Tontitown, Arkansas is a small Washington County town with an outsized story: it was founded in 1898 by northern Italian immigrant families who came to the Ozarks looking for a place that felt like home, and more than a century later that heritage still defines it — in its Catholic church, its grape-growing roots, its winery, and the beloved August festival that draws thousands. Here’s your guide to visiting Tontitown: what to see, a little history, and how to get there.
Sitting just west of Springdale and a short drive north of Fayetteville, Tontitown has grown fast in recent years — from about 2,460 residents in 2010 to more than 4,300 at the 2020 census, and climbing since. It still feels like a close-knit community built around family, faith, and food, and its Italian identity makes it one of the more distinctive small towns in Northwest Arkansas.
Things to do in Tontitown
Tontitown Grape Festival
The town’s signature event is the Tontitown Grape Festival, held each August and widely considered one of the oldest continuously running community celebrations in Arkansas. It traces back to a thanksgiving picnic the Italian settlers held in 1898, and moved to August in 1913 to line up with the Concord grape harvest. Put on by St. Joseph Catholic Church, the multi-day festival is best known for its homemade spaghetti and fried-chicken dinners — prepared by parish volunteers with homemade rolls, salad, and local grapes — alongside grape stomping, a carnival, live music, an arts-and-crafts fair, a 5K run, and the crowning of Queen Concordia. Dates shift year to year, so check the official festival site for the current schedule before you plan around it.
Tontitown Winery
Grapes and wine have been part of Tontitown since the beginning, and the Tontitown Winery on North Barrington Road carries that tradition forward. It’s housed in the historic Taldo House, and the Ranalli family’s winemaking roots here reach back to the 1920s, using grapes grown on the family farm. The winery offers tastings and, in the warmer months, live music on the patio — a fitting way to taste the crop that shaped the town. Call ahead or check their site for current hours and tasting details.
St. Joseph Catholic Church
The spiritual and social heart of Tontitown is St. Joseph Catholic Church. The settlers organized a parish within a year of arriving; the original church was destroyed by a tornado in 1934, and the striking Late Gothic Revival building that stands today — built of concrete blocks cast on site — was completed in the early 1940s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The adjoining St. Joseph Cemetery is the resting place of Father Pietro Bandini, the priest who led the immigrants to the Ozarks and served as the town’s first mayor. It’s a working parish, so be respectful of services and events when you visit.
Tontitown Historical Museum
To understand how a piece of northern Italy ended up in the Arkansas Ozarks, stop by the Tontitown Historical Museum, founded in 1986 to preserve the story of the founding families, their farms, and their traditions. Hours are limited — it’s reliably open during the Grape Festival — so check ahead before making a special trip.
A quick history of Tontitown
In the mid-1890s, dozens of Italian families had come to America and taken up tenant farming at the Sunnyside plantation in the Arkansas Delta, where disease and hardship took a heavy toll. In early 1898, some 40 families followed Father Pietro Bandini to the hills of Washington County, whose climate and terrain reminded them of home. They named their new settlement Tontitown after Henri de Tonti, the Italian-born explorer who helped found Arkansas’s first European settlement in 1686. The families planted grapes, apples, and vegetables, and grape growing became the local signature — enough that a Welch’s processing operation came to the area in the early 1920s. The town was incorporated on November 10, 1909, with Bandini elected its first mayor. He died in 1917 and is buried at St. Joseph Cemetery, remembered as the founder who gave the community its identity.
Where to eat, drink, and stay
Tontitown is small and largely residential, so beyond the winery and the famous festival dinners, most dining and lodging are a short drive away in Springdale and Fayetteville — both just minutes down US Highway 412. For where to eat and drink nearby, browse our sister sites NWA Food and NWA Brew, or dive into our full guides to Springdale and Fayetteville.
Location & getting there
- Where: Northern Washington County, along US Highway 412 just west of Springdale.
- County: Washington County, Arkansas.
- Nearby cities: minutes to Springdale, roughly 15–20 minutes to Fayetteville.
- From the airport: about 15–20 minutes from Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA).
- Main draw: the Tontitown Grape Festival each August; St. Joseph Church and Tontitown Winery year-round (check hours).
Tontitown FAQ
What is Tontitown, Arkansas known for?
Tontitown is known for its Italian immigrant heritage, dating to families who settled here in 1898, and for the Tontitown Grape Festival, one of the oldest community celebrations in Arkansas. It’s also home to historic St. Joseph Catholic Church and a local winery that continues the town’s grape-growing tradition.
When is the Tontitown Grape Festival?
The Tontitown Grape Festival is held each August and runs for several days. It’s put on by St. Joseph Catholic Church and features homemade spaghetti dinners, grape stomping, a carnival, live music, and an arts-and-crafts fair. Exact dates change from year to year, so check the official festival website before you plan.
How did Tontitown get its name?
The town is named for Henri de Tonti, the Italian-born explorer who helped establish Arkansas Post, the first European settlement in Arkansas, in 1686. The Italian settlers chose the name to honor a countryman tied to the state’s early history.
How far is Tontitown from Springdale and Fayetteville?
Tontitown sits right next to Springdale, just a few minutes away along US Highway 412, and is roughly 15 to 20 minutes from Fayetteville and from Northwest Arkansas National Airport (XNA).
Explore more of Northwest Arkansas
Tontitown makes an easy add-on to a Northwest Arkansas trip. Keep exploring with our guides to Springdale, Fayetteville, and the Northwest Arkansas outdoors, or head back to the WeKnowNWA home page to browse every town.