The Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission (KAB) invites Arkansans to come together for the 2025 Great Arkansas Cleanup, scheduled to run from September 6 to October 31. The Great Arkansas Cleanup is one of two seasonal events promoted by KAB and offers volunteers the opportunity to organize events to beautify their communities.

Once a community signs up at keeparkansasbeautiful.com to host a Great Arkansas Cleanup, KAB helps organize and publicize the effort and provides volunteers with trash bags, gloves, safety vests and T-shirts while supplies last. Promotional materials such as customizable media releases, banners and volunteer stickers, as well as how-to videos and safety tips, are also available.

The Great Arkansas Cleanup began in 1969 as the Greers Ferry Lake and Little Red River Cleanup. In 1985, U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers guided legislation requiring an annual pickup event during the weekend after Labor Day on all federal lands. This law, the Carl Garner Federal Lands Cleanup Act, honors the founder of the event.

This post was updated by City & Town staff in July 2025.