Startup Crawl 2026: Everything You Need to Know!

One night a year, the Fayetteville Square turns into the front door of the Northwest Arkansas startup scene. On Friday, September 25, 2026, the eighth annual NWA Startup Crawl does it with a beach theme: thirteen stops, unlimited craft beer, food trucks, live music on the Main Stage, and more than 70 startups showing thousands of attendees exactly what they are building.

Launched in 2017 and organized by Startup Junkie, the Crawl has introduced thousands across Northwest Arkansas to the boldest startups and brightest founders in the region. What began as a night of beer and networking has grown into the marquee celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit of NWA. As Executive Director Caleb Talley puts it, “It’s the biggest startup party in the Heartland.”

Date: Friday, September 25, 2026

Time: 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., check-in opens at 5:00 p.m.

Location: Fayetteville Square and the Pryor Center, 1 East Center Street. Watch for check-in signage around the Square.

Admission: Free and open to the public. Beer Passes sold separately.

How the Crawl Works

Start at a check-in station on the Square. You will pick up your Treasure Map, and if you bought a Beer Pass, your Silipint souvenir cup, wristband, and tote bag of swag. From there the route is yours. Every stop pairs a business from around the Square with a local brewery, cidery, or kombucha maker, so you drink your way through the ecosystem one founder at a time.

Inside the Pryor Center, more than 70 startups are spread across the lower floor, with the Resource Pavilion upstairs on the second floor where the entrepreneurial support organizations set up shop.

Outside, startups set up in Chamber Alley on the Town Center plaza, right alongside the Chamber of Fayetteville and Urban Cellar Winery stops. Breweries, food trucks, and live music fill in around the Square.

Beer Passes and the Cup

Two passes, both unlimited pours all night. The Low Tide Sampler Kit pours 6 ounces at a time and runs $20 presale, $25 day of. The High Tide Full Pour Pass gets you 16 ounces and runs $30 presale, $35 day of. Both include a custom Silipint souvenir cup and a tote bag with swag.

Prices go up on event day, so buy early. Bring a valid ID for Beer Pass pickup.

Your Treasure Map, Your Prizes

This year’s passport is the Treasure Map. Collect the official stamp at each stop marked on it. Hit 7 stops and you can claim the 2026 Crawl t-shirt, a different design than the tee for sale at the merch tent, free while supplies last and limited to the first 500 participants. Fill all 13 and you are entered to win $1,500 toward the costs and fees of a custom vacation curated by Fisher & Stout Travel.

Turn in your map on the second floor of the Pryor Center, by the Startup Junkie office, and redeem your prize while supplies last.

Music That Moves the Night

The Main Stage sits on Mountain Street and runs all evening. Malibu Moon opens at 5:00 p.m., Irie Lions follow, and the Memphis Ukulele Band closes the night out. Live music, sunshine, and a cold pour in your hand.

The Route and the Beer

Thirteen stops, thirteen pours:

1. Startup Junkie with Bike Rack Brewing Co.
2. Zenwork with Scarlett Letter
3. Sharp Hue with Hawk Moth Brewing Co.
4. Century Bank with Southern Tail Brewing Co.
5. Acres with Social Project Brewing Co.
6. Big Box Karaoke with Mad Rooster Brewing Co.
7. CurbPage with Rendezvous Junction Brewing Co.
8. Encore Bank with New Province Brewing Co.
9. Bank of Fayetteville with Fayetteville Beer Works
10. Experience Fayetteville with Flyway Brewing Co.
11. Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub with Ozark Beer Co.
12. Chamber of Fayetteville with Stoic Brews Alternative
13. Urban Cellar Winery with Black Howler Beer Co.

The Beer Garden adds Ferm Kombucha (non-alcoholic), Retro, and Bentonville Brewing Co.

Food Around the Square

Refuel between stops with Tasty Waves Co., BeaverTails, Pinchos, KDK’s Soul Kitchen, Taqueria El Jefe, and Sobroso. Trucks are parked around the Square, so eat between sets and pace yourself.

Merch You Can Actually Buy

The limited-edition 2026 Crawl tee is $20 at the merch tent. Once they are gone, they are gone.

Make the Most of the Night

Arrive early to beat the check-in line and start stamping. Bring a valid ID for your Beer Pass. Chart your course between the Square, Chamber Alley, and the Pryor Center so you can meet as many founders as possible. Stay hydrated, grab a bite between sets, and follow @StartupJunkie for last-minute updates.

Thank You, Sponsors

Beer Garden: Bank of America, ACC Capital, and Ritter Communications

Cup: Ox and Chambers Bank

Passport: Wright, Lindsey & Jennings

Shirt: Swarm Aero

Also supported by The Law Group of NWA, Century Bank of the Ozarks, Zenwork, Teslar Software, Trust Tree Legal, P.C., Experience Fayetteville, Acre Hedge, Sage Partners, Encore Bank, Fuel, Kiva, Upstart Thrift, the Startup Junkies Podcast, Natural Threads, Go Rogue Studio, and Product Connections.

Startup Crawl is more than a night out. It is your chance to see, taste, and feel the energy of the Northwest Arkansas startup ecosystem up close. Come for the craft beer, the live music, or the thrill of finding out what is next in NWA innovation. Either way, clear your Friday and ride the wave.

Admission is free, but grab your Beer Pass before prices go up on event day.