC at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, is on site at the VB Chamber Business Resouce Center every Wednesday to help you grow your business.  The ASBTDC Office works with all types of for-profit businesses, from home-based to high-tech. You can receive one-to-one confidential consulting and cutting-edge market research at no charge. Ty's individual consulting services are confidential and tailored to your needs. Whether you are a first-time entrepreneur or looking for a competitive edge for your established business, ASBTDC is here to help you succeed.  To schedule a meeting with Ty, call or email him: 479.424-5146, [email protected] The Van Buren Chamber Business Resource Center is an official satellite office of the Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center. 

Van Buren Chamber Business Resource Center

71st Annual Meeting & Business Expo

    Held each June, the Chamber Annual Meeting & Business Expo is the premier gathering of business and community leaders in Crawford County. The event opens with a robust business expo, where participating members showcase their products, services, and initi......More

    Held each June, the Chamber Annual Meeting & Business Expo is the premier gathering of business and community leaders in Crawford County. The event opens with a robust business expo, where participating members showcase their products, services, and initiatives. During the luncheon and program, attendees look back on the year’s achievements, hear updates on future goals, and enjoy special presentations and membership recognitions. The event concludes with the presentation of the prestigious Iverson Riggs Citizen of the Year award, honoring an outstanding individual who has made a significant impact on the community. TO PURCHASE INDIVIDUAL TICKETS: $45 PER TICKET Click on the green "Register" button in the upper right-hand corner below the Chamber logo. After you complete your registration, a receipt will be emailed to you with your confirmation and confirmation will be emailed to each attendee that you register.  ​You may also call the Chamber to purchase tickets at (479) 474-2761. FOR REGISTRANTS WITH RESERVED SEATING AND A BUSINESS EXPO BOOTH ​​Click here for the Business Expo Booth Contract. If you registered for a sponsorship which includes a booth, this form must be completed and submitted to Jessica Blasingame at [email protected] before May 15th, 2026.    AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING: Iverson Riggs Citizen of the Year  This award is given to an individual in honor of the outstanding accomplishments, and in recognition of individual contributions and unselfish service to the community of Van Buren. The recipient will be recognized at the Annual Meeting and featured in the 2027 Community Profile and Business Directory publication. Nominees must have contributed to the City of Van Buren something of value in the field of leadership and/or education that has proved of value and will continue to prove of value to the community in the future. Chamber Member of the Year The Van Buren Chamber’s “Chamber Member of the Year” Awards recognize members who help to build our community through volunteerism and demonstrate a commitment to the Chamber’s mission. The recipients will be recognized at the Annual Meeting. Honorees will be selected in each one of the three categories (Business, Entrepreneur, &  Non-Profit), based on the following criteria: • Emphasizes the importance of volunteerism and service among employees. • Encourages and allows opportunities for employees to give back through involvement with the Chamber, schools, and area non-profit organizations. • Promotes economic growth of the Van Buren area business community. • Invests in the people, businesses and future of the region. • Maintains a membership in good standing with the Van Buren Chamber  The chosen recipient(s) will be featured in the 2027 Community Profile and Business Directory publication, receive an electronic badge signifying the award placed on their online directory listing on the Chamber web site, and a category sponsorship in the online directory.   Mover and Shaker Award This award is to be given in recognition of a person or group of people that have taken initiative in creating extraordinary improvements in the community development of Van Buren through volunteerism within the last year, 2025 to present. This improvement has added to the attractiveness of living and working in the community and promoted our culture of working together. The recipient will be recognized at the Annual Meeting and featured in the 2027 Community Profile and Business Directory publication.  The judges for this year's Business of the Year and Mover and Shaker awards are: Julie Allen, PCED Director, Newport Area Chamber of Commerce Jay Click Community & Economic Development Coordinator Southwest Arkansas Planning & Development District Dana Poindexter Regional Manager, South Arkansas Arkansas Economic Development Commission Amy Williams, PCED Regional Manager, Northeast Region Arkansas Economic Development Commission  

