Advertise on podcast: A New American Town - Bentonville, Arkansas

Something sweet is coming to The Momentary! We sat down with Chef Sam Diaz to get the inside scoop on Pastry Week. Chef Diaz shares what’s in store, including special events, “Food and Film” workshops, and appearances by renowned pastry chefs Caroline Schiff and Stacey Mei Yan Fong. Press play, then mark your calendar. You won’t want to miss it! 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 recently sat down with a 5x returning visitor, Hat! Hat's first mountain bike ride in Vail, CO became a new hobby and eventually led to a family tradition of visiting Bentonville, Arkansas. We talk about what makes Bentonville stand out, from the way Slaughter Pen and Coler fit into daily life to the small moments of local hospitality, like a stranger guiding Hat when he was lost on his first visit.  Hat also shared a family-friendly itinerary: kid-friendly loops, pump tracks, Airship Coffee, Wright’s Barbecue, Crystal Bridges, the Amazeum, and a quick Rogers day with Beaver Lake fishing and the Rail Yard. Subscribe to A New American Town and share this with a friend planning a trip to Bentonville!  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.

Alison Nation, Chief Marketing Officer at Visit Bentonville, joins us for a candid look at destination marketing in Bentonville, AR. We talk about Bentonville's "more is more" moment, from Crystal Bridges and the Momentary to parks, trails, restaurants, and a year-round calendar that turns a quick weekend into a repeat habit. We break down how Visit Bentonville operates: leadership advocacy, a sales team that recruits conferences and sports events, and a communications team running the website, email, social media, and PR. Alison explains that visitors plan 30 to 80 days out and why seasonal campaigns matter. Then we get into funding. The Advertising and Promotion Commission tax supports Visit Bentonville, and a 50/50 split sends tourism dollars back into the city for parks and facilities like Lawrence Plaza. The same visitor economy that fills hotels also improves life for locals and strengthens small businesses. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend!  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.

Champagne has a reputation for being pricey, precious, and a little intimidating, so we invited someone who loves it enough to build a whole place around fixing that. Chef Aaron Walters joins us from Muselat in Bentonville, Arkansas, a Champagne bar and kitchen designed to make sparkling wine feel welcoming, easy to explore, and genuinely fun, whether you’re a die-hard bubbles fan or someone who usually orders Prosecco. Aaron shares the logic behind some of his favorite food pairings, including the unbeatable Champagne and fried chicken combo, plus rotating menu creativity like truffle-forward dishes, gluten-free breading that stays crispy, and even Korean-style rabbit “wings.” We also discuss Muselet favorites like their smash Burger Mondays with global inspiration, and the origin story behind the name “Muselet."  Subscribe, share this with a friend who “doesn’t get Champagne,” and leave us a review with your favorite unexpected pairing. 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 sat down with Executive chef, Dennis Kelley to discuss how Written By the Seasons utilizes the local Farmers Market to create a seasonal menu.  We discuss how they build relationships with local farmers and how they get to taste what is growing to make sure it’s something that they actually want to use. 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.

Mountain Bike Hall of Famer and longtime event voice Nat Ross joins us to explain what sets Northwest Arkansas apart from other cycling destinations, from its trail network and easy access points to a welcoming community that makes it simple for first-timers, families, and seasoned riders to jump in. We also dig into fall travel and BikeTober, including the Square To Square ride on the Razorback Greenway, the Arkansas High Country Race, and Big Sugar Week, plus junior development and the growing economic impact of cycling in Bentonville. Curious about mountain biking or gravel cycling in Northwest Arkansas? Hit play, then subscribe, share, and leave a review. 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 met with Arkansas High Country's race director, Chuck Campbell, to discuss the upcoming race. We talked about what the race is and what it entails.   Beyond the race, we discussed how more women are participating than ever. Through Women to the Finish Line, they are providing mentorship and making positive changes to the race this year.  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 sat down with the CEOs of Experience Fayetteville, Ryan Hauck, and Visit Bentonville, Kalene Griffith, to talk about their most recent partnership with Wheel the World to become more accessible, friendly cities.  Wheel the World does not just focus on being ADA-compliant but also highlights what local hotels and restaurants are doing well in accommodating not just travelers with physical disabilities, but also sensory needs as well.  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 sat down with Marcus Wirsig of Ari Bikes and talked about how Ari Bikes focuses on making the bike-buying experience personalized and customized. Not only does Ari have a customer-first model, but they are also focused on being involved in the local biking community.  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 sat down with Austen Bailly to discuss reimagining the permanent collection as a thematic experience, mixing time periods and media to tell the story of American art. Austen shares why integration matters, why "this place is for you," and how a piece like "Two Grey Hills" connects art, family, and economics into one story. She also explains how the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art continues to focus on making art accessible to all. 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 David Wright from Bentonville Parks and Recreation to unpack how Bentonville, Arkansas has evolved from a place people moved to for corporate work into a destination built around outdoor recreation, arts, leisure, and real community connection. We dig into the big idea that public spaces are more than parks and trails. They are community infrastructure. David explains how intentional placemaking turns a town’s personality into something bigger than a single downtown square, and why that matters in a fast-growing city. Then we talk about how the goal of Gateway Park is to create a connected experience across multiple parks without forcing people to drive from spot to spot. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves great public spaces, and leave a review with your favorite park feature you wish every city had. 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.

