Fat Tire Festival Eureka Springs 2026: Three Days at Lake Leatherwood
Fat Tire Festival Eureka Springs 2026 runs September 25 to 27 at Lake Leatherwood, home to the state's largest gravity park. Schedule, racing and lodging.
Photo by Weston Kruse, courtesy of Arkansas Enduro Series and Ozark Foundation
TLDR: The Fat Tire Festival Eureka Springs runs September 25 through 27, 2026, at Lake Leatherwood City Park, where Visit Eureka Springs describes the Gravity Park as the largest in Arkansas. The Eureka Enduro runs September 26 and 27. Cliff Cottage Inn gives each suite one off-street parking spot that clears roof and hitch racks, plus 17 steps down to Main Street once the bikes are put away.
Fat Tire Festival Eureka Springs: The 2026 Dates
The festival runs Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27, 2026, at Lake Leatherwood City Park. It’s a three-day, family-friendly mountain bike festival, with the sports field facility at 1303 County Road 204 serving as the race venue.
Visit Eureka Springs describes Lake Leatherwood Gravity Park as the largest gravity park in Arkansas. That gives a three-day mountain bike festival a pretty obvious place to happen.
We’ll leave the trail-by-trail breakdown to our Lake Leatherwood guide. This one is for the weekend itself: what’s happening, when you need to be there, and what to know before you come back down the mountain.
How the Eureka Enduro Weekend Runs
The Eureka Enduro runs in conjunction with the festival as Round 2 of the Arkansas Enduro Series. If you’re looking for a mountain bike race in Arkansas to build a weekend around, this is the racing centerpiece here: the Enduro itself is September 26 and 27, with the festival beginning Friday.
Friday, the venue opens at noon and the combined weekend schedule lists check-in from 12:00 to 5:00 PM. The Downhill has open practice and seeding that afternoon, followed by music and the Jump Jam at camp from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
Saturday, Eureka Enduro check-in and on-site registration run from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Enduro practice shuttles run from noon to 4:00 PM to and from the Great Passion Play. The Downhill race runs earlier that day, with its awards at 1:00 PM.
Sunday starts with timing chip pick-up according to wave times from 8:00 to 10:45 AM. Eureka Enduro race day runs from 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM, followed by Enduro awards at the venue podium at 4:00 PM.
Registration is handled through the official Arkansas Enduro Series Eureka Springs page. That is also the best place to recheck the current schedule, rules, and registration details before race weekend.
The Eureka Springs Downhill is part of the same Fat Tire Festival weekend and kicks things off before the Enduro. Its dedicated page and detailed schedule place the race on Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26, with finals Saturday. The series homepage still lists Eureka Downhill as September 26 and 27, so if you’re entering that race, recheck the dedicated race page before you travel.
Racing, Riding, or Just Watching
You don't have to pin on a race number to have a good weekend at Lake Leatherwood in late September. The Downhill page specifically plans for friends, family, and fans, with separate spectator access points to be identified.
What you shouldn’t assume is that the race course or shuttles are open to everybody. A valid Downhill race plate is required for those during official practice, seeding, and finals. So yes, you can stand somewhere with a coffee and watch people better at this than you are. Just follow the event’s spectator access instead of wandering onto the course.
Camping at the Park or Staying in Town
Lake Leatherwood City Park has cabins, primitive and electric campsites, and RV sites. We’re not going to pretend otherwise, or pretend that staying in town is the only option for the weekend. It isn’t.
What we offer is a different shape of weekend. A real bed. A private bathroom. And an optional breakfast that shows up hot at your door at 8:00 or 9:00 AM on a silver tray. Add the Breakfast Rate when you book. With Sunday race day beginning at 9 AM, a hot breakfast arriving without you having to find it is no small thing.
Late September is still early for the Ozarks’ fall color. If leaves are part of the appeal, our fall foliage guide covers when the color usually arrives.
