What’s round, orange and just asking to be shot with an arrow? A pumpkin, of course. If you’re finding yourself tired of all the jack-o’-lantern nonsense this Halloween, or want to tap into your inner archer, The Quiver Archery Range in Bentonville has you covered this weekend. Here’s Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis with more.
There’s no shortage of Halloween events this weekend. From costume parties to bar crawls and hayrides, there’s something for everyone, scary or not. And even if you’re not dressing as, say, Legolas, Merida or Robin Hood, you can still try your hand at some archery.
“So this weekend, Oct. 31, Nov. 1, we have our Pumpkin Shootin’ Days happening. We’re also going to have some trick-or-treat balloons that we’re going to have out, filled with either tricks or treats, you know, as such things go. It’s just a good excuse to get everyone out of the house, you know, off their phones, out into nature.”
That’s Nickolaus Lewis. He’s assistant range manager at The Quiver Archery Range. They’re located right next to Osage Park in Bentonville and operate under the Peel Compton Foundation. Saturday and Sunday, they’re inviting Northwest Arkansas to fire some arrows with a Halloween twist. You’ll be shooting pumpkins, and Lewis says they are very fun to shoot.
“The biggest reason is, you know, it’s Halloween. I typically tell people we carve our jack-o’-lanterns a little different here at the archery range, although the carvings never turn out quite right.”
This is a rare opportunity. A pumpkin is much bigger than a typical bull’s-eye, and they make a satisfying thunk when skewered by an arrow. And don’t worry, these pumpkins are locally sourced and composted.
“We actually get them donated from family farms. They’re not too far from here. They’re a local family-run business. They’re just absolutely wonderful people. If you’re looking for a pumpkin patch to go to this fall, I recommend McGarrah Family Farms.”
Lewis says it’s a beginner-friendly event this weekend, and you don’t have to have any animosity toward the gourds to come try.
“If you have any inclination towards archery whatsoever, come on out and we can get you situated. We have everything from first-timers to the 14th-ranked archer in the world coming out and shooting with us. So if you have even the inkling in your head, ‘I might want to do that,’ come on out and try it and we’ll get you started.”
However, there are some secrets to hitting your squash squarely. The first is consistency. Try to remember what a successful shot felt like. Then replicate that. Lewis also offered up one more bit of wisdom.
“I have to keep all my secrets for them to come out here, but I will say the biggest tip I can give is to aim off the point of the arrow. A lot of people always ask me, ‘How do you aim a bow and arrow?’ And I always tell them, ‘I point the point of the arrow at what I want to hit.’ Most of the times it goes right around there.”
You can catch all of the good times at The Quiver’s Pumpkin Shootin’ Days this Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to shooting pumpkins, there will be a costume contest and, of course, candy. Tickets are $20. Click here for more information.
And while you’re on their site, you might notice that this isn’t the last holiday-themed event for The Quiver. They also have an apple shoot in November and winter workshops about shooting, bow making, string repair and more later in the year.
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