The winter months are coming, and there are so many things to think about — baseball is still one of those things for us. 

• First games: The Naturals will open the 2022 season on the road, playing the Springfield Cardinals on April 8. The first home game will be April 12 against the Wichita Wind Surge, who the Naturals defeated in the championship this past September. 
• Calendar: The Northwest Arkansas Naturals have their 2022 schedule available with matchups and times as a downloadable pdf. The calendar also details which games will have fireworks. 

Keep up with Naturals news HERE. 

We have more lights to turn on this weekend in Northwest Arkansas! The Lighting of the Bentonville Square celebration will take place this Saturday. 

• Lots of lights: A team of 24 Bentonville Parks and Recreation employees have strung the Bentonville Square with 35 miles of lights, which will be lit and synched with music until 11p nightly after the initial lighting ceremony.
• Lots of fun: Festivities will begin at noon with the opening of the skating season at The Rink in Lawrence Plaza. Food trucks and other entertainment will commence at 4p, and the ceremonial lighting is scheduled for 6p. We'll see you there!

Learn more HERE. 

Thanks to Ozark Regional Transit (ORT), and the Walton Family Foundation, we get free transportation for another year here in Northwest Arkansas. 

• Free ride: In an effort to make public transit more accessible as well as to bolster ridership, ORT is extending its zero-fare policy, which it launched in 2020. The Walton Family Foundation is providing financial support to make this happen.
• Improving: Over the next year, ORT plans to conduct studies to increase the effectiveness of its system and routes around NWA by taking inventory of bus stops and changing certain systems from fixed routes to a two-bus On-Demand Transit system. 

Read the full story HERE. 

The new arts corridor in downtown Fayetteville is well under way, and the City wants you to see the progress. 

• Park: The Cultural Arts Corridor is a 50 acre outdoor area, which has been named The Ramble. It is predicted “revitalize Fayetteville’s downtown area” giving NWA yet another destination for residents and tourists to enjoy. 
• Tours: The City is hosting two hour tours of The Ramble on two different days: Monday, Nov.22 and Thursday, Dec. 2. Twenty people will have opportunity for a guided tour of the public space. It is a first come, first serve sign up on a google sheet. 

Learn more about The Ramble HERE. 

The Fayetteville City Council approved a request from the University of Arkansas to make HogTown on Maple Street an open consumption area for the pre-game party before the final football game of the season, Nov. 26. 

• Update: The City of Fayetteville has had a law where only certain areas in town are designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas (ORA). After the Athletics Department at the University of Arkansas made a request for an “ORA Special Events” provision, the Council made an amendment to the law.
• Special spot: The amendment enables any host of a temporary special event to request their event be an ORA. The HogTown on Maple Street event will have designated wristbands and cups for those 21+ before the game. 

Click HERE for more information.