Extended Weekend Getaways Terrific Tuesday Nights
One of summer’s sweetest treats is winding down at Botanical Garden of the Ozarks (BGO). Each Tuesday night through August, the garden opens its gates for free! The showstopping blooms are reason enough to visit, but many Tuesdays you’ll find live music or other great programs. The BGO is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization located on the east side of Lake Fayetteville. The 44-acre (18 ha) site is located at the border between Fayetteville and Springdale on Arkansas Highway 265 (Crossover Road). The garden consists of 6 acres (2.4 ha) of cultivated land, featuring 12 display gardens and the state’s only butterfly house where four seasons of flora and fauna thrive. The BGO is a member-supported garden dedicated to education and environmental awareness.
Fayetteville Movement Festival
This weekend-long festival scheduled July 5-7 on the mountaintop of Mount Sequoyah offers beginner-friendly classes from Latin dance and yoga to skating, bird watching, and ice baths. Whatever your body needs, you’ll find classes and spaces to feed your mind and spirit, too. The Mission of Fayetteville Movement Festival is to bring together community members making positive changes in the world of dance, yoga, therapy, art, performance art, and improvisation. We hope to bridge communities to share resiliency strategies and to nurture our creativity within.
Rediscover the Joy of Riding a Bike
Even if you haven’t ridden a bike in years, Fayetteville invites you to discover the joy of riding. Check out an e-bike and enjoy this adventure made just for you, winding through forest and creeks on protected trails with stops for great food. This route is so good, we named it after Arkansas’s first published song, “Fayetteville Polka.” The 25 mile route begins on Fayetteville’s Historic Square and heads north and east through the Washington-Willow Historic District For more information, visit https://www.experiencefayetteville.com/urban-adventures/the-fayetteville-polka
Arts & Culture
TheatreSquared’s 19th season features six new productions, including award-winning classics, futuristic thrillers, a world premier, and Shakespeare’s beloved comedy “Twelfth Night.” With two small theatres and ample open space in the lobby, TheatreSquared maintains the intimate, immersive experience audiences have come to expect, harkening back to their days as a small black box theater.
The Walton Arts Center has announced a must-see lineup for their 33rd Broadway season, including six shows direct from Broadway making a stop on their first-ever national tours! Four of those shows will be making their Arkansas debuts in Fayetteville, shining a spotlight on the healthy and lively theater and arts scene. This season, the showing titles range from Broadway classics to celebrations of pop sensations, with modernized favorites and magical moments for the whole family.
Fayetteville, Arkansas has long been considered a hotspot for all types of artists and makers, and a rapidly growing interest in filmmaking has especially emerged in recent years. Whether the passion be for documentaries, short films, full-length feature films or animation, the annual Fayetteville Film Fest is attracting both filmmakers and movie-lovers to town to be immersed in this ever-evolving, increasingly accessible form of creative expression. Happening in the heart of the city’s bustling downtown on the historic Fayetteville Square, the festival is set for October 12-14th with the primary screening location in the Global Campus Theatre at 2 East Center Street.
Summer Dining
There aren’t many of life’s true pleasures better than feeling a little sun on your face, cooled by a gentle breeze—while enjoying a tasty beverage and delicious food. Largely due to the many months of great weather and a plethora of excellent restaurants and pubs in Fayetteville, Arkansas, it should come as no surprise that there’s a lengthy list of patio options to choose from for your next relaxation stop.
Arsaga’s
If you truly want to see where a cross-section of locals gravitates on a regular basis, Arsaga’s happily provides. This is one place where the quality of the food and the loveliness of the space are in direct competition for what makes this family-owned spot a perennial favorite. Order the house roasted java plain or fancy, and don’t pass up the chance to taste the sweet or savory (or both) crepes any time of day. Snag a spot under the canopied patio next to the trail.
Dickson Street Pub
The rooftop patio of Dickson Street Pub is considered by many to be THE best public view of Dickson Street and Old Main, and we wouldn’t dispute that. Gather with friends to visit in the heart of the entertainment district without the competing noise of a loud pub scene, and be dazzled by the menu of more than fifty craft beers or tip back a Mason jar of lip-smacking good Hog Punch. The venue is pet-friendly, and if a rain cloud blows over, just find an alternative spot at the cozy pub below.
Farmer’s Table Café
One visit to Farmer’s Table and you’ll be smitten. The mission of this wonderfully eclectic café is to support local food producers, increase community food security and explore the tastes of the Ozarks—and the tight-knit crew who own and operate the establishment do just that. The deck and front patio garden seating is always filled with residents and visitors who flock there for hearty breakfast, brunch and lunch offerings. We recommend you arrive early on weekends, but if you find a line, it’s well worth it to settle in with a cup of coffee and people watch while you wait.