Confirm before attending: “Confirmed” means an official organizer, government, library or current host source supports the listing. “Verify” means the strongest current evidence is a social or community event listing. The Samaritan event is shown for accuracy, but all 2026 tickets have already been distributed. The Jacksonville listing is a drawing, not a guaranteed backpack.
Validated upcoming Arkansas calendar
| Date / time | City | Event and backpack details | Location | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
11:00 AM–1:00 PM |
Little Rock | CALS Dee Brown Library Back-to-School Fair The first 100 children receive a free backpack filled with school supplies. Family activities, financial-literacy programming, the CALS Bookmobile and free child dental screenings are also listed. |
Dee Brown Library, 6325 Baseline Rd, Little Rock, AR 72209 | Confirmed / official library | CALS event page |
5:00 PM–7:00 PM |
Stuttgart | Arkansas County Youth Growth & Development Open House + Backpack Giveaway Free backpacks for K–12 students. The organizer announcement says a ticket is required; confirm ticket availability before traveling. |
Arkansas County Enrichment Center, 702 E Michigan St, Stuttgart, AR | Host social / ticket required | Organizer post |
6:30 PM–9:00 PM |
Texarkana | Glow Into the School Year: Teen Wellness Block Party & Backpack Giveaway Free backpack giveaway with teen-wellness activities. Recheck the host announcement before travel because the primary details are distributed through social media. |
Riverview Behavioral Health, 701 Arkansas Blvd, Texarkana, AR | Host social / verify | Organizer announcement |
9:00 AM–12:00 PM or while supplies last |
Rogers | 14th Annual 40/29 and Arkansas CW Backpack Giveaway The first 1,000 school-age children and teenagers receive a free backpack with school supplies, first come, first served. The event is across from the garden-center entrance, behind the gas station. |
Pleasant Crossing Walmart Supercenter, 4208 S Pleasant Crossing Blvd, Rogers, AR | Confirmed / event host | 40/29 event announcement |
9:00 AM–12:00 PM |
Fort Smith | Good Samaritan Clinic + First United Methodist Back to School Bash Free backpacks, school supplies, shoe vouchers, haircuts and sports physicals while supplies last. Children must be present for backpacks, supplies and shoe vouchers. |
FUMC Family Life Center, 301 N 16th St, Fort Smith, AR 72903 | Confirmed / primary source | Fort Smith FUMC |
10:00 AM–2:00 PM |
Little Rock | South End Community Back-to-School Bash Free backpacks while supplies last, plus family activities. Confirm the event is still open and supplies remain before traveling. |
William E. Thrasher Boys & Girls Club, 3301 S State St, Little Rock, AR 72206 | Host social / verify | Organizer social post |
Ticketed distribution; session time on ticket |
Springdale / Northwest Arkansas | Samaritan Community Center BackPacks for Kids Backpacks filled with age-appropriate supplies for approximately 3,000 children. All 2026 tickets have already been distributed, and a ticket is required for entry. Do not arrive without a ticket. |
Arvest Ballpark, Springdale, AR | Closed / all tickets distributed | Samaritan Community Center |
10:00 AM onward |
Rogers | Grace Chapel UMC Back to School Bash 2026 Free backpacks and school supplies for up to 500 school-age children, plus snack packs, haircuts and parent resources. Children must be present; supplies are first come, first served. |
Grace Chapel UMC, 1801 S Dixieland Rd, Rogers, AR 72758 | Confirmed / current event listing | KLRC community calendar |
11:00 AM–1:00 PM |
Pine Bluff | The Heat Back 2 School Giveaway Free backpacks and school supplies; one backpack per child while supplies last. Recheck the event page immediately before attending. |
1201 Commerce Rd, Pine Bluff, AR | Event page / verify | Event page |
Enter during library hours; page highlights Aug 5, 9:00 AM–6:00 PM |
Jacksonville | CALS Nixon Library Back 2 School Backpack Drawing Visit Nixon Library to enter a drawing to win a school backpack. This is a prize drawing, not a guaranteed backpack distribution. |
Nixon Library, 703 W Main St, Jacksonville, AR 72076 | Official / drawing only | CALS event page |
8:00 AM–12:00 PM; backpacks 8:00 AM–10:00 AM |
Fayetteville | NWA Community Back to School Event Backpack distribution is listed for 8:00–10:00 AM, with the larger community event continuing until noon. Confirm current supply and eligibility details with the host. |
Yvonne Richardson Community Center, 240 E Rock St, Fayetteville, AR 72701 | Community listing / verify | JustServe listing |
2:00 PM–5:00 PM |
Harrison | Ascent Therapy Harrison Back to School Bash 2026 Free backpacks and school necessities while supplies last, plus a community clothing shop, haircuts and local resources. Verify remaining supplies before traveling. |
Haute House Salon, 1010 N Main St, Harrison, AR | Organizer listing / verify | Current event listing |
Time and venue not published on program page |
De Queen | Avanza Arkansas Back-to-School + Family Community Resource Fair Free backpacks filled with school supplies, bilingual family services and resource booths. Free and open to the public; confirm the exact venue and time with Avanza. |
De Queen, AR — confirm venue with Avanza Arkansas | Confirmed / organizer schedule | Avanza Arkansas |
10:00 AM–1:00 PM |
Little Rock | F.A.C.S. Backpack & School Supply Giveaway Free backpacks and school supplies for families and students. Confirm the exact library entrance or room before attending. |
Central Arkansas Library System, 5th Floor, River Market District, Downtown Little Rock | Organizer announcement / verify | Organizer announcement |
10:00 AM–2:30 PM |
North Little Rock | North Little Rock CARES Youth Coalition Family Fun Day Free backpacks, school supplies and haircuts for youth, plus bounce houses, face painting, food trucks and other activities. Open to the public. |
Sherman Park Community Center, 624 Beech St, North Little Rock, AR 72114 | Confirmed / official city source | City of North Little Rock |
Time and venue not published on program page |
Jonesboro | Avanza Arkansas Back-to-School + Family Community Resource Fair Free backpacks filled with school supplies, bilingual family services and resource booths. Free and open to the public; confirm the exact venue and time with Avanza. |
Jonesboro, AR — confirm venue with Avanza Arkansas | Confirmed / organizer schedule | Avanza Arkansas |
Validation notes
- Only events dated July 30 or later remain in the active table.
- Official organizer, library, city and host sources were prioritized over aggregators.
- Social-only and community-listing events remain clearly marked “verify” instead of being overstated as fully confirmed.
- Duplicate or conflicting leads were not added. In particular, the official Samaritan source supports one August 1 ticketed event and says all tickets are already distributed.
- Source links are embedded in every row so families can recheck eligibility, registration, time, venue and supply availability.