Bentonville Arkansas Makes the Semi-Finals
They’ve come a long way since the first sixteen
Bentonville, AR
The ninth-largest city of Arkansas, Bentonville is the home of Walmart’s worldwide headquarters.
They entered the Strong Towns competition for 2020 and made it to the Final Four!
That’s a stellar feat, and Bentonville can be proud of its accomplishments.
In 2004, the town embarked on a master plan to revitalize the downtown area. The plan included lots of opportunities for people to sit and chat, walk along the waterfront, and linger in the downtown area, which is great for business and for the community.
The creation of Bentonville Square brought an environment that was attractive to businesses and members of the community, with a small-town feel.
The downtown boasts a boutique hotel, an outdoor ice-skating rink that doubles as a water park in the summer. There are several award-winning restaurants, and coffee shops, and local breweries.
The thirty-six-mile regional greenway is accessed nearby and tourists and locals alike enjoy the art museums, boutique shops, and community events.
The people are at the heart of it all. Residents love their town and they show it. Their entrepreneurial spirit shows in how they spend their time and money, supporting their neighbors and their community.
Bentonville has been recognized regionally and nationally by many different and diverse entities. They include magazines and digests such as Newsweek, Food & Wine, Broadway World, Lonely Planet, Wallet Hub, Money, Inc., Travel & Leisure, and Architectural Digest.
They are local leaders when it came to the Covid crisis.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Arkansas, Bentonville stepped up its game.
They focused on how they could help local businesses. The creation of a public safety campaign called Our Bentonville, Be Safe, Be Smart is credited with keeping residents safe.
The Visitors and Convention Bureau teamed up with the city, the Bentonville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Bentonville Inc. and encouraged social distancing, mask-wearing, and avoiding public places when sick.
Other adaptations were supported.
The Bentonville Farmer’s Market created a drive-through for pick-up and set up ways that locals could order online. This allowed local farmers and growers to continue to sell their amazing fresh produce and other wares to locals.
In-person shopping opened up on a limited basis after safety measures were established. The city allowed restaurants to use public parking spaces in the downtown area for outdoor seating, creating ways for restaurants to serve customers safely. That allowed many smaller businesses to survive.
City operations moved their meetings online and set up virtual public meetings. They allowed businesses to post additional and unusual signage, so they could tell people about their services and encourage them to support local businesses instead of buying online.
Bentonville is the Mountain Bike Capital of the World.
It’s a claim to fame that many would aspire to, but Bentonville might just have achieved it.
They’ve built a stellar reputation among mountain bike riders and Bentonville is considered one of the best destinations globally for trail riding.
They provide the best of both worlds. Riding bikes is a healthy recreational opportunity and it doubles as a transportation alternative
They are situated at the trailhead in the Arkansas OzarksTrail System and some of the trails are built to the most innovative designs found anywhere in the world. Boasting over 130 miles of trail for both beginners and experts, Bentonville connects people to nature.
The Arkansas Ozark Trail System has more than 250 trail miles.
The Walton Family Foundation partnered with the City of Bentonville to ensure the trails are supported and maintained. They provide jobs and support the local economy through businesses related to cycling, including “tourism, lodging, restaurants, bike shops, bike rentals, and bicycle manufacturing.”
It’s a diverse city, with residents from all over the world, leading to a population that boasts nearly 16% of its residents born outside of the United States. That supports the city’s ability to embrace new ideas and supports the arts and culture of the community.
“In 2019, Downtown Bentonville, Inc. worked with 10 different cultural organizations to host an International Festival.”
Sharing their culture and traditions allowed residents to make connections and feel part of a larger group. The traditions shared included music, dance, and a wide variety of different food.
Bentonville Together is an initiative created in 2020 that allows everyone opportunities to work as a community to identify ways inclusion and equitable approaches can support Bentonville’s community vision.
It’s been a success, allowing residents to feel that they are living in a community that cares.