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Events

Weekend Roundup

Happy Friday, Northwest Arkansas! Here's a list of potential answers for when you get the ‘So, what are you doing this weekend?’ question later today:

• 🎵 Call me Carol: Choir programs from Springdale School District will join their voices for the annual Caroling on the Creek at Turnbow Park in Downtown Springdale this Friday, Dec 1, from 5-7p.

• 🎅 So Christmassy: The Rogers Christmas Parade and Rogers Christmas Village will fill the vibrant holiday-themed streets of historic Downtown Rogers this Friday, Dec 1, beginning at 6:30p.

• 🐴 Horsin’ Around: Budweiser's world-famous Clydesdales are coming to the University of Arkansas campus! Take photos with the horse team and beer wagon at Baum-Walker Stadium’s East Parking lot this Friday, Dec 1, from 2-5p. 

• 🍿 Pass the Pupcorn: Best Friends Pet Resource Center is hosting a Paws & Pictures: Holiday Movie Series every Friday in December! Cozy up tonight for How the Grinch Stole Christmas. It’s free!

• 🚀 Spacing Out: Get an up-close look at amazing space artifacts, including a meteorite that fell right here in Northwest Arkansas, during the U of A Museum’s Space Night this Friday, Dec 1, from 2-4:45p.

• ⛄️ Winter Wonderland: Reserve a snow globe and enjoy holiday cocktails during Winter Nights at Walton Arts Center, open to the public every Friday and Saturday from 6p-12a until Dec 22.

• 💡 Who Left The Lights On? The Light Up Siloam Springs Christmas Parade will illuminate the streets of Downtown Siloam Springs this Saturday, Dec 2, at 5:30p.

• ❄️ Wintery Mix: Explore locally crafted goods during The Little Craft Show at the Fayetteville Town Center this Saturday, Dec 2, from 10a-5p.

• 😆 Mr. Subliminal: Former SNL cast member, comedian, and author Kevin Nealon is bringing the laughs to the Grove Comedy Club this weekend, with showtimes available Friday and Saturday, Dec 1-2. 

• 📚 A Real Page Turner: Find first-rate coffee-table books, historical volumes, top-shelf cookbooks, new popular fiction, children’s, and Christmas-themed books during the Friend of Fayetteville Public Library’s Premium Book Holiday Sale this Saturday, Dec 2, from 10a-2p. 

• 🐱 Wamp-a-What? The funky, festive Wampus Wonderland Holiday Craft Show returns, showcasing the best handmade presents in town! Meet local creatives and makers while shopping, and enjoy delicious treats while you shop on Saturday, Dec 2, from 10a-5p.

• 🏃‍♂️ Run, Run, Rudolph: Cheer on runners in the Fayetteville Half Marathon or the Freedom Frosty 5K in Bentonville this Saturday morning, Dec 2.

• 🛍️ Handmade Holidays: Shop unique handmade creations by local artists at the Community Creative Center’s Annual Holiday Market’s Open House this Saturday, Dec 2. Hot cocoa, apple cider, and snacks will be available!

• 🪂 Just Dropping By: Watch Santa Claus skydive into NWA at the Arkansas Air & Military Museum this Saturday, Dec 2, at 11a. The flying Santa will be available for photos afterward until 1p. 

• 🧑‍🎄 Coming to Town: Put on your Santa hats, elf attire, or reindeer suits and hop around dozens of restaurants and bars in Rogers and Bentonville during the 5th Annual SantaCon NWA this Saturday, Dec 2.

• 🍻 Christmas Crawl: Join the Dickson Street Holiday Pub Crawl, benefitting the NWA Women’s Shelter, this Saturday, Dec 2, from 5-9p.

• 🎅 On Dasher: Hundreds of Santas will race through Downtown Rogers during Ozark Beer Company’s second annual Santa Dash this Saturday, Dec 2, at 1p.

• 🎄 Deck the Halls: Mount Sequoyah’s Festival of Trees series continues this weekend with Cookies and Pictures with Santa on Sunday, Dec 3, from 1-4p.

👋 Have a great weekend! We’ll see you back here on Monday.

