Backflips & Battle Formations

Jordyn Wieber joins "Special Forces" season 3, NWA Comic Con, Art on the Bricks 2025 kick off, volunteer opportunities with CASA NWA,

Happy New Year!

We’re excited to resume our daily newsletter after the holidays and can’t wait to see what’s in store for our community in 2025.

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Be careful on those icy roads today, and stay warm! 🥶 

Thanks for reading!
Tad & the NWA Daily Crew

Highlight

Razorback Gymnastics Head Coach Jordyn Wieber Takes On Reality TV

FOX

Olympic gold medalist and Arkansas Gymnastics head coach Jordyn Wieber will appear on season three of FOX’s Special Forces: World's Toughest Test, airing this Wednesday, Jan 8, at 7p.

  • Tactical Tumbling: Participants will train in Wales, home of the British Special Forces Selection, and face challenges designed to mimic the harsh reality of ocean warfare: high-pressure hostage rescues, treacherous cliff crossings 110 ft above the sea, boat dunk drills in icy water, and more.

  • The Recruits: Wieber joins 15 other celebrities for this season, including actor Stephen Baldwin, NFL quarterback Cam Newton, actress Kyla Pratt, actress Christy Carlson Romano, pro soccer player Landon Donovan, the original Bachelorette Trista Sutter, and more. The show will run for five weeks, and each episode is 2 hours long.

Learn more about what to expect on the show HERE.

Arts & Culture

Celebrate Resilience During the 1st Art On The Bricks Art Walk of 2025

arkansas arts academy

Hight Jackson Associates

Downtown Rogers kicks off its 2025 Art on the Bricks series this Thursday, Jan 9, from 4:30-7:30p. The theme is Resilience & Renewal—shedding a light on the issue of human trafficking.

  • Celebrating the Arts: Every second Thursday of the month, Art On The Bricks Art Walk organizes over a dozen galleries, shops, restaurants, and local artists around a new theme to highlight the creative talent of community members and support the local creative economy in Downtown Rogers.

  • Hope & Healing: This month’s featured artist is Alice Cunningham, whose memoir, Abducted: My Struggle to Remember, shares her experience of being kidnapped at 8 years old and trafficked by an organized crime syndicate and how she survived to tell her powerful story of healing and hope. An exhibit of her work will be displayed at Arkansas Arts Academy.

Find all the details and participating locations on an interactive map HERE.

Arts & Culture Monthly Spotlight

 

Keep up with Northwest Arkansas’s vibrant arts & culture scene with the Arkansas Creative Calendar by CACHE. Here are a few events we’re excited about this January:

  • 👃 Teen Spirit: Rock out with Nirvani, a Nirvana Tribute Experience, at JJs Live in Fayetteville this Friday, Jan 10, at 8p.

  • 🎭 Dialects: The Theatre Collective of NWA is hosting a dialects workshop this Saturday, Jan 11, at the Medium in Springdale in preparation for the upcoming auditions for its productions of Steel Magnolias and Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.

  • 📚️ Wake Up Call: The 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winner Primary Trust by Eboni Booth takes the stage at TheatreSquared in Fayetteville for 34 performances, beginning on Jan 22.

  • 🧙 Magic Music: Symphony of Northwest Arkansas will perform SoNA Beyond: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice at the Rogers Public Library for free on Saturday, Jan 25, at 2p.

  • 🤣 Boujee on a Budget: Matt Mathews is bringing his comedy tour Boujee on a Budget to Walton Arts Center in Fayetteville on Friday, Jan 31, at 7p.

Find other events happening this month on the CACHE Creative Calendar.

Events

Several Celebrities In Town for NWA Comic Con This Weekend

Northwest Arkansas Comic Con returns to the Rogers Convention Center this weekend, Jan 11-12, featuring cosplay, vendors, and a great lineup of celebrity appearances.

  • Hang With Friends: The two-day event features costume contests, vendor displays, panels, celebrity appearances, a board game library, video gaming contests, photo ops, and other pop culture experiences.

  • Meet Your Heroes: The celebrity guest list this year includes appearances by Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian), Johnny Yong Bosch (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers), Dante Basco (Hook, Avatar: The Last Airbender), Khary Payton (The Walking Dead), and many more.

Find more info and purchase tickets HERE.

Nonprofit

Change A Child’s Story With CASA of Northwest Arkansas

CASA of Northwest Arkansas is on a mission to ensure every child in foster care from our community has an advocate, and now is the perfect time to lend your voice to the cause!

  • Lend Your Voice: CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates, of Northwest Arkansas provides compassionate volunteers who advocate for children who have experienced abuse and neglect , ensuring a consistent voice, a safe home, and a promising future for children in foster care.

  • CASA 101: Find out how you can play a vital role in CASA’s mission by joining an upcoming Information Session. There are virtual options on Thursday, Jan 16, at 10a and 6p, or join in-person options over lunch or dinner on Tuesday, Jan 29, at 12p and 6p.

Take your first step towards becoming an advocate HERE.

NWA Daily Picks

In other news…

  • 📝 Plan Ahead: Learn how to safeguard your family’s interests during a free webinar with HootOwl Estate Planning covering Incapacity Planning: Powers of Attorney & Healthcare Directives on Tuesday, Jan. 7, from 12:15-1p.*

  • 🏀 Don’t Miss: We’re giving away two tickets to the Razorbacks Men’s Basketball matchup with Ole Miss this Wednesday, Jan 8, at 6p. Reply “Woo Pig” for a chance to win. We’ll select and respond to the winner this afternoon.

  • 👑 Crowned: Bentonville High School senior Peyton Bolling was crowned Miss America’s Teen 2025 this weekend in Orlando, becoming the first Miss Arkansas’ Teen to win the national title.

  • 🚚 Incoming: Atlas’ 2024 Migration Patterns Study revealed Arkansas as #1 for states with the highest percentage of inbound moves last year.

  • 🏈 Go, Sports! CNBC recently ranked the top 75 most valuable college athletic programs. The University of Arkansas came in at #18. Can you guess what its worth?

  • 💈 The Final Cut: Charlie Turner, somewhat of a legend in Bentonville barber circles, is hanging up his clippers after 60 years of cutting hair. Read a tribute to his work in The Bentonville Bulletin.

  • 📚 Book Marked: According to the Bentonville Public Library, these were the 10 most-read books in Bentonville in 2024.

  • 💼 Now Hiring: Find exciting job opportunities on our Job Board.

*Content is sponsored

Monday Mixtape

What We’re Listening To

2 songs by local musicians we’ve been enjoying lately + 2 podcast episodes worth tuning into this week!

  • 🎤 “Last First Drink” by JEVANS

  • 🎤 “Along For The Ride” by Ashtyn Barbaree

  • 🎙️ NWA Founders recently interviewed Jordan Wright, the flavor king behind Wright’s BBQ, about his journey starting Northwest Arkansas’s favorite BBQ joint.

  • 🎙️ Brett Raymond of Neighborly Food Co. shared how their innovative brand delivers clean-label, flavorful meals while supporting local communities on an episode of I am Northwest Arkansas.

Send us your recs for next week!

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