With school starting again, it means the summer is wrapping up, but there is still fun to be had!

• Tasty treats: Going to The Spark Cafe on Bentonville square is a great, family-friendly end-of-summer activity. The Spark Cafe is a 1950s old-fashioned soda fountain open from 12-9p and has wonderful, cheap ice cream, other sweet treats, and drinks everyone can enjoy. 
• Hang out: Pop into the Walton’s 5 & 10 and The Walmart Museum right next door, or stay outside, walk around the square and enjoy these summer days! 

For more info, click HERE. 

August is Black-Owned Business Month, and Black-Owned NWA is hosting an Expo!

• Support: Engage with and support our local Black-Owned businesses at the Expo, which will be this Saturday at Theatre Squared in Fayetteville from 9-4p. Early bird tickets are $10 giving access to the Expo from 9-10:30a, and general admission is free from 11-4p. 
• Connect: There will be an afterparty hosted by 4 The Culture NWA, and we fully expect it to be a blast! If you can’t make it to the event, check out these local resources to find and frequent Black-Owned Businesses: BLACK IN NWA, NWA GIRL GANG, INTERFORM. 

For more about the event, click HERE. 

As Labor Day is sneaking up, Airbnb published an article yesterday with its top “foliage and football” fall destinations in the US, and a Northwest Arkansas city is on the list! 

• Up north: Bella Vista was named as a top destination for upcoming fall travel based on nights booked. The local city is ranked #2 among those in the category: Last-minute beach stays and college town getaways. 
• Place for comfort: Many people plan to use the long weekend to squeeze in some final summer memories and transition comfortably into fall. Bella Vista is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle, even for those who live in NWA!

See the Airbnb article HERE. 

The Fayetteville Roots Festival is next week, and community programming is back! There will be lots happening in addition to the mainstage shows, including plenty of free opportunities to enjoy around town. 

• Music: The headliners for this year’s festival include The Wood Brothers, Taj Majal, Bettye Lavette, and more. George's Majestic Lounge will be hosting shows, and there will be free music at Maxine’s Tap Room and Ozark Natural Foods as part of the event, too. 
• Event space: The Fayetteville Public Library is doing a lot this year with live radio broadcasts, musical performances on the Ozarks at Large Live Stage, and a culinary Taste & Talk series in the FPL Walker Room — all free and open to the public! 

For more information, click HERE. 

With expectations for reduced earnings, Walmart surprised investors to the upside on both top and bottom lines leading to a 5% gain in its share price yesterday. 

• Gains: Walmart reported better-than-expected earnings in the first fiscal quarter announcing $152.9 billion in total revenue. That's 8% above street estimates. The company's net income was over $5 billion, up 20.4% from a year ago. 
• Easy does it: With Walmart being the nation's largest retailer, the positive results showed the U.S. economy's strength despite worrisome recession indicators. Consumer spending makes up nearly three-quarters of the nation's economic activity, and so far, retail activity seems steady. 

Learn more here and watch CNBC interview CEO Doug McMillon about the quarter in Bentonville.