AY Magazine

06/03/2026

Melissa Etheridge will perform at the Walmart AMP Aug. 4 as part of the Raised on Radio Tour with Wynonna Judd. AY About You caught up with the musical icon ahead of the show to talk about the new album. Read our interview below.

When Melissa Etheridge released her latest album, Rise, in March, it ended a rare dry spell in the artist’s studio life.

06/02/2026

We hope you enjoy these LIVE MUSIC shows going on around Arkansas in June! 🎶 🎶

We hope you enjoy these LIVE MUSIC shows going on around Arkansas in June! Please support LIVE MUSIC in Arkansas. If you don’t support

06/02/2026

Organizers of the Arkansas Country Music Awards promised attendees a good time and a few surprises for the June 1 event, and they delivered that and then some with a surprise appearance by Garth Brooks. See more from the evening and see the full list of winners below. >>>

Organizers of the Arkansas Country Music Awards promised attendees a good time and a few surprises for the June 1 event, and they delivered that and then some with a surprise appearance by megastar Garth Brooks.   Brooks came out to thunderous applause at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall on ...

06/02/2026

For more than a century, one small barbecue diner in Marianna has been serving up a taste of Arkansas history. Now, its longtime steward, Harold Jones, is being recognized as the latest honoree by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders. READ MORE>>

Now, its longtime steward, Harold Jones, is being recognized as the latest honoree in Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders' "Faces of Arkansas"

06/02/2026

Having spent nearly 30 years of his 50-year career in North Little Rock, Michael Marion has seen a lot come and go. He still shakes his head at The Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang tour that required 26 trucks to haul the elaborate stage and equipment. McCartney’s convoy was not far behind in size. Marion recalled family entertainment from acrobats to Disney on Ice to pro wrestling to Lipizzaner horses that have all taken their turn, as did the bygone Riverblades hockey and Twisters indoor football.

Simmons Bank Arena

A visit to the offices of Simmons Bank Arena is an assault on the senses. Down the long tunnel from the ground-floor box office entrance, past

06/02/2026

Congratulations to “AY’s Best of 2026” class! 🎉👏

There is a timeless saying that goes, “Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well.” As one of the largest and most comprehensive reader’s polls in Arkansas, “AY’s Best of 2026” highlights those individuals and businesses performing at the highest level across more than 300 catego...

06/01/2026

The pool, the zoo, the park — these are all places that come to mind when thinking of summer activities, but one destination that should not be overlooked is an art museum.

“AMFA is where art comes alive,” said Malina Tabor, chief communications officer for the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock.

“AMFA is where art comes alive,” said Malina Tabor, chief communications officer for the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock.

06/01/2026

🍕 Yummy slices and salads in one of Arkansas’ most popular tourist destinations? Yes, please!

Yummy slices and salads in one of Arkansas’ most popular tourist destinations? Yes, please! U.S. Pizza Co. is set to open at the former

06/01/2026

NEW ISSUE! Flip through our June issue of AY Magazine here: > https://aymag.com/digital-issue/

ON THE COVER
Friendly faces in award-winning places — it is time to unveil the winners of the “AY’s Best of 2026” readers’ poll!

See all the winners here:> https://aymag.com/ays-best-of-2026-winners/

Letter from our President and Publisher Heather Baker:

It hardly seems possible that we have already reached the midpoint of 2026, but the rising temperatures and call of the lake cannot be wrong — it’s summertime!

If you were to ask 100 Arkansans whether they preferred the blue skies of summer to the crisp bite of, say December, I’d bet the answer would be almost unanimous for the former, blazing heat and all. The Natural State doesn’t slow down as the humidity goes up, as this edition of AY About You attests.

Maybe your summer jam is music, and, if so, we’ve got your covered. Not only do we spell out some of the best live music in the state this month — like we do every month — but AY is the source for interviews with headliner artists as they prepare to play the state. This month, we sit down with rocker Melissa Etheridge and country hunk Jake Owen, both of whom will soon return to entertain their Arkansas fans.

We also preview the upcoming Arkansas Folklife Festival, coming to the North Little Rock riverfront. This special event celebrates everything Arkansas, as well as the 250th birthday of our great nation, with music, art, food and good times. Country rock superstar Lucinda Williams and blues legend Bobby Rush will headline this incredible, family friendly event — and it’s free!

Also in this issue, we salute the top vote-getters in the “AY’s Best of 2026” readers’ poll. From accounting to zoos and barbecue to yard work, the people have spoken on the very best the state has to offer. Hundreds were nominated, thousands of votes were cast, and only one was left standing in each category. Congratulations to them all!

There’s so much to see and do in Arkansas; it is a good thing that the days are at their longest just to fit it all in. Wherever you do this month, take AY About You along, and don’t forget to share your adventures with us. We’d love to see what you’re up to in the Natural State!