re: Headed to Fayetteville for first time.

Dickson is a night time street mostly. Municipal paid parking is all along the streets and in a few parking lots. Payment is via kiosk for the numbered street spaces, and ticket/gate in some of the lots. I believe on a typical gameday as long as you are there at least 2 hours before gametime, you can usually find a spot. Get there around 4 or 4:30 and I'd guarantee a spot. People coming in from surrounding towns are going to go for the south campus parking lots so they can easily hit the road and get back home. If you are visiting and staying the night in town, you don't need that option.

If everything Dickson adjacent is full, look on Spring Street, and up towards the town square, too. It will add a block or two to your walk, but if you are bar hopping or checking out restaurants, it won't matter anyway. The entire downtown area is safe and you should have no problems walking all over it. We don't really have a ghetto here.