A New American Town - Bentonville, Arkansas

We sit down with Alison Nation, CMO of Visit Bentonville, to trace how a small city stitched together art, trails, wellness, and hospitality into a destination that keeps turning editors’ heads from New York to London.Crystal Bridges fuels the cultural surge with a major expansion that doubles gallery space. The Compton brings fresh momentum to the downtown hotel scene, while 8th Street Gateway Park strengthens a car-light loop that moves from Razorback Greenway to Applegate Trail and up to Coler Mountain Bike Preserve. With USA Cycling training here and local trail builders shaping projects heading into LA28, Bentonville’s outdoor credibility is real.Looking ahead, we map 2026 goals: hosting writers, curating e-bike tours, and partnering on exhibition openings to build itineraries that show the city’s full range. Along the way, Alison shares local favorites—greenway strolls, experimental installations at The Momentary, and essential ice cream stops—that explain why visitors arrive curious and leave attached. If you’ve been watching the headlines and wondering what changed, this is the episode for you.A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

We sit down with Jessica Pearson of the Bentonville Moves Coalition to map out how a bold goal—30 miles of safe, connected routes in three years—turned biking and walking into everyday options for getting to school, work, and everywhere in between. Jessica shares how the city fast‑tracked a 90‑mile master plan, why protected bike lanes and bike boxes reduce friction for everyone on the road, and how celebration—through ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings—keeps community and leaders aligned around progress.E‑bikes and rebates help flatten hills and tame summer heat, while “heels on wheels” and “blazers on bikes” spotlight the shift from sport to transport—plain clothes, normal trips, fewer car lines, and more neighborly moments at the bike box. With Arkansas Moves launching soon, Jessica lays out a repeatable playbook any city can use: set clear goals, build safe infrastructure, educate riders and employers, and celebrate wins that bring people along. Subscribe, share with a friend who hates traffic, and leave a review with the one change that would get you riding to your next errand.Learn more: Bentonville Moves CoalitionA New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

We sit with Visit Bentonville CEO Kalene Griffith to trace how a destination management approach turns visitor spending into daily life upgrades: better parks, a busier library, a thriving community center, and a steady calendar of film, cycling, art, and sports events that fill rooms and keep families out playing after dark. From Phillips Park and Lawrence Plaza to Memorial Park upgrades, Kaylene lays out how small, targeted investments add up to a livable, lovable city. Looking ahead to 2026, we explore a bold slate of priorities: a unified wellness story that connects spas, trails, and healthy dining; added cycling and sporting events, and more. The new destination master plan pairs resident feedback with a growth blueprint designed to protect what locals love while welcoming the world. If you care about sustainable growth, hospitality careers, and how tourism can raise quality of life, this is your playbook.Learn more at visitbentonville.comA New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

Ten years of play can change a city. We sit down with Sam Dean, CEO of the Scott Family Amazeum, to unpack how a dinner table dream grew into a 50,000-square-foot engine for curiosity. We trace the museum’s origins, the kid‑invented name that fused “amazing” and “museum,” and the surprising scale of impact: attendance leaping well past early projections, a team expanding to meet demand, and programming that reaches families, educators, and corporate groups. Sam shares how staying close to guests—literally, with wind‑up toys at his office window—keeps the mission human. We also explore the big expansion underway, the focus on access, staple events like Tinkerfest, UnGala, and lots more!Want to get involved? Become a member, donate to the capital campaign, or plan your next visit at amazeum.org.A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

We sit down with Sweetgreen’s Amy Dominguez to explore why Bentonville is the perfect homes for a new restaurant built on real ingredients, thoughtful sourcing, and warm hospitality. Amy shares how a farmer’s market origin turned into a national footprint, and why Northwest Arkansas’ blend of wellness, creativity, and growth makes this launch feel like a natural fit. Amy walks through staples like warm bowls, crisp salads, and plates prepared from scratch every day, plus seasonal offerings like the harvest bowl and the miso glazed salmon plate. If you’re ready for fresh, fast, and welcoming, this is your guide to Sweetgreen in Northwest Arkansas. Learn more at sweetgreen.com A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

We sit down with Nathan "Woody" Woodruff, the founder of Progressive Trail Design (PTD), to unpack how a Fayetteville landscape hustle evolved into Bentonville's Slaughter Pen trail network and set the course for designing LA28’s Olympic mountain bike venue. Woody shares the early days of being an avid rider, getting tapped to build on Walton family land, and watching those miles become a public park that helped define Bentonville. That spark spread, inspiring crews who learned in Bentonville, launched companies, and refined the playbook. Along the way, PTD built a deep bench of designers and CAD pros, landscape architects, and specialty builders. If you care about trail culture,, this conversation maps the arc—from backyard singletrack to a global showcase.ProgressiveTrailDesign.com IG @ProgressiveTrailDesignA New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

Tired of conferences that keep everyone indoors and restless? We sat down with Wes Oliver, director of sales at Visit Bentonville, to unpack a NEW WAY:  The Unconventional Convention concept is a walkable, multi-venue model that trades hallways and windowless ballrooms for light, movement, and a sense of place. Bentonville stitches together high-quality spaces around downtown—think the Ledger, the Record, Compton Gardens, and new capacity at The Heartland Whole Health Institute and The Compton Hotel.Beyond meeting rooms, Bentonville’s strengths show up in curated experiences: guided rides on nearby trails, docent-led tours at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and family-friendly stops at the Amazeum. The result is a destination conference model that boosts attendee satisfaction, supports sustainability with car-light movement, and turns a free afternoon into a meaningful part of the program. Find us at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

You Belong Here—as the artwork over the Momentary Green says, to hear Jill Wagar unpack how a former cheese plant evolved into a living room where music, contemporary art, and food collide. Jill shares the backstory of the Momentary’s rise alongside Crystal Bridges, why the campus now leads with concerts, and how each venue—from the large outdoor Green to a more intimate experience indoors at the RØDE House—creates a distinct listening experience that artists love and fans remember.We dive into the most dynamic season yet: sellout shows from Megan Moroney, GloRilla, and Alabama Shakes; big draws like Ziggy Marley and a programming model that blends national names with emerging talent and local openers. Beyond the headliners, the campus pulses with family-friendly rituals: House Party exhibition openings, Saturday Morning Cartoons with a cereal bar and classics on the big screen, and more.Love live music, culinary adventures, and inventive art? Follow the Momentary on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, subscribe to the newsletter at themomentary.org, and consider becoming a member. A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

We celebrate Christopher Blevins’ historic World Cup season and explore how he resets with mindfulness, play, and creative work. From Cal Poly roots to Stilspoke, he shares why slowing down builds a stronger racer and a fuller person.A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

We sit down with Christopher Blevins in Bentonville to unpack The 2025 racing season, which finished with Christopher at the top of the sport claiming both overall titles (XCC & XCO) in the World Cup MTB. If you’re curious about sustainable high performance, athlete creativity, and the community that keeps joy in the grind, this conversation delivers.A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn. You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.