Arkalalah 2024 theme Announced

 Clayton Pappan, the 2024 Arkalalah Festival Executive Committee Chairman, has released the theme for this year’s event: “Thriller.”

“It’s just fun. And really isn’t that what Arkalalah is all about? Celebrating with your friends and family, remembering the good times you’ve had over the years, and creating new memories that will last a lifetime. That’s what Thriller represents to me,” Pappan said.

The Thriller logo was designed by Cowley College student, Taylor Pappan from Arkansas City, Kansas. Taylor was one of ten individuals from Cowley art classes who submitted over 30 designs for consideration. 

“I’m very proud of everyone’s work and think it will be a tough choice,” said Mark Dykes, Cowley College’s Director of Graphic Design upon submitting the anonymous entries to the Arkalalah Committee.

Upon being selected, Taylor donated the $250.00 cash prize to the Cowley College Art Club, of which she is a member. Taylor plans on continuing her education at Oklahoma State University to earn a bachelor’s degree in graphic design.

“I just want to make people happy with my art, so I'm grateful for this opportunity to share it with the community,” Taylor said.

Taylor’s design captured the “feel” that Pappan wanted to convey in this year’s logo, which included a dancing zombie. 

“Yes, I’m a little bit of a Halloween fanatic, so picking a theme that included a few zombies, ghouls and spooky creatures was right up my alley. But more importantly, I wanted this year’s theme to be something that appealed to multiple generations,” Pappan said. “At first that seems like a challenge, particularly when you consider Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” came out over 40 years ago. However, it is still one of the highest selling albums of all time and the “zombie” dance made famous in the music video has reached iconic status, being featured in movies, tv shows and flash mobs around the world.” 

As a lifelong resident of Arkansas City, Pappan has fond memories of past celebrations.

“I have many great memories of the parades, carnivals, floats and food that help make Arkalalah special. I am honored to be able to uphold the traditions of the past while being part of a team that is working hard to continue to grow and improve the festival each year,” Pappan said.

Scheduled for October 23-26, the 2024 Arkalalah celebration will be the 92nd annual festival. This year’s event will be Pappan’s fourth as a member of the Arkalalah Executive Committee.

“It has been a privilege to serve on the Arkalalah Executive Committee, and to be this year’s Chairman. One of the main responsibilities of the Chairperson is to recommend a festival theme. It is a lot of pressure, but I’m proud to present to our community the Thriller theme and Taylor’s design. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as we do,” Pappan said.

Founded in 1928, the Arkalalah festival was created to lift the spirits of the local community. The name “Arkalalah” was created by Mrs. J.W. Moore with “Ark” representing the town of Arkansas City, and “Alalah” being a Native American word for good time. Today, the Arkalalah festival is a year-round project led by dozens of dedicated volunteers. The multi-day celebration includes three parades, coronation of a Queen-alalah, dozens of food vendors, and numerous events and activities which draw tens of thousands of people each year.