Hey, hey, hey — it's Friday.

🌧️ Today's weather: Showers and thunderstorms likely, with a high of 72 and a low of 59.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our member Cindy Donald!

🗓️ Join us at an Axios event exploring trust in a consumer-driven health care era on Wednesday at 21c Museum Hotel Bentonville. Register here.

Today’s newsletter is 890 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Temporary exhibitions at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art are now free for people 25 and younger.

State of play: A $15 million gift from the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation is raising the age limit for free admission, museum senior director Jill Wagar told Axios in an email through a spokesperson.

• Previously, Crystal Bridges covered the cost of making the exhibitions free for people under age 18, SNAP recipients, veterans and active-duty military. The foundation is now covering the cost for those groups.

Context: While admission to the museum's permanent collection has always been free for everyone, Crystal Bridges usually charges to see temporary exhibitions.

• Visitors can expect more temporary exhibitions now that the museum added a second gallery as part of its major expansion this year.

What they're saying: "By removing the cost of admission, we hope this creates more opportunities for students, emerging professionals, young families and other visitors to experience nationally and internationally acclaimed artists and exhibitions," Mandy Macke, executive director of the Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, said in a news release.

I'm back in Northwest Arkansas after a three-day Axios company retreat in Atlanta bringing together reporters from all the Axios Local markets (a whopping 43 now), plus editors and others who make these newsletters possible.

📰 Why it matters: These annual retreats offer practical professional development that makes this newsletter better. I work with exceptionally smart and talented people from all over the country who have various subject matter expertise and are happy to spread their wisdom.

• 🧑‍💼 It's also an opportunity to hear from company leadership about what they're experimenting with and their vision, plus some good in-person time with our direct editors.

😊 Zoom in: I'll let you all in on an inside secret — we Axios Local reporters like each other. So much so that some of us come in early just to hang out together, use any chance at the retreat to catch up over a meal or drink and stay out late singing our journalist hearts out to karaoke.

• 🤝 The camaraderie is strong. That can only make these newsletters better for our readers because morale and support never made anyone want to slack off.
• 🎤 Thanks to Travis from Kansas City for enthusiastically performing an underrated karaoke song, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Green Day, with me.

💭 Thought bubble: I came in extra early to explore Atlanta in an attempt to redeem myself after only seeing the city from an airport hotel room when stuck overnight in 2024 during Hurricane Helene.

• ⛪️ I highly recommend visiting the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church Martin Luther King Jr. was raised in and where he later preached. You can sit in a pew and hear a guide give a "church talk" and tell you the history for free.
• 💐 The Atlanta Botanical Garden was beautiful, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights is certainly worth visiting. I unfortunately didn't make it to the Georgia Aquarium or the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum. Next time.

🫡 What's next: Worth missed this one because he's out on sabbatical, but I took notes.

⚖️ A judge set a $150,000 cash-only bond yesterday for former state Rep. and sole Benton County judge candidate Austin McCollum following his Tuesday arrest on suspicion of stalking and violating a protection order. He will be required to wear an ankle monitor if released. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

• McCollum was previously released on a $10,000 bond following an Aug. 1 arrest and is facing three felony charges related to allegations of domestic violence against his wife. Prosecutors on Wednesday filed a motion seeking to revoke his release from jail related to that arrest.

🇺🇸 Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice spoke at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on Wednesday as part of the Building Bridges series that also brought former President Obama, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett and filmmaker Ken Burns. (Arkansas Advocate)

💼 Grady Spann has retired as executive director of nonprofit Northwest Arkansas Land Trust. Marson Nance, director of philanthropy and the organization's longest-serving staff member, has been promoted to the role. (Northwest Arkansas Business Journal)

Enjoy the first weekend of October.

🏍️ Bikes, Blues & BBQ — They're baaaaack. This year's motorcycle rally continues through Saturday night with live music, food and vendors, with events in downtown Rogers, Pig Trail Harley Davidson in Rogers and spots in Eureka Springs. See the full schedule.

😎 Bentonville First Friday — The last festival of its kind for the season takes place today in the downtown Bentonville square. The free, kid-friendly block party includes music and vendors.

🌶️ ArkanSalsa Fest — This festival includes dance, food and music from 1-5pm Saturday at Luther George Park in downtown Springdale with an afterparty.

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Thanks to Chloe Gonzales for editing this newsletter.

😌 Alex is looking forward to a restful weekend after a packed several days and is feeling extra grateful for her colleagues.

🏝️ Worth is on sabbatical, but probably not in Atlanta.