"Whether you're driving to work, walking to the library, or riding your bike downtown, these improvements make it easier and safer to get around our community." Mayor Greg Hines said that as the City of Rogers invited people to the July 29 ribbon cutting for Poplar Parkway, held at the corner of Poplar Street and 3rd Street.
That was eleven weeks ago, in the middle of summer, when the downtown calendar was spread out. October is a different story. Most of the dated events Rogers has on the books for the rest of this month happen at or near Railyard Park and the historic downtown blocks around it. Railyard Park is also where the new bikeway's eastern end connects. Poplar Parkway opened in July, but this month is the first real test of the city's claim that it connects Midtown to downtown.
What the Route Actually Is
The city calls Poplar Parkway its newest bikeway, an east-west corridor connecting Downtown and Midtown Rogers. In its 2025 construction notice, the city described the full route as running from the Railyard Loop to the Walmart Supercenter transit stop. The same notice lists the fifth-busiest stop on Ozark Regional Transit's BRC fixed route among the destinations along the way.
Here is what the city says is along the corridor:
- Destinations named by the city: Rogers Public Library, Feed Rogers Food Pantry and the Center for Nonprofits at St. Mary's
- Safety features: protected bikeways, improved pedestrian crossings, traffic calming and wayfinding signage
- The crossing to know: a protected crossing at S. Dixieland Road and W. Cypress Street
- The last segment built: 15th Street to 21st Street, the final construction phase, funded in part by the Walton Family Foundation
The city also says the route links "a dozen parks, shopping destinations, and community amenities," but its announcement doesn't list them. The more useful number is citywide. Once the parkway was finished, Rogers counted 109 miles of trails and bikeways.
The Poplar Street Reconstruction Project was finished at the same time. It rebuilt Poplar Street from 8th Street to downtown with new pavement, upgraded drainage and intersections, landscaping, and better bike and pedestrian paths. According to the city's Summer 2026 Blueprint, the street work cost $16.5 million and was paid for mainly by the 2018 bond and a Walton Family Foundation grant. The same report puts the Northwest Park restoration at $25.5 million. That park reopened in May 2026 after damage from the May 2024 tornado.
At the ribbon cutting, Hines described what success looks like to him: "when you open a project like this and you see large amounts of people using it and finding it as a new way to connect to their community," he told KNWA.
The East End Is Railyard Park, and October Lives There
The city calls the parkway a continuous connection between the Railyard Loop and Midtown. The citywide trail map labels both Railyard Park and the Railyard Bike Park at the downtown end.
Downtown Rogers came into October already crowded. Bikes, Blues & BBQ wrapped its Rogers rally on October 3. A local Chamber official told the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette it was the largest rally he had seen since the event moved to Rogers in 2022. The rest of the month brings a quieter set of events, and most of them are within a few blocks of the parkway's downtown end.
| Date | Event | Where | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonight, Oct. 10 | Sad Daddy, National Park Radio and Cosmic Cream | Victory Theater | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Oktoberfest NWA | Butterfield Stage at Railyard Park | Around 25 regional breweries, food, live music, a keg tapping |
| Oct. 23, 24, 28, 29, 30 | Ghost Walks | Rogers Historical Museum and historic downtown | Quarter-mile guided tours, $15, capped at 16 people per tour |
| Sat., Oct. 24 | Fall Tree Giveaway | Rogers Aquatics Center | 9 a.m. to noon, registration required |
| Sat., Oct. 31 | 42nd Goblin Candy Crawl | Downtown, with the museum booth in Railyard Park | 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. |
| Fri., Nov. 13 | Maggie Rose with MP Gannon | Victory Theater | 7:30 p.m. |
The Downtown Rogers Rotary is putting on Oktoberfest NWA on Saturday, October 17, at Butterfield Stage. Two weeks later, the Goblin Candy Crawl returns for its 42nd year on Saturday, October 31, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The Rogers Historical Museum booth in Railyard Park hands out the bags and maps, and Arkansas Arts Academy students are scheduled to perform Halloween dances there. Both of these Saturdays start in the same park where the parkway connects to the Railyard Loop.
A Few Blocks Farther In
The museum's other October event takes place on the streets right next to the trail. The Rogers Historical Museum's Ghost Walks run October 23, 24, 28, 29 and 30. Each guided tour covers about a quarter mile of historic downtown, with local stories along the way. Tickets are $15, and each tour is limited to 16 people. The city calendar lists the October 24 tour from 7 to 9 p.m., covering the museum grounds and historic Downtown Rogers. With only 16 spots per tour, the five nights can sell out before the Halloween crowds show up.
One regular museum event is off this season. The Hawkins House Garden Tour is canceled for September and October 2026 because of construction on the grounds.
The Victory Theater is a short walk from the Railyard Park end. The Democrat-Gazette covered the theater's full restoration in April, just before it reopened to the public. Its current lineup includes tonight's 7:30 p.m. show with Sad Daddy, National Park Radio and Cosmic Cream, plus Maggie Rose with MP Gannon on November 13. This is the theater's first fall since the restoration, and the first fall with a protected bike route leading into downtown.
The Library Is on the Way
When Hines brought up "walking to the library," he wasn't speaking in general terms. Rogers Public Library is one of the destinations the city names on the corridor. So the parkway serves weekday errands as well as weekend events downtown.
The library's October calendar has plenty this coming week. On Monday, October 12, there's Homeschool Explorers from 10 to 11 a.m. and Mah Jongg for Beginners from 1 to 3 p.m. On October 13, the RPL Lunch and Learn covers baseball in Northwest Arkansas from noon to 1 p.m., followed by Catch 'EM All @ the Library from 4 to 5 p.m. On October 14, Hands On runs from 10 to 11 a.m. and Toddler Tales from 2 to 3 p.m.
The same corridor passes Feed Rogers Food Pantry and the Center for Nonprofits at St. Mary's. The city's goal in building the route went beyond recreation. It describes the parkway as safe, continuous access for people walking, biking and rolling, with the Walmart Supercenter transit stop at its far end and one of the busiest stops on Ozark Regional Transit's BRC route among its destinations.
The October Date That Needs a Sign-Up
The Fall Tree Giveaway is the one event on this month's list where you have to register ahead of time. It's Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Rogers Aquatics Center. Each household can take home up to two trees. If severe weather hits, the backup is October 26 from 3 to 7 p.m., according to the Democrat-Gazette. That morning is also the second night of Ghost Walks. You could pick up trees before noon and take a downtown tour that evening.
Where the Network Goes Next
The city already describes Poplar Parkway as part of something bigger. Its 2025 notice called the route "a central spine" that links Downtown, Midtown, and eventually Uptown and Bentonville by public transit. KNWA's report on the opening also said the project connects Midtown with the fast-growing Uptown area.
The next big piece is downtown. Olive Street Park is set to return in summer 2027 with play spaces, basketball, pickleball and multi-use courts, a Turtle Creek Trailhead, and public art at the historic lift station. That means downtown Rogers has about one more fall season before another trail connection opens.
Until then, the parkway's busiest dates are set: October 17 at Butterfield Stage, five Ghost Walk nights, and the Goblin Candy Crawl at Railyard Park on Halloween afternoon.
If a ride on the parkway has you wondering how the new route changes daily life on your side of town, or what all this downtown investment means for your street, Nancy Orum would love to talk it over. Schedule a free consultation and bring your questions about Midtown, downtown, and everything along Poplar Street.
