The History of Parkerfest
Parker Staples receives the first inaugural Parkerfest award in 2018.
Parkerfest was created in 2018 in response to Parker Staples, the 8-year-old-son of Jamie and Jessica Staples, who was diagnosed with lymphoma. Both Jamie and Jessica were serving as board members at the time of Parker’s diagnosis, and the Pine Bluff Board of Directors wanted to create an event to connect community and honor this courageous family.
Parkerfest is a community day held on the grounds of Pine Bluff Pool in May can include local vendors, kids’ games, food trucks, craft beer, wine, and live music. In 2018, hundreds of community members came to Pine Bluff to enjoy the festivities. More recent years have seen a simpler celebration of swimming, food, and children focused events and games.
A portion of the proceeds from the inaugural year of Parkerfest was donated to the Staples family. Each year, the community may nominate families to receive both the proceeds from Parkerfest and a free family membership to Pine Bluff through the Parker Staples Scholarship program.
Click the button below to donate to the Parker Staples Scholarship Fund!