Welcome to Northwest Arkansas! My name is Christina Gross. I am a wife and mother of four fabulous kids. All have grown and have taken advantage of the opportunities NWA has to offer in education, community involvement, career opportunities, creativity, and of course fun!
Northwest Arkansas is growing economically, socially and physically! The diverse economic growth has encouraged employment in many business disciplines including vendors for Walmart, Tyson foods, Georges Chicken, Culinary businesses, clothing, education, outdoor sports, philanthropy, music, Jones Trucking, construction, Arts,and health care.
Having lived in NWA for 16 years,(originally from St. Louis/Central Illinois area) our family has seen growth and development in this area happening at a rapid pace. There are so many things to do, see, enjoy one has a hard time choosing just one thing to do. And yes, there is quite a bit more than The University of Arkansas and Wal-Mart. If you are looking for places to explore, here is a list of some of the things we enjoy.
- Trails. There are walking, hiking and biking trails everywhere. My family and I enjoy the Greenway (https://www.nwatrails.org/trail/razorback-regional-greenway/) paved bike trail as well as hiking trails throughout NWA. Here is a link to hiking trails we have enjoyed https://cgross1368.wordpress.com/.
- Kayaking or canoeing. Beaver lake, Lake Fayetteville, lake Atlanta, Buffalo and White Rivers located nearby.(https://www.yelp.com/search?cflt=rafting&find_loc=Fayetteville%2C+AR)
- Food. Since Brightwater Culinary school (http://brightwater.org/) has opened up, the food scene has become a huge draw for new innovative delicious food! If you like coffee, Onyx is a must https://onyxcoffeelab.com/.
- Schools. NWA is home to wonderful elementary and secondary education, as well as nationally ranked University of Arkansas. https://www.uark.edu/ .Not only are our public schools diverse and growing, but our charter school community is thriving. We have some of the top schools in the nation with Haas Hall Academy (https://www.haashall.org/schools/fayetteville-ar/) being academically charged and Arkansas Arts Academy, https://www.artsk12.org/) being one of the top schools in developing conservatory arts and academics!
- Home of the Arkansas Razorbacks. If you like sports, get your fill here! (https://arkansasrazorbacks.com/). Come call the Hogs with us! Tailgating is a major thing in NWA.
- One of the indicators of a healthy community is a thriving arts community. Crystal Bridges Museum. Wonderful and free! https://crystalbridges.org/. Unique to our area is an artist venue called Art on the Bricks.(https://www.godowntownrogers.com/art-on-the-bricks). This was voted as one of the top 10 things to do in NWA by NWA Online.
- Farmers Market. Bentonville (https://www.downtownbentonville.org/event/fm) Fayetteville (https://www.fayettevillefarmersmarket.org/)
- Music. The Arkansas Music Pavilion,AMP, is an outdoor music venue that schedules headline and amazing music talent from around the country. (https://waltonartscenter.org/amp/)
- Walton Arts Center. Broadway plays! (https://waltonartscenter.org/)
I have not forgotten shopping, this is not my favorite thing to do, but here is a great place to start. (https://www.pinnaclehillspromenade.com/en.html).
I hope you find this list useful and enjoy exploring Northwest Arkansas, and making your own list of top ten places with your family or on your own!
Enjoy!
Contributor: Christina F. Gross