THREE RIVERS AREA — Read below to find out what's going on in the Three Rivers area.
THURSDAY
Free Dinner
BATESVILLE — The Southside 4-H Club will host its fourth annual free Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Southside High School Cafeteria. The event is open to the public.
Thanksgiving Dinner
BEEBE — The Beebe First United Methodist Church will host a traditional Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. To attend, call the church office at (501) 882-6427 or Bill Palmisano at (501) 882-9565. Reservations are accepted but are not necessary. Takeout and local delivery orders are available (Beebe/McRae). Transportation can be arranged, if needed, in the Beebe area. This dinner is free to all. The church is at 302 N. Main St.
SATURDAY
Alumni Banquet
TUCKERMAN — The Tuckerman High School Alumni Association Banquet will be held at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria on the high school campus. A social hour will begin at 5 p.m. All graduates and friends are invited to attend. Special guests will be all former homecoming queens for the Tuckerman Bulldogs. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at the door. Reservations are not needed. For more information, call Ruth Jones at (870) 349-5133.
MONDAY
Entergy Presentation
JACKSONVILLE — The Entergy Operations Department will give a presentation to show residents of Foxwood maps of their services and to address any issues they might have. The event will be at 2 p.m. in the Chamber meeting room. Call the Chamber at (501) 982-1511 for more information.
Open House
MAMMOTH SPRING — Ozarka College will hold an open house from 3-6 p.m. at the new Mammoth Spring campus at Fifth and Archer streets.
WEDNESDAY
Photos with Santa
BATESVILLE — The University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville’s Phi Theta Kappa will host photos with Santa from 3-7 p.m. Photos will be taken in the First Year Experience Room in the Main Classroom Building. Proceeds will go toward the PTK Scholarship Fund. The cost will be $1 for a 4-by-6-inch photo or $2 for a 5-by-7-inch photo. Participants will be treated to cookies, drinks and candy canes.
THURSDAY DEC. 2
Ribbon Cutting
JACKSONVILLE — There will be a ribbon cutting for the Chopsticks International Center at 11 a.m. at 201 Main St. in Jacksonville.
Gem Club Meeting
CHEROKEE VILLAGE — The Spring River Gem and Mineral Club will meet at 10 a.m. at the Omaha Center in Cherokee Village. The guest speaker will be club member Albert Lorenzi. He will present a program titled “Three Aspects of the Mineral World: Good, Bad and Ugly.” Lorenzi is director of The Museum of Imagination, one mile south of Arkansas 56 on Arkansas 9 in Brockwell. The museum is currently open by appointment only. Call (870) 895-2087. For more information, call Spring River Gem and Mineral Club President Paul Grindol at (870) 257-5623.
UPCOMING
Pet Portraits
BATESVILLE — The Humane Society of Independence County will host its annual Portraits for Pets, beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4, at the shelter facility at 5 Environmental Drive. Matthews Photography is offering a variety of photo-package choices, as well as Christmas cards, and there is no sitting fee. This is a fundraiser for the Humane Society. Participants don’t have to bring a pet to take advantage of this portrait offer. Call (870) 698-1265 or (870) 613-3045 to book a session.
Decorating Contest
SALEM — The Salem Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a “Decorate Your Business for Christmas” contest again this year. Businesses will be judged Monday, Dec. 6, the same day as the Lights on the Square and the Christmas Parade. Business owners who want to enter the contest need to call Sandra McFarren at (870) 307-4504. A $25 cash prize will be awarded to the winner.
Mountaintop Christmas
MOUNTAIN VIEW — Tickets are on sale for the Ozark Conference Center’s 17th annual Mountaintop Christmas, set for 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 4. Tickets are $32 per person or $240 for a table of eight. To make a reservation, call (501) 354-3959 during business hours Monday through Friday. There will be hot cider and holiday treats at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30.
ONGOING
Toys for Tots
CALICO ROCK — Families may register children — infants through 12 years old — for Toys for Tots from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Calico Rock Food Bank and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday and Tuesday at the Chamber Office on Main Street. Gift bags should be picked up from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Dec. 18, at the Church of Christ Fellowship Hall directly behind the Food Bank on Arkansas 56. Donations for Toys for Tots are still needed. Call (870) 297-4129 for more information.
Santa Shack
CABOT — The 14th annual Santa Shack will be open on weekends from Friday through Thursday, Dec. 23, at the Cabot Walmart. There will be a free candy cane for each child, and photos with Santa will be available. The shack’s hours will be 6-8 p.m. Fridays; 9-11 a.m., noon to 2 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. Saturdays; and 1-3 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Sundays.
Graphic Design Show
SEARCY — The Harding University Department of Art and Design will host “A Show,” a student graphic-design show, through Friday, Dec. 3, in the Stevens Art Gallery. The gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the show is free to the public. The show features senior graphic-design students Jonathan Alexander, Melissa Fabry and Alaster Johnson and their printed media, printmaking and photography design projects, displaying urban solutions to design problems, along with a variety of other works. For more information, call (501) 279-4426.
Art Exhibit
FAIRFIELD BAY — The North Central Arkansas Art Gallery at Indian Hills Country Club in Fairfield Bay is exhibiting artwork of the Palette Art League from Yellville through Monday, Dec. 13. The exhibit includes watercolors, oils, pastels, photography, colored pencils and acrylics. For more information or to purchase a painting, call NCA Art Gallery Exhibit Coordinator Charlotte Rierson at (501) 884-6100 or e-mail chardon@artelco.com. The Palette Art League (PAL), a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1982 in Yellville. The goals of the league are to teach art skills through clinics and symposiums and to inspire the community through exhibits and competitions. For more information on the Palette Art League, visit www.paletteartleague.org.
To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, Three Rivers Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203; fax to (501) 378-3500; or e-mail to jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.