Expect big changes and new additions for the upcoming Central Arkansas Soup Sunday presented by Love, Tito’s on March 1, 2026. Volunteer and committee member Kevin Shalin sat down with Fran Carter, development director for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families (AACF), to help us learn more about the event and the organization it benefits. Read on for all the details, and don’t forget to get your tickets early! (PS—Are you in Northwest Arkansas? Don’t miss the Rogers-based Northwest Arkansas Soup Sunday on February 1!)
Kevin Shalin, The Mighty Rib: For those who have never heard of the organization, can you give a brief description of Arkansas Advocates and its mission?
Fran Carter, AACF: Proceeds from Soup Sunday support Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families’ mission to ensure that all Arkansas children and their families have the resources and opportunities to lead healthy and productive lives. Our work can be summed up in three buckets: Through advocacy, we serve as a voice for children at the Arkansas State Capitol and with various state agencies, as well as with our congressional delegation in Washington, D.C. We gather and analyze data to support public policy that serves all children and families. And we organize coalitions and engage communities of diverse groups to drive change.
Arkansas Advocates is often viewed as the lead policy advocacy organization on major policy debates impacting children and low-income families. Our partners and supporters look to us for credible research; to raise issues with the public, media, and policymakers; to engage our network of individuals on key issues; and on some issues, to take the lead in building coalitions to drive change.
We’ve been asked, How much is enough? when we advocate for better state funding for essential programs for Arkansans. We are not there yet. Arkansas has consistently ranked in the bottom 10 states overall and on specific child well-being indicators. In 2025, Arkansas ranked 45th overall in child well-being, according to The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s KIDS COUNT Data Book. More than 140,000 Arkansas children live in poverty. Arkansas has the highest food insecurity rate in the nation at 18.9%, compared to 13.5% nationally. The data reveals that Arkansas leaders must do more to protect children and prepare them to learn, so they can flourish in adulthood.
KS: Soup Sunday is the big annual fundraiser for the organization. How many years has it been going strong and how is it different from many other of the area events?
FC: 2026 marks the 45th Annual Soup Sunday in Central Arkansas. The atmosphere is “souper” casual and family-friendly, the food is always delicious, and the cause—the future of Arkansas’s kids—is the most important thing. The venue will be filled with central Arkansas’s best recipes, biggest soup-lovers, and nicest people around. We’ll have an auction to please even the pickiest of shoppers, and music to keep kids of all ages on the dance floor. We’re thrilled that Chefs Jill McDonald and Wendy Schay of The Croissanterie are our featured chefs/restaurant this year.
KS: This year’s event is set to have some big changes and improvements. What can folks expect?
FC: The biggest change is a new venue! We are ready for more space, and will be at UA Little Rock’s Jack Stephens Center on March 1 from 3:30-6:30 p.m. Also new this year, we have our first family chairs! Kelly and Matt Steliga and their daughters Allie and Claire are chairing this year’s event. When you attend Soup Sunday, you’ll see individuals, couples, and even multiple generations of families attending together. There is fun for everyone! Bring your friends, your family, and everyone else who loves good food, nice people, fun music, silent auctions and raising money for a worthy cause.
KS: How many restaurants will be participating this year?
FC: We’ll have 45 restaurants participating in the 2026 Central Arkansas Soup Sunday event. There will be about 35 soups, plus a variety of breads and desserts. You’ll have the opportunity to try both new soups and new restaurants while you’re at Central Arkansas Soup Sunday. We will feature participating restaurants on social media (Instagram and Facebook) during the weeks leading up to Soup Sunday, and we hope you’ll support them by getting takeout, dining in, and buying gift cards for your friends and family. We’re so thankful for all the participating restaurants who support Soup Sunday and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families!
KS: Do you still encourage attendees to bring their own muffin trays?
FC: Yes, bring a muffin tray! In the early days of this event, guests started bringing muffin trays so it wasn’t as hard to juggle all the soup cups. The tradition continues! You’ll recognize long-time Soup Sunday fans because they come prepared. Don’t worry if you forget yours—we’ll have a small cardboard tray that will work just fine.
KS: Are tickets currently available to purchase, and can businesses still reach out to become a sponsor?
FC: Yes to all of that! Tickets are available at aradvocates.org/events. Sponsorships are also still available. We have sponsor levels that work for individuals, families, and businesses that want to attend this “souper” fun event and the nonprofit organization it supports, Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. Donations from Soup Sunday supporters give Arkansas Advocates the flexibility to work on new and emerging issues as they arise. It also provides more resources for building coalitions, hosting outreach events around the state to recruit new advocates and lobbying on behalf of children at the state Capitol. Your support positions the organization to be even more effective advocates for Arkansas’s families. Soup Sunday is so nice we do it twice! Our Central Arkansas event is March 1, and our Northwest Arkansas event is February 1, 2026.
PLATED: The Arkansas Dining Guide is proud to be a sponsor of the 2026 Central Arkansas Soup Sunday presented by Love, Tito’s. Keep an eye on our blog for more information about the event and participating restaurants.
