Fayetteville, Arkansas, offers guests a multitude of experiences. Here, culture and nature meet, and free spirits thrive. It’s rich in arts, history and entertainment. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, Fayetteville is a nature-lover’s dream. The vibrant local culture gives this community its flavor, and there’s always something exciting happening.
Fayetteville is an outdoor lover’s paradise. It’s surrounded by state parks, national forest and pristine waters for fishing and floating, like the Buffalo National River, the very first National River. Within the city limits are 40 miles of natural surface trails for mountain biking and hiking, and 45 miles of paved, shared-use trails for cycling, jogging and walking.
CYCLING
For cyclists looking for a challenge, the steep and winding roads in the Ozark Mountains make this area some of the best terrain in the country for riding. Fayetteville is the highest rated Bicycle Friendly Community in the state. The city’s mountain biking trails are handmade by local experts. Fayetteville is one of only 37 certified IMBA Ride Centers in the world. Kessler Mountain and Centennial Park, both located minutes from downtown, feature miles of technical, rocky singletrack in old-growth forest. In 2022, Fayetteville will host the UCI Cyclocross World Championships at Centennial Park, only the second time the event has been held in America.
If you want to get a full Fayetteville experience on two wheels, the Razorback Regional Greenway is your best friend. This paved, 40-mile shared-use trail starts at Kessler Mountain Regional Park, “mile zero” for the Greenway, just south of downtown Fayetteville, and runs through Northwest Arkansas. In Fayetteville, it weaves near restaurants, historic sites, breweries, shops and more.
Fayetteville has long been known as the cultural epicenter and entertainment capital of the region, thanks largely to public support and progressive initiatives championed by city leaders to establish Fayetteville as an incubator for creatives. Art can be found around every corner, sometimes literally! Popular installments include Green Candy, an art action featuring six local and international artists, who created meaningful works of public art to increase dialogue about sustainability.
ARTS
The performing arts are vibrant here, and entertainment is easy to find. Performances, including plays and live music, are wrapped up with food, nightlife and more in the Downtown & Dickson Street Entertainment District for easy access and sampling. With a new 50,000-sq-ft home, TheatreSquared features locally produced and nationally acclaimed productions. It is an exquisite complement to the recently renovated Walton Arts Center, making Fayetteville a regional destination for excellent theater.
CULINARY
Fayetteville’s authentic, diverse culinary scene continues to grow thanks to a new wave of restauranteurs showcasing regional ingredients and reinventing traditional dishes. Unique culinary experiences include thriving farm-to-table restaurants, such as Mockingbird Kitchen, Leverett Lounge and Farmer’s Table Café, which exhibit a commitment to supporting local farmers and seasonal ingredients, and artisan coffee shops Onyx Coffee Lab and Arsaga’s that roast locally. Long-time staples, such as Hugo’s and Herman’s Ribhouse, continue to be must-try institutions, serving classics and acting as a rendezvous for meetups on game day.
Want to enjoy the mild Fayetteville weather along with your meal? Outdoor dining is available at many of our restaurants along with sidewalk cafes and public picnic areas. In fact, Fayetteville is known for having the best “patio weather” in Arkansas. An impressive display of food trucks serving lunch, dinner, snacks and sweets can be found across several areas of town, like the Shulertown food truck court located on Dickson Street.
No trip to Fayetteville is complete without experiencing the Downtown & Dickson Street Entertainment District. Along with being the live-music center of the region, Dickson Street and the Historic Downtown Square is where Fayetteville goes to party. Thanks to the newly designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, patrons in the area can now buy drinks on the go as they walk around downtown.
No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll find it in Fayetteville! We look forward to seeing you in Fayetteville!
Learn more about Fayetteville, Arkansas at ExperienceFayetteville.com.
