It’s 7 p.m. on Friday and you wonder, “What is there to do?” You text your friends and ask them if they want to go out and they agree. It’s now 7:30 p.m. and everyone is in the car ready for a night on the town. However, you guys sit in the car contemplating, “What is there to actually do in Texarkana?” Welcome to small-town college life.
Over the past 2 years, my friends and I have unfortunately discovered that Texarkana is not a college town. With the majority of restaurants closing by 11 p.m. and the town spanning two states, options seem limited. Texarkana seems like one of those retirement towns that is unfortunately placed 1 hour away from Shreveport and approximately 3 hours from DFW. So, what can you do? Welcome to a guide for college students in Texarkana.
Food. Texarkana has a lot of options for different foods. From nationwide businesses to local delicacies, you can find anything you want if you talk to the locals. If you’re looking for restaurants close to the campus that isn’t Sonic or Domino’s, you can try Bubble Tea or Mooyah. There are many options for food both fair priced and expensive. Check out the link to see the top 10 according to Trip Advisor.
Attractions. When it comes to attractions in Texarkana, options are limited. If you’re looking for something that is fun for you and a group of friends, bowling is always a wonderful fallback. There are two bowling alleys here in Texarkana: College Bowl and Holiday Bowl. If you’re on a typical broke college student budget, I suggest College Bowl. If you aren’t really into the bowling scene, there are two trampoline parks: G-Force and iJump. Trampoline parks can be pricey though since you typically pay per hour. There is also the Fun Country Park with attractions like an arcade and go-karts.
Shopping. There are many different opportunities for shopping in Texarkana. Whether it be local businesses or going to the mall, there are a number of options. It really depends on how much money you want to spend and how much you like shopping.
Texarkana has so much untapped potential. There are many hidden gems here that are waiting to be discovered by us. However, I wish you the best of luck in getting there before they close for the evening!