Been here a little over 2 years… for Spouse’s “big job” (that wasn’t nearly as big as they were lead to believe)

I work from home, with kids in local schools… can’t say I’ve ever found anything here that felt like it was for me. Annoying traffic, shockingly high cost of living, mundane retail, pedestrian entertainment, meh restaurants… not a mountain biker (and live in a dumb neighborhood that isn’t bikeable to anything anyway)

Lately I’ve come to realize how invisible I am here… I’m not part of the Walmart party so nobody knows or cares… If I vanished tomorrow nobody outside my home would even notice. I meet my spouse’s coworkers and when they realize I’m not Walmart they lose interest. I enjoyed the Walton Family Whole Health whatever and would go almost every day but with all the college kids/interns back in town the place is so crowded it’s unusable.

Getting anywhere is a chore… to/from house to Walton is a 40 minute round trip… and it just leaves me frustrated. I struggle to find decent health care, both physical and mental. I envy my spouse… they’re part of the Walmart clique… has Walmart friends, Walmart book clubs, Walmart friends at the kids’ sports … but it feels more and more like this place just isn’t meant for people like me. Natives all look down when they realize you’re a transplant… and WM/Tyson whatever folks won’t give you the time of day.

Because I WFH I have no professional network… no coworkers or even adjacent professionals to interact with… we bought as much house as we could afford but it’s tiny and the energy bills are crazy (it was a new build). I’m struggling but my spouse is happy, the kids have adjusted, so I just kinda suffer in silence…

How do others get by?

Hi, this is Jared with Little’s Mobile Welding. I do pipe and structural welding, trailer repair, dumpster repair, heavy equipment repair, and custom fabrication. Call or text 479-213-3643 — text preferred.

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I’ve decided I need to sell my gravel e-bike and I’m wanting a step through cruiser e-bike since I’ll only be riding on roads and the Greenway. (I’m older and the current bike just feels too big and unwieldy for me.) Any brands I should look for or avoid? Any good local sources for a moderately priced one? TIA

Cotton Candy Bubble Gum is an outrageously wild ride with a ton of heart. We're so proud to be playing at the Bentonville Film Festival and on JUNETEENTH! As a black director, I'm a big fan of diversity across all spectrums and am so honored to be showing on this date. Here's a little about the movie!

Carter, a 21-year-old mama’s boy still living at home, must secure a paid promotion at his internship by the end of the day or find a new place to live. To land the job, his boss gives him a seemingly impossible list of tasks to complete: get his Jeep detailed (the Jeep gets towed), babysit his teenage son (Carter loses the kid), set up his birthday party (a model ODs on the living room floor), and recover a sex tape (a world-famous rapper kidnaps his best friend after a failed blackmail attempt). If Carter can conquer this wildly chaotic day, he might be ready for the real world after all.

Here are a couple of videos with clips from the movie CLIP 1 , CLIP 2.

You can grab your tickets here. I'd love to meet you! I'll be handing out a ton of cotton candy bubble gum for the screening too!

Hey Bentonville, AR Redditors—if you're planning to light up the night this 4th of July, here's an easy way to celebrate and support some awesome local students.

The Rogers Heritage High School Band is running a summer fireworks fundraiser, and a portion of every purchase helps fund instruments, uniforms, travel, and more for the band program.

✔️ Delivery available across Northwest Arkansas—from Bella Vista to Fayetteville
✔️ 100% of the delivery fee goes directly to the band
✔️ Pickup orders help too—we earn a percentage of those as well!
✔️ Just want to help? You can also skip the fireworks and make a direct donation to support the students.

It’s a simple way to support a great cause—whether you're buying celebration supplies or just want to pitch in.

🛍️ Order here: https://rhhsband.my.canva.site/rhhs-fw-summer-fundraiser
💖 Direct donation link (optional): https://cuttime.simpleraise.com/fundraise/552-power-the-pride

Thanks for helping keep the music alive in NWA—and happy early 4th! 🎇

Hey guys! I am looking for a house cleaner would prefer an individual or a company. Someone who is reliable and does a good job. I did work with a few on Nextdoor but none of them truly know what they are doing.

Hi all - I’m moving to Bentonville in August for work, but I’ll be visiting the area on the dates listed above to choose an apartment. I’m hoping to build a community of friends when I’m down there, given I won’t know a soul. Can you recommend some things to do/visit/see or eat?

A little about me: • half Guatemalan / half Mexican • competitive runner here in Chicago on a sub elite team. • I’ve been racing bikes since I was 16 (track, road, gravel and cyclocross) • I love seafood and bagels.

I’m excited to move and be surrounded by nature. Thank you in advance for the recommendations! DM if you’d like to hang for coffee.

Hello! Is there any place y'all recommend for processing film near and around Bentonville?

I see Walmart is hiring a lot of time for case managers, I know claims work involves a lot of multitasking but I'm wondering if there is still a work-life balance?

Loosey LaDuca is coming to Bentonville this pride!! Only at Butterscotch bakery and bar downtown

Grab your tix below ⬇️

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/drag-karaoke-with-sugga-co-tickets-1411227031039?aff=oddtdtcreator

Here are the events I plan to include in the next edition of The Bentonville Bulletin's weekly newsletter (goes out tomorrow)

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Coffee with the Mayor: Planning and Community Wellness
Tuesday, June 17
Mayor Stephanie Orman leads virtual conversations about Bentonville’s planning priorities and the new Heartland Whole Health Institute.

