A new playground is open at the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center in Springdale, providing another fantastic activity for kids to learn about and engage with the outdoors.

• Active play: The 4,200-sq-ft playground has six interactive stations, including a boulder cavern, a cargo net climbing platform, stepping stumps, and multiple log climbing stations to activate kids' adventurous sides.
• Homemade: The playground was constructed by Natural State Treehouses using locally sourced timbers and was made possible by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and a generous grant from the Walton Family Foundation.

Learn more about the Ozark Highlands Nature Center HERE.

Start looking for your pickleball partner! Dam Slam, Osage Park's first-ever pickleball tournament, is coming to Bentonville on June 3-4.

• Double-doubles: Two full days of pickleball madness, June 3 will include a men's and women's doubles tournament followed by a day of coed doubles on June 4 with divisions for all levels of play.
• Don't wait: Registration is already open, and the entry fee is $40 per person or $60 to play both days.

Grab your partner and register for the tournament HERE.

The Texas-based Mr. Gatti's Pizza is set to open five locations in Arkansas, with two headed our way in Bentonville and Fayetteville.

• Prize pizza: The pizza-buffet chain is known for its mouth-watering pizza and family-friendly entertainment centers with state-of-the-art games for all ages.
• Party zone: Mr. Gatti's will provide another fun option for family outings and is sure to be a popular spot for birthday parties and get-togethers.

Read more in About You HERE.

One step closer to its goal of making Arkansas no-kill by 2025, Best Friends Animal Society's state-of-the-art Pet Resource Center will open this Saturday, Mar 11, with an opening ceremony beginning at 9:45a.

• Pet haven: The 20,000-sq-ft facility is the largest of its kind in the region, providing services and resources for both people and pets, and represents a new model of how a community and shelter can work together to rescue pets.
• See it for yourself: After the ribbon cutting and opening remarks from Best Friends Animal Society CEO Julie Castle, guests can explore the facility while enjoying a cafe and public hangout area.

Learn more about the grand opening event HERE.

Bentonville's Housing Affordability Work Group recently launched Project ARROW, a multi-faceted approach that includes policy changes and collaboration between organizations to build more affordable housing.

• Half the city: Over half of Bentonville's residents cannot find affordable housing, which the Department of Housing and Urban Development defines as having a rent or mortgage at or below 30% of a household's income.
• Breaking barriers: The first phase of Project ARROW will focus on changing city policies and ordinances to break down barriers to affordable housing, including build time, density, and more clearly defined building zones for developers.

Find more information about Project ARROW HERE.