The Places We Share
Welcoming Week NWA 2026, facilitated by EngageNWA, celebrated “The Places We Share” by creating opportunities for residents to meet new people, discover and join local groups, and serve their communities. Through 131 events led by 94 partners, nearly 10,000 participants came together across Northwest Arkansas.
From teens volunteering alongside family members to residents exploring clubs and making new friends, this year highlighted how shared interests and service bring people together. Libraries served as community living rooms, while partners across the region created welcoming opportunities to get involved.
Welcoming Week’s impact begins long before September and continues throughout the year. Months of planning bring partners together to build relationships, exchange ideas and develop collaborations that extend beyond the events themselves. Through this work and shared resources like the EngageNWA Directory, EngageNWA strengthens the civic and social infrastructure that helps residents and organizations participate, work together and build stronger ties across Northwest Arkansas.
High 5 From Our Community
5 Things We Learned About NWA
01
Service Runs in the Family.
This year, teens rolled up their sleeves alongside parents, grandparents and siblings. Turns out one of the best ways to bridge generations and build connections is to serve others with people we love.
02
Come for the hobby, stay for the people!
Since COVID, we’ve noticed a wave of new clubs and shared-interest groups across NWA. The Club Crawl’s turnout and all the requests for more showed us that people aren’t just looking for something to do. They’re looking for people to meet and somewhere to belong.
03
New friends? Yes, please.
Friending events are popping up across NWA, and Welcoming Week gave adults and teens a chance to join in. Sometimes, all it takes is a welcoming place and a little structure to make meeting someone new feel easier.
04
Neighbors show up.
Throughout Welcoming Week, we saw people sharing their time, learning about one another and supporting their communities. Those moments remind us how much we can do when we show up for each other.
05
Meet you at the Library!
Libraries are our community living rooms: familiar places to gather, learn and connect. During Welcoming Week, libraries across our region opened their doors and invited us all in by offering space for us to share stories and interests to build connections with each other.
2026 Impact by the Numbers
131
Events
94
Partners
10,000
Participants
20+
Toiletry kits collected for Arkansas Veterans Village
40
Listings added to EngageNWA Directory in September
395
New followers
146%
increase in social engagement
14,684
views on posted videos
166%
Increase in social impressions
Welcoming Week NWA Highlights
Finding people and a group to keep coming back to.
Join A Club Crawl
@ Rogers Public Library
- Connected 150 residents with 20+ local clubs and community groups.
- 34 clubs and community groups were added to the EngageNWA Directory, helping residents find ongoing ways to participate beyond September.
Speed Friending
@ Fayetteville Public Library
- Led by Fayetteville Public Library, 26 participants met each other through a series of three-minute conversations with an opportunity to make follow up connections and keep in touch.
- Inspired by this event, Teen Action & Support Center hosted a speed friending event just for teens that engaged 77 teens!
Discovering ways to serve and contribute.
Teen Volunteer Fair
@ Bentonville Public Library
- Connected 265 students and family members with 22 organizations.
- EngageNWA Directory now includes 44 organizations offering teen volunteer opportunities.
Day of Service
all across NWA
- Led by GoodWorks, the region’s new volunteer center
- Featured 14 projects across NWA.
- Students or youth represented 40% of 262 participants—approximately 105 teens
- 1/3 were first time volunteers.
- GoodWorks reported that partnering with Welcoming Week helped engage more people in service, including first-time volunteers in NWA.
Veterans Appreciation Drive
@ Springdale Public Library
- Featured 5 local veterans sharing their experiences and perspectives in observance of the National Day of Service and Remembrance and the 25th anniversary of 9/11.
- Collected 20+ toiletry kits for Arkansas Veterans Village.
Board Service Q&A
- Hosted in partnership with the Rogers Lowell Chamber’s NWA Emerging Leaders program
- This virtual event explored how board service can deepen connection to the region, strengthen local organizations and create opportunities to lead.
