Fort Smith Metro News Briefs: Student registration change, a Cocoa Crawl, and tourism office opening

Following are news brief items from the Fort Smith metro.

Student Registration
The Fort Smith Public School District is opening new student registration Dec. 1, a month before the state’s school choice window opens.

According to Act 732 of 2025, the school choice window for students who want to transfer within the district or from a different district will open Jan. 1, 2026, and close June 1, 2026.

“We feel FSPS is the best educational option for students in the River Valley area,” FSPS Superintendent Martin Mahan said. “With the new law, however, we want to ensure new students and first-time kindergarteners have the opportunity to register to attend the school located in their attendance zone, if they so choose.”

Before the law change, new Fort Smith students had to wait until February to register to attend FSPS, and students within the district who wanted to transfer to another school within FSPS had to wait until after school started in the fall.

New students who want to participate in early registration can do so beginning Dec. 1 by going to the FSPS enrollment page or visiting their local FSPS school.

The School Choice application will be available Jan. 1 and will be linked on the FSPS website. FSPS elementary students who completed the school choice application in previous years to attend a school outside their residential zone will be notified and will have the option to remain at their current school this upcoming school year.

Cocoa Crawl
Main Street Fort Smith is again hosting the Cocoa Crawl in downtown Fort Smith. The event is set for Saturday, Nov. 29 from 2 to 5 p.m., with more than 30 participating businesses offering free hot cocoa and local shopping. The event also will include a tree lighting.

On Nov. 24, the Cocoa Crawl digital map will be released at the Main Street Fort Smith website and on social media, allowing participants to plan their route and preview each stop.

“We want this event to feel like stepping into a holiday postcard,” said Amanda Hager, executive director of Main Street Fort Smith. “It’s about creating joy, supporting small businesses, and inviting people to experience everything downtown has to offer.”

A tree lighting and live music will be held 5 to 6 p.m. at Cisterna Park in downtown Fort Smith. The lighting event will include performances by the River Valley Community Band, the Western Arkansas Ballet, and local high school choirs performing holiday tunes.

“Thanks to generous sponsors and community partners, there is no cost to participate and cocoa is free at every location,” according to Main Street Fort Smith. “The first 100 attendees will also receive a limited-edition commemorative mug, available at a designated pickup location to be announced with the map.”

Visitor Center Opening
The Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is holding an official grand opening of its new offices. The event will be held 11 a.m., Dec. 9, at 524 Garrison Ave., in downtown Fort Smith. The event will be followed by an open house from Noon to 1 pm.

According to the CVB, the new visitor center will help visitors with trip-planning resources, interactive displays, wayfinding tools, and on-site ambassadors ready to help guests learn more about tourism opportunities in the city.

“We are thrilled to open the doors to a space that truly reflects who Fort Smith is – historic, welcoming, and full of promise,” said Ashleigh Bachert, executive director of the Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This Visitor Center will not only support our growing tourism economy but also serve as a hub for connection, storytelling, and community pride.”

The CVB is managed by the Advertising & Promotions Commission and funded by the city’s lodging tax. The primary role of the CVB is to market the city as a place to visit and a place to host events, conferences, and conventions.

ABB Induction
The Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (E&E) has granted ABB Inc. as the newest Diamond Member of the Natural State Stewardship Program (NSTEP). A ceremony marking the award was held Nov. 13 at ABB’s U.S. Motors and Generators headquarters in Fort Smith.

The NSTEP is the highest tier of E&E’s voluntary stewardship program, which recognizes organizations that commit to moving beyond regulatory compliance to achieve measurable, ambitious sustainability goals.

As a diamond member, ABB commits to ongoing projects that drive quantifiable environmental improvements. Their strategic goals include achieving 100% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and 90% reduction of Scope 3 emissions by 2050.

“The NSTEP program is fundamentally about partnership, and ABB’s dedication to stewardship is exactly the kind of leadership we look to celebrate in the Natural State,” Shane Khoury, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment, said in a statement. “Their commitment, particularly their lower emissions targets and local initiatives like the Boys and Girls Club Garden Project, sets a powerful benchmark for other large manufacturers in Arkansas.”

ABB employs 2,200 in Fort Smith, Jonesboro, and Ozark, and its Fort Smith site produces 1.2 million electric motors annually under the Baldor-Reliance brand.