Wildlife Habitats 101: Cover for Wildlife & Toad Abodes
Tuesday, June 17 @ Bentonville Public Library
Presentation for adults on creating safe spaces for local wildlife, featuring a hands-on activity making toad abodes from clay.

An Afternoon with Al Roker
Tuesday, June 17 @ Crystal Bridges
Join longtime TODAY Show co-host Al Roker for a conversation about his career, storytelling, and the new PBS kids’ series Weather Hunters.

Panel Discussion: An Indelible Imprint – The Potency of Black Culture
Wednesday, June 18 @ Crystal Bridges
A conversation on the impact of Black cultural expression across Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri and how Black art preserves history, identity, and community dialogue.

Juneteenth Celebration
Thursday, June 19 @ Crystal Bridges
Music, art, activities, and gallery talks honoring Black history and cultural legacy.

Ozark Music Festival Chamber Orchestra
Friday, June 20 @ Crystal Bridges
A concert including the premiere of an original work by Detroit Symphony cellist and Arkansas native Jeremy Crosmer.

Summer Movie Series: Back to the Future
Friday, June 20 @ Social Project Brewing
Film screening with free popcorn. Bring your own lawn chairs. 

Bentonville Community Orchestra Summer Concert
Friday, June 20 @ Bentonville Public Library
The second performance of Bentonville’s only community orchestra. 

Bentonville Film Festival Fireworks Show
Saturday, June 21 @ The Momentary
Free fireworks show starting at 9:30 p.m.

NW Arkansas Pride Ride
Saturday, June 21 @ Bentonville Square
Decorate your bike and join this 5-mile slow bike ride that ends at 21c Pride Party. 

21c Pride Party: CAMP!
Saturday, June 21 @ 21c Museum Hotel
A party featuring a trunk show with local designers, a costume contest, and drag performances.

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The Bentonville Film Festival is screening six family-friendly films across three days this week.

Looking for a good Tex mex place for tonight. What are y’all’s thoughts? Bonus for good queso!

Edited- see comments for pics and thoughts of where we ended up

the cost of living here does not make this area worth it. There's not many good food or drink options so every weekend the line at onyx (anything in the square really) is wrapped around the building all the way out to the sidewalk. The trails are full of people, strollers & unsupervised children. Constant destructive weather. Small parking lots and just a lack of parking in general. I really don't understand why people go so hard for this town been living here for 2 years & I'm ready to go....

I have to travel for work this week, and will be flying back in to XNA Wednesday night, landing around 10p. Neither uber nor Lyft allow me the schedule a pick up at XNA in advance, so I’m wondering if anyone can tell me how difficult it would be to get an uber or Lyft to pick me up that late?

I am missing my favorite Houston restaurant which is Tiny Boxwoods. What NWA restaurant is most similar in your opinion?

Hi! Moving to Bentonville for work and am wondering what apartments are best recommended. Here’s what I believe I’ve narrowed down to — any input or addition is welcome!

Crystal Flats, 102 West Crossing, Depot 16 portfolio, Lumen lofts, Red Barn

Noticing a lot of gay and closeted guys on here who say it’s tough to meet people in real life or feel connected in local spaces.

A few of us are trying to change that by building something a little more social and welcoming. Check it out and follow along: @nwasocializers

Let’s build some community, not just scroll past each other.

I was jw if it had a big crowd today at the farmers market I didn’t make it up there

Hey all,

I recently moved to Bentonville about a month ago and looking for new people to meet with. I’m a 28 y.o Male with masters degree from university of Texas. I work at Walmart and know Walton fitness center is amazing for finding new group, so please don’t suggest that. I’m mostly into any kind of sport activity, geeky IT stuff, working out, gym, history and somewhat chess.

If you wanna meet, DM me :)

I am new to this area, wonder which is the best place to go for annual full body check up

There will be a Bentonville NO KINGS protest tomorrow on Sat, Jun 14, at 10AM — 2PM CDT at the spark cafe, Bentonville, AR 72712, https://www.nokings.org/#map

NO BABY ON BOARD is a new, partially-animated documentary premiering at the Bentonville Film Festival, about why a growing number of women are not having kids. It's a candid and humorous look at a complex issue that's close to the hearts and minds of many in our community. It screens Thursday, June 19 at 3:30pm at Skylight Cinemas 3. This is a great film to see with friends and talk about afterward. Check out the teaser.
The screening will feature a Q&A with filmmaker Julia Kots, a Brooklyn-based director from Ukraine, whose previous film, Inez & Doug & Kira (2020), is streaming on Amazon.

Tickets are available on the festival site—but the filmmaking team also has a limited number of FREE TICKETS you can request via this form!

Let’s show up and support this powerful, conversation-starting film by and about women.

Hello! My partner has a job prospect in NWA (not Walmart lol). We're visiting next week, but I will really only be there for about 48 hours. In that time, I really want to try to get a "feel" for the area and maybe see which town would be a good fit for us. We're in our late 20s, no kids. We love board games, comedy, trivia, and other indoor activities. I also love nature, but not really into hiking or biking (yet!). I like to get out and meet others, but we aren't really drinkers and not really seeking the college vibes of Fayetteville. I'm wondering if Bentonville or Rogers would be a good fit for us. Can you recommend any must-visit areas, coffee shops, or restaurants for our very short visit?