What's Up

02/21/2025

Raise your hand if the cabin fever is real. 🤚 Then be sure to check out What’s Up before you leave the house. We’ve got an FYI calendar full of events like the 22nd annual NWA Model Train and Collectables Show in Bentonville, theater events in Eureka Springs and Fayetteville, lots of book clubs, “Pizza Mania” for kids at Springdale Public Library and much much more.

List of events from around Northwest Arkansas.

02/09/2025

David Stahle is a world renowned dendrochronologist who runs the Tree Ring Laboratory at the University of Arkansas, where for more than four decades he's worked on climate chronologies through the study of tree rings. This spring he's moving to emeritus status as he shifts into retirement. Check out this profile on him, which details some of his fascinating work with the oldest trees in North America and the adventures he's had along the way.
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/feb/09/profile-david-stahle-has-dedicated-his-life-to-the-study-of-climate-change-through-tree-ring-research-education-and-conservation-efforts/
Photos below by Dan Griffin

02/08/2025

Today at Ozark Beer Company in downtown Rogers you can get a glimpse of "Tornado Town," a 9 foot tall, 500 pound sculpture created from trampoline springs and other storm debris. They'll also have a tree giveaway at the same time! Learn more about the making of this massive sculpture and the need for memorializing the May 26, 2024 tornado in our interview with artist/engineers Tom Flynn and Michael Pantzer:
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/jan/22/nine-foot-tall-tornado-sculpture-looks-for/
Photos by Kai Drachenberg

01/31/2025

"Primary Trust," which won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize, is on stage now through Feb. 23 at TheatreSquared. It follows Kenneth, a 36 year old bookstore worker who spends most evenings sipping Mai Tais with his best friend at the local tiki bar. "When he's suddenly laid off, his world turns upside down in more ways than one."

Actor Ryan Vincent Anderson answered a few questions about the play and his role in it:
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/jan/25/actor-ryan-vincent-anderson-on-bert-friendship/
Photos by Wesley Hitt

01/29/2025

Who's ready for Frost Fest 2025? Dustin Staggs has all the details about the beer, art and live music to come on Feb. 1:

If you enjoy a nice cold beer even in cold weather, meet at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville on Feb. 1 to enjoy some craft brewing, live music, local art and more.

01/27/2025

"Liminal and Minimal Spaces" is now open at Arts On Main in Van Buren. The exhibit consists of series by four artists: "Sweetheart of the Supermarket" by Meikel S. Church; "Thirty Bathrooms," Tessa Davidson; "Internal Myths-External Geometries," Milan Jilka; and "Works of Terry Wright," Terry Wright. The exhibit will be on view through March 17. More detail in Carin Schoppmeyer's column:

Arts on Main leaders welcomed guests to their galleries for a reception to mark the opening of "Liminal and Minimal Spaces" on Jan. 17 in Van Buren.

01/27/2025

For years now, Marilyn Russell has been sharing her gift as a ballet instructor with residents over the age of 50. When we met her last week, we learned that ballet is not just something she wanted to do with her life, but something she must do. Learn more about Marilyn's background, her passion and her open door policy at Ballet Westside:
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/jan/25/profile-marilyn-russell-dont-give-me-people-who-want-to-dance-give-me-people-who-have-to-dance/?features-profiles
Photos by Flip Putthoff

01/24/2025

Happening tonight at JJ's, the sights and sounds of Pink Floyd!

When you hear a Pink Floyd song, there's no doubt. You know it's a Pink Floyd song. The band that was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1996 is known as the "architects of two major music movements -- psychedelic space-rock and blues-based progressive rock."

01/17/2025

Mercy Health Foundation Fort Smith aided in the creation of a Cancer Research Navigator position through the group's annual Charity Ball in December. Madison Marsh, 2024 Miss America and founder/president of the Whitney Marsh Foundation, kicked off the evening's direct appeal to fund the position. More from Carin Schoppmeyer:

Mercy Health Foundation Fort Smith friends helped support Mercy Health System Fort Smith and the creation of a Cancer Research Navigator position at the group's annual Charity Ball on Dec. 13 at the Fort Smith Convention Center. More than 1,100 guests helped make it another record-setting fundraiser...

01/17/2025

Tomorrow ARt deCentrale on Emma Avenue in Springdale will celebrate "Recollections: 50 Years of Photography" with an artist reception at 5 p.m. There you can see Jim Wright's work from a career that's produced journalistic images, portraiture, macro- and travel photography. Find more about Wright's life and work in this article by Dustin Staggs:

When guests make their way to the back wall of ARt deCentrale in Springdale, they are met by photographer Jim Wright's selected work in "Recollections: 50 Years of Photography."

01/09/2025

What started as a quest for an elastic shoe lace that made slipping sneakers on faster and more comfortable has exploded. Bread, a company started by UA students, has since sold more than 390,000 pairs, landed in the New York Times and its founder just named to Forbes 30 Under 30. They are now donating a portion of proceeds to pay off local students' school debt and giving back to the community in the form of food donation. Learn more:
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2025/jan/05/local-company-bread-aims-to-donate-food-item-for/?features-profiles

01/05/2025

We hear Fayetteville has a new mayor! We sat down with Molly Rawn a couple of years ago to learn more about her and were impressed with her drive and love for the community. You can get a sense of her background, upbringing and how she arrived to Fayetteville in this profile:

Molly Rawn is one of Fayetteville's biggest cheerleaders.

12/31/2024

For a wider array of New Year's Eve celebrations, check out our calendar. It has activities for earlier in the day and creative fun, as well as the traditional late night parties. See more in Dustin Staggs' compilation:

At The Theatre

12/31/2024

Tonight at the Auditorium in Eureka is the second annual Goblin Ball! For $25 in advance or $30 at the door, participants can dress in their most imaginative "formal goblin attire" and dance into New Year's Day with live bands and a disco ball drop. 7 p.m. until 3 a.m.

Eureka Springs is ringing in the new year with a party fit for goblins -- and humans who enjoy a bit of quirky pandemonium. The historic Auditorium downtown will host the second annual Goblin Ball, which will feature various performers, costumes and surprises from 7 p.m. on Dec. 31 until 3 a.m. on J...

12/25/2024

Anybody else watching “A Christmas Story” tonight? 🙋🏼‍♀️ Did you know that Daisy Airguns, which makes the famous Red Ryder BB gun, is based in Rogers? Here’s a few of its most surprising iterations and unexpected stories.
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2024/dec/18/how-the-red-ryder-and-daisy-airguns-seeped-into/?entertainment-features-ourtown

12/22/2024

How many professional ballet dancers hail from Arkansas? It's hard to say exactly, but not all that many. We caught up with one of them for our profile today. Kelsey Corder of the American Midwest Ballet in Omaha returned home to the ArcBest stage this weekend as the Sugar Plum Fairy during the 39th production of the Nutcracker by Western Arkansas Ballet. Learn how she went from Alma to Louisville Ballet — nearly straight to the top! — in her amazing story.
https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2024/dec/21/profile-kelsey-corder-returns-to-arkansas-for/?features-profiles
(Submitted photos)