Good morning, Fort Smith.

Local restaurants in Fort Smith and the River Valley are open for Thanksgiving Day meals for the 2025 season, with Cracker Barrel in Alma serving a traditional meal from 11 a.m. — Golden Corral in Fort Smith offering a buffet from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Village Inn in Fort Smith featuring a dine-in meal with turkey and sides.

Fort Smith officials approved a street closure for nine streets on Nov.

27 for the Mercy Turkey Run, which will run from 7:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The closure is set to keep the race safe—traffic will be re-routed—so drivers should plan an alternate route.

School District leaders approved a $204,313 engineering contract with a local firm to address flooding issues at Peak Innovation Center (a hands-on learning facility for high school students) in Fort Smith.

Fort Smith Public Schools are opening early enrollment for kindergartners and first-time students in December to secure spots amid expanded school choice options + the district expects to enroll 900 to 1,000 new students in classes capped at 20.

Parents must arrange transport if their child attends a school outside the zoned area.

Greenwood seniors Akira Fujibayashi and Cody Taylor have anchored the Bulldogs’ offensive line this season — Taylor is set to start his 46th game today when the team faces Jonesboro in the Class 6A playoff quarterfinals.

Arkansas-Fort Smith's women lost 75-69 to Arkansas Tech after they led 43-39 at halftime and 30 turnovers hurt their game—Arkansas Tech scored 12 straight points in the fourth quarter.

UAFS will face Southeastern Oklahoma at 1 p.m. Saturday in Durant, Okla.

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith men’s basketball team won 110-41 against Hendrix College on Thursday at the Stubblefield Center as four players tallied double figures for a 69-point margin.

The team will travel at 3 p.m. Wednesday to face Henderson State.

Coach John Calipari said his team made mistakes in rebounding and defense during a close 84-83 win over Winthrop at Walton Arena and he took responsibility for the late game errors.

He said the team will practice hard to fix these issues before they face Duke on Thanksgiving night — aiming to improve their play in every game.

Christmas Honors Wreath-Laying Event

8 a.m. - 11 a.m. — Fort Smith Convention Center — Free entry — Participate in a heartfelt wreath-laying ceremony to commemorate the holiday season.

Hearts of Gold Classic 5K Run/Walk for Project Compassion

3-5 p.m. — Ben Geren Regional Park — Registration details available — Participate in a festive holiday run to support Project Compassion.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux Systems Administrator II Training

Dec 8-11 — Fort Smith Adult Education Center — $1890 — Enhance your Linux skills with this hands-on, expert-led training course.

Velcro Pygmies Live Performance

7:30 PM - 1:30 AM — Majestic Fort Smith — Ticket prices vary — Experience a nostalgic musical journey with the World Famous Velcro Pygmies.

An Evening with Jane Austen

6:30-11 p.m. — Bonneville House — Ticket purchase required — Celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday with a Regency dinner, wine tasting, and dance lessons.

Candlelight Christmas Concert

6:30-8:30 p.m. — United States Marshals Museum — Ticket prices vary — Experience the magic of Christmas Carols performed by strings under candlelight.