Christmas is truly the most wonderful time of the year, and there’s a lot to be excited about around this season in Northwest Arkansas. If you’re looking for things to do, I’m here to offer you some amazing ideas.
Best Christmas events in Northwest Arkansas include Bentonville and Fayetteville lighting ceremonies and parades and the Stewart Family Christmas Lights display, an incredible family-owned adventure. You can also go to a SoNA Christmas concert or skating in Lawrence Plaza.
In this article, I will discuss in detail what special events and exciting activities you can plan for the Christmas holidays in Northwest Arkansas.
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Symphony of Northwest Arkansas
My personal favorite thing for the Christmas season is the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. Of course, they don’t perform exclusively on Christmas, yet their Christmas concerts are spectacular. They go all out with stunning performances and incredible music.
But what I love the most is the atmosphere of such events. When you go to the symphony, you dress up, looking good and ready for a special occasion, which makes a Christmas symphony feel even more magnificent and festive.
Another exciting thing is they will be performing in the Walton Art Center, which is located on Dixon Street in downtown Fayetteville. It’s a fantastic experience with the ambiance and cool weather that truly make you feel like Christmas is just around the corner.
Christmas Lights in Fayetteville and Bentonville
My second favorite thing about Northwest Arkansas during the Christmas season is the Fayetteville Ozark lighting ceremony, known as the Lighting of the Ozarks.
This ceremony is a very special event for the entire community. The whole city comes out, there’s a parade, Santa Claus, and hot chocolate, and everything screams Christmas spirit. The whole town is shut down in the Downtown Square for the hallmark experience of the actual lighting of the Ozarks.
The ceremony itself is also spectacular: there are thousands and thousands and thousands of lights. Both Bentonville and Fayetteville start preparations on October 1st and put in a lot of effort to create a memorable experience for everyone.
Fayetteville does its ceremony first, and then the next night, the event is held in Beville. So yes, it’s two incredibly beautiful lighting ceremonies back to back: Fayetteville’s one is on a Thursday, and then Friday night is Bentonville’s one.
The most fun aspect of these events is the whole town just gets packed out. This is a little side note to Christmas time around here: in Northern Arkansas, there are so many different community events and experiences that bring the people together and spread the Christmas spirit.
This goes not only for Christmas. It’s not abnormal for the community to be downtown all year round; it actually happens all the time. If you’d like to find out more about the community in Northern Arkansas, check out this article.
Bentonville Parade
While there is an actual parade in Fayetteville during the lighting ceremony, you can also visit a separate parade that is held in Bentonville on a separate day and is a truly spectacular event in itself.
The Fayetteville parade is great, too, yet it’s kind of a packed experience quite different from the Bentonville one. The latter is just an over-the-top parade loved by many. It’s especially great to see all the different businesses come into play, the variety of floats, and people gathering to participate in all the fun.
So, if you are in town, just know that Fayetteville and Bentonville usually cram their lighting ceremonies back to back. Fayetteville has its parade on the same night as its lighting, and on top of that, Beville has their own parade, their own thing going on in December time on a separate day.
Little side note: both ceremonies will definitely be on the news around here. So, if you are in town at an Airbnb and can’t make it out, just turn on the news, and you’ll live in downtown Fayetteville or Bentonville.
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The Rink at Lawrence Plaza
Lawrence Plaza in Bentonville has a splash pad next to the square. Kids use it all year long, especially in late spring and summertime, until they return to school. However, around Christmas, they close it down, freeze it over, and make it an ice rink.
The best part is that you get the whole festive experience: ice skating, a parade, and a lighting ceremony. As it doesn’t really freeze in Northwest Arkansas, snow is extremely rare, and you’re not likely to see the ice except at Lawrence Plaza.
So, if you want to do some ice skating and make it a part of your Christmas experience, definitely check out Lawrence Plaza when you’re in downtown Bentonville.
Stewart Family Christmas
And last but certainly not least is the Stewart Family Lights, located right in Fayetteville. This is a well-known tradition in the area that has been going on for many years. The Stewart family likes to put on a huge light display on their farm: 5 million lights, inflatables, and a lot more to see.
You can take your car through their drives and enjoy the display as well as lots of entertainment options: camel rides, pony rides, train rides, and more. It is a family adventure loved by many.
You might want to visit the display a little farther away from the actual December 25th because it gets packed up around Christmas day. So, if you get a chance, come a few days before to enjoy the experience at its best.
In Northern Arkansas, a lot of people go to see the Stewart Family Lights every single year. The best part is that it’s a family-owned event. No big corporation there, just a family putting on an impressive light display in their farm field, literally in Fayetteville.
The Stewart Family Lights also have a bunch of food vendors there and lots of hot chocolate. You don’t have to go out there and drive your car around: you can get out, walk around, enjoy the display, and have a wonderful time.
That said, there are lots of great restaurants around the city to choose from. Check out my full guide on the best restaurants in Fayetteville if you decide to eat out.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, there is a lot to do in Northwest Arkansas on Christmas. You can visit the lighting ceremonies and parades, go ice skating, see a beautiful family-owned Christmas display, or enjoy a Christmas concert performed by the Symphony of Northern Arkansas.