A 40-mile paved trail sounds simple until you ask the real question: how do seven cities agree on a shared vision, find the money, close the gaps, and keep improving it year after year? We sit down with Tim Conklin, Executive Director of the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, to unpack how the Razorback Greenway became the critical artery for biking, walking, rolling, and exploring Northwest Arkansas. We get specific about the forces that made it possible: regional collaboration in the 2000s, a $15 million federal TIGER grant, and major matching support from the Walton Family Foundation. Tim explains how those investments helped connect Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville into a world-class trail system and why the Razorback Greenway Alliance matters for long-term maintenance, wayfinding upgrades, and future improvements like potential lighting. Then we look forward. The Razorback Greenway corridor plan shifts the conversation from “we built a trail” to “what happens along the trail.” We talk creek corridor protection, rewilding for shade and habitat, smarter stormwater approaches, safer commuter bike networks, complete streets, and how new neighborhoods can grow around an active transportation spine without losing the open spaces that define the region. If you care about bike infrastructure, trail tourism, transportation choice, or how fast-growing communities can plan better, this one is for you. Subscribe for more stories shaping Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas, share this with a friend who loves the Greenway, and leave a review telling us what upgrade you want to see next. 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.

Bentonville’s food scene didn’t get great by accident. We’re joined by Marshall Shafkowitz, Executive Director of Brightwater, to explain how Northwest Arkansas is building culinary and hospitality careers that actually meet the moment. We talk about why Brightwater is intentionally called a Center for the Study of Food rather than a traditional culinary school. The mission is bigger than teaching someone to cut, chop, and plate. Marshall breaks down Brightwater’s three pillars, food as business, food as art, and food as wellness, and how they connect to the local food system. Farmers, ranchers, distributors, restaurateurs, grocers, and customers are usually separate conversations, but Brightwater trains students to link them, understand where food comes from, and make purchasing choices that strengthen the local economy and reduce waste and carbon footprint. You’ll also hear who Brightwater serves, from high school students to learners in their 80s, plus short workforce development programs for people who want job-ready skills without a degree. We get into what “teaching the whole person” looks like in a kitchen classroom, why instructors stay industry relevant, and how Brightwater graduates quietly shape the visitor experience across Bentonville restaurants. If you want a reason to stop by, Marshall shares how the doors are open at A Street Market, with an art-filled campus vibe, outdoor spaces, and a student-run retail butcher shop with Burger Friday. Subscribe for more conversations with the people shaping Northwest Arkansas, share this with a friend who loves food and community, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. 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’ve walked a thousand grocery aisles, but you’ve never walked one like this. We sit down with artist Lucy Sparrow, creator of The Beginning of Convenience at the Momentary in Bentonville, Arkansas, an immersive felt art installation where every shelf, freezer door, and product is handmade fabric sculpture. It’s a full supermarket world built from softness, color, and obsessive detail, and it hits that rare sweet spot of playful, uncanny, and deeply familiar. We talk about why consumer products and retail spaces became Lucy’s creative language, rooted in her own years working in shops and supermarkets. Then we zoom out to the bigger story: how “convenience” culture evolved between 1975 and 1995, as households and priorities changed and quick meals became a defining part of daily life. Along the way, we get into the power of nostalgia, why older packaging design still triggers memories, and how felt brings a childlike wonder that you can’t get from a purely realistic replica. You’ll also hear what it takes to build a museum-scale installation with over 20,000 pieces, from floor plans and color schemes to the spreadsheet-level planning behind each handcrafted item. Lucy shares details from her Walmart archives research, the sensory choices that make the space feel like a real store, and the hidden Easter eggs that keep repeat visits interesting. The exhibit is free to enter and stays up for a year, making it an easy, welcoming stop for locals and visitors alike. If you enjoy immersive museum exhibits, contemporary textile art, or the weird comfort of retail nostalgia, hit subscribe, share this with a friend who loves Bentonville, and leave us a review with the snack you hope to spot on the shelves. 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.

Before Gordon Harrison was Sport Development Director for USA Cycling, he was building grassroots programs across a handful of different sports, from the Learn to Skate program with USA Figure Skating to development at the Florida Panthers' practice facility, plus stints in soccer and baseball. That cross-sport background shapes everything he does now: get the fundamentals right early, and everything that follows, from the Olympics to a lifetime of recreational riding, gets better. We sat down with Gordon to talk about the USA Cycling Regional Development Camp and Education Summit coming to Bentonville August 7-8. He breaks down what a solid cycling foundation actually looks like: balance, power, cornering, and braking. Riders build those skills hands-on across Bentonville's world-class trails and skills park, working drops, turns, small jumps, and line selection, then head into the classroom at Thaden School to reinforce it all with race strategy sessions and direct access to USA Cycling staff. Rich Drew leads the coaching alongside a team of instructors, and athletes even learn to service and clean their own bikes. The event isn't just for athletes. Parents get their own education track, with speakers from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and USADA giving families a real look at the system their riders are entering. It's co-ed, open to all disciplines, and includes lunch both days plus a Friday night dinner. Gordon also talks about why Bentonville, with its accessibility and trail infrastructure, made sense as a host for this kind of event, and what it means for the sport to bring athletes, parents, coaches, and commissaires together in one place. Registration is open now at USACycling.org — search Regional Camp to reserve a spot. 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.