Good Towns is a regular feature of Doing More Today, highlighting the people and places that make communities unique. Our latest Good Town story ties into college football season – a fitting topic considering Regions is the Official Bank of the Southeastern Conference.
As you take the long walk toward Old Main, the University of Arkansas’ history is literally at your feet.
The institution was founded in 1871 on William McIlroy’s hilltop farm. The steps leading up to the most iconic building on campus hold the chiseled names of graduates, which in turn shows the university’s growth. The tiny classes at the turn of the century give way to boom times, shrink during the first world war, then boom again before the ravages of the Depression. By the time the U.S. joins the fight in World War II, the classes become predominantly female.
A short distance away, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium routinely swells to 76,000 pig-calling fanatics on autumn Saturdays, which would make the football cathedral the state’s fifth-largest city if everyone decided to sit a spell.
Outside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, the hogs run wild in an iconic statue. / GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
Downtown Springdale is full of bars, restaurants and vintage shops – plus hiking and cycling trails.
As Northwest Arkansas’ stunning metamorphosis continues, downtown Springdale retains its original charm.
As the sun begins to set, cyclists make their way through downtown Springdale.
Mona Lisa's reflection in sunglasses, on the back side of an icehouse, is a popular location for selfies in Rogers.
The sign says, “We are glad to have you in Fayetteville.” In Northwest Arkansas, the hospitality is genuine.
“Fayetteville is my favorite ville.” Just one of the many colorful murals downtown.
Old Main, originally University Hall, is the oldest and most iconic building on the University of Arkansas campus. Construction began in 1873.
A bottle of Chardonnay on display at Urban Wine Cellar in downtown Fayetteville.
A popular bistro hideaway, Hugo’s is just off the University of Arkansas campus and one of the most popular spots for students and alumni alike.
Urban Cellar owner Cassidy Ginger pours a glass of sparking wine for mid-day visitors.
An old clock tower beckons those strolling through downtown Fayetteville.
The mural says, “Enjoy Local.” Just a reminder that everything you want is nearby in Northwest Arkansas.
Don’t put an eye out, Ralphie! The Daisy B.B. Gun Museum celebrates the history – and safety – of the famous air gun.
The entrance to the Daisy B.B. Gun Museum in Rogers includes a two-story replica on the side.
Displays at the museum provide timelines of the B.B. Gun’s evolution.
Three kids with their back to the street stroll in this downtown mural amid a flowing river of various colors.
A warrior princess, armed with a paintbrush spear and a palette of colors, leaps to paint the next untouched building.
In Bentonville, Tusk & Trotter American Brasserie offers a High Mountain menu and an array of local draft beers.
Pan-seared walleye with seasonal vegetables from Tusk & Trotter in Bentonville.
The metallic scales of the fish change with the wind in this artful mural in downtown Bentonville. It’s a tribute to the Natural State’s many rivers and streams.
In downtown Rogers, three waters towers provide a respite from the summer heat at Frisco Park, combining art and a splash-pad refuge.
Art On The Square is a popular gallery in Bentonvile.
A couple of blocks away is massive Bud Walton Arena, the intimidating home of the Razorbacks basketball teams. Here, they routinely draw crowds of 19,000 plus. Despite past national titles and recent Elite Eight NCAA Tournament runs, there’s a new surge of excitement since the arrival of a renowned coach from Kentucky to restore Arkansas’ cred.
This is the Fayetteville we’ve known since Arkansas joined the Southeastern Conference 32 years ago. But if you haven’t visited recently, you’re in for a big shock because Northwest Arkansas is morphing into a metropolis that stretches from Fayetteville at the south end to Bentonville at the upper edges. And each of the communities that make up Good Town Northwest Arkansas has a unique personality.
In front of a colorful mural that welcomes visitors to Yeyo’s El Alma De Mexico, chef and owner Rafael Rios is ready for the next wave of business. / GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
At the Eighth Street Market Location, Yeyo’s looks quiet before the lunch crowd begins pouring in.
The Fayetteville Public Library teaches culinary classes in this state-of-the-art kitchen.
At Yeyo's, Octavio Alvardo patiently works on creating fresh tortillas every day.
Rios Farm Root Vegetable Salad. This is a seasonal spring and summer salad that showcases a variety of high quality vegetables from the Yeyo's family farm. This salad is finished with Arkansas wild rice and legumes and finished with a refreshing Smoked Chipotle Salsa.
Memelas: a dish with fusion of the traditional nixtamaized corn tortillas from the Michoacán region and the Oaxacan Fresh corn memela. Made by hand and topped with stone ground tomatillo salsa, spicy chorizo and Cotiza cheese. A staple at Yeyo’s El Alma De Mexico.
