Alma Combines Best of Both Worlds
Alma Combines Best of Both Worlds
Alma offers its residents the best of both worlds – small town life with big city benefits, according to Bryan Huff, president of the board of the Alma Area Chamber of Commerce.
“ We’ re a small town,” Huff said,“ but we’ re close to everything. All of the amenities of large cities are very close to you, but you still get to stay in a small town where everybody knows everybody.”
Alma mayor Jim Fincher, who took office in January 2023, shares that opinion. Alma residents are close to several major medical centers in Fort Smith and northwest Arkansas and within a short driving distance of Tulsa or Dallas, he said. Outdoor recreation options are plentiful to Alma residents, he said, including golf courses; biking and hiking trails; disc golf courses; rivers and lakes with swimming, boating and fishing areas; and public parks with an abundance of green space.
“ Like most small, rural communities, we don’ t have a lot of industry,” Fincher said of Alma, which had a population of 5,850 residents as of 2021. Instead, Alma boasts a large number of small manufacturing and trucking companies, he said.
That doesn’ t mean Alma has no plans to expand offerings in the near future, however. Plans are underway to bring a new coffee company to Alma, Fincher said, as well as an indoor food truck venue. The city has also spent $ 2 million to improve the downtown Alma area, Fincher said.
“ The main thing( the Alma Chamber is) focusing on is the revitalization of Alma’ s downtown district,” Huff said. The city has added trees to the downtown space in an effort to entice people to come visit, he said.
The chamber has several events planned for downtown Alma in the coming months, Huff said. These new events would be in addition to the monthly farmers market and the chamber’ s role in Alma’ s Fourth of July, Halloween Booth Fest and Christmas parade events.
The largest current employer in Alma – the second largest city in Crawford County – is the Alma School District, Fincher said, praising the school as“ outstanding.”
The Shannon and Ted Skokos Performing Arts Center is another of Alma’ s features and a source of pride for Fincher, who served as president of the PAC for 18 years prior to becoming mayor. The PAC was created by the Alma Education and Arts Foundation, he said. The venue brings in five to 10 national performers each year, as well as providing a stage for a variety of local performers.
Proceeds from events held at the PAC fund Alma Education and Arts Foundation scholarships. The PAC awarded $ 100,000 in scholarships last year and more than $ 1 million since its opening, Fincher said. That money can help make local dreams come true on a much bigger stage. One Alma graduate, Chad Burris, who performed at the PAC while in high school now performs on Broadway, Fincher said.
Huff joined the mayor in praising the PAC.
“ It’ s wonderful. When it was built, it was ahead of its time, and it keeps getting better,” Huff said.“( New PAC executive director Chuck King) is envisioning some new things the Performing Arts Center can bring to the community that are not confined to being indoors.”
Another attraction is the Alma Aquatic Park, which features a large swimming pool, diving boards, several slides, a climbing wall, a covered wading pool, a“ beach” pool, splash pad and concessions area. The water park sits inside Alma City Park, which also features picnic areas, playgrounds, walking trails and pavilions.
Alma has several other community parks. Lake Alma Park has just more than four miles of walking trails of varying degrees of difficulty, as well as a new mountain-bike trail, Fincher said. Huff was particularly excited about the recent addition of the mountain-bike trail.
“ That is bringing a lot of visitors in,” Huff said.“ It’ s going to be a neat thing to watch in the next few years.”
Christello Park has a paved, flat walking trail“ for older folks like me,” Fincher joked.
And of course, Popeye Park in
Alma Chamber BRYAN HUFF
Alma Mayor JIM FINCHER
downtown Alma is home to the famous Popeye statue. The statue once stood in front of the Allen Canning plant until it closed. The town of Crystal City, Texas, now bears the name“ Spinach Capital of the World,” but the Popeye statue remains a uniquely Alma attraction.
“ It’ s amazing,” Fincher said of the famous statue.“ I work right across the street. A lot of people with license plates from all over stop and take pictures of that statue.
“ Our quality of life is really good,” Fincher said about living in Alma.
almaarkansas. gov
Population: 5,997
City Hall 804 Fayetteville Ave Alma, AR 72921 479-632-4110
Crawford County District Court 804 Fayetteville Ave Alma, AR 72921 479-632-4170
Alma Public Library 624 Fayetteville Ave Alma, AR 72921 479-632-4140 Senior Center: 248 Collum Ln E Alma, AR 72921 479-632-3535
Police Department: 479-632-3333
Fire Department: 479-651-3126
Utility Department: 479-632-2254
14 • 2025 ALMA AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE GUIDE