ROOTS Week

ROOTS Underground: Pathways to Liberation

Tuesday, August 4 – Sunday, August 9, 2026

Little Rock, Arkansas

ROOTS Week is our beloved Annual Meeting and Artists Retreat. Over our 50-year history, we have gathered together each year to connect deeply with like-minded artists and cultural workers from across the South and beyond.

ROOTS Week is a hub of creativity, community, and change. It’s our time to come together, share our stories, dream bold dreams, strategize, and sow the seeds for a liberated tomorrow.

In-person ticket sales for ROOTS Week are now closed. There will be no on-site registration. If you don’t have an in-person ticket, please join us for Virtual ROOTS Week. Virtual ROOTS Week includes access to all Annual Business Meeting sessions as well as select cultural offerings – you’ll find the full virtual schedule and link to register here.

ROOTS Week 2026

This ROOTS Week, we’re kicking off our 50th anniversary – we’ll be celebrating five decades of art, organizing, and community from August 2026 to December 2027.

Since 1976, we’ve been gathering together like this – surrounded by the ancient, storied landscape of the South. At ROOTS Week, we share and witness art of every medium and champion artists of every walk of life. We engage in critical conversations. We dance until dawn. We debate and determine the organization’s future paths. We host a legendary Late Night cabaret. We strengthen bonds and build new ones. We dream of the better world we are building, together.

Whether you’re new to ROOTS or have been around since the beginning – if you’re a justice-loving cultural worker, come celebrate with us.

In 2026 we are honored to host our retreat in Little Rock, Arkansas – the ancestral home of the Caddo, Osage, and Quapaw peoples.

Why?

After holding ROOTS Week at the same Appalachian summer camp for more than twenty years, we did not take a change in location lightly. The decision was made through an intentional, participatory process that included our Voting Members, Executive Committee, ROOTS Week Work Group, and staff. As with any big decision, we weighed a great many factors and a great many opinions: accessibility, cost, regional equity, being close to the land. We firmly believe that a shift in venue is a meaningful way to celebrate a milestone anniversary. We honor this as an opportunity to lift up our past and our future, to strengthen the threads of change and connection woven throughout our five decades. As ROOTS turns 50, we’ll remember where we’ve been and dream of all the places we have yet to go.

Where?

We’ll share the exact location with those registered closer to the event. If you have questions about this, feel free to email us using this form – select “ROOTS Week” in the dropdown menu – or leave us a message at 404-577-1079 ext. 6. In the meantime, here are some of the (many!) reasons we’re excited about this new retreat center:
  • Increased accessibility
  • Modern, well-maintained spaces
  • Fully wired meeting and breakout rooms
  • An ACTUAL STAGE
  • A pool within walking distance
  • A pond complete with kayaks
  • A beautiful outdoor setting in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains
Holding ROOTS Week in Little Rock also reflects our commitment to strengthening our network across the US South. By meeting just 2 hours from Memphis, 4.5 hours from Dallas, 5.5 hours from Birmingham, and 7 hours from New Orleans we’re making ROOTS Week more accessible to members from the central and western parts of our region. And: we’re kicking off our 50th year with new possibilities that a change of place can inspire.

In-person ticket sales for ROOTS Week are now closed. There will be no on-site registration. If you don’t have an in-person ticket, please join us for Virtual ROOTS Week. Virtual ROOTS Week includes access to all Annual Business Meeting sessions as well as select cultural offerings – you’ll find the full virtual schedule and link to register here.

This year’s ticket prices are higher due to increased costs of the venue and Alternate ROOTS’ budgetary limitations on ticket subsidies. On-campus ticket prices range from $1,200 – $200 for individual adults. We have created a ticket pricing system that encourages folks with institutional or personal resources to pay full price and provides transparency into the number of subsidized tickets we can offer. By paying ALL you can on this sliding scale, you support ROOTS Week being more accessible to more members.

We will provide payment plans to all who request them (see tab below). In the registration process, you will also be asked about transportation and other support that would enable you to attend ROOTS Week. We want you at ROOTS Week – and we want to know what you need to get there.

The price lists below are long! Economic justice takes time and attention. Please read closely and think about which ticket price is the right choice for you.

If you have questions, we’re here for you. Reach out to us using this form – select “ROOTS Week” in the dropdown menu – or leave us a message at 404-577-1079 ext. 6.

In-person ticket sales for ROOTS Week are now closed. There will be no on-site registration. If you don’t have an in-person ticket, please join us for Virtual ROOTS Week. Virtual ROOTS Week includes access to all Annual Business Meeting sessions as well as select cultural offerings – you’ll find the full virtual schedule and link to register here.

 

All on-campus tickets include 5 nights of lodging, 3 meals per day, and access to all programming. Please note that subsidized tickets to ROOTS Week 2026 are only for members of the ROOTS community, and ROOTers with means are asked to purchase non-subsidized tickets.

Non-Subsidized On-Campus Tickets

These tickets reflect the actual cost of lodging and meals at our venue. These are the only adult, on-campus tickets available to the general public. 

ROOTers with means: we also ask you to purchase these tickets. By paying all you can, you support ROOTS Week being more accessible to more members. 

