Are you planning to visit Bentonville, Arkansas, this spring or summer? If so, there are several things you’ll need to check out or do while you’re here.
The 5 things you need to do this spring in Bentonville include the First Friday block party and the Saturday morning farmer’s markets. You’ll want to rent bikes and explore the area while visiting the incredible food scene. The other thing you’ll want to do is go to the Listening Forest.
We have some incredible things happening down here, so you’ll want to stick around to discover what your itinerary should include.
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1. First Friday Block Party
If you can work it out with your schedule, you should make the time to check out the First Friday Block parties around the downtown Bentonville area. They have vendors for all sorts of things, including food and souvenirs.
They also have several other things happening, including the following:
- Talent shows
- Throwing contests
- Bands
And each month’s party has a different theme, which is really cool. Several of the most recent themes included:
- Pet-a-palooza
- The Great Outdoors
- Oktoberfest
- Art Fest, which Jolly Rancher will sponsor
Segueway is sponsoring the upcoming “In Motion” theme, so seeing how it will play out will be interesting.
Bentonville does this to create a community that comes together in one central location so that people can come out and get to know each other better. They want to avoid creating little pocket communities everywhere so that even the new people can feel the warmth of the community.
So you definitely want to check this out.
2. Saturday Morning Farmer’s Markets
You’ve most likely heard of Farmer’s Markets in most major cities and smaller towns throughout the US. Bentonville, Arkansas, holds one of the best farmer’s markets in the area, as there are several things to choose from.
There are artisans selling hand-crafted goods that are local to the Northwest Arkansas area, and other cool vendors like blacksmiths have great booths to check out. You can find honey, vegetables, and other great food and beverages.
I also have a booth there, so stop by and say hi while you’re there. The Farmer’s Market is open every Saturday from 7:30 AM to 1 PM.
3. Rent Bikes To Explore the Area
One of the greatest things about Northwest Arkansas is the trail system and the many attractions. If you’re in the area and don’t have your bike, you rent one or more from one of the many bike shops around town. Of course, if trails aren’t your thing, you can still cruise around town, visiting the various shops.
Here are just two of the things you visit while riding a rental bike around the area:
- Razorback Greenway: This is a 40-mile paved pathway that stretches from Bella Vista to Fayetteville. Of course, it cuts through Bentonville, with its many trails and tributaries. It has several shared pathways and roadways, so you can bike to whatever you enjoy.
- The Ledger: This is a co-working space that houses big and small businesses and start-ups. You can bike throughout the entire building and then see the city from the top of the building. It’s pretty cool, so check it out while you’re in the area.
Also, I have a 3-day itinerary that can help you decide what activities to do if you’re overwhelmed by everything Northwest Arkansas has to offer.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a foodie, a sports person, a sightseer, or want to spend quality time with your kids; I have something for you. Check out the link below to learn more:
https://www.allthingsnwa.com/3-day-itinerary-northwest-arkansas
4. Visit Both Crystal Bridges
Downtown Bentonville is home to two Crystal Bridges, and they’re both exceptional and worth a visit.
The first Crystal Bridge houses contemporary art, such as sculptures, oil paintings, and other Renaissance-type art. Some exhibits are free, but others are low-cost and well worth the visit. But you might want to plan on taking a few days to go through it, as it’s massive and about to get bigger due to the upcoming expansion.
Crystal Bridge hosts some very important documents, as well, including:
- US Constitution
- The Federalist Papers
- Bill of Rights
They’re closed on Tuesdays but open every other day at 11 AM, except Saturdays, when they open at 10 AM. They close anywhere between 6 and 8 PM.
Now the Momentary is more about events and experiential, post-modern art. It’s actually located in an old cheese factory in Downtown Bentonville. They have several interactive exhibits, restaurants, and different art styles.
They’re open 6 days a week and are closed on Mondays. So definitely check this place out when you’re in the area.
5. Check Out the Food Scene
While you’re in Bentonville, you definitely need to visit the many restaurants we have here. So many cuisines are served here that you’ll have no trouble finding your favorites. Here is just a sampling of some of the delicious cuisine we have in Bentonville:
- Ramen
- Pho
- Thai
- Barbecue
- American
- Chinese
- Mexican
The co-op has a fabulous Ramen bar, while the Preacher’s Son has wonderful tacos and tamales. Yales, another fabulous Mexican restaurant, was featured in the New York Times on the 100 Best Restaurants list, so that was pretty cool.
Bonus Idea: Go To the Listening Forest
While you’re checking out all the fabulous ideas on this list and at Crystal Bridges, be sure to go to the Listening Forest, an audio-visual light experience that will never be forgotten. Tickets are very affordable, and going through a curated art experience is pretty cool.
Of course, the show happens at night. There are eight different stations that you can experience, which include the following:
- The Recorded Assembly, which merges your face with previous guests’ faces in a cool light show.
- Arkansas Text Stream lights up text phrases that Northwest Arkansas community members have used. As people walk through the trail, the words light up and become phrases.
- The Pulse Forest uses guests’ heartbeats, past and present, to light up over 3,000 bulbs.
- Your heat signature gets registered with a thermal camera in the Thermal Drift area. They then float up as energy particles.
- When you enter the Remote Pulse section, you’ll see two stations connecting strangers and beams of light through the forest.
- You then come upon the area where you can control giant 20-ft stick figures made of light in the Embodied Light Beacons area. Just try not to shine it in someone’s eyes like I might have done when I was there.
- If you like singing, you’ll love the Voice Forest! You can leave a voice recording that will be joined by a chorus of previous guests’ voices.
- Your last stop is the Summon, where microphones will pick up your voice and turn them into a light show that shows in the ravine below.
Wrapping Up
And there you have it–the best things to do while you’re in Bentonville this spring or summer. If you’re going to be down here for any reason, be sure to contact me for a tour of the best sites and attractions.