RIVER VALLEY and OZARK AREA — Read below to find out what's happening in the River Valley and Ozark area.
TODAY
Grand Opening
HEBER SPRINGS — The grand opening of the Heber Springs Community Center will be at 3 p.m. There will be an official ribbon cutting, live entertainment and a special presentation to the mayor.
Church Bazaar
PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN — The Saint Elizabeth Church Bazaar will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. near the foot of Petit Jean Mountain. There will be a spaghetti dinner from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 7 to 12. Children 6 and younger may eat free. There will be bingo, a silent auction, a bake sale, a kiddie land and games for all ages. Call (501) 354-0631 for more information.
MONDAY
Reservation Deadline
MAUMELLE — A Newcomers luncheon will be Thursday, Sept. 23, at the Maumelle Country Club. There will be a fashion show featuring clothes from the Fashion Corner. Lunch will be served at 11:30 a.m., and the cost is $13. Reservations must be made by Monday by calling Lilliana MacPhee at (501) 851-8337.
TUESDAY
Teachers Meeting
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Retired Teachers Association will meet at 2:30 p.m. in the Activity Center of Conway First Baptist Church. The speaker, state Rep. Linda Tyler, D-Conway, will address the topic “Race to the Top: Are Our Children Winning the Race?” All retirees from any position in education are invited to attend.
Book Discussion
MORRILTON — The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton will host the first book discussion session using the book Belle in the Slouch Hat by Mimi Mathis at 7 p.m. in the UACCM Fine Arts Auditorium. The program will begin with a presentation by UACCM history instructor Gary Battershell on Quantrill’s raiders, who played an integral part in the book. This program is a joint endeavor of the E. Allen Gordon Library at UACCM and the Conway County Library. Book discussion groups will be held Tuesday and Tuesday, Oct. 19, and the program will end on Tuesday, Nov. 16, with a presentation by the author on her book and how she was encouraged to write it. Three discussion groups will be led by Joe Arn, retired professor from the University of Central Arkansas; Jeff Whittingham, associate professor at UCA; and Jay Carter, Conway County Library director. A replica leather “Slouch” has been donated and will be given away Tuesday, Nov. 16, during the author’s appearance. To be eligible to win, an individual must have been present on all three evenings. The Gordon Library and the Conway County Library still have copies of the book. For more information, call UACCM Librarian Leroy Gattin at (501) 977-2033.
Wednesday
DDG Trio
CONWAY — The DDG Trio will perform at 7:30 p.m. in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. The performance is free and open to the public. For more information about the DDG Trio’s performance or master class, call (501) 450-5769 or e-mail lduso@uca.edu.
WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY
Swap Meet
PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN — Antique-auto enthusiasts will return to Petit Jean Mountain for the 13th annual Fall Antique Auto Swap Meet. Hundreds of antique, classic and special-interest automobiles will be featured for sale. In addition, more than 600 spaces are available for parts, supplies, books, memorabilia and numerous other hobby-related items. There will also be a section for arts and crafts and flea-market items. The Military Vehicle Rally will feature more than 50 restored vehicles of all sizes. Also, driving and individual activities will be conducted Friday and Saturday. All activities are open to the public, and admission is free. Proceeds from the event will support The Museum of Automobiles, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. For more information, call The Museum of Automobiles at (501) 727-5427 or visit www.museumofautos.com.
THURSDAY
Mars Lecture
CONWAY — Peter Smith will present “The Next Phase of Martian Exploration: The Search for Life” at 5 p.m. in the Mills Social Science Center Room B at Hendrix College. The lecture is open to the public. A reception will follow in the Mills Library. The program is sponsored by the Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar Program. Smith, a professor at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, was awarded the American Geographical Society’s prestigious Cullum Geographical Medal and NASA’s Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal and has participated in many of NASA’s space missions. His association with Mars began in 1993 when NASA accepted his camera proposal for the Pathfinder mission. He was principal investigator of the Phoenix mission, which landed a spacecraft on Mars in the spring of 2008 and whose cameras have relayed more than 25,000 pictures.
SATURDAY
Gospel Concert
CONWAY — Greater Fellowship Ministries of Conway will present “The Meeting of the Minds” gospel concert at 6 p.m. at the James H. Clark Auditorium at Conway High School. The event will feature the University of Arkansas Inspirational Singers of Fayetteville and several other Arkansas state colleges’ gospel choirs, local church choirs and praise teams. Tickets are $3 in advance and $5 at the door. Children 10 and younger will be admitted free. For more information, call (501) 329-6517 or (501) 804-6300.
Craft Fair
GREENBRIER — The sixth annual Greenbrier Arts and Crafts Fair will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the City Event Center in Greenbrier. There will be a variety of vendors, door prizes and activities for kids. Come shop for seasonal decorations, jewelry, wall art, home-baked goods, candles and more. Admission is $1. For more information, call (501) 679-6362 or e-mail gcec@cyberback.com.
To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, River Valley & Ozark Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203; fax to (501) 378-3500; or e-mail to czilk@arkansasonline.com.