The Bearded Gravy

Together With

Local bankers make locally informed decisions. As a 115-year-old family-owned institution, Generations Bank is deeply rooted in the NWA community and offers tailored solutions to meet the diverse needs of our community’s families and businesses—because they’re part of our community, too.

Sports

Northwest Arkansas Naturals Announce 2025 Promo Night Schedule

There’s nothing like single-digit weather to make you long for those warm summer nights at the baseball field. Here to fuel your summer daydreams, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals recently shared its 2025 promo night schedule.

• A Real Firecracker: The Naturals will treat fans to 18 post-game fireworks shows this season, including fireworks following all 12 Friday home games, multiple shows over Memorial Day weekend, and Northwest Arkansas’s largest fireworks show on the Fourth of July.

• Family Fun: Theme nights this year include Star Wars Night, Harry Potter Night, three Los Naturales games, and more! Fans can also expect premium bobblehead giveaways throughout the season and interactive fan competitions at every home game.

Opening Night is on Apr 8 against the Frisco RoughRiders. Find the full promo schedule and ticket info HERE.

Housing

Northwest Arkansas to Host the 34th Annual Congress for the New Urbanism

Northwest Arkansas will host the 34th annual Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU) in spring 2026, welcoming over 1,500 architects, planners, and policy experts to explore walkable, sustainable urbanism.

• Shaping the Future: This premier gathering will include workshops, tours, and technical assistance projects, giving attendees hands-on experiences in addressing growth and connectivity challenges in cities like Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville.

• Lasting Impact: Local and national organizations like ULI Northwest Arkansas will partner with CNU to foster innovation and ensure meaningful, long-term outcomes for the region’s fast-growing communities. The event itself is expected to leave a $3M economic impact on the region.

Learn more about the Congress for the New Urbanism HERE.

Sponsored by Burnett Home Improvement

Lock In Last Year’s Pricing On A Two-Day Bathroom Remodel

Add value to your home stress-free with help from Burnett Home Improvement — Northwest Arkansas’s reliable remodeler offering custom solutions based on your bathroom’s unique dimensions, individual aesthetic, and household needs.

• Efficiency: Custom bathroom remodeling projects can take weeks and cost a small fortune. That’s why Burnett Home Improvement is proud of its efficient team and process to offer fully customized, lifetime-guaranteed bathroom renovations in as little as two days.

• Quality: Whether you’re envisioning a bath remodel, shower revamp, or a complete bath-to-shower conversion, Burnett Home Improvement can help bring your vision to life with a commitment to lasting quality and high efficiency—all at a surprisingly affordable price.

Book by the end of this month to lock in last year’s pricing HERE.

Food & Drink

Three Local Chefs Named Semifinalists in Coveted James Beard Awards

Three Northwest Arkansas chefs have been named semifinalists for the prestigious James Beard Awards—all vying for the “Best Chef: South” title.

• The Farm-to-Taco Maestro: A three-time semifinalist, Chef Rafael Rios brings farm-to-table Mexican cuisine to life with tacos, burritos, and quesadillas, all sourced from his family’s Northwest Arkansas farm.

• The Gluten-Free Guru: A two-time semifinalist, Chef Matthew Cooper is known for his elevated, gluten-free menu and shareable plate options at Conifer in Bentonville.

• The Pitmaster Extraordinaire: Known for its around-the-clock pit operation, Jordan Wright earned a nomination this year for the legendary smoked meats of Wright’s BBQ, which has four locations across Arkansas.

Learn more about the nominees and the James Beard Awards timeline HERE.

Throwback Thursday

The Secrets Within Fayetteville’s Oldest House

The Sarah Bird Northrup Ridge House on West Center St. in Fayetteville may look commonplace, but as the city’s oldest standing building, the walls echo with a gripping tale of forbidden love, betrayal, vengeance, and resilience.

• Trail of Tears: Now preserved by the Washington County Historical Society, the house was once home to Sarah Bird Northrup Ridge, the wife of a prominent Cherokee leader in the 1830s who played a significant role in the Treaty of New Echota, which culminated in the Trail of Tears.

• Literary Hub: After the assassination of her husband, Sarah Ridge sought refuge in Fayetteville with her children and contributed to the town’s educational and cultural foundation. Her son, John Rollin Ridge, went on to write several works and is recognized as the first Native American novelist.

Open up the door to their fascinating story HERE.

NWA Daily Picks

In other news…

• 🪢 Do the Twist: This week, TheatreSquared opens Primary Trust, the 2024 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, with a twist that turns heads—or may only exist in heads. This warm, poignant comedy gives you a fresh perspective on what it means to connect. On stage Jan 23-Feb 22.*

• 🖼️ Artkansas: Crystal Bridges is in the running for USA Today’s 10Best Awards for the Free Museums category. You can vote for it online HERE.

• 👰 Here Comes The Bride: The Peel Museum Wedding Open House is this Sunday, Jan 26, from 1-4p. Explore the stunning venue, meet local vendors, tour event spaces, and win fun prizes! Free to attend and packed with inspiration for your big day.

• 🍖 Expanding Local Flavors: Bentonville-based Good Gravy Group is scaling up with new restaurants, retail products, and franchising. Known for Tusk and Trotter, Trash Ice Cream, and Brothers Meethouse, the restaurant group’s future plans aim to take Ozark-inspired cuisine nationwide with retail items.

• 😆 Now That’s Funny: Get a laugh at the next Comedy Night at Bentonville Brewing Co. on Saturday, Jan 25, at 8p.

• 🏀 HoopDale: Springdale High School has been chosen as the host for the 6A State Basketball Tournament in March.

• 🧗 Night Climb: Join Boulders & Brews Climbing Gym for its next Lights Out Climb Night on Wed, Jan 29, from 6-9p. Bring your headlamp, climb in the dark, and enjoy live music from Happiness Beast and Payton Rosell.

• 🥳 Join The Club: Our daily newsletter is completely free, but if you simply love what we’re doing, you can support our work by joining our NWA Daily Fan Club!

• 📅 Events Calendar: Find and post upcoming events in Northwest Arkansas on our Events Calendar!

• 📣 Sponsor NWA Daily: Share your message with our growing community of 40,574 readers. Fill out this form or reply to this email to learn more about our advertising opportunities.

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Employment

Cool Jobs In NWA

Find exciting new job opportunities on our Job Board, or find great candidates by posting your open positions.

• Campfire Ranch is seeking a General Manager to lead its Arkansas operations.

Organizations can also now add Volunteer Opportunities to the board for free.

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