Written by Laurie Marshall

When we moved to Springdale eight years ago we did so primarily because we were able to get a lot of house for our money compared to surrounding cities. Our two-year-old son was still sleeping in a crib in the master bedroom, and I knew the odds of my pre-teen daughters agreeing to sharing a room again were not much higher than my being asked to star on Broadway. Before that time, I was a Fayetteville girl and Springdale was a town I drove through on my way to somewhere else, never a destination. But I soon learned that of all the cities in Northwest Arkansas, it is most definitely the one with the most local color.

Over the years, the strong manufacturing and agriculture history of Springdale’s business community has made Springdale a mecca for individuals who have come here from outside the United States to work in those industries. Many Central and South American countries and most of the states in Mexico are represented here. Springdale is also home to the largest population of Marshallese people citizens of the actual Marshall Islands themselves.

Now, I like to eat good food. And I like to post images on Instagram of the good food I eat. Living in a diverse community, it has been a treat to have access to markets full of products I can’t pronounce and am not sure how to cook with, and to restaurants that serve foods that I don’t know how to cook. There are at least a dozen different taquerias in Springdale, and two bakeries that I know of. El Progresso Bakery is just down the street from me, and they’re one of my favorite stops for a baked treat.

I do love a slice of New York style cheesecake, but in terms of donuts and cakes, I prefer Mexican pastries to American-made ones because they are less sweet. They tend to be more dense as well, and are so lovely to look at! Our fancy cupcakes don’t have anything on their giant pastries.

When you enter El Progresso, the first thing to do is grab a tray and a pair of tongs. I wander around looking at all of the items in their glass-front cases before choosing. (TIP: There is plenty of Instagram fodder !!) There are muffins, slices of cake, giant cookies with colored sprinkles, a number of different turnovers full of gooey stuff, and – apparently, a pastry that pays homage to Star Trek by being shaped like the Star Fleet patch. Well, maybe not… but I like to think so. I might be a nerd.

El Progresso also sell whole cakes, sandwiches, drinks and occasionally some produce – I picked up a huge bag of jalapeños when I stopped in this morning. I also love to bring home a dozen of their homemade tamales when they have them available. They are huge, and I am happy to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their refrigerated cases are full of cakes that I believe are traditional flans decorated with whipped cream icing and fresh fruit. I need to come up with a reason to buy one. Or maybe I don’t need a reason.

Things are changing in Springdale, and some old ideas about the kind of community that it should be are starting to slip into the past. I am proud to be a part of what looks like a bright – and very colorful – future in my town.

Laurie is a writer and junque-hunter living in Springdale, Arkansas with her husband, son and three goofy cats. She raises kids and chickens and makes messes in her craft room. She loves to create good food, pretty gardens, and happy kids. But when that doesn’t happen as planned, she simply reads about them on Pinterest. You can follow Laurie at See Laurie Write.