Photos courtesy of Rogers Lowell Chamber of Commerce
Why This Work Matters
Hearing from Our Sponsors
“Walton Family Foundation is proud to support Welcoming Week. It's a core part of the strategy at the foundation, where we speak about finding community, and Welcoming Week to me embodies that.”
Robert Burns
“Tyson Foods was proud to support the Veterans event during Welcoming Week NWA because we believe those who have served deserve to feel welcomed, valued, and connected in the communities they call home. Supporting veterans reflects our commitment to honoring their service while helping create meaningful connections and opportunities for them and their families.”
Dylan Stroud
" At Signature Bank of Arkansas, strengthening connections is at the heart of who we are. We supported Welcoming Week NWA because creating a strong, welcoming community takes all of us, and we’re proud to be part of that work."
Jessica Gray
“At Visit Bentonville, we are all about making people feel welcome. We know that people from all over the world have visited here, live here, and it is important for us to show people that they are part of our community.”
Kalene Griffith
"The Springdale Chamber believes that thriving communities are built through connection, inclusion, and a shared sense of belonging. We are proud to support Welcoming Week NWA because it brings people together, celebrates the diversity that makes our region strong, and creates opportunities for everyone to be part of Northwest Arkansas's continued growth and success. And honestly, seeing people come together, make new friends, share experiences, and have a little fun along the way is what makes this event so special and continue each year."
Ginger LaMar
“KUAF supported Welcoming Week because public media is at its best when it helps people feel connected to the community they call home. Northwest Arkansas is growing and changing quickly, and we want KUAF to be a place where everyone who lives here can hear their neighbors, understand one another and feel like they belong.”
Clint Schaff
Community Partners Making Participation Possible
Welcoming Week’s 94 partners brought local knowledge, relationships and opportunities into a shared regional effort. EngageNWA supported their participation through planning calls, promotional materials, technical assistance and participation stipends for partners hosting or leading events.
Partner feedback described feeling supported, meeting new community members and connecting with other organizations. Respondents valued promotional assistance, stipends, event coordination and welcoming environments.
"Partnering with Welcoming Week on GoodWorks' Day of Service allowed us to engage more people in service, many of whom were first time volunteers in NWA! Serving the community is an easy way to connect with others and find your place in NWA"
Coletta Patterson
" Welcoming Week continues to prove the importance of community connection and amplifying shared resources throughout the region with their thoughtful ways of engaging us in all the vibrant activations happening. I leave each event learning something new, connecting with valuable resources, people, and find myself inspired to contribute where I can. I also appreciate that there are low barriers to access these events, and it always feels like the title says: welcoming."
Cynthia Tran
"We loved this year's theme of 'The Places We Share' and felt it was a perfect fit. We were honored to host NWA's very first speed friending event designed just for teens and the night was a perfect time of connection!
Angela Smith
Welcoming Week NWA in the Media
Our community's story shared through local and regional media
45 media mentions
+50% vs 30 in 2025
276.6M of potential audience
19x vs 14.6M in 2005
$3.1M of publicity value
6.6x vs $470K in 2025
September 11
NWA Democrat Gazette
Northwest Arkansas community comes together to commemorate 9/11 on 25th anniversary of attacks.
Read ArticleSeptember 16
NWA Democrat Gazette
EngageNWA is hosting free Club Crawl event at Rogers Public Library as part of Welcoming Week NWA.
Read ArticleKeep Connecting Beyond September
Welcoming Week NWA offers a first step into community life. Clubs continue meeting, organizations continue welcoming volunteers, and residents can keep exploring ways to participate through the EngageNWA Directory.
Together with EngageNWA’s year-round partnerships, these resources help turn an initial introduction into another opportunity to connect, participate and contribute.
Favorite Welcoming Week NWA Moments
Capturing the spirit of connection and celebration.
2026 Partner Organizations
NWA Pickleball
NWA Robotics Club