At Sweet Dreams Creamery, part of the Yeyo's culinary family, the ice cream flavors are daring and delicious.
Rafael Rios shows off one of the delicious cool treats available at the Sweet Dreams Creamery at the Eight Street Market.
Squash blossoms, fresh off the Rios farm.
On the farm, the Rios brothers show off a towering crop of corn to Regions banker Stan Rodgers.
A day at the farm, which provides much of the food offered daily at Yeyo’s brings together Stan Rodgers, Rafael Rios, Jaclyn Henderson and Roman Rios.
From Farm to Table
At the Eighth Street Market in Bentonville, a few blocks from where Walmart’s sprawling new business campus takes shape, Yeyo’s El Alma De Mexico has become a go-to stop for lunch or dinner.
It’s much more than a Mexican grill, evidenced by chef Rafael Rios’ four James Beard Foundation semifinalist awards. Before the lunch crowd pours in, craftsman Octavio Alvarado works steadily making tortillas. In a nearby truck, ice cream chills for another onslaught of visitors. These aren’t your normal flavors. The Earl Grey Lavendar and Thai Tea-Lapsang, for instance, tickle your taste buds like nothing you’ve ever attempted before.
It started with a farm in 2006. In 2012, Rios opened his first restaurant. Today, Rios manages the growing businesses with his brother, Roman, and 14 family members.
The brothers live next door to each other, with a farm uniting them out their back door.
“Our main reasons for success have to do with the family,” Roman explained. “Everyone shows responsibility, and, in turn, we can deal with issues quickly.”
On a June morning at the farm, Rafael surveys the parcel of land.
“Everything you see here will make it to the restaurant or the farmer’s market,” he said. “On Fridays, we come here as a family to harvest, then share a meal together.”
Classic oil paintings on canvas, modern sculptures, abstract works of metal and wood. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder at Crystal Bridges – and there’s so much to take in. / GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
Patrons can spend a few hours or a few days absorbing the art.
At Crystal Bridges, one-of-a-kind art pieces on the wall mix with artful architecture.
The curved roof and the glass walls set off the displays of art at Crystal Bridges.
At Crystal Bridges, visitors quickly learn that art isn’t limited to paintings and sculptures. The entire campus bridges man-made works with nature’s beauty.
The museum meanders around a lake with views at every stop.
A suspended plane, adorned with flowers and surrounded by walls of art at The Momentary.
The rooftop bar at The Momentary offers 360-degree views of the downtown area.
At The Momentary, a pharaoh’s bust hangs from the ceiling, accentuated by disco lighting.
World-Class Architecture and Art
Tucked within the undulating hills of Northwest Arkansas is one of the nation’s preeminent museums, the Crystal Bridges Museum of Modern American Art. Founded in 2011 by Alice Walton, its facade is a stunning mix of glass and wood around two spring-fed ponds connected to a forested hiking trail. Inside is a collection of art that is comparable to anything in North America.
If the architecture of the museum isn’t enough to satisfy, visitors can take a virtual or real-word tour of the adjacent Bachman-Wilson House, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s best-known Usonian-styled houses. Originally built in New Jersey in 1956, it was restored, then relocated at Crystal Bridges in 2013.
A few miles away, in a decommissioned cheese factory, The Momentary offers more incredible modern visual art, live marquee-name concerts and the opportunity to see fresh work of artists in residence. It also includes a cocktail bar on top where you can take in the surroundings.
This extension of Crystal Bridges stands on its own merit but shares something else with the other museum: admission is free.
The meandering layout of Railyard Bike Park offers an array of challenges for all levels of cyclists. / GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
Justin Jones came all the way from Fort Worth, Texas, to test his skills at Railyard Bike Park and the surrounding trails.
This is no ordinary office space. The Ledger Building in Bentonville features six stories of bikeable ramps that take you from the street to the roof. It’s open to the public for free during business hours.
Jaclyn Henderson is Regions’ market executive for Northwest Arkansas.
A Haven for Cyclists
In Rogers, Railyard Bike Park is a unique facility that tests the skills of cyclist of all ages and abilities. It’s here we find Justin Jones of Fort Worth, Texas, who flew to NWA with his son, Lane, for the chance to take on the course.
“It’s the third time I’ve been here,” Jones said. “You can’t get anything like this in Fort Worth. If you’re into cycling or mountain biking, you know about this place. Its reputation is world-wide.”
For cycling enthusiasts, this is Nirvana.
There are 250 miles of trails connecting Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville while drawing mountain bikers for recreation and competitions from across the globe. The OZ Trails, in fact, have earned this area the title of Mountain Biking Capital of the World.
“This used to be our best-kept secret, but now everyone knows,” said Jaclyn Henderson, Regions’ market leader in NWA. “It’s like we have Boulder (Colorado) in our backyard.”
