FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16 // RECEPTION AT 5:30 PM E.O. MANEES HOUSE // NORTH LITTLE ROCK
ARKAST is the yearly gathering of Arkansas podcasters, the people who listen to them, and the businesses that support them. Year five is one evening at the E.O. Manees House in Argenta, North Little Rock: a reception, dinner, the new membership packages, and the opening of ARKAST Awards voting.
THE VENUE // ARGENTA, NORTH LITTLE ROCK
E.O. Manees House.
The E.O. Manees House is a renovated historic home on the National Register of Historic Places, in the Argenta district of North Little Rock. The evening uses the indoor rooms and the garden.
Address, parking, and arrival details are sent to the ARKAST list before the event.
THE EVENING // FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16
How the night runs.
Doors open at 5:30. The evening runs in five parts.
Reception
Doors open. Check in, get a drink, and meet the hosts you know by voice.
Dinner
A seated dinner for podcasters, listeners, and the businesses that back them.
New membership packages
The Collab presents its new membership packages and benefits for the year ahead, including what each level includes and how to sign up that night.
Recognitions and awards voting
Special recognitions, then voting opens for the ARKAST Awards. Winners are announced at the spring ARKAST in Northwest Arkansas.
Networking
The room stays open after the recognitions for the people who want to keep talking.
THE DETAILS // OCTOBER 16, 2026
Date, venue, tickets.
The date and venue are set. Ticket details are sent to the ARKAST list first.
DATE
Friday, October 16, 2026
Reception at 5:30 PM, dinner at 6:00 PM, networking until around 10:00 PM.
VENUE
E.O. Manees House
Argenta, North Little Rock.
TICKETS
Announced to the ARKAST list before public sale.
ABOUT ARKAST // SINCE 2022
What ARKAST is.
ARKAST started in 2022 as a one-day meetup for Arkansas podcasters. It grew into a festival with live recordings, panels, and workshops, and in 2024 it added the ARKAST Awards. The Arkansas Podcast Collaborative formed in spring 2023 to run ARKAST and to support podcasters the rest of the year.
Year five is a single evening built around the new membership packages and the opening of awards voting, with time to meet the people behind the shows.
PAST YEARS // 2022 TO 2026
Five years of ARKAST.
Year one
The first ARKAST, a one-day meetup.
Year two
The Collab forms. The festival grows.
Year three
The first ARKAST Awards, in Fayetteville.
Year four
Editions in Central Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas, and the second ARKAST Awards.
Year five
October 16 at the E.O. Manees House: dinner, the new membership packages, and the opening of awards voting.
PHOTOS
From past ARKASTs.
THE ARKAST AWARDS
Voting opens October 16.
Voting for the ARKAST Awards opens at the festival on October 16. Winners are announced at the spring ARKAST in Northwest Arkansas. Nominations, the ballot, and the category list are on the awards page.
SPONSORS
Sponsor ARKAST 2026.
ARKAST runs on local sponsors. Packages cover the evening, the awards, and placements on this site. Ask for the sponsor sheet.
YEAR FIVE // FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2026
Get on the ARKAST list.
One email when tickets open and one when the arrival details go out.