Walk Friendly Communities (WFC) has designated the City of Fayetteville as a Walk Friendly Community at the bronze level. 

• Walkability: WFC is a national recognized program developed to encourage towns and cities across the country to establish or recommit to safer walking environments. Fayetteville previously received the four-year designation in 2018 and is the only city in Arkansas to have received the honor. 
• Active transportation: Fayetteville was designated as walking-friendly community due to its “trail system, great planning practices, support for sidewalk construction, and use of pedestrian hybrid beacons.” The City’s Active Transportation Plan and its 2018 Mobility Plan are also mentioned in its designation. 

Learn more HERE. 

Open Avenues announced the 3rd annual SOAR NWA event will take place August 26-27 at the Drake Field in Fayetteville. 

• Up and away: SOAR NWA is the region’s hot air balloon festival with various aeronautic activities for all ages. There will be a play zone for kiddos, a beer garden for those 21+, and activities like helicopter rides and discovery flights available for booking. 
• Money well spent: The event is officially a fundraiser that enables Open Avenues to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Both one and two-day ticket options are available, and tickets purchased in advance are $15 for adults and $5 for kids.

For tickets and more information, click HERE. 

A new spot to dine, watch sports games, and hangout is coming to Fayetteville in the form of a new restaurant near Dickson Street.

• Updated space: The new spot will be a kitchen + pub called The Hills Hideaway, located at 401 W. Watson St. The space was formerly home to The Grillhouse, Table on the Hill, and Legacy Blues. The owners of The Hills Hideaway have modernized the building and added televisions for game watching. 
• Time to dine: The Hills Hideaway is scheduled to open on Monday, June 27. It will be open for lunch and dinner and serve appetizers, sandwiches, soups, salads, and “delicious mains” influenced by the owners' costal upbringings.

For more information, click HERE. 

One of Arkansas's premier wine tasting events, the Art of Wine Festival, is happening next month at Walton Arts Center. Find your new favorite wine and taste some of the best cuisines Northwest Arkansas offers, all benefitting arts education programming.

• For the fine dining enthusiast: The Winemaker's Dinner on July 19 is an upscale experience featuring a six-course collaborative menu created by the celebrated chefs from Atlas the Restaurant and Ella's Table, paired with highly rated and award-winning wines.
• For the happy hour crowd: Uncorked! is a casual but lively wine tasting event on July 22, where you can sample hundreds of wines and bubbly, along with small bites from local restaurants.

Toast to a night out you won't forget! For more information and tickets, click HERE.

Workforce Insights recently published an article featuring the 15 metros in which tech talent is surging, and Northwest Arkansas made the list. 

• Southern tech: The ranking looks at the fastest three-year growth rates from 2019-2022. Coincidentally, the 15 U.S. metros ranked are exclusively southern metro areas. Data tends to showcase locations starting with a smaller tech base when the speed of growth is analyzed. This list excludes long-established tech hubs.
• Featured: Northwest Arkansas ranked No.14 on the list with 25.6% growth in tech talent from 2019-2022. The study focused on the full sweep of information technology skills, which are now developed and put to work outside the public eye more than ever.

Read the full article HERE.