A New American Town - Bentonville, Arkansas

Bentonville has world-class trails, but the hardest part of the trip can be bike rentals. It can take hours to sift through what local shops have to offer. We sit down with Jeff Ireland, founder of BikeWhip, to unpack how a simple favor for a visiting brother exposed a bigger problem in planning for a cycling trip. BikeWhip brings local bike rental inventory into one place, using filters to narrow...

You don’t usually walk into an art museum wondering what you’ll eat but once you’ve spent a full day at Crystal Bridges, food becomes part of the adventure. We’re joined by Lauren Eck, Regional Vice President of Sales for Wolfgang Puck Catering, to talk about the new partnership at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and what it means for museum dining in Bentonville, Arkansas as the campus gro...

In this episode, we sit down with Aaron Nolan from Downtown Bentonville Inc to explore how the Bentonville Farmers Market has grown into something much bigger than a place to shop. From local chefs shopping that day's produce, to grabbing a coffee and pastry, it’s a space where local flavor and community connection meet. Aaron shares how the market draws both residents and visitors, why inves...

We sit down with Josh and Sean from The Hub to talk about Hub 2.0. It’s designed for everything that happens around the ride, from a good cup of coffee to start the day to swapping stories after a bike ride. The goal is a space that feels easy and welcoming, where visitors start to feel like regulars pretty quickly. They’ve recently expanded both their menu and their space, and partnered with Sant...

In this episode, Scott Fitzgerald shares the story behind Pedal Kids USA and his mission to get more kids off screens and onto bikes. From running bike shops in Jackson Hole to building a national model for youth cycling education, Scott has been helping kids become confident and connected for years. In this episode, we discuss the importance of community, coaching, and why the experience of ridin...

Loneliness doesn’t always look dramatic. Sometimes it looks like a town full of people who never quite talk to each other. That’s why I loved sitting down with Joe Petrillo and Clint Misamore, co-founders of WUF World, to unpack a surprisingly effective community-building tool: pets. They call animals “Chief Icebreaking Officers,” and once you hear their stories, it’s hard to unsee how a simple “D...

We catch up with Wendy Guerrero to break down what makes Bentonville Film Festival 2026 feel big, buzzy, and still welcoming. We share the biggest premieres, the new experiences beyond screenings, and the simplest way to plan your first trip to Festival Village at the Momentary.  • how Bentonville Film Festival stands out through programming, conversations, networking, and community events  • how...

A chairlift bike park in the Ozarks sounds like a wild idea until you hear how Oz Trails Bike Park was actually built: carefully, deliberately, and for everyone. We’re joined by Brandon Kelly, director of Bella Vista, and Gary Vernon, who runs the bike park day to day, to share the story behind the park’s long path from rumor to ribbon cutting, with the grand opening set for June 12. We get practi...

Bentonville Bikefest didn’t get big by only talking to bike people. We’re joined by Kenny Belaey, world champion trials athlete, Red Bull athlete, and the founder of Bentonville Bikefest, to explain how a week of riding in Northwest Arkansas turns into something closer to a true festival: races, exhibits, demos, kids zones, and a constant nudge to stop spectating and start participating. We dig in...

A museum can add square footage without changing how people feel inside it. Crystal Bridges is doing the opposite. We talk with Moira Anderson, Director of Public Programs for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Momentary, about the June 6-7 opening that doubles gallery space and introduces a major new Learning and Engagement Hub built for rest, play, and hands-on creativity. If you hav...

We sit down with Lawson Craddock, former Olympian and longtime pro road cyclist, right after he visited Bentonville with his wife, two kids, and his parents. Without the pressure of racing or training, Lawson gets to experience the town the way most of us do, looking for great rides, great food, and a simple way to spend the day together. What he finds is a place that’s shockingly easy to navigate...

Meet Tamara Keefe, founder of Clementine's Ice Cream, as she breaks down what separates truly great ice cream from the rest — think small-batch production, all-natural ingredients, and a butterfat percentage that actually changes how flavor lingers. Tamara shares why Bentonville's walkable dining scene and the Walmart Home Office campus made the perfect home for her Midwest-born brand, a...

