The Weekend Ten: Top things to do, places to be

— 1 LIONELS It’s the time of year when the William F. Laman Public Library opens its doors to railway enthusiasts of all ages with “All Aboard! Lionels at Laman.” The annual model train exhibit continues on display through Dec. 31. Hours at the library, 2801 Orange St. in North Little Rock, are 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

Call (501) 758-1720.

2 LEGOS Legos and photography combine for some interesting tableaux in “In Pieces.” This exhibit, combining Lego sculptures by Nathan Sawaya and photographic images by Dean West, remains on display at the Clinton Presidential Center until Feb. 1. Center hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $7; $5 for retired military, college students and ages 62 and older; $3 for children 6-17. Admission is free for active U.S. military. Call (501) 374-4242.

3 LAYUP Head out for an evening of dunking, dribbling and passing as the Arkansas Razorbacks basketball team faces off with the Alabama A&M Bulldogs, 7 p.m. Saturday at Verizon Arena. Tickets are $25 plus service charges. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com.

4 LIGHTS Get lost in a garden of colored lights at Garvan Woodland Gardens’ Holiday Lights display, open 5-9 p.m. through Dec. 31.

Seventeen acres of the property are decorated with animated light displays, and visitors are welcome to stroll through, enjoying complimentary hot chocolate as they go. Admission is $10, $5 for children ages 6-12. Golf carts are available for an additional $10. The gardens are at 550 Arkridge Road in Hot Springs. Call (501) 262-9300 or visit garvangardens.org.

5 LAUGHS And speaking of the end of the world as we know it, ImprovLittleRock, poised upon the “night of the Mayan reckoning,” but determined to go out laughing, is putting on two improvisational shows this weekend at Public Theatre, 616 Center St., Little Rock:

At 10 p.m. Friday, Improv-ocalypse!, in which “we dream up all kinds of ways the Mayans could shut this whole Earth party down,” will depend heavily on audience suggestions.

And, should the world continue, at 10 p.m.

Saturday, the troupe will put on its annual Family Christmas show.

Tickets for each are $8. Call (501) 374-7529 (PLAY).

6 LOUNGE Bundle up for a jaunt over the fields at the Pinnacle Mountain State Park Holiday Hayride, 3-5 p.m. Saturday. Stories and hot chocolate around the campfire will follow. Admission is $10, $5 for children ages 6-12 and advance payment is required. Call (501) 868-5806.

7 ‘LOVESICK (BLUES)’ Kayce Glasse, who played Patsy Cline in the original production of Always ... Patsy Cline, will perform her one-woman show, Patsy Cline at Christmastime, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Ouachita Little Theatre, 610 Mena St., Mena.

Tickets are $10, $8 for students and senior citizens 60 and older. Call (479) 243-0186 or visit ouachitalittletheatre.org.

8 LISTEN Performers from the Ovation Music Academy, including violinist Oksana Pavilionis, drummer Slavek Bolubah, pianist-organist Brian Hamby, jazz singers Michelle Smith-Flint and Michelle Young-Hobbs, a group of academy students and Valarie Vigil on saxophone and piano, will give a Christmas concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Royal Theater, 111 S. Market St., Benton. Pavilionis will conduct; the program will range from “Jingle Bell Rock” to the Toccata and Fugue in d minor by J.S. Bach. Tickets are $12, $10 for senior citizens, $5 for children. Call (870) 405-6856.

9 LIBATIONS Friday, as most followers of popular culture or at least popular speculation already know, is, according to some Mayan calendar and/or Nostradamus and maybe the Book of Revelation, supposed to be the day the world ends. (Cue the R.E.M. song, guys.) If you want to go out with a bang, we’ve found a few Friday open-to-the-public end-of-the-world parties, including: A dueling piano End of the World bash, midnight-3 a.m. at Ernie Biggs, 307 President Clinton Ave., in Little Rock’s River Market District. (501) 372-4782.

Regular hours at Dugan’s Irish Pub, Third and Rock streets; no cover. (501) 244-0542.

9 p.m. at Cajun’s Wharf, 2400 Cantrell Road, a danceparty with the band Crisis. $5. (501) 375-5351.

Cregeen’s Irish Pub, 301 Main St. in North Little Rock’s Argenta District. Music and drink and meal specials, including “The Final Round,” an $8 draftand-shot, and “The Last Meal,” $12.99. $5. (501) 376-7468.

And a soberer option: The Little Rock Film Festival’s End of the World Party, 8 p.m. at Lulav, Sixth and Center streets. $30 cover benefits the March 22-24 sister festival Little Rock Horror Picture Show.

10 LOOK And in case the world doesn’t end Friday, you’ll still be on the hook for presents for friends and family. The weekend before Christmas is second only to the day after Thanksgiving for shopping busy-ness.

So remember the season’s slightly adapted golden rule: “Peace in the mall, good will to your fellow shoppers.” “And I heard him exclaim, ’ere he drove out of sight, ‘Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.’”

Weekend, Pages 31 on 12/20/2012

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