Van Buren High School Commons

Heart of the Fort - A Family Fun Day

Round'em up River Valley and join Heart to Heart Pregnancy & Family Care Center for our summer event, Heart of the Fort-A Family Fun Day, in the rodeo arena (Harper Stadium) at Kay Rodgers Park on Saturday, June 13th, 2026, 10am-2pm. We plan to have family-centered......More

Round'em up River Valley and join Heart to Heart Pregnancy & Family Care Center for our summer event, Heart of the Fort-A Family Fun Day, in the rodeo arena (Harper Stadium) at Kay Rodgers Park on Saturday, June 13th, 2026, 10am-2pm. We plan to have family-centered activities including pony rides, lassoing, a mechanical bull, blacksmithing, mining for gold, and a chuck wagon with western style food. We will also have a jail wagon used to help raise money by requesting people to nominate and pay to put members of the community in jail and to get them out of jail. Get out your cowboy boots for some heel-toe do-si-do square dancing, along with music from local and upcoming country music star Lane Lowder. Then enjoy various carnival games provided by Bullfrog Bouncers, and an old-time photo booth, and so much more!   We hope that you will partner with us to promote families in our community. Thank you for helping us minister to the community…one mother, one father, one child, one family at a time! Contact Kendee Hughes, 479-452-2260 or [email protected] to sign up for sponsorships. Together we can make a difference!

Harper Stadium-Kay Rogers Park

Summer Street Eats Food Truck Festival

Warning: Downtown Van Buren may experience unusually high levels of deliciousness on June 13. Side effects of attending the Summer Street Eats Food Truck Festival & Sugar Rush Throwdown may include: Saying, "I'll just get one thing" and leaving with......More

Warning: Downtown Van Buren may experience unusually high levels of deliciousness on June 13. Side effects of attending the Summer Street Eats Food Truck Festival & Sugar Rush Throwdown may include: Saying, "I'll just get one thing" and leaving with six different snacks Debating whether tacos, barbecue, or funnel cake counts as a balanced meal Discovering that dessert is, in fact, a food group Needing a nap by 5:01 PM Join us in Historic Downtown Van Buren on Saturday, June 13, from 10 AM–5 PM for a day filled with food trucks, sweet treats, and enough calories to fuel your summer adventures. Come hungry. Leave happy. Possibly sticky. Vendor applications available on their website.  

Lego Village - Learn More About Foster Care

  The event will feature tables set up around the room with LEGO building instructions and printed conversation starters about foster care. Foster parents and those interested in foster care will partner up, sit together, build, and work through the conversation star......More

  The event will feature tables set up around the room with LEGO building instructions and printed conversation starters about foster care. Foster parents and those interested in foster care will partner up, sit together, build, and work through the conversation starter questions for a casual but meaningful conversation about what foster care is like, the challenges that come with it, and why it's worth opening their home.    Snacks and light refreshments will be available for all attendees during the event.    Local Foster Care Licensors will be available and tabling with their information for follow-up and to answer additional questions.    For those with children, including foster children, who need activities for them during the event, the King Opera House which is connected to Arts on Main, will be showing The LEGO Movie at no cost to all LEGO Village attendees’ children. Popcorn and drinks will be available for purchase during the movie.   Register Here.

Arts On Main

$5 Movie Nights at King Opera House - The Lego Movie

Looking for an easy, budget-friendly night out with the kids this summer? The $5 Movie Night at King Opera House offers an affordable entertainment option year-round for movie lovers of all ages. Summer crowd-pleasing blockbuster films include The SpongeBob Movie:......More

Looking for an easy, budget-friendly night out with the kids this summer? The $5 Movie Night at King Opera House offers an affordable entertainment option year-round for movie lovers of all ages. Summer crowd-pleasing blockbuster films include The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, The Lego Movie, Wicked, How to Train Your Dragon, and Ratatouille. Families can enjoy an evening filled with entertainment, excitement, and cinematic magic, all for just $5. A selection of concessions, including freshly popped popcorn, are available for purchase—because no movie night is complete without snacks! It’s a simple way to slow down, spend time together, and make summer memories close to home. Purchase your tickets online at kingoperahouse.ludus.com, or at the door. 

