New improvements are being made to Wilson Park, making one of Fayetteville's oldest and most popular parks even more enjoyable for folks trying to get outside.

• Out with the old: This week, crews will demolish the existing restroom building to make way for a new pavilion that will act as a central social hub for the park, including restrooms, a larger space for gatherings, and a changeable mural.
• In with the new: The improved pavilion, along with a new promenade and new creek crossing, will make the park more accessible for residents and support city programming like summer camps and cultural events.

Find more details on the project HERE.

Sundance Film Festival kicked off last week, and a local filmmaker from Bella Vista is representing Northwest Arkansas with her original film based on the history of Bella Vista's infamous Wonderland Cave.

• Underground: Back in the 1930s and '40s, Wonderland Cave was a hopping nightclub attracting big bands and glamorous parties.
• Locally inspired: Krista Bradley wrote, directed, and starred in the film Wonderland Cave, a story set in 1930s Arkansas about a moonshining family that was partly filmed in Northwest Arkansas.

Find more on the story HERE.

Northwest Arkansas National Airport saw its second-best year of all time in 2022, enplaning a total of 836,195 passengers.

• Great takeoff: The airport's best year was 2019, which saw 922,000 travelers, but XNA appears to be off to a great start for 2023, showing numbers far ahead of 2019 and 2022 within its first 15 days this year.
• New horizons: Increasing potential for growth, the airport will offer more westbound routes this year, including American Airlines and Breeze Airways' nonstop offerings to Phoenix, both beginning this February.

Read more from FareFlight Northwest Arkansas HERE.

Bentonville Public Library is making strides towards its expansion project thanks to generous contributions from community partners investing in the library's future.

• Building out: The BPL expansion's planned addition would increase the current 38,500 sq. ft. facility to 61,475 sq. ft., providing the space necessary to increase the library's collection, add more rooms for gathering, and make possible a wider variety of activities to engage the community.
• Community investment: The city is contributing $4.5m to the project, and a generous $500,000 grant from the Alice L. Walton Foundation brings the library's fundraising to nearly 79% of its $16.75m goal.

Access a summary of the expansion plans HERE.

The U of A's flagship small business incubator, Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program, has chosen six startups to participate in its spring 2023 cohort.

• Incubator: During the 12-week program, GORP provides training, mentoring, product development, and up to $15,000 in non-dilutive funding to help the participants scale their businesses globally.
• Rock on: Of the participating companies, five are focused on the cycling industry, ranging from apparel to converting analog bikes to electric. The sixth company creates outdoor rock climbing products.

Find more information from Talk Business & Politics HERE.