Calendar · What is coming up in NWA
Every item here was checked against the organizer's own page. Filter by category, trade, audience or city. Anything whose date we could not confirm is marked, not quietly presented as fact.
Aug 1, 2026 · First Saturday of the month, morning
Free build-it kit, apron and pin, first Saturday of every month. Kits run out, so get there when it opens.
Aug 3, 2026 · Applications due Aug 3; classes meet Mon/Wed or Tue/Thu, 6 to 9pm
NWTI's two-semester evening HVAC certificate meets two nights a week and ends with the EPA Universal 608 exam. Applications for the fall class are due Aug 3, so this one is for people ready to move now.
Aug 8 to 9, 2026 · Two-day weekend workshop; hours on the registration page
A two-day beginner woodcarving class about 40 minutes east of Rogers. Seats were open in late July, but ESSA's August wood and metals classes were filling, with two already waitlist-only.
Aug 11, 2026 · 11:30am to 2pm
A lunch session on executive decision making and financial fluency at AGC's Fayetteville office, aimed at rising field and office leaders in commercial construction.
Aug 11, 2026 · Application deadline Aug 11; classes start Aug 25, Tue/Thu 6 to 9pm
An evening welding certificate built for people who work days: two nights a week starting Aug 25, with an AWS certification test at the end of each completed year. Applications close Aug 11.
Aug 12, 2026 · Residential Aug 12, Sep 9, Oct 7. Commercial Aug 14, Sep 11, Oct 9. Hearings later each month.
New contractor licenses are approved at monthly board sessions. If you are waiting on a license for a fall job, time your paperwork so it lands on one of these agendas.
Aug 15, 2026 · Morning, times vary by store
Date not yet confirmedFree kids build kit. Lowe's runs these on a national schedule and individual stores opt in, so call your store before you load the kids in the truck.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
Aug 15, 2026 · 16-week session opens Sat Aug 15; most weekday sections first meet the week of Aug 17. Last day to register Aug 21.
The official Fall 2026 calendar lists Aug 15 as the first day of the 16-week session. Missed it? 12-week classes begin Sep 14 and second 8-week classes Oct 12.
Aug 15, 2026 · Morning; volunteer check-in times announced by organizer
Volunteer boat teams spread across Beaver Lake to measure water clarity and collect nutrient samples for the lake's long-term water quality record. A worthwhile morning for anyone whose tap water, dock or lakefront land depends on the lake.
Source pageAug 17, 2026 · 8am to 3:30pm
Full-day work zone course at the AGC office in Fayetteville that ends with flagger certification, covering two-lane and one-way flagging plus pilot car work. Built for crew members with a couple of years of work zone experience; employers can waive the prerequisite. Marked sold out on AGC's site as of Aug 14, 2026.
Aug 18, 2026 · 8am to 4pm
A bilingual, intermediate-to-advanced rigging and crane-signaling class for lift-team members, covering OSHA and ASME standards, taught in Spanish at AGC's Fayetteville office. This replaced the previously listed Authorized Flagger Training class on AGC's Aug 18 calendar slot, the flagger class no longer appears anywhere on AGC's site as of 2026-08-13.
Aug 20, 2026 · Noon to 1pm online; also Sep 17 and Oct 15
A free lunch-hour webinar on water and land topics the third Thursday of each month. Useful background for landowners dealing with ponds, streams, springs or runoff.
Aug 24, 2026 · 31 weeks, two nights a week, 5:30pm to 9:30pm
A 31-week evening program with EPA 608 certification included, built so you can keep working days. Employers: Arkansas Office of Skills Development grants can help cover the cost.
Aug 25 to 29, 2026 · See the fair schedule for daily hours
Note the address. The fairgrounds moved to Prairie Grove, so the old Fayetteville directions still floating around online will send you to the wrong place.
