Photos provided by Visit Bentonville

 

The spirit of Charles Schulz may be hard to find in many contemporary Christmas celebrations. Not in Bentonville.

 

The famed Peanuts comic strip author spoofed holiday commercial excess in his script for the brilliant, award-winning A Charlie Brown Christmas, first shown on broadcast television six decades ago.

 

He would have loved Bentonville at Christmas.

 

Despite its rapid growth over the past 20 years, Bentonville maintains the Rockwellian, hometown vibe that has attracted visitors and transplants from across the state and country. Bentonville offers what celebrity chef and local resident Biju Thomas called a “Hallmark movie version of a town.”

 

Chef Biju Thomas, second from left, said the city’s holiday events have helped spur its growth.

 

And each year, northwest Arkansas’ very own Hallmark set transforms its downtown into a holiday scene right out of a Christmas snow globe.

 

From the Bentonville Lighting of the Square and the Christmas parade to the opening of the ice rink at Lawrence Plaza and some of the best shopping and dining in the heartland, Bentonville is transformed for Christmas.

 

The transformation into holiday wonderland begins on Nov. 22 with the Lighting of the Square. The event runs from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. but the lights come on at 6 p.m. sharp. The thousands who fill the square for the ceremony — and the city estimates there are up to 20,000 each year — are treated to live music, speakers and even holiday characters such as Santa Claus and his Whoville fill-in, the Grinch.

 

 

Once the switch is flicked, roughly 420,000 individual bulbs — more than 37 miles of string lights — light up the courthouse and square. Mayor Stephanie Orman flips the switch — with a little help.

 

“One of my greatest joys as mayor is inviting a child from the crowd to join me on stage and giving them the honor of lighting the square,” she said. “When the courthouse and trees glow with thousands of bulbs, you can feel the excitement ripple through the crowd. That feeling of joy, connection and hometown pride carries with us through the whole year in Bentonville.”

 

Words can be written about the impact of the event on those who attend, but the lighting is something that must be experienced to be truly appreciated.

 

“The square glows with lights, laughter and memories in the making,” said Aaron Nolan, communications director at the nonprofit Downtown Bentonville. “All together, this makes downtown Bentonville the perfect place for families and visitors to celebrate the season together.”

 

Set up for the lights and skating rink — which opens Nov. 22 — begins in early September, said Creek Wenger, parks maintenance manager at the city’s parks and recreation department.

 

Ice skating at Lawrence Plaza and soaking in the holiday lights that illuminate the square are favorites for visitors and locals alike.

 

“Setup is a 12-week process, with adjustments and corrections continuing right up to the countdown on Nov. 22,” he said. “The ice rink setup at Lawrence Plaza also takes careful preparation, with work happening in the weeks leading up to opening day. After the season ends, it takes about a month to take everything down and store it for the next year.”

 

Lawrence Plaza will be open for ice skating through January. The rink is 7,000 square feet and located just off the square. Tickets — $7 per session, including skate rental — go on sale Nov. 1.

 

Alison Nation, chief marketing officer at Visit Bentonville, recommended buying tickets in advance, especially for families.

 

“During peak times, they do sell out,” she said.

 

Wenger said the 37 miles of lights that will adorn the courthouse and square do not count those included on the artificial trees and the stars and more that fill downtown for Christmas.

 

 

“These events have become a beloved tradition for the community,” he said. “We are adding much more this year to light up the new A Street Promenade, and there will be a few surprises, as well.”

 

The Bentonville Christmas Parade, a community favorite, will roll through downtown Dec. 13 starting at 6 p.m. Last year’s parade included more than 100 floats and live acts.

 

Other holiday-themed events downtown include the holiday pop-up at Undercroft, the holiday open house at the Peel Museum & Botanical Garden, Bentonville’s Noon Year’s Eve celebration, and Zing in the New Year at the Amazeum. That is in addition to Bentonville’s other year-round attractions, such as the world-renowned Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Walmart Museum and the state-of-the-art new Walmart corporate campus just blocks from the square.

 

Regardless of season, there is so much to do in Bentonville that first-time visitors are often taken by surprise. The city has become known beyond the state borders for its shopping and dining, each of which is amped up for the holidays.

