The Harvest Hustle 5K and Fun Run was held for the first time this October and drew close to 120 runners, walkers and rollers. It raised money for Special Olympics Arkansas, with Race Wizard, Ember Mountain Coffee and the Walmart Neighborhood Market as sponsors. The same week's Pea Ridge Times column also reported that construction was finished on a new gravel trail behind that same Neighborhood Market.
Both pieces of news came from Joshua Johnson, the city's active transportation coordinator, who writes the weekly "Strolling & Rolling" column. Pea Ridge has been building its walking and biking culture in an unusual order. The meetups, the routes and a bike workshop came first. Off-street trail is now being built to connect them.
A 12-foot strip of gravel between Carr and Weston
The Pea Ridge Times reported on Oct. 21 that work had started on the north side of the Walmart property between Weston and Carr streets. Johnson told the paper the segment would start out as a 12-foot-wide gravel trail. By Oct. 28 his column called it complete. The path gives walkers and riders a route without cars that runs straight from Carr Street to Weston Street.
Weston Street is home to City Hall at 975 Weston St., the starting point for both the Wednesday morning meet-up and the December 5K. On the other side of Weston, the path continues between the ball fields and Discover Church. The city is designing an engineered crosswalk on Weston Street to make that crossing safe. For now, crossing Weston is still an ordinary street crossing.
The segment is short, but it's part of a longer plan. According to the Pea Ridge Times, it belongs to a trail meant to cross the city from east to west and eventually connect the trails at Baker-Hayes Park to It'll Do Road.
The plan behind it was adopted the same month
The council made the bigger picture official in October. Johnson's Oct. 21 column reported that the City Council had adopted the Active Transportation Master Plan Ordinance. He was clear about its limits. "While this is not an overnight fix, it establishes the essential blueprint, priorities and groundwork required to design and build safer sidewalks, trails and bikeways as our city grows," he wrote.
In September, the Pea Ridge Times announced a public engagement meeting on the plan for the evening of Sept. 22 at The Garage, 190 Smith St. That address comes up again and again in Pea Ridge's walking and biking calendar.
The gravel connector was finished just weeks after that plan was adopted. Most of the activity is still happening on regular streets and park paths, on a fixed weekly schedule.
The calendar came first
The city's weekly group walks, runs and rides are free and open to everyone. After daylight saving time ended, Johnson's Nov. 4 column listed the current schedule.
| Day and time | Event | Starts from | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, 6 a.m. | Morning Meet-Up | City Hall, 975 Weston St. | All paces, 2-mile or 5K options |
| Wednesday, 9 a.m. | Community & Veterans Walk | Pea Ridge City Park, paved path | A steady 45-minute walk on the park loop |
| Thursday, 10 a.m. | Morning Town Tour | The Garage, 190 Smith St. | A relaxed daytime ride around town |
| Sunday, 4 p.m. | Evening Town Tour | Carr Street Park | A casual 40- to 50-minute no-drop ride, any bike |
The Sunday ride is the one that changed. In October it left Carr Street Park at 5 p.m. It now starts at 4 p.m., which Johnson said would "make the most of the daylight following the time change." He has also invited suggestions on the 6 a.m. Wednesday start, in case another morning time works better for more people.
The same column announced that there would be no Community & Veterans Walk on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day. City Park is at 2344 Hayden Rd., and the city lists its hours as 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
The Garage holds the whole thing together
The Garage at 190 Smith St. is where the Thursday Town Tour starts. It's also the city's DIY bike shop. On the city's Active Transportation page, you can book time there to use the tools and repair stands, and the coordinator is available if you need advice.
The same page has several more ways to get out:
- Bike and gravel routes from City Hall. A curated set of routes starts at City Hall, each with a description and a difficulty rating. Some go as far as Bentonville and Rogers.
- Rural routes from the Baker Hayes trailhead. These explore the countryside around Pea Ridge and are listed under the "Respect Rural Roads" program.
- Running the Ridge. This Facebook group is where local runners share runs and organize group outings.
For trail updates and group ride announcements, the Nov. 4 column points to the Pea Ridge Mobility Alliance on Facebook and Instagram.
Riding in the early dark
With the Sunday ride now finishing near dusk and the Wednesday meet-up leaving at 6 a.m., visibility matters on both ends of the week. Johnson's Nov. 4 column offered these reminders for the shorter days:
- Wear high-visibility or reflective outer layers and clip-on safety lights, whether you're running, walking the dog or riding.
- Ride with a bright white front headlight and a red rear light or reflector.
- Use marked crosswalks where they exist and make eye contact with drivers before stepping into a travel lane.
- Assume drivers may not see you at twilight.
The Weston Street crossing at the new connector is a good place to follow the last two. The engineered crosswalk there is still in design.
Dec. 19 starts at City Hall
The season's biggest event is the 3rd Annual Jingle All the Way 5K and Fun Run on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 8 a.m. at Pea Ridge City Hall, 975 Weston St. The entry fee is kept low and paired with a donation. Each runner and walker is asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy or a non-perishable food item. The Loaves n' Fishes Food Pantry in Pea Ridge will distribute everything collected, with a goal of serving 400 local families before Christmas.
According to the registration page, packet pickup and donation drop-off are at The Garage, 190 Smith St., on Thursday, Dec. 17, and Friday, Dec. 18, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Every finisher gets a participation medal. Medals also go to the top three in each age category for men and women and to the overall top three, plus an award for best dressed. The organizers suggest ugly sweaters, Santa suits, elves and reindeer. Donations can also be dropped off on race morning.
Questions about the race, the weekly rides or route ideas go to Joshua Johnson at [email protected].
If the new connector behind the Neighborhood Market is part of your route now, or you're thinking about where you'd like to live in relation to Pea Ridge's growing trail plans, I'm happy to talk through how these routes fit into everyday life here. With Amanda Gainey, the details are handled. Let's Work Together.
