Surf the Bay Watersport Festival

Every June, Fairfield Bay brings Surf the Bay to the Fairfield Bay Marina on the north shore of Greers Ferry Lake, a 40,000-acre Ozark mountain reservoir created by the Greers Ferry Dam, which was dedicated by President John F. Kennedy in October 1963. The festival is Fairfield Bay’s signature summer event and the most concentrated showcase of on-water activity in the region, running across a Friday evening and a full Saturday with free admission for all. Confirm 2026 dates at visitfairfieldbay.com before travel, as the official schedule is typically posted in late spring.

The festival opens Friday evening with a beach party at the marina, featuring live music and waterfront dining. Saturday runs all day with a full program of active water sports, spectator action, and family activity. Past editions have featured professional wakesurfers, flyboarders lifting 15 to 20 feet above the water’s surface, stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, wakeboarding instruction from professionals, and boat demonstrations from dealers including Stuckey and Grimes Extreme Marine with Malibu, Axis, and MB Sport models. Pro wakeboarding instruction from coaches like Justin Worrell has been a recurring feature, giving attendees the chance to get on a board under guided supervision.

## On the Water and Around the Marina

The Fairfield Bay Marina, with more than 400 slips, serves as both the event venue and the working waterfront for the town’s broader recreational season. Greers Ferry Lake runs 40,000 acres with clear water, cliff diving sites, and scuba diving visibility that is unusual for an inland Arkansas lake. Sugar Loaf Mountain Island, accessible by boat from the marina, is the only National Scenic Trail on an island in the United States. The one-mile hike to the summit rewards with panoramic Ozark views and is manageable for children aged 7 and older with some trail experience. Shuttle boat service to the island is typically available during festival weekend from the marina dock.

Fairfield Bay also maintains more than 90 miles of ATV and UTV trails in the surrounding Ozark highlands, accessible year-round through the Fairfield Bay Community Club. For families arriving without watercraft, this is a meaningful alternative for anyone who wants to explore the terrain above the lake between festival sessions.

> Quick Tips
> – Free admission for all. Parking is available at and near the Fairfield Bay Marina.
> – Greers Ferry Lake is known for its clear water but also for afternoon boat traffic during festival weekend. If you’re arriving by water, plan your approach to the marina early in the morning.
> – The Indian Rock House Cave and Trail, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982, is a short drive from the marina and gives families a land-based historical experience to pair with the water-focused festival day.
> – June temperatures in the Ozarks typically reach the upper 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit with humidity. The marina’s waterfront exposure makes the afternoon heat more bearable, but sun protection is essential.

## Who Should Come

Surf the Bay is genuinely suited to all ages. Young children can watch the flyboarding spectacle from the marina dock without any risk or participation pressure. Older kids and teenagers who are comfortable in the water can try SUP or join beginner wakeboarding sessions. Couples looking for a summer weekend with both activity and lakeside ease find the festival format works well: enough happening to fill the day, relaxed enough to move at your own pace.

## Stay Right on the Lake

Fairfield Bay’s vacation rental inventory sits directly on Greers Ferry Lake, with options ranging from compact lake cottages to larger family homes with private docks. Two strong options on Lake.com for festival weekend are the Blue House at Greers Ferry Lake and a modern Greers Ferry Lake property — both offering direct lake access and the kind of porch-and-dock setting that makes the drive from Little Rock worthwhile for the full weekend.