Bikes, Blues and BBQ is the dominant event each fall these days, but another festival claimed that season long before the rally was conceived.

For about 25 years, Autumnfest has offered Northwest Arkansas two days of familyoriented entertainment on the Fayetteville Square, but its reign as grandfather of the fall festivals could be coming to a close amid difficulties in maintaining a committee, an adequate number of volunteers and a shrinking time frame for putting the festival on.

Organizers hope to at least put together the Children’s World portion to give any future committee something to build on if the event continues in 2007.

“ If we have a couple of people who can come back to the committee and get new volunteers in, and if everyone starts with the planning early, I think it can happen again, ” said Monica Wright, secretary of Autumnfest Inc.

Committee members have been searching for another entity to arrange and manage Children’s World, which in past years has included rides and magic tricks. They hope to pair it with the Fayetteville Farmers ’ Market on Oct. 7 but have yet to find an organization willing to assume the task.

The Fayetteville Fire Department traditionally has hosted its pancake breakfast in conjunction with Autumnfest. That event will take place on Oct. 7 with or without the festival, said Terry Lawson, battalion chief in charge of public education.

Autumnfest began in the early 1980 s as Square One, created to attract people to the recently renovated downtown area. Through the years it has included musical acts, crafts booths and food vendors, but Children’s World has remained a popular feature.

It remained the main community event for years in the fall, but the bike rally emerged a few years ago and grew into a more widespread, better-attended event. Decreasing attendance and sponsorships caused past organizers to seek new ways to generate more interest. One idea was to open a beer garden, but Autumnfest was unable to escape the shadow of Bikes, Blues and BBQ, which, along with an expanding Fayetteville Arts Festival in September, now sandwiches the event.

“ In 1992, little went on in the community, and certainly our cultural horizons have been greatly broadened over the past several years and given more occasions for the community to come together, ” longtime Autumnfest volunteer Bootsie Ackerman said.

Ackerman and her husband, Bill, volunteered to help with Autumnfest in 1992 as a way to meet people after moving to Fayetteville. Ackerman became chairwoman the following year. She now thinks the event is in a similar condition to the early 1990 s.

“ It seems it’s at that same crossroads where it needs new energy and new blood, ” Ackerman said. “ There’s a time and season for all things, and maybe this is something the community no longer is showing support for. ”

Wright thought the current organizers had the desire to put on the event, but personal matters prevented some of them from helping. Some relocated from Fayetteville; another became pregnant. And now a month separates the remaining committee members and volunteers from the date traditionally used for the festival.

“ We had the willingness, but nobody was able to do it, ” Wright said. “ I think there’s a good chance it could go on in the future if we have continued support from the city and if community residents show they still want it. ”

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