There are some places in Arkansas that are truly special and Fayetteville is one of those places. I don’t know if it’s those college town vibes or that hometown feel, but there’s an energy in the air there that just makes you feel…good.
We were invited up by Experience Fayetteville a couple weeks ago to explore the town and take in a few events and my personal goal was to go places we had never been before. There’s so much culture and growth going on in Fayetteville right now, it was easy for us to find some new favorites.
We kicked off our weekend at Mount Sequoyah. Located less than ten minutes from the downtown square, Mount Sequoyah is one of the most peaceful places in Fayetteville.
Sitting on the highest point, it overlooks the town and is the perfect sunset vantage point. It started 100 years ago as a Methodist retreat and is now a welcoming community home for artists with creative spaces, education, corporate event space and weddings for all…no matter who you are or what you believe, you’re welcome at Mount Sequoyah. They also offer lodging for individuals and groups and we stayed in the cozy little Pines cottage…peace, quiet and sunset perfection.
Dinner that night was at Eclectic Kitchen and the food was divine!
They’re known for their oysters, so Paul ordered two different flavors and he said they were delicious. I prefer my oysters fried, so I went for the pork belly and enjoyed every morsel. We split the roasted stuffed quail, but the star of the dinner was the bread pudding! It was love at first bite!!
After dinner, we headed to SOAR to watch the hot air balloon GLOW night...
Unfortunately, this event only happens once a year, but it was well worth it and you get to experience the Arkansas Air and Military Museum while you’re there! The Museum is open all year round, so definitely go check that out to see vehicles and planes used during some of the worlds most historical times.
The next morning, we slept in and enjoyed a leisurely start to the day at the Fayetteville Farmers Market. Held on the downtown square, the farmers market showcases local growers and artisans and features everything from fruits and veggies to handcut flowers to Arkansas made products and art. Enjoy your walk around the square and visit some of our favorite shops like Fayetteville Mercantile and City Supply and stop by the Experience Fayetteville office to get your questions answered about all things Fayetteville. There are also fun murals hiding around every corner and make plans to come back at Christmas when the square is transformed into a winter wonderland!
We stopped in at Hugo’s for a burger and fries. They’ve been cooking them up in their underground place since 1977 and are a pre or post-Razorback gameday favorite. The must-try on the menu though is The Grasshopper. It’s a green delight of mint chocolate chip ice cream rolled up into crepes…nom, nom, nom.
Our last stop of the night was a couple doors down from Hugo’s to Pinpoint. This 21+ vintage pinball bar made you feel cool just walking in the door. They also do amateur and pro pinball tournaments, so check out their socials for all the details.
While we were there, the Roots Festival was going on all over town. It only happens once a year(so mark your calendar for next August!) and shows off the music and food that make the Ozarks special. The 3-day festival kicked off Thursday night with a Grand Tasting on the lawn of the Fayetteville Public Library. Over 20 chefs from across the country cooked up delicious mini dishes serving everything from kobe beef to barbeque, shrimp ceviche to a table-length charcuterie and Paul’s favorite, mango ice cream and raspberry tarts.
And we can’t forget the live music!! We got to see The Wood Brothers, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, and Joe Purdy the first night, Dylan Earl at Maxine's Taproom the second night and the North Mississippi Allstars on the mainstage at the Fayetteville Towncenter the third night!
I also learned something pretty amazing that weekend… A beautiful couple came up and said they had recognized us from Tiktok. They said because of one of our videos, they had taken a family trip to see an Arkansas waterfall and they had one of the photos they’d taken that day printed and hung on their wall. It blew me away that a video we had created, just out having fun, had led to a memory-making experience for this family…so much so that they had hung a photo of that memory in their home. Sometimes you don’t even know the impact you’ve made until someone points it out. We hope you’ve enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at our trip to Fayetteville and it encourages you to get out and experience the Natural State.
Memories are just waiting to be made.
For more information or to plan your trip to Fayetteville, head to https://www.experiencefayetteville.com And make sure you keep up with them on social media and give them a follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube!
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