LITTLE ROCK — A roundup of Memorial Day Weekend festivals around the state:
American Idol winner Kris Allen will headline an open-air concert at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Watts Field, Exit 116, Interstate 30, Benton. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the gate. It’s part of Saline Summer Daze, 3 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday-Sunday. The festival also features a carnival midway; admission is free. Call (877) 837-6616 or (501) 315-8272 or visit ben tonchamber.com.
The Hot Springs Music Festival opens its 15th season, titled “Raising the Bar,” at 6:45 p.m. Sunday with a brass fanfare on the terrace of the Arlington Hotel, Central Avenue and Fountain Street, Hot Springs. A chamber music concert, featuring the Mana Saxophone Quartet, the festival’s 2010 ensemble-inresidence, will follow at 7:30 p.m. in the hotel ballroom;tickets are $10.
Highlights of the festival, which runs through June 12 at various downtown Hot Springs venues, include a complete performance of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s ballet The Nutcracker on June 3; Johannes Brahms’ A German Requiem featuring the world premiere of Festival Chorus Director Laura Rosenberg’s new English-language text June 6; and the closing-night concert, which will feature the U.S. premiere of Lithuanian composer Mindaugas Piecaitis’ CATcerto, with, via YouTube, Nora the Piano-Playing Cat as soloist.
Tickets are $5-$15 depending on the event; festival passes are $125. Call (501) 623-4763; a complete schedule is available at ho tmusic.org.
Gillett’s Heritage Days Festival celebrates the town’s history with contests, tournaments, oldfashioned games and Civil War re-enactors, 8 a.m. Saturday in Menard Heritage Park. Admission is free. Call (870) 548-2541 or visit gil lettcivicgroup.com.
Nashville holds its annual Dinosaur Festival, with music, tournaments and carnival games, Friday-Saturday in Nashville City Park. Admission is $2 and many individual activities have fees. Call (870) 845-7405.
The Fulton County Homecoming Festival will include a dance, music, parade, contests and a 5K run,Friday-Saturday in Salem. Call (870) 895-5565.
Mount Ida’s Good Ole Days festival Friday-Saturday includes arts and crafts, music and a car and motorcycle show. Admission is free. Call (870) 867-2723 or visit mtidachamber.com.
FLW Outdoors Expo comes to Hot Springs with Ranger boat simulators, interactive games and activities. Doors open 5-9 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the Hot Springs Convention Center, 134 Convention Blvd. Admission is free. (501) 372-5100.
Rumble in the Rock is an Irish Football Tournament presented by Cregeen’s Irish Pub. Along with demonstrations, booths and vendors, the games will take place at the Burns Park Soccer Complex, North Little Rock, 9 a.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Call (501) 868-7622.
Weekend, Pages 34 on 05/27/2010