Hempstead Hall is a 65,000 square-foot event venue and conference center that can be arranged to accommodate all types of events. In addition, the schools of Southwest Arkansas benefit from Hempstead Hall because it offers a secondary location for many kindergarten through twelfth grade events. Just like that of the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana, the Hall’s mission is to connect students and community partners to world-class performances, state-of-the-art training and community events.

After approving an $11.6 million bond issue and a temporary .75% sales tax in 2008, the vision of Hempstead Hall was on its way to becoming a reality, thanks to Hempstead County voters. A second permanent .25% sales tax was approved in 2008 by voters, which could be used for bond debt and for maintaining and operating Hempstead Hall. On January 24, 2013, Hempstead Hall held its grand opening, which included a performance featuring the Gatlin Brothers and was offered free to all Hempstead County residents.

A large event venue such as Hempstead Hall must be overseen and operated by a dedicated group of individuals, which in this case includes five full-time staff members lead by Amanda Lance, Director of Hempstead Hall and Workforce Development. As part of the University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana, Hempstead Hall is “able to facilitate events free-of-charge for Hempstead County academic groups and nonprofits and offers some of the lowest rates in the region for other community groups,” says Lance. “We have operating budgets from the state of Arkansas and a supplemental fund from the UAHT Foundation.”

All concerts and events held at Hempstead Hall also benefit the community. In addition to Arkansas, visitors from other nearby states, including Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi, travel to Hope to enjoy a concert or take part in events held at Hempstead Hall. Those traveling from out of town will usually stay in a hotel or Airbnb in Hope, Texarkana or other nearby towns. Of course, those visitors also do a lot of shopping and eating, which brings in more revenue to the area. In Hope, a recent study found that 38% of people attending a concert ate at a local restaurant, 42% stayed at a local hotel and 41% shopped at a local store. Lance says she “would love to see those numbers increase. There’s nothing better than shopping in downtown Hope and grabbing a bite to eat at Tailgater’s or Amigo Juan’s before heading over to Hempstead Hall to hear your favorite artist.”

Every event held at Hempstead Hall is funded by past events, while the everyday operations and long-term maintenance are funded through the University of Arkansas System and the Hempstead County tax previously mentioned. Fairytales on Ice is one of Hempstead Hall’s most popular events every year, always bringing in a large crowd. The Temptations in 2016 and Travis Tritt in 2018 were most definitely community favorites. As far as future performances, Lance mentioned she would like to see the community support more up-and-coming artists as well as those who are long-established.

Country music is most definitely favored in our area and as a result, Hempstead Hall’s most supported and successful concerts have been just that. The Hall hopes to invite at least one major country act every year after seeing performances such as Pat Green bring much success. Besides the country music concerts, Hempstead Hall partners with Southwest Arkansas Arts Council, which allows many opportunities to bring in other culturally diverse acts to the region, such as ice skating, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, up-and-coming artist Mae Estes, and past acts such as The Temptations, The Ten Tenors, The Arkansas Symphony and The Spinners.

Hempstead Hall also has big goals for the future of their “state-of-the-art” conference center. Lance says, “We are looking to expand that clientele over the next several years. We will continue to be a community asset for all of Southwest Arkansas by providing a low-cost meeting and event space, as well as continuing to expand our affordable entertainment options.” One of the most exciting prospects at Hempstead Hall is the fantastic space available for future artists and crowds to enjoy outdoor shows, which is the motivation behind expanding their amphitheater concerts in the coming years.

Of course, a lot goes into booking and arranging events and performances. The Hall’s staff works hard to bring a variety of entertainment that will interest different people. Lance is hopeful that “they have built good relationships with a handful of agents who represent their core market.” She explained, “I reach out to them to see if a certain artistic genre is available for a certain time frame, and other times they reach out to me with specific dates they need to fill on their end, and I’ll try to make those work for us. For example, we hosted Pat Green last June, and it was a treat to have his manager and his agent on-site for that concert at our amphitheater. They were both impressed with the facility and since, have stayed in contact about other possibilities.”

Hempstead Hall not only brings opportunities for a variety of entertainment and events to our area, but it benefits the community by bringing in revenue from visitors near and far. The opportunities provided to students, businesses and residents in the area are countless.

Upcoming events at Hempstead Hall

King Richard (movie)
February 5, 6:30 pm, $4 all ages

The World-Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra (concert) partnership with SWAAC
February 10, 7:30 pm, $10-$40

Fairytales on Ice: Pirates & The Little Mermaid
(live event) partnership with SWAAC
February 26, 6:30 pm, $15-$45

Sing 2 (movie)
March 11, 6:00 pm, $4 all ages

Spider-man: No Way Home (movie)
April 1, 6:30 pm, $4 all ages

The Oak Ridge Boys (concert)
April 29, 7:00 pm, $24-$74

The Community Education Department also has a full schedule in the works, featuring cookie decorating, forklift certifications, CPR certifications, knife making, cooking class and more.