Callapalooza: Where Duck Calls, Craft Beer, and Fellowship Collide

By Cloud Jacobs - 

Duck calls, beer, and fellowship.  These are the central tenets of Callapalooza.

Let’s start with the calls.  At its heart, Callapalooza is a celebration of the art of callmaking.   Call Makers from all over the country migrate to RNT in Stuttgart, Arkansas, to be a part of the festivities.  Some of us hawk our wares under a canopy in the parking lot, while other makers don’t like to be tied down.  You can catch them, beer in hand, milling about the crowd, grabbing a bite from the Duck Duck Food Truck, or debating the merits of using an o-ring versus friction fit.  One thing is certain: if you’re interested in duck calls, then you’re in the right place.  

Anytime of year, you can stop by the Flying Duck Taproom and see an amazing collection of vintage calls behind glass in the front room and cases at the bar.  One can also gaze at an entire case dedicated to the founder of RNT, Butch Richenback. As a kid growing up around Stuttgart, it was a right of passage to send your child to Butch to learn how to blow a call.  I was one of many kids he took the time to teach.  I remember he was a no-nonsense kind of guy, but by the end of our time together, I could string quacks, a feed and a hail call together where initially I couldn’t even make the call sound remotely like a duck. The man was big on teaching the next generation.

Butch’s case is filled with loads of duck calls that he turned over a lifetime.  There are some amazing calls in that case and more than one head scratcher, a jig with a small metal arm attached.  No one knows what it was used for. John Stephens, the current owner of RNT and a former student of Richenback, said he wasn’t sure what the jig's purpose was.  Maybe that’s something only Butch knew.  I didn't know him well, but I bet he’d be blown away at what his humble duck call business has turned into.  

Right next to the founder’s shrine is a collection of another sort.  If Butch is the past of the company then the small batch calls are a part of its present.  Here on display is every single small batch call ever produced by RNT.  Even the elusive duck feather call that, due to wild game laws, was never sold to the public.  It’s an impressive collection that makes the mouth water.  There is a call or two in the case that I wouldn’t mind adding to my personal collection.  

In addition to the above-mentioned collections, there is a vintage call contest that anyone can enter and as always, various vintage calls for sale here and there.  Though one of the first places to check is the CCAA, Call Collectors Association of America, a booth manned by dedicated call collectors.  

The main event of the entire show is the callmaker build-off.  Two teams composed of seriously talented callmakers face off under different constraints to produce the best-looking and sounding calls possible.  Let me tell you, I’ve seen some truly one-of-a-kind doozies come out of that shop.  The participants always show up with their A game and the results are always amazing.  If you’ve got time, make sure to take a peek through the windows into John's shop to see these folks at work.  

There was a time when all that a trip to RNT entailed was getting a call tuned, maybe picking up another one and grabbing a hat or shirt.   While the same offerings are still available, now one can also browse the sales floor with an ice-cold craft beer, which makes any shopping experience more enjoyable.

I’ve heard John say that when brewing up the idea of the Flying Duck Taproom, he thought it would be cool to have a bar for duck hunters. If you’ve ever popped in during duck season, you’ll see that duck hunters tend to agree.  The beer on tap changes throughout the year but they all have one thing in common, they’re all brewed right here in the Natural State.  Two of my personal favorites are the Philosopher King, brewed by New Province Brewing Co. in Rogers and Free Range from Flyway in North Little Rock. The Philosopher King is an extremely hoppy beer I was first introduced to while waiting in line at the annual Slovak Oyster Supper.  It’s got a very distinct flavor and has become a favorite since.  The Freerange, an ale, is as black as night and somewhat intimidating at first but the flavor is smooth and earthy.  

If beer’s not your thing, they also carry wine seltzers and have recently added sake to the menu.  

Enjoy a drink with a friend while taking in the view of Riceland in the distance. I’ve had many good times with friends on the patio over an ice-cold beer, which brings me to the final piece of the puzzle that makes Callapalooza such an enjoyable celebration, the people.

There’s a whole cross-section of folks who attend.  There are the locals who are looking for something to do for the weekend.  They’ll grab a beer and mill around or stop to chat at your booth. My Dad, himself a callmaker, doesn’t leave the homestead much so he always stays busy catching up with someone around town. I do the same thing, sometimes I even have the pleasure of catching up with former students who are trying to swindle their parents into buying them a new call.  Regardless, this is one of my favorite aspects of the show, face-to-face interaction and I always try to slip some duck call knowledge into the conversation somewhere.  

Then you’ve got the brand new callmakers or those that are about to take their first step down the path.  They’re not full-fledged yet but they’ve got enough curiosity to ask questions and show off what they’ve been working on.  I myself was a part of this group during the first Callapalooza in 2019, eager to jump in and start turning but lacking any practical knowledge.  We all have to start somewhere.  

I love it when these up-and-comers stop by the booth. A lot of times, it’s young folks in their teens which makes me hopeful for the future of the craft.  They’ve always got questions and need some encouragement, which I and most everyone in attendance are happy to give.  I can think of a few who have stuck with it and I’ve seen their skills grow over the years. Ideally, they’ll be the old folks sitting behind a table offering tips to the youngsters one of these days.  

The last group could be considered the heart and soul of the entire show, that would be the Callmakers and Collectors themselves. For us, it’s one of maybe two or three times a year that we all get to meet up and discuss the important topics like “Do you wanna make a trade?” or “Have you tried the Philosopher King yet?” 

If you ask any of us what our favorite part of the show is, odds are we’ll say the people.  It feels like a family reunion of sorts, complete with beer, food and entertainment.  And in a way, it is.  The duck call-making and collecting community is a small one.  You go to a few shows and you end up seeing the same people over and over again. You meet people doing the same thing you do and form friendships that endure over the years. We shoot each other a text now and then or comment on each other's calls online but for those few days we get to actually catch up face to face, you can feel the fellowship in the air.  Callapalooza is a brief respite from reality where our little group of callmakers and collectors can all celebrate one of the things we love most.

 Then, after the crawfish has been eaten, the auctions are over and we’re all parting ways again.  We tell each other, “See ya at Reelfoot,” and the timer resets for another year.  

Of course, Callapalooza would be nothing without the tireless efforts of the RNT staff.  They are at work from dawn till dusk.  John had a great idea for a call show but without dedicated people to execute it, I fear it would have remained only an idea.  John, his wife Angie and the entire staff are the real MVPs of the entire event.  Without them, we’d all be twiddling our thumbs come the beginning of summer instead of hanging out with our buddies and having good times.

If you know nothing about calls, come on out.  We’ll teach you a little something.  I bet you’ll find something to pique your interest anyhow, whether it’s something from the Duck Duck Food Truck, a golden ale fresh from the taps or the energy of a small town festival.  Come the beginning of summer in Arkansas County, Callapalooza is the place to be.  We’ll see you there.