Events

Shop & Support Women-Owned Businesses On The Fayetteville Square

Woman-Run has partnered with the Downtown Fayetteville Coalition and the City of Fayetteville to host Holiday Haul, a shopping event promoting woman-owned businesses on and around the Fayetteville Square next Friday, Dec 8, at 6p.

• Run The World: Woman-Run is an initiative by Wright Lindsey Jennings that connects woman business leaders and owners through networking, mentorship, education, and resources that address the unique needs of women in business.

• Raise a Glass: The first 100 registered attendees will receive a complimentary beverage from Maxine’s Taproom or Big Box Karaoke, and the first 100 arrivals will receive a shopping bag.

Learn more about the event HERE.

Sponsored by Best Friends Animal Society

Best Friends To Host Pet Photos With Santa

Jingle all the way to Best Friends Animal Society for a festive Pet Photoshoot With Santa Claus… or should we say Santa Paws?

• Snow Buddies: Bring your furry friend to meet Santa and snag a picture-perfect moment created by our friends at Happy Yappy Pet Photos on Sunday, Dec 10, from 1-3p or Monday, Dec 11, from 3-6p.

• Paws-itively Sweet: Capture the enchantment of the holidays as your pet shares the spotlight with the one and only Santa Claus. And Merry Christmas! This photo shoot is completely free as Best Friends’ gift to you and your four-legged family members this season.

Pre-registration is highly encouraged. Reserve your spot for Dec 10 HERE or Dec 11 HERE.

Economy

Northwest Arkansas Surges Nearly 17% in Sales Tax Revenue Over Last Year

Cumulative sales tax in Northwest Arkansas’s big four reached $9.371m in October, marking a 16.93% increase over 2022. The regional sales tax revenue for the year through November is $72.99m, a 20% increase from a year ago.

• Big Jumps: Bentonville saw a robust year-over-year increase of 97.06%, accumulating $26.425m in sales tax revenue through the first 11 months. Rogers brought in $2.53m, a 12.17% rise from the previous year, contributing to a solid annual revenue of $26.668m, surpassing the city's budget expectations.

• Slower Down South: Springdale saw a slight decline in October, reporting a 1.77% decrease, totaling $1.952m. Despite this, the city's year-to-date revenue is $21.861m, a 3.87% increase over last year. Fayetteville grew by 1.85% in October with nearly $2.72m in revenue. Year to date, Fayetteville reports a 6.4% increase, slightly below its budgeted 7%.

Read the full report HERE.

NWA Daily Picks

In other news

• 🐓 Est. 1947: Celebrate the resurrection of Springdale’s iconic AQ Chicken House and represent a treasured piece of Arkansas history with one of these limited-edition hats, beanies, shirts, and sweatshirts. On sale until Dec 17!*

• 🛏️ A Warm Bed: Just in time for the colder months, the Northwest Arkansas Salvation Army has reopened its expanded space, nearly double the capacity for men, women, and families.

• 🏗️ Building and Booming: The latest report from the RLB Crane Index revealed that one city in NWA leads the entire nation in operating tower cranes per capita and currently has more than New York City. Can you guess which town?

• 🚲 Annual Bike Giveaway: The Fayetteville Police Dept. and local cycling organization Pedal It Forward will give away 250 bikes to kids in the community at Donald W. Reynolds this Sunday, Dec 3, from 3-5p.

• 📅 Ditch the FOMO: Post your upcoming events on our Events Page, and stay in the know about upcoming events mentioned in the newsletter.

• 🥳 Join the Club: Our NWA Daily Fan Club keeps this thing going. In return for being awesome, they get access to exclusive giveaways — ranging from gift cards and concert tickets to bikes and kayaks!

• 🚀 Take Off: Share your message with our growing community of 35,300+ readers. We have several advertising opportunities to help you share your story with Northwest Arkansas.

*Content is sponsored.

Employment

Cool Jobs In NWA

Looking for a job? Find opportunities in the Retail, Health, Education, Arts, and more listed on our Jobs Board.

Looking to hire? Post open jobs HERE.