Culture and Contemporary Life
See also: University of Arkansas Campus Historic District, Fayetteville Historic Square, Fayetteville Public Library, and Walton Arts CenterSome of Fayetteville's highlights include the town square, where a farmer's market is held from April through November, and Dickson Street, a narrow street that is lined with shops and restaurants and that leads through the center of the city to the University of Arkansas.
The University of Arkansas is Fayetteville's biggest attraction, with influence in the social, economic and educational avenues of Fayetteville. The flagship university in the state, the U of A has become integrated with Fayetteville and vice versa. The University of Arkansas Campus Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places contains 71 acres (29 ha) and 25 buildings within a park-like arboretum. In autumn, thousands of parents travel to Fayetteville to help their children move in to the various residence halls and apartments in the area, with thousands more attending Razorback football home games. Fans return for basketball games to pack Bud Walton Arena, which was the fifth-largest on-campus arena upon completion. In spring the Hogs baseball team can be seen in Baum Stadium, named the top college baseball facility in the nation by Rivals.com in 2010. No matter the season alumni and visitors are drawn to wander the campus in search of special names on Senior Walk, which is a 5-mile (8.0 km) sidewalk record of every graduate from the University of Arkansas, and the only sidewalk of its kind in the world.
Fayetteville is home to the Walton Arts Center, which is Arkansas' premier center for arts and entertainment. The center is the result of a joint effort between the City of Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas to bring arts to the city. The center is located on Dickson Street halfway between the University and the town square has inadvertently revitalized the area, resulting in gains for both parties. It currently features a full Broadway theatre season, arts camps, continuing education opportunities for teachers of the arts, University-sponsored performances in addition to serving as a host for community events. A considerable donation from the namesake Walton family assisted greatly in the construction of the building.
TheatreSquared, Northwest Arkansas's only year-round professional regional theatre, is also located in Fayetteville, with an annual audience of 18,000 patrons including 7,500 students reached through outreach programs. The theatre was recognized in 2011 by the American Theatre Wing as one of the nation's ten most promising emerging theatres.
The Fayetteville Public Library, founded in 1916, was relocated in October 2004 into a $23 million building, which was the first "green" building in Arkansas. On June 3, 2006, the library celebrated its 90th birthday. The Blair Library was awarded the 2005 Thomson Gale Library Journal Library of the Year award, and, as a testament to its popularity, has seen its popularity increase dramatically, with three times more items checked out in 2005 than in 1997. The library includes a local coffeeshop, Arsaga's, and hosts several events, including film festivals, book signings, and public forums throughout the year. It is also a popular place for youth subcultures to socialize.
The farmers' market began in 1974 and runs 7am to 1pm from the first Saturday in April through the last Saturday before Thanksgiving set in the Fayetteville Historic Square. Over 60 vendors provide locally grown fruits and vegetables in addition to crafts, flower boquets, music and art, making the Fayetteville Farmers' Market very diverse. Upon receiving a grant in 2011, the Fayetteville Farmers' Market now accepts Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) and food stamps. The market has been praised by the Farmers Market Coalition for its formatting which allows farmers to interact directly with customers and also empowering each vendor with a vote before making major changes in market policy. The farmers' market moves to the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks for Sunday mornings with 20-30 vendors, with some vendors also choosing to attend the Mill District Farmer's Market on Thursday evenings.
Fayetteville was the first home of Bill and Hillary Clinton while they both taught law at the University of Arkansas School of Law. The house where they were married and lived is now the Clinton House Museum highlighting his early political life and features campaign memorabilia, a replica of Hillary's wedding dress, a photo gallery, and footage from his early campaign commercials.
Other points of interest include:
- Fayetteville Historic Square
- Fayetteville National Cemetery
- Bikes Blues and BBQ (an annual event)
- Fayetteville High School
- Randal Tyson Track Center
- Northwest Arkansas Mall
- Dickson Street
- Maxine's Tap Room
- Headquarters House
- Mount Nord Historic District
- Washington-Willow Historic District
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington County, Arkansas
Read more about this topic: Fayetteville, Arkansas, Points of Interest
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