Where to Stay and Where the Bikes and Car Go
Every suite at Cliff Cottage Inn comes with one reserved off-street parking spot, and that spot is yours from 11:00 AM on arrival day until 2:00 PM on departure day. Roof racks and hitch racks clear the parking area, so you don’t have to unload a bike just to get into your space.
Bike storage is outdoors, in spots tucked out of view from the road where guests can lock bikes. There’s one indoor spot too, but it’s in the main living room, which other guests can also reach. Worth knowing if you’d rather not leave a bike somewhere shared.
Each suite has its one designated spot. Beyond that, a block and a half of public, first-come, first-served street parking runs from the Inn toward the Cathouse Lounge, and it fills on popular weekends.
The timing matters on Sunday. Your reserved spot ends at 2:00 PM, while Enduro awards begin at 4:00 PM. If you’re checking out Sunday and racing that morning, plan to leave the suite by 11:00 AM and move your car by 2:00 PM rather than assuming the suite space stays with you through the awards.
Two Different Events, One Eureka Springs Weekend
Corvette Weekend runs September 24 through 27, overlapping the Fat Tire Festival almost completely.
Two crowds, sharing the same small town, the same downtown, and the same lodging inventory for most of the weekend. Our Corvette Weekend guide covers that side of the calendar.
That overlap is worth knowing, but it doesn’t need to be a warning siren. Pick the event you actually came for, then plan around the fact that Eureka Springs will be brimming with activity.
This is where staying downtown starts to make sense for riders who want more than the park. Once the bikes are put away, it’s 17 steps down to Main Street. The rest of Eureka Springs is there when you are done timing runs, and our things-to-do guide covers that half properly.
If that sounds like your version of the weekend, have a look at the suites.
A mountain bike weekend at Lake Leatherwood, followed by dinner downtown without getting back in the car.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Eureka Springs Fat Tire Festival in 2026?
Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27, 2026, at Lake Leatherwood City Park.
Where does it happen, and what is Lake Leatherwood Gravity Park?
Lake Leatherwood City Park, 1303 County Road 204, Eureka Springs, AR 72632. The sports field facility serves as the race venue. Visit Eureka Springs describes Lake Leatherwood Gravity Park as the largest gravity park in Arkansas; full trail detail belongs in our Lake Leatherwood guide.
What is the Eureka Enduro, and how does it relate to the festival?
It is Round 2 of the Arkansas Enduro Series, run in conjunction with the festival on September 26 and 27. Enduro practice shuttles run Saturday from noon to 4:00 PM to and from the Great Passion Play; race day is Sunday, with awards at 4:00 PM. Registration and current details are on the series’ official event page.
Do you have to race to come, or can you spectate?
You can spectate. The Downhill organizers say separate spectator access points will be identified for friends, family, and fans. A valid race plate is required for Downhill shuttles and course access during official practice, seeding, and finals, so follow the event’s spectator directions.
Can you camp at the park, or should you stay in town?
Both are real options. Lake Leatherwood City Park has cabins, primitive and electric campsites, and RV sites. Staying in town gets you a bed, a private bathroom, and the option of breakfast at your door before a 9 AM race start.
What else is happening in Eureka Springs that weekend?
Corvette Weekend runs September 24 through 27, overlapping almost the entire Fat Tire Festival weekend. Different crowd, same small town, so it is worth knowing both calendars before you arrive.
Creating Extraordinary Eurekan Experiences
At the Cliff Cottage Inn downtown Eureka Springs, our purpose is to help our guests create magical, restorative, uniquely Eurekan getaways that help our guests live more personally rewarding lives, have a more positive impact on the communities around them, and build cherished memories.
We create these restorative experiences for our guests, by embracing the best of Eureka Springs, setting the stage for our guest's adventures, providing heartfelt customer service, and delivering inspiring cuisine that delights.
In order to embody the best of Eureka Springs, we celebrate inclusivity, nature, art, artisanal craftsmanship, outdoor adventure, mysticism, and the turn of the 20th century.