Fayetteville has a rich performing arts community featuring both local acts and internationally known touring productions throughout the year. Many people who visit Fayetteville come for a weekend getaway, and one of the most popular things to do is immerse themselves in the region’s most eclectic arts scene, which also includes an abundance of visual artists and live-music venues.

Fayetteville has long been the art center of Northwest Arkansas, due in part to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville also has cultivated a flourishing arts culture as a result of being a community that invests in and supports its local artists.

Experience Fayetteville presents Winter Solstice Art Action on the first day of winter, Thursday, December 21, at the Historic Walker Stone house in downtown Fayetteville. The festivities will go from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Walker Stone House but the fun will continue into the night with several galleries and studios remaining open late into the evening.

Fayetteville has long been the artistic epicenter of Northwest Arkansas, thanks in large part to the University of Arkansas, which — as the state’s oldest and largest public college campus — has influenced Arkansas culture since its founding in 1871. From live music on Dickson Street to performance arts at the Walton Arts Center and TheatreSquared, to the numerous galleries throughout the city filled with paintings and sculptures, Fayetteville has a strong tradition of being the arts and entertainment capital of Northwest Arkansas.

Locations for the upcoming public art installation, Green Candy, have been announced. International and local artists will be transforming four sites around downtown Fayetteville into works of art. Experience Fayetteville is presenting the event and appointed global creative house Justkids to curate Green Candy, an art action aimed to create community conversations around waste and sustainability through engaging art projects.

Green Candy is an art action aimed to create community conversations around waste and sustainability through interactive and participatory art. Presented by Experience Fayetteville, this inaugural edition takes place in the heart of Historic Downtown Fayetteville and will activate public spaces with engaging art by international artists Bordalo (Portugal), Ernest Zacharevic (Lithuania), Bicicleta Sem Freio (Brazil) and Marina Zumi (São Paulo). As a result of an open request for proposals, notable Northwest Arkansas artists Gina Gallina and Jason Jones also will join the project lineup, creating site-specific public artwork.