Pit masters from Arkansas and eight other states will be smokin' at the Bentonville BBQ Festival on May 31, an inaugural event devoted to all things barbecue.

State of play: Johnson-based Wright's Barbecue and Bentonville-based marketing company Product Connections are hosting the event and are looking to make the gathering an annual festival.

What they're saying: The barbecue community is close-knit, Wright's owner Jordan Wright told Axios. He participates in festivals in other states and wanted to build a similar experience in NWA, bringing friends in the industry together to participate.

Zoom in: Admission will get you access to all 15 offerings.

• Other participating Arkansas restaurants include Bentonville-based Beach BBQ and Brothers Meethouse, plus Russellville-based Ridgewood Brothers BBQ.

How it works: The festival will be divided into three sections — heritage for classic barbecue, Lonestar for Texas-style dishes and "tomorrow-Q" for innovative takes like tacos, Product Connections' Haley Berley told Axios.

• The event also will include live music, face painting for kids, vendors and beer from Bentonville Brewing Company, she said.
• Proceeds from the event will benefit Hogs for the Cause, a nonprofit that supports families of children with brain cancer.

The intrigue: While Arkansas doesn't have a specific style (like Memphis, Texas, Kansas City and Carolina styles), barbecue joints in the state can make all styles, Wright said.

If you go: Bentonville BBQ Festival is from noon to 4pm May 31 at The Momentary. Get tickets for $65.

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Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Womack of Rogers will seek reelection in 2026, his campaign announced Tuesday.

The big picture: The former Rogers mayor represents Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District, which covers the northwest corner of the state, east to Alpena and south to Greenwood, covering most of Fort Chaffee.

• Womack serves as chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and formerly served as chair of the House Budget Committee and the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on Appropriations.
• He was first elected to congress in 2010 and is a retired Colonel in the Arkansas Army National Guard with 30 years of service.

What he's saying: "I'm running for reelection in Congress because I believe now, more than ever, our country needs strong, principled leadership."

• "With President Trump back in the White House, we have a monumental opportunity to get our fiscal house in order, enact a pro-growth agenda, and pass on a stronger, safer America to future generations."

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Bill Ramsey, former state legislator and CEO of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, died Saturday. He was 90. (Northwest Arkansas Business Journal)

💰 Most University of Arkansas campuses will look to increase fees and tuition at a system board of trustees meeting set for today and Thursday. (Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

🚫 Fayetteville High School, and Woodland and Ramey junior highs plan to install metal detectors, and the school district plans to give every adult in every building smart badges that allow them to trigger an alert in case of an emergency. (Fayetteville Flyer)

🏙️ Check out what's happening around the city.

Hippo Campus Flood Tour with Hotline TNT at the Momentary Green May 25: See Hippo Campus on their Flood Tour, with Hotline TNT delivering a funky fusion of indie rock and pop, live on the Momentary Green. Get tickets now.

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Memorial Day travel is projected to beat a 20-year-old record high this year, according to AAA data released Monday.

• "We imagine that this Memorial Day weekend will be busier than ever," Northwest Arkansas National Airport spokesperson Olivia Tyler told Axios.

Why it matters: Americans' deep pessimism about the economy isn't deterring them from traveling to celebrate the unofficial start of the summer season.

• "Despite concerns over rising prices, many Americans say they're taking advantage of the long holiday weekend to spend time with loved ones, even if the trips are closer to home," AAA said in a statement.

By the numbers: 45.1 million people are projected to travel at least 50 miles from home between May 22 and May 26.

• That's an increase of 1.4 million travelers from last year and surpasses the record 44 million people who traveled in 2005.

Zoom in: "2025 has been a record-breaking year for XNA, and we predict that Memorial Day Weekend will not be any different," Tyler said.

• The number of people going through the airport's TSA checkpoint for the three-day weekend was up 27% from 2022 to 2024 — from almost 8,300 to more than 10,500.

Zoom out: 87% of Memorial Day travelers, or 39.4 million people, are choosing to take road trips this year, per AAA.

• Air travel will increase 2% over last year, at 3.61 million air passengers, but isn't predicted to set a new record.
• 2.08 million people are expected to travel by train, bus or cruise over the holiday weekend.

Our thought bubble, from Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick: Americans keep breaking travel records in the post-pandemic period, either to keep making up for lost time during COVID or, now, to get ahead of potential rising prices over the next few months.

What we're watching: Summertime airfare costs are down.

• Average flight prices dropped 7% year-over-year across more than 100 cities, according to a Tuesday Kayak report.
• For the fourth year in a row, U.S. summer travel to Europe is expected to increase, per a Wednesday Allianz report.

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