If you’re just inclined to take a casual ride, a cardio-pumping jog or a leisurely stroll through the towns, the Razorback Greenway offers 40 miles of paved trails, including a run through downtown Springdale, which maintains its original charm even as the area explodes.
Regions’ Jaclyn Henderson with pitmaster extraordinaire Jordan Wright. / GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
Jordan Wright shows off some of the slow-cooked meats at Wright’s BBQ.
Brisket and ribs, turkey and shredded pork, oh my. This is why Wright’s BBQ was recently named the America’s best barbecue.
A Barbecue Legend in the Making
We’re not given to bragging, but in Rogers (and through NWA) you can find the best barbecue in America, backed up in May by Yelpers proclaiming Wright’s BBQ as the best anywhere.
The son of a retired Regions Banker – Lynn Wright was the Regions market leader in Arkansas for years – Jordan Wright worked for Tyson Foods after graduating from the University of Arkansas.
On trips to Texas, he discovered a style of barbecue unlike any other back home. By 2017, he spent nights cooking to feed his co-workers the next day, and that eventually blossomed into multiple brick-and-mortar restaurants.
“My dad told me that the success rate for restaurants is really low,” Jordan recalled. “The first couple of years of business, he was really nervous. I was too, because I had three small kids, including an infant, when we started this.”
He now has 140 employees with restaurants in Rogers, Bentonville, Johnson and Little Rock – and daily calls from across the region asking him to open more.
“We have a great team and a great sense of service,” Wright said, pointing to success that goes beyond the succulent smoked food and sides made from scratch. “The attitude of our team reflects great leadership across the board. That’s intentional. As much as we love our customers, we make sure to take really good care of our teams.”
On our visit, on a sweltering 100-degree Tuesday, Wright’s BBQ’s Rogers location is full by 4:30. Ten minutes later, there’s a line around the parking lot.
The entrance to the Fayetteville Public Library, where magic awaits visitors. / GARY TRAMONTINA PHOTOS
Executive director David Johnson. The Fayetteville Public Library’s mission is to strengthen the community and empower citizens through free and public access to knowledge.
David Johnson, executive director of the Fayetteville Public Library since its inception, shows off the new recording studio.
Visitors to the Fayetteville Public Library can record music, podcasts and television programming – for free.
A visitor at the library tests his skills driving a big truck on one of the numerous simulators.
Helicopters and airplanes hover above one of the youth reading rooms.
A father and son share a quiet moment at the Fayetteville Public Library.
A magician entertains hundreds of young children and their parents in the auditorium of the Fayetteville Public Library.
A list of the upcoming events at Fayetteville Public Library.
A Library Like No Other
Stan Rodgers, a Commercial Relationship Manager for Northwest Arkansas, takes us for a tour of downtown. We stop for lunch at Hugo’s, a subterranean establishment that’s a fixture among students and alums. Just a few blocks away, we head into the Urban Cellar, where owner Cassidy Ginger opened the area’s first urban winery in the historic town square.
“In 2021, I fell in love with the world of wine, went to wine school in Little Rock, and here I am,” Ginger said. “We have a great clientele, and our business continues to grow daily.”
But our next start isn’t typical for a Good Towns trip. Rodgers wants to visit the Fayetteville Public Library.
First task: forget every public library you’ve known before. Oh, sure, the FPL (as locals know it) has plenty of books to read – 1.2 million in circulation. But like its art museum counterparts, there’s so much more upon discovery.
There are artists in residence teaching classes, a culinary school, a 3D printing class and a theatre that features staged plays and concerts. As we wander around, a magician entertains a few hundred school-age children at a kid-friendly show with a comic bent. There’s also an arts and movement room, where classes and events can be livestreamed.
But then David Johnson, the executive director, takes us into the Center for Innovation, which is like nothing we’ve seen before. Here, you can learn to fly a plane (and get FAA credit) on a simulator, or master semi-truck driving and heavy-equipment operation. And it’s all free of charge for FPL members, which numbers 85 percent of the local population.
There’s also a recording studio, a photographic studio and a booth for creating a podcast. Again, free to members.
“Literacy was defined as meeting the needs of the day,” Johnson said. “The question now is how do we meet the challenge of today? Of a job?
“I listened to my staff and to the public, about their needs, and sent team members all over the country and even to Europe. Our biggest takeaway, libraries are no longer designing around things. They are designing around space.”
That leads us to one final thought of our own as we wrap up our visit. While Northwest Arkansas is booming, no space is taken for granted. Thanks to incredible foresight (and about a dozen philanthropic-minded billionaires who live in the area), every place here has a purpose: to enrich lives.
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