THE WEEKEND TEN

The top things to do and places to be

— 1 WHEE!

Prepare for music, livestock, rides and fried everything as the Arkansas State Fair opens its gates Friday. This year’s roster of performers will include The Guess Who, Bucky Covington, Joe Diffie and Loverboy. The fair will continue through Oct. 17. Admission is $8, $4 for ages 6-12 and ages 60 and older, $42.95 for the family value pack. Parking is $5. Call (501) 372-8341 or visit arkansasstatefair.com. (See story Page 5E)

2 YUM!

Get a taste of creative, cheesy concoctions at the first World Cheese Dip Championship, presented by Velveeta and Ro-tel, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock. Amateur and professional contestants will compete for the championship titles. Admission is $5 for small samples and $10 if you want larger samples, restaurant discounts and voting rights. Admission is free for children under 12. The event benefits Harmony Health Clinic. Call (501) 993-7502 or visit cheesedip.net.

Also at the ballpark from 6-9 p.m. today is the Festival of Wines to benefit the American Heart Association. Tickets are $60 in advance, $75 at the door. Call (501) 379-1198 or visit american heart.org/lrwinefestivalheartball.

3 WOW!

Aerial acrobatics and skydiving daredevils will make the Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville an exciting place to be this weekend. This year’s Little Rock Air Force Base Air Show, “Thunder Over the Rock,” will include the Golden Knights, Canadian Skyhawks, the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and a host of other performers as well as displays and attractions. The gates will be open 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Admission is free. Call (501) 987-3601 or visit littlerockairshow.com.

4 WHOA!

B.B. King (9:30 p.m. today), Dr. John (10 p.m. Friday) and Taj Mahal (10 p.m. Saturday) headline the 25th annual Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival on five stages along the Mississippi River in Helena-West Helena. The three-day event also features performances by Reba Russell, Paul Thorn, the Kentucky Headhunters, Pinetop Perkins, Michael Burks, Marcia Ball, Anson Funderburg & The Rockets, Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush. Main Stage tickets are $25; other events are free. Call (870) 338-8327 or (870) 338-9144; a complete schedule is available at blue sandheritagefest.com.

5 WOO!

Canadian rock band Nickelback, with special guests Three Days Grace and Buckcherry, will give a concert at 6 p.m. Sunday at North Little Rock’s Verizon Arena, part of an extension of their Dark Horse World Tour. Tickets: $46.50, $59.50 & $69.50 plus handling charges. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster. com.

6 SQUEAL!

Red Octopus Theater’s annual Halloween performance, this year titled Night of the Living Pagans!, goes for blood at 8 p.m. today-Saturday and Oct. 14-16 at the Public Theatre, 616 Center St., Little Rock. Admission is $10, $8 for students, senior citizens and/or anyone in costume. Recommended for mature audiences. Call (501) 291-3896 or (501) 626-0153 or visit redoctopusthe ater.com.

7 PANT!

Two chances for runners of all ages to get some exercise this weekend: The Little Rockers Kids Marathon has its “The Great Lace Up” registration kick-off event, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday. At War Memorial Stadium, children ages 7-12 can register for the kids’ marathon while sampling healthy snacks, trying the Halloween obstacle courses, and listening to music. Registration for the marathon is $20-$25 but kick-off attendance is free. Call (501) 371-4639 or visit littlerockmar athon.com.

Runners can race from The Promenade at Chenal to Wildwood Park for the Arts at the RunWild 5K, 8 a.m. Saturday. Afterward, people and dogs of all ages can participate in the WildFun Family Run 1K through Wildwood’s gardens, then listen to music by Radio Disney’s Rockin’ Road Show, play games and take hayrides to Pumpkin Hill. Participants can park at Wildwood and a shuttle will take them to the starting point at The Promenade. Registration for the 5K is $25 in advance, $30 race day. Registration for the 1K is $10. Wildwood is at 20919 Denny Road. Call (501) 821-7275 or visit wildwoodpark. org.

8 HOOT!

The Natural State Brass Band presents a fall concert with music by Steve Sykes, Goff Richards, William Rimmer, Paul Lovatt-Cooper and Graham Cole, 3 p.m. Sunday at St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Drive. Russell Morris conducts. Admission is free. Call (501) 217-8785 or visit nsbb. org.

9 POP!

The Roaring ’20s, fame, fortune, murder and “All That Jazz” are all on stage as the Weekend Theater, West Seventh and Chester streets, Little Rock, opens the musical Chicago at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Additional performances: 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Oct. 14-16 and 21-23 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17 and 24. Tickets are $18, $14 for students and senior citizens 65 and older. Call (501) 374-3761 or visit weekendtheater.org.

10 HA!

Jerry Van Dyke directs and plays a veteran vaudevillian who hasn’t spoken to his former partner (Jack Iafrate) in the four decades since their acrimonious breakup in Neil Simon’s comedy The Sunshine Boys, 7 p.m. today-Saturday and Oct. 14-15 and 2 p.m. Oct. 16 at the RayLynn Theater, 701 Central Ave., Hot Springs. Tickets are $20. Call (501) 624-7469.

Weekend, Pages 33 on 10/07/2010

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