Aug 31, 2026 · Mondays 6 to 9pm, Aug 31 through Dec 14
One semester of Monday nights for $750, the lowest-cost structured welding intro we have found in Northwest Arkansas. No application deadline; NWTI takes students until the class fills.
Sep 8, 2026 · 11:30am to 1:30pm
Free foodAn OSHA-led Lunch & Learn on mental health, workplace stress, and suicide in construction, at AGC's Fayetteville office. Construction has one of the highest suicide rates of any industry, and this kind of session rarely makes the local events calendar.
Sep 9, 2026 · 6 to 8pm
A two-hour evening cleanup at the Chamber Springs river access, with grabbers, gloves and bags provided. Counts as documented volunteer hours, and business or crew teams are welcome.
Source pageSep 12, 2026 · Morning, times vary by store
Date not yet confirmedFree kids build kit. Call your store to confirm they are running it.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
Sep 17, 2026 · 6 to 8:30pm
The Alliance's annual evening at Bunch Park with food, music, a silent auction and updates on projects protecting the region's drinking water source. A direct way to meet the groups working on Beaver Lake and its feeder streams.
Source pageSep 26 to 27, 2026 · Sat 10am to 8pm, Sun 10am to 5pm
Two floors of remodelers, roofers, HVAC and window companies under one roof. Worth going with a list of the three projects you are actually planning, because the value here is comparing bids in one afternoon rather than over three weeks of phone tag.
Sep 26, 2026 · 8am to noon
Free foodShoreline and boat-based litter cleanup on Beaver Lake, followed by lunch, educational booths and a rundown of this year's Secchi Day water quality results. Bring your own boat if you want to work the water side.
Source pageSep 26 to Oct 3, 2026 · Fairgrounds open Fri Sep 25 at 4pm. Entry tags Sep 22 and Sep 24. Exhibit pickup Oct 4, 1pm to 3pm.
If you are entering an exhibit, the tag dates matter more than the fair dates. Entry tags go out Sep 22 and Sep 24, and exhibits come back Oct 4 between 1 and 3.
Sep 30 to Oct 3, 2026 · Multi-day, see organizer schedule
Plan around it if you have work scheduled anywhere near the venue. Traffic and parking in that corridor get difficult for four days.
Source pageOct 13, 2026 · 4 to 6:30 (organizer page prints am; almost certainly pm, confirm)
Free foodThe 225-member beekeeping club closes its year at Agri Park with barbecue, potluck sides, honey and smoker contests, and board elections. An easy way to meet local keepers before you invest in hives.
Oct 13 to 14, 2026 · Two-day program; agenda not yet posted
A two-day program focused on live production, aimed at growers, service techs and integrator staff in the region's biggest ag sector. One of the few poultry education events held right here in Rogers.
Oct 13, 2026 · Conference Oct 13; advisors register Aug 24 through Sep 11
The statewide fall conference where CTE chapters, including NWA high school and technical programs, train chapter officers. A school-day trip from NWA; the spring state conference follows in April in Hot Springs.
Oct 14, 2026 · Registration opens Oct 14; classes run 5:30 to 7:30pm on Nov 4, 11 and 18
NWABA and the library run a free three-night beginning beekeeping course each fall covering hive setup, bee biology and honey harvest. The February session filled, so mark the Oct 14 registration opening if you want in.
Oct 15 to 18, 2026 · Thu to Sat 8am to 5pm, Sun 8am to 4pm
The one weekend a year to find custom ironwork, cabinet hardware and hand-built furniture from makers who do not otherwise have a storefront. Go early on Thursday if you want to actually talk to anyone.
Oct 16 to 17, 2026 · Fri 9am to 9pm, Sat 9am to 8pm
Indoors, free, and it overlaps War Eagle. If you are doing both in one trip, this one is the climate-controlled half.
Oct 17, 2026 · 10am to 2pm
Expert-led stations cover native plant ID, invasive removal and how to replant problem spots in your own yard, and attendees take home free native plants. Landscape pros can pick up Conservation Training Program credit.
