THREE RIVERS AREA — Read below to find out what's going on in the Three Rivers area.
ONGOING
Gallery of Dreams
SEARCY — The ninth annual Christmas Tree Gallery of Dreams is under way at Harding Place, 801 S. Benton in Searcy. Dozens of decorated trees are on display, and refreshments are available. Celebrate the spirit of the season by bringing a gift to place under the tree of your choice. Gifts will benefit the foster children of White County. An open house is held from 5 to 7 each evening Wednesday through Friday, Dec. 10. On Saturday, Dec. 11, an open house will be held from noon to 2 p.m., with a live auction of the Christmas trees starting promptly at 2 p.m. For more information, call Harding Place at (501) 305-3100.
Program Applications
JACKSONVILLE — Community Development for Jacksonville will accept applications for its Financial Literacy Program through Friday. The 12-week program, starts Monday, Jan. 3, covers checking accounts, budgeting and saving money, using credit effectively, loans and homeownership. Class size is limited. For applications or more information, call (501) 982-0026.
Santa Shack
CABOT — The 14th annual Santa Shack will be open on weekends until Christmas and weeknights the week before Christmas 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; 1-3 p.m. and 4-8 p.m. Sundays; and 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 20, through Thursday, Dec. 23.
Graphic Design Show
SEARCY — The Harding University Department of Art and Design will host “A Show,” a student graphic-design show, through Friday 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 exhibit 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 watercolor, oil, pastel, colored pencil and acrylic artwork, as well as photography. 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.
MONDAY
Entry Deadline
POCAHONTAS — The deadline to enter the Randolph County Chamber of Commerce Christmas parade is Monday. The theme is “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” Entry forms are available at the Chamber or the Heritage Museum. The parade will begin at 6 p.m., starting at the First United Methodist Church. Other events are scheduled starting at 4 p.m. in downtown Pocahontas. For more information, call (870) 892-3956.
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.
TUESDAY
Cancer Caps
HEBER SPRINGS — The Cancer Love Caps group will meet for a sew-in, with setup at 9 a.m. at Hope Lutheran Church. Bring a dish to share at lunch. The event will end around 2:30 p.m. Besides the Love Caps, the group will start making quilts and hats for patients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. More machines are always needed. There are all kinds of jobs to do, even for those who don’t sew. Call Jean at (501) 206-0350 or Suzi at (501) 206-8878 for more information.
WEDNESDAY
Photos with Stanta
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.
Tree Lighting
BATESVILLE — The annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will be at 5 p.m. on the steps of Brown Chapel at Lyon College in Batesville. Lyon College President Donald Weatherman will light the Christmas tree, followed by a sing-along, accompanied by the Lyon College Concert Band, directed by Joel Plaag. The public is invited to attend.
THURSDAY
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, located 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 club president Paul Grindol at (870) 257-5623.
FRIDAY
Museum Open
CABOT — The Museum of American History, operated by Cabot Public Schools, will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and by appointment. The museum is downtown in the old post office next to the new Cabot Health Unit.
FRIDAY-SUNDAY DEC. 5
Dinner Theater
FAIRFIELD BAY — Stas’ Productions Dinner Theater will perform Miracle on 34th Street at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 5, at the Indian Hills Country Club. The show is a benefit for the Fairfield Bay Library. Tickets are $25 and may be purchased at the library. Call (501) 884-4930 or (501) 253-4656 for more information.
SATURDAY
Entry Deadline>
CABOT — The entry deadline is Saturday for the Cabot Christmas parade, set for 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 12. Turn in the $10 entry fee and entry form by then. Late entries will be $20. Make checks payable to Cabot City Beautiful, Inc. All fees are nonrefundable. Download forms at www.cabotparks.net. Mail forms and fee to Cabot Christmas Parade, P.O. Box 1101, Cabot, AR 72023. The theme is “An Old-Fashioned Christmas.” In case of rain, the parade will be Sunday, Dec. 19. For more information, call (501) 920-2122.
Pet Portraits
BATESVILLE — The Humane Society of Independence County will host its annual Portraits for Pets, beginning at 10 a.m. 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.
Mountaintop Christmas
MOUNTAIN VIEW — Tickets are on sale for the Ozark Conference Center’s 17th annual Mountaintop Christmas, set for 6 p.m. 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.
Care to Share
SIDNEY — First Baptist Church of Evening Shade, Sidney Baptist Church and Grace Country Church of Sidney have joined efforts to hold Care to Share, a free holiday benefit event. Members of the three churches will donate a wide variety of items, from toys to furniture, clothing and jewelry to home décor and more. These items will be new and/or slightly used and suitable for re-gifting or general use and are free for those who attend. Anyone is welcome to participate. The group will be collecting nonperishable food products at the door to distribute later to local families in need but no admission fee is required. Doors will open at 9 a.m. and hot chocolate and cookies will be served throughout the day. A gift-wrapping service for people who want to pick items for gifts will be available. The event will end at 2 p.m. and will be at Sidney Baptist Church. For more information, contact Karla Rush at (870) 346-5822.
UPCOMING
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.
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.