King Opera House

ASBTDC at The Chamber

The UAFS Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is an economic development program that assists entrepreneurs both new and seasoned. They help with every aspect of business creation, management, and operation.    Ty Barrett, the Regional Off......More

The UAFS Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is an economic development program that assists entrepreneurs both new and seasoned. They help with every aspect of business creation, management, and operation.    Ty Barrett, the Regional Office Director of the ASBTDC at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, is on site at the VB Chamber Business Resouce Center every Wednesday to help you grow your business.  The ASBTDC Office works with all types of for-profit businesses, from home-based to high-tech. You can receive one-to-one confidential consulting and cutting-edge market research at no charge. Ty's individual consulting services are confidential and tailored to your needs. Whether you are a first-time entrepreneur or looking for a competitive edge for your established business, ASBTDC is here to help you succeed.  To schedule a meeting with Ty, call or email him: 479.424-5146, [email protected] The Van Buren Chamber Business Resource Center is an official satellite office of the Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center. 

Van Buren Chamber Business Resource Center

Van Buren Lions Club Meeting

The Van Buren Lions Club is proud to be a part of Lions International and we have served our community since 1922.  Our annual events include a Golf Tournament, Pancake Breakfast, and the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast.  We also support these local, regional, state and i......More

The Van Buren Lions Club is proud to be a part of Lions International and we have served our community since 1922.  Our annual events include a Golf Tournament, Pancake Breakfast, and the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast.  We also support these local, regional, state and international programs: * Local Eye Examination Program * Arkansas Eye Bank and Laboratory * Lions World Services for the Blind * Mid-South Sight and Hearing Service * Leader Dogs for the Blind * Lions Clubs International Foundation * Diabetes Education and Prevention * Sight First * Lions of Arkansas Foundation We meet on the first and third Wednesday each month at the Van Buren Chamber, OG&E Meeting Room, 111 North 12th Street, Van Buren, AR.   If you are interested in joining or would like to attend a meeting please email us at [email protected].  

Van Buren Chamber OG&E Meeting Room

Federal Certifications for Your Small Business

Mark your calendars. 

The Bakery District

$5 Movie Nights at King Opera House - Wicked

Looking for an easy, budget-friendly night out with the kids this summer? The $5 Movie Night at King Opera House offers an affordable entertainment option year-round for movie lovers of all ages. Summer crowd-pleasing blockbuster films include The SpongeBob Movie: Sea......More

Looking for an easy, budget-friendly night out with the kids this summer? The $5 Movie Night at King Opera House offers an affordable entertainment option year-round for movie lovers of all ages. Summer crowd-pleasing blockbuster films include The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants, The Lego Movie, Wicked, How to Train Your Dragon, and Ratatouille. Families can enjoy an evening filled with entertainment, excitement, and cinematic magic, all for just $5. A selection of concessions, including freshly popped popcorn, are available for purchase—because no movie night is complete without snacks! It’s a simple way to slow down, spend time together, and make summer memories close to home. Purchase your tickets online at kingoperahouse.ludus.com, or at the door.

King Opera House

Business After Hours hosted by Rhodes Chevrolet

Are you looking for new opportunities to grow your business and strengthen professional connections? Join us for Business After Hours — a valuable opportunity to build relationships and highlight your business within the local community. These events encourage expan......More

Are you looking for new opportunities to grow your business and strengthen professional connections? Join us for Business After Hours — a valuable opportunity to build relationships and highlight your business within the local community. These events encourage expanding your network through visibility and making new partnerships that support long-term business growth. Don’t miss this opportunity to invest in your business and your community connections. Chamber Members: Be sure to register for the $100 Cash Prize Cherokee Casino & Hotel - Roland Progressive Drawing during Business After Hours.  There is no cost to attend but registration is required.  