Oct 17, 2026 · Morning, times vary by store
Date not yet confirmedFree kids build kit. Call your store to confirm they are running it.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
Nov 1, 2026 · Applications accepted Aug 1 through Nov 1 for spring-semester day programs
Date not yet confirmedMissed fall enrollment? NWTI takes spring applications from Aug 1 to Nov 1 for weekday diploma programs including Welding Technology ($7,850), Automotive Service ($7,545) and Diesel ($9,985). Classes run 8am to 3pm weekdays.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · Rolling, see the listing for the current deadline
Date not yet confirmed$2,500 toward trade school for students entering plumbing, HVAC or electrical. One application, no fee.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · One evening a week, 5 to 9pm, fall and spring semesters
Date not yet confirmedACEF teaches its state-registered electrical apprenticeship one evening a week at the Har-Ber High campus while apprentices log paid hours with their employers. Fall 2026 dates were not posted as of late July.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · Dinner at 6pm when it runs
Date not yet confirmedThe Northwest chapter normally meets the second Thursday of February and October at the Golden Corral on College Avenue, dinner at 6. The October 2026 date is not posted yet, so check before you drive.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · Applications accepted during October; training each January
Date not yet confirmedThe county extension office takes Master Gardener applications in October for the 40-hour training class each January. Call ahead to get on the mailing list so you do not miss the window.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · Build days run most weeks
No experience needed on volunteer days, and it is one of the few places an apprentice can get framing reps without a job on the books.
No fixed date · Morning, first come first served until trees run out; 2026 date not yet announced
Date not yet confirmedThe city hands out free trees and shrubs to residents every October during Tree Week; the 2025 giveaway ran at two sites. Fall is the right planting window here, so a free tree in October beats a bought one in May.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · Noon, second Monday of each month
Date not yet confirmedA free noon webinar series run with the state licensing program, normally the second Monday of each month, with past sessions archived on YouTube. A low-effort way to keep up on code and licensing topics without leaving the shop.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · Apply any time, intake depends on funding
Insulation, air sealing and heating system work at no cost for income-qualifying households. Funding runs in cycles, so the answer depends on when you call.
No fixed date · See the Center for Innovation hours
Laser cutters, a woodshop, 3D printers, a sewing room and a recording studio, free with a card. Classes are required before you can use most of the equipment.
No fixed date · Self-paced, available year round
EPA 608 is federally required to buy or handle refrigerant. ESCO runs the test online and it is the fastest route if your program did not include it.
No fixed date · Learning Labs typically run about two hours on weekday evenings
Date not yet confirmedYou need a short Learning Lab certification class before you can book the library's lasers, CNC and 3D printers, and those classes are on summer break. The fall schedule posts on the library events calendar in August, and laser and CNC sessions have filled fast in past terms.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · Classes begin in August, run through May; register any time
Date not yet confirmedThe registered electrical apprenticeship pairs paid on-the-job hours with classes that start each August: four years to 576 classroom hours and 8,000 OJT hours. New apprentices must be in class within 30 days of starting employment. A plumbing apprenticeship runs on the same model.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · Set items at the curb by 7am on your regular trash day that week; 2026 dates not yet announced
Date not yet confirmedOnce each fall the city hauls off furniture, mattresses and other oversized junk at the curb at no charge for single-family homes. No tires, electronics, hazardous items or Freon appliances, and building material is capped at 2 cubic yards.
Source pageWe could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
No fixed date · See the XNA procurements page for the current bid window
Date not yet confirmedCommercial work over $50,000 in Arkansas requires an active contractor license. Subs should be watching the prime bidder list, not just the solicitation.
We could not confirm this date with the organizer. Check with them before you plan around it.
Longer pieces from The NWA Trade Guide on what is on this page.
The local hiring numbers, against the national trend.
How to post a project or a sub job, at no cost.
Local events, one practical fix, and what changed in the trades this week. No spam, no paid placement.