 

Debbie Matteri, owner of In Season, a boutique shop just off the square that offers clothing, fragrances, jewelry, Arkansas-made gift baskets, stationery, corporate gifts and more, said businesses do their part to help transform downtown during the holidays.

 

“Our downtown turns into a magical wonderland at Christmas,” she said. “It’s not cookie cutter. It feels very down home. We love the tourists, but we love the locals too. The locals are our biscuits, and the tourists are our gravy. We have biscuits and gravy every day.”

 

The Christmas spirit transcends the holidays, she added.

 

“Downtown Bentonville is a close-knit group,” she said. “Businesses will refer customers to other retailers and restaurants, even if they are competitors, and the hotels are really accommodating, recommending local businesses to guests. It’s so walkable with all the small, family-owned businesses, from the restaurants to the coffee shops and small retail stores. They all work really well together.”

 

Toni Patton, owner of Blue Moon Bentonville, used the same adjective — magical — to describe the shopping scene downtown during the holidays. Her boutique store sells women’s clothing, Christian gifts, Razorback-themed fashion and much more.

 

From dining and shopping to simply hanging out and soaking in the vibe, Bentonville offers something for all at Christmas.

 

“The whole square is lit up with twinkling lights, and all the stores go all out with their best holiday decor,” she said. “We even have an annual Christmas window contest, which makes it so fun to stroll around. It feels like a Hallmark movie but with the charm of our real community. At Blue Moon Bentonville, we love being part of that tradition — helping people find unique gifts while celebrating the season with our neighbors.”

 

Then there is the food. Bentonville has grown into a true national foodie destination, and the holidays only enhance that reputation. Thomas — or Chef Biju as he is known — is the city’s biggest cheerleader.

 

An avid mountain biker, the Colorado native was drawn to Bentonville by its status as the Mountain Biking Capital of the World and the intense local food scene. He is the host of food and adventure show The Road Less Eaten on Outside TV. He co-authored the best-selling The Feed Zone cookbooks and has served as chef to numerous pro athletes and cycling teams, including Team USA Cycling. He also is a regular contributor to national TV shows and magazines.

 

 

He believes Bentonville’s growth is attributed to its slower pace and quality of life, each of which are bolstered by things like its holiday transformation and diverse dining options.

 

“Bentonville’s food scene has been on an intense pace of hypergrowth, which has been fueling this steady growth of great restaurants and cafes,” he said. “A lot of cities around the U.S. are fueled by chefs and restaurateurs looking to reinvent themselves. Here it’s a bit different. Throughout the South and definitely here in northwest Arkansas, we see homegrown talent going away to learn and hone their skills, then returning to create incredible experiences for a smaller, much more appreciative audience.

 

“Some of the best chefs and operators in the country have returned home to make something special just for the lucky locals, and that is pretty rare. Look up any of the main chefs in town — they all went and worked at really high-profile and far-away places and came home to do something for their own families and neighbors.”

 

Bentonville’s holiday transformation has helped enhance its reputation as a tourist draw.

 

Nation’s work to market the city is made all the easier because of the great dining experiences and the hometown, neighborly feel that add to the Bentonville hoopla, especially at Christmas. Bentonville is not just a destination for mountain biking, art museums and unique dining, she said — it is a Christmas destination, as well.

 

For holiday tourists, she noted the easy walkability of downtown and recommended parking downtown and heading north on the award-winning Razorback Greenway to explore Compton Gardens & Arboretum or even walk to Crystal Bridges via the museum’s art trail — or head south on Main Street to walk the ramps at Ledger and discover the many alleyways filled with public art.

 

 

“My favorite thing to do with guests or my family during this time of year is start with a dinner out downtown, stroll the square and pick up a scoop of ice cream and end the night at the ice rink with the whole family on the ice.”

 

That sounds like a winner for both the biscuit and the gravy.

 

Speaking of which, Thomas speaks of his adopted hometown as if it is a beloved family member.

 

Bentonville’s holiday celebrations are geared for kids as much as adults.

 

“The incredibly beautiful little square, familiar faces and sounds all around everywhere you go, warm and welcoming shops, and a Christmas tree lighting that is unlike anything I’ve seen,” he said. “On tree-lighting day, downtown is absolutely packed with kids and families from everywhere, a full blend of local and immigrant families who all call this little town their home.”

 

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