ASBTDC at The Chamber

The UAFS Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is an economic development program that assists entrepreneurs both new and seasoned. They help with every aspect of business creation, management, and operation.    Ty Barrett, the Regional Off......More

The UAFS Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center (ASBTDC) is an economic development program that assists entrepreneurs both new and seasoned. They help with every aspect of business creation, management, and operation.    Ty Barrett, the Regional Office Director of the ASBTDC at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, is on site at the VB Chamber Business Resouce Center every Wednesday to help you grow your business.  The ASBTDC Office works with all types of for-profit businesses, from home-based to high-tech. You can receive one-to-one confidential consulting and cutting-edge market research at no charge. Ty's individual consulting services are confidential and tailored to your needs. Whether you are a first-time entrepreneur or looking for a competitive edge for your established business, ASBTDC is here to help you succeed.  To schedule a meeting with Ty, call or email him: 479.424-5146, [email protected] The Van Buren Chamber Business Resource Center is an official satellite office of the Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center. 

Van Buren Chamber Business Resource Center

Biz Matters Series:Maximize Your Marketing Strategy

Maximize your marketing strategy, visit with industry experts and update your headshot- all in one place! Register today for the second workshop in our Biz Matters Series.  Registration deadline is  June 19. 

Van Buren Chamber Business Resource Center OG&E Meeting Room

Ribbon Cutting for Da' Bayou Snowballs & Sweets

Join us for a Ribbon Cutting for Da' Bayou Snowballs & Sweets.

Da' Bayou Snowballs & Sweets

Old Town Smokeout & BBQ Cook-off

  2nd Annual Old Town Smokeout & BBQ Cook-off Get ready for a smokin' good time in the heart of Old Town Van Buren! The Second Annual Kansas City BBQ Cook-off is taking over our historic downtown streets for a weekend of flavor, fire, and fun. Whether you're a se......More

  2nd Annual Old Town Smokeout & BBQ Cook-off Get ready for a smokin' good time in the heart of Old Town Van Buren! The Second Annual Kansas City BBQ Cook-off is taking over our historic downtown streets for a weekend of flavor, fire, and fun. Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or just here for the samples, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Tasting & Awards Think you know great BBQ? Put your palate to the test! We will be selling People’s Choice Tasting Tickets so you can help crown the champion. Friday Schedule of Events: 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Teams Check in (21 S. 7th St.) 4:00 p.m.: Cooks Meeting  People's Choice Pork Turn-In – TBD 6: 30 p.m.: Rib Turn-In Vendor Registration: https://oldtownvanburen.com/old-town-smokeout/

Old Town Smokeout & BBQ Cook-off

  2nd Annual Old Town Smokeout & BBQ Cook-off Get ready for a smokin' good time in the heart of Old Town Van Buren! The Second Annual Kansas City BBQ Cook-off is taking over our historic downtown streets for a weekend of flavor, fire, and fun. Whether you're a se......More

  2nd Annual Old Town Smokeout & BBQ Cook-off Get ready for a smokin' good time in the heart of Old Town Van Buren! The Second Annual Kansas City BBQ Cook-off is taking over our historic downtown streets for a weekend of flavor, fire, and fun. Whether you're a seasoned pitmaster or just here for the samples, there is something for everyone to enjoy. Tasting & Awards Think you know great BBQ? Put your palate to the test! We will be selling People’s Choice Tasting Tickets so you can help crown the champion. Saturday Schedule of Events: 8:45 a.m.: Kid's Pancake Cook-off 10:00 a.m.: Judges Check-in 10:30 a.m.: Chip Draw 12:00 p.m.: Chicken Turn-in 12:30 p.m.: Rib Turn-in 1:00 p.m.: Pork Turn-in 1:30 p.m.: Brisket Turn-in   Awards – 3:30 pm Vendor Registration: https://oldtownvanburen.com/old-town-smokeout/

VFW Craft & Vendor Fair

Robert Jack post 1322 Inaugural Craft & Vendor Fair Vendor Spots Available - Limited Space! Contact Chester Starr at (479) 208-1575

Robery Jack VFW Post 1322

VFW Craft & Vendor Fair

Robert Jack post 1322 Inaugural Craft & Vendor Fair Vendor Spots Available - Limited Space! Contact Chester Starr at (479) 208-1575

Robery Jack VFW Post 1322