Beth Bobbitt records her final conversation as host and hands The New American Town to Graham Cobb, a strategist who’s worn plenty of Bentonville hats and still talks about the city with fresh-eyed wonder. Graham shares the story of his first real Bentonville visit in 2017, which started with a bike and gets more interesting from there... We dig into his consulting work at Paceline Strategies and...

A 134-acre campus where you can wander from museum galleries to forest trails, step into Heartland Whole Health Institute, and end up on a rooftop garden at a medical school sounds in Bentonville, Arkansas. We sit down with Jennifer Dunham, Senior Director of Communications at Art and Wellness Enterprises, to share an insider’s guide to the Crystal Bridges Campus for art and wellness and how to ex...

We sit down with paracyclist Jason Macomb as he readies himself for the 2026 USA Paracycling Road National Championships in Bentonville, where the time trial and road race decide who gets to wear the stars and stripes all year, including on the international stage. We get specific about preparation. Jason walks me through a training week, from long zone 2 endurance rides to full-gas time trial eff...

Join us with John Sage founder and CEO of Sage Traveling and Accessible Travel Solutions to explore how inclusive design, empathetic training, and honest information transform guest experience and the bottom line. We dig into the three pillars of accessible travel—facilities, customer service, and information—and show how aligning all three removes risk, builds confidence, and drives bookings. You...

We sit down with Claudia Carrión Rojos from Club America Femenil to trace her path from playing as a kid to helping build one of the most ambitious women’s football (soccer) projects in Mexico. We preview the Golden Clash in Northwest Arkansas and talk about how soccer connects cultures. The club’s goal is to become the best in the world so fans will experience history in the making with the Golde...

What happens when two artists fall in love over bikes, move to a trail town, and decide to build a better way to move families and elders? We sit down with Elysia Springer of Bentonville-based Gnargo Bike Co to share the story of a pandemic garage project that grew into a community-powered company. Elysia unpacks how early prototypes and human-centered designs transformed into sustainable transpor...

We sit down with MONAH Executive Director Jazlyn Sanderson to explore how a museum in Bentonville threads 24,000 years of Indigenous history into the present through art, archaeology, and living partnerships that honor descendant communities. The journey centers on the Spiro Mounds, a Mississippian cultural powerhouse in present-day Oklahoma. Jazlyn guides us through the material evidence: shell d...

We sit down with Rule of Three co-founders Andy Chasteen and Lauren Pickman to unpack how a simple Bentonville idea became a sold-out fixture blending gravel, pavement, and singletrack into a single unforgettable ride. From the early spark to the first-year surge of 700 riders, the story charts the beloved community-driven race. The experience spans a full week of cycling culture. We preview the R...

Join our conversation with Amy Springer, sports sales manager at Visit Bentonville, to explore how a hometown kid helped shape a destination that wins over event owners and fans alike. From elite turf complexes and ESPN-ready gyms to walkable hotel-to-field access, Amy explains why Bentonville converts first-time visitors into repeat partners. We dig into the nuts and bolts of sports tourism: pros...

Craig Zedeker with Scott Adventure Lab joins us to chart how a college curiosity became a career shaping how riders buy, build, and belong. We talk about the scrappy early days of Competitive Cyclist, from eBay listings and Rubbermaid parts tubs to pioneering online for riders across the country. Scott Adventure Lab, a welcoming hub where anyone can walk in, rent a cruiser for the Razorback Greenw...

This conversation with 21C Bentonville reveals how access to contemporary art can redefine everyday life. We welcome General Manager Claire Thompson and Marketing Manager Micheala Boyd to share how a Louisville-born vision took root in Northwest Arkansas and became a living, walkable hub where galleries, great food, and community intersect. We explore the origin of 21C Museum Hotels and why Benton...

We sit down with Alison Nation, CMO of Visit Bentonville, to trace how a small city stitched together art, trails, wellness, and hospitality into a destination that keeps turning editors’ heads from New York to London. Crystal Bridges fuels the cultural surge with a major expansion that doubles gallery space. The Compton brings fresh momentum to the downtown hotel scene, while 8th Street Gateway P...

We sit down with Jessica Pearson of the Bentonville Moves Coalition to map out how a bold goal—30 miles of safe, connected routes in three years—turned biking and walking into everyday options for getting to school, work, and everywhere in between. Jessica shares how the city fast‑tracked a 90‑mile master plan, why protected bike lanes and bike boxes reduce friction for everyone on the road, and h...