More music, family events requested in Main Street Fort Smith survey

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by Michael Tilley ([email protected]) ago 198 views 

Input from almost 1,200 survey responses point to a desire for more downtown Fort Smith music and events. The results also give Main Street Fort Smith goals to pursue and “encouragement” that efforts underway are what most people want.

Main Street Fort Smith conducted a community survey between July 14 and Aug. 31, 2025, to “better understand how people use and experience downtown Fort Smith, as well as what they would like to see in the future.” Main Street Fort Smith Executive Director Amanda Hager said they received 1,067 digital responses and 105 paper responses.

She said a big part of pushing the survey is to help set organizational goals for the next three to five years. She said they will likely conduct the survey again in two to three years to track progress and changes in public perceptions about downtown Fort Smith.

Hager said she was encouraged that 87% of respondents said they regularly visit downtown Fort Smith, “which means we are getting that (input) from people who see it, use it and have that experience to give us meaningful feedback.” She also said the survey results gave her confidence that ongoing plans and goals are in the range of what people want.

“It’s great to know that what we are doing is good, it’s working, it’s what the community is looking for, so we don’t need to reinvent the wheel,” Hager said. “We just need to be doing more of it. I don’t know that I expected that or didn’t expect it so much as I found it to be encouraging and interesting that that was kind of the big picture that came out of it.”

BARRIERS AND INCENTIVES
She said survey results reinforce the belief that improving the look of downtown, even facade improvements of buildings that are vacant, will encourage more foot traffic in the downtown.

Amanda Hager

She also hopes the results “encourages the city to maybe take a closer look at reducing any barriers” to downtown development, or even provide incentives for such work. Hager said she shared the results with the Fort Smith Board of Directors, Mayor George McGill, and city staff.

Hager was somewhat surprised by the wide range of support for more live music downtown. Among the 18-24 and 55-64 age groups, more than 70% wanted to see more events and live performances.

“Across all gender and age groups, live music was the No. 1 thing that people wanted more of,” she said. “Events to attend and music performances ranked the highest among genders and all age groups.”

Main Street Fort Smith said the survey results help guide the organization’s 2026-30 work plan. Following are the priorities in that plan, according to the organization.

  • Expanding events, arts programming, and placemaking initiatives that activate downtown
  • Supporting small business growth, including temporary and short-term activation of vacant spaces
  • Continuing the Mini-Grant Program to improve building façades, lighting, and exterior conditions
  • Implementing strategies to improve the visibility and perception of vacant buildings
  • Coordinating with public and private partners to strengthen downtown livability

SURVEY RESULTS
Following are some of the survey results posted Thursday (Jan. 8) by Main Street Fort Smith.

Top reasons for visiting downtown (regular visitors):
Dining: 71.4%
Entertainment: 45.3%
Events and festivals: 42.7%
Socializing and atmosphere: 38.3%
Shopping for fun: 28.5%

Desired activities in downtown (regular visitors):
Live music performances: 69.8%
Movie screenings or a movie theater: 49.4%
Art experiences: 45.5%
Games and interactive activities: 38.7%
Sports-related activities: 35.5%

Business types respondents would like to see more of downtown (regular visitors):
Family entertainment (arcades, escape rooms, mini-golf): 37.5%
Arts and cultural venues: 29.9%
Casual or family restaurants: 29.6%
Breweries, wineries or distilleries: 29.1%
Shared food vendor spaces: 25.3%

Top issues identified (regular visitors):
Homelessness or housing insecurity: 62.2%
Lack of businesses suited to household needs: 42.3%
Vacant storefronts or vacant lots: 34.1%
Buildings in need of rehabilitation: 33.1%
Feeling unsafe or crime concerns: 19.6%

Factors that would make downtown living more desirable (regular visitors):
Greater sense of safety: 60.5%
More things to do, shop and eat: 55.4%
A livelier environment: 37.6%
More basic amenities: 35.1%
More housing options: 33.7%