$1200 Single Occupancy: Non-subsidized 

Price is for you if you desire a single occupancy room and your registration is paid by your employer or professional development funds; you are paying for your own registration and are fully employed; you comfortably meet your basic needs.

$1000 Double / Triple Occupancy: Non-subsidized 

Price is for you if your registration is paid by your employer or professional development funds; you are paying for your own registration and are fully employed; you comfortably meet your basic needs.

Subsidized On-Campus Tickets 

These tickets are available to ROOTS Members Only. If you would like to get on the waitlist for any of the sold out tickets, please complete THIS FORM and we will contact you if tickets become available.

$750 Double / Triple Occupancy: Subsidized – ROOTS members only

SOLD OUT

$500 Double / Triple Occupancy: Subsidized – ROOTS members only

SOLD OUT

$200 Double / Triple Occupancy: Subsidized – ROOTS members only

SOLD OUT

$200 Double / Triple Occupancy: YOOTS (18-25) Subsidized

You are a member of the YOOTS Work Group and have pre-approval for ROOTS Week registration and participation in Youth-Specific Programming.

$50 Youth (4-17) Subsidized

Youth aged 4-17, accompanied by an adult. Youth will be housed with their accompanying adult. Includes access to all Youth Village programming.

FREE Child (0-3) Subsidized

Young children accompanied by an adult, who are able to share a plate with an adult. Children will be housed with their accompanying adult. Includes access to all Youth Village programming.

In-person ticket sales for ROOTS Week are now closed. There will be no on-site registration. If you don’t have an in-person ticket, please join us for Virtual ROOTS Week. Virtual ROOTS Week includes access to all Annual Business Meeting sessions as well as select cultural offerings – you’ll find the full virtual schedule and link to register here.

 

ROOTS Week 2026 will have a limited amount of no-lodging tickets for folks who do not wish to stay overnight on campus but who will be joining us for meals. All of these tickets include 3 meals per day and access to all programming. 

Non-Subsidized Off-Campus Tickets

These are the only off-campus tickets available to the general public. ROOTers with means: we also ask you to purchase these tickets.

$550 5-Day Meals Only / No Housing: Non-subsidized 

Price is for you if your registration is paid by your employer or professional development funds; you are paying for your own registration and are fully employed; you comfortably meet your basic needs.

$110 1-Day Meals Only / No Housing: Non-subsidized 

Price is for you if your registration is paid by your employer or professional development funds; you are paying for your own registration and are fully employed; you comfortably meet your basic needs.

Subsidized Off-Campus Tickets

These tickets are only available to ROOTS Members and local Little Rock artists (ROOTers or not). 

$250 5-Day Meals Only / No Housing: Subsidized – ROOTS members only

Price is for you if you are paying for your own registration and are unemployed; you qualify for government assistance; you have limited expendable income.

$50 1-Day Meals Only / No Housing: Subsidized – ROOTS members only

Price is for you if you are paying for your own registration and are unemployed; you qualify for government assistance; you have limited expendable income.

Because ROOTS Week registration is early and prices have increased, we are offering payment plans to make ROOTS Week more economically accessible.

Everyone – ROOTS members and the general public – can use a payment plan.

In order to get a ticket with a payment plan, complete THIS FORM.  In the form, you will choose the payment plan ticket that is right for you and provide information for ROOTS staff to invoice you monthly.

Once you have received your first invoice and completed your first payment, ROOTS staff will provide you with a code that unlocks a ROOTS Week ticket that you will not pay for in Eventbrite. All payments must be completed by June 30, 2026.

We strongly encourage you to register and initiate your payment plan before April 30, 2026. After April 30, requests for payment plans will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

$1,200 Single Occupancy
  • Initiated by March 30: 4 payments of $300
  • Initiated after April 1: 3 payments of $400
$1,000 Double/Triple Occupancy
  • Initiated by March 30: 4 payments of $250
  • Initiated after April 1: 3 payments of $333
$750 Double/Triple Occupancy
  • Initiated by March 30: 4 payments of $187.50
  • Initiated after April 1: 3 payments of $250
$500 Double/Triple Occupancy
  • Initiated by March 30: 4 payments of $125
  • Initiated after April 1: 3 payments of $167
$200 Double/Triple Occupancy
  • Initiated by March 30: 4 payments of $50
  • Initiated after April 1: 3 payments of $67
$200 YOOTS (Ages 18-25)Double/Triple Occupancy
  • Initiated by March 30: 4 payments of $50
  • Initiated after April 1: 3 payments of $67
Request payment plan

In previous years, we have had extremely generous last-minute cancellation and refund practices, but that also caused registration challenges and financial uncertainty for the organization. Here is the ROOTS Week 2026 refund policy:

  • Cancel your registration by March 31, 2026 and receive a FULL refund.
  • Cancel your registration by July 19, 2026 and receive 75% refund.
  • Cancel your registration on or after July 20, 2026 and no refund will be issued.
We will address questions about ROOTS Week ticket transfers or emergencies on a case-by-case basis. Please email us via this form – select “ROOTS Week” in the dropdown menu – or leave us a message at 404-577-1079 ext. 6.

The ROOTS Week staff welcomes your questions, including needs that aren’t addressed in the registration process. You can contact them using this form – select “ROOTS Week” in the dropdown menu – or leave us a message at 404-577-1079 ext. 6.