LITTLE ROCK — April is the month when even stranger things happen than flying saucers. Books fly off the shelf. Rabbits are on the fly with colored eggs.
And fools spring the old rubber-fly-in the-soup trick again (only in Arkansas this time of year, it’s probably a real fly).
1 April Fools’ Day, National Poetry Month.
Her name was Joy Buzzer, And his - X. Ray Glasses;
He gave her a squirt flower, made several passes;
But she took a powder That itched, which she threw, And said, “Looks like this time “The joke is on you.”
COS’ AND EFFECT
Bill Cosby, 3 p.m. at Robinson Center Music Hall. Call (800) 745-3000.
TOFU OR NOT TO FU?
2 Soyfood Month. Wok, don’t run. Tempeh fugit.
3 Straw Hat Month, National
Decorating Month, National Stress Awareness Month. A tip o’ the topper, a window-shade shopper, a tax write-off whopper.
WHEREFORE ARTS
Booker Prize-winning poet Michael Ondaatje, 7:30 p.m. at Staples Auditorium, Hendrix College, Conway. Details at hendrix.edu/hendrixmurphy. Call (501) 450-4597.
“garage Sale Queen” Kandy Jones class on “Finding Your Creative Niche,” 6-8 p.m. at the Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock. Details at arkarts.
com. Call (501) 372-4000.
NEEDLE-DEE-DEE
4 February is National Embroidery
Month and September is National Sewing Month, but April is the crewelest month.
Bids by the Bridge silent auction, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Clinton School of Public Service, Little Rock, benefits a variety of public service projects. Call (501) 683-5239.
THE FORK BROUGHT IT
5 Empty Bowls restaurant sampler
and auction, 6-9 p.m. at the Arkansas Foodbank warehouse in Little Rock, benefits the hunger relief agency. Details at arkansasfoodbank.org. Call (501) 569-4317.
I GAVE (AS GOOD AS I GOT) AT THE OFFICE
6 Workplace Conflict Awareness
Month.
Next Fall through April 7, 13-14and 20-21 at the Weekend Theater, downtown Little Rock. Details at weekendtheater.org. Call (501) 374-3761.
7 April’s birthstone is the diamond,
and the flower for April is the: (A) Diamond Lilly; (B) Fool’s onion; or (C) Whoops - a daisy.
Answer
at April 24.
8 Easter.
Community Easter Sunrise Service, 7 a.m. at Riverfront Park, downtown Little Rock, sponsored by Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church. Call (501) 664-3600.
LUCKY RABBIT’S FETE
The Easter Rabbit sometimes hides his eggs too well. Those that aren’t found turn into Easter egg-hs!, among other reasons to watch where you hop:
Easter eegs!: jelly beans stepped on barefoot.
Easter gees!: The Burns Park geese leave surprises in the grass.
Easter ex: the egg-hiding rabbit’s bitter ex-wife on the go, leaving behind rumors that not all the other bunnies in his life were chocolate.
9 Jazz Appreciation Month,
Confederate History Month, Car Care Month. Riffs, Rebs, revs.
I DON’T KNOW WHY YOU SAY GOODBYE
10 Paul McCartney’s release of a solo album, 1970, signals the breakup of The Beatles.
SPLOT NEWS COVERAGE
11 National Cheese Fondue Day and point of etiquette: If a bite slips off the fork, into your lap, be ready to respond with discreet elegance:
Say, “Speaking of fondue, it seems I have dropped the subject.”
The rule of retrieving the fallen morsel is: Do it yourself, or the dogwill do it for you.
Smile at misfortune. Say, “Cheese!”
WORD PROCESSORS
12 Arkansas Literary Festival through April 15, various venues in downtown Little Rock’s River Market district, with Kevin Brockmeier (The Illumination), Roy Blount Jr. (Alphabetter Juice) and Mad magazine artist Peter Kuper among dozens of authors and performers. Details at arkansasliteraryfestival.org. Call (501) 918-3009.
HIGH BROWSE
How to celebrate National Library Week: all on the same page.
SWAMP PEOPLE
Ragin’ Cajun Bash, 6 p.m. at the River Market pavilions, downtown Little Rock, benefits Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute (CARTI).
Details at carti.com. Call (501) 296-3406.
WILL THE REAL MARTIAN PLEASE STAND UP?
13 Ozark UFO Conference through April 15 at the Inn of the Ozarks, Eureka Springs, with author Mike Bara (The Secret History of NASA) and past-life regressionist Dolores Cannon. Details at ozarkufo.
com. Call (479) 586-3246
THIS LITTLE PIG RAN WEE-WEE-WEE
Hogskin Holidays and pig races in Hampton, with the alligator-hunting Elizabeth Choate from the TV series Swamp People. Details at hogskin-holidays.com. Call (870) 798-2100.
SPURS ON
Fort Smith Heritage Festival, music and historical recreations re-creations through April 14 at several venues including the Fort Smith Museum of History, benefits Community Services Clearinghouse. Details at csclearinghouse.org.cq Call (479) 782-5074.
PIPES UP
Arkansas Scottish Festival, music, drumming and sheepdogs, through April 15 at Lyon College, Batesville. Details at lyon.edu/scotfest. Call (870) 307-7473.
PANELS DISCUSSION
“Nate Powell: Cross Sections Sections,” exhibit of comic art by the artist and writer of the Eisner Award-winning Swallow Me Whole, through June 3 at Historic Arkansas Museum, downtown Little Rock. Reception, 5-8 p.m. April 13. Details at historicarkansas.org. Call (501) 324-9351.
TRACK AND FIELD
14 Cotton Belt Historical Society’s Railroadiana Show and Sale of train relics and model trains, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Arkansas Railroad Museum, Pine Bluff.
Call (870) 535-8819. cq
Car and Truck Show, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Goodsell Truck Accessories, Jacksonville, benefits the Jacksonville Boys & Girls Club. Call (501) 982-2245.
ROCK ON
Central Arkansas Gem, Mineral and Geology Society swap meet, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Elder Johnson Pavilion, Burns Park, North Little Rock. Call (501) 868-4553.
BURIED TREASURE
Dutch oven workshop, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Plantation Agriculture Museum, Scott. Call (501) 961-1409.
DON’T TAKE ANY WOODEN NICKELS
15 National Coin Week.
Events include the Central Arkansas Coin Club’s exhibit of old and new currencies, 6 p.m.
April 19 at Parkway Place Baptist Church, Little Rock. Details at money.org. Call (501) 868-9085.
NUTS AND NUTSOS
16 National Pecan Month, National Humor Month and what’s so funny about a pecan: Instead of cracking wise, it’s wisely cracked.
ENDING ON A NOTE
Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concert,
Grand Finale,
7 p.m. at the Clinton Presidential Center.
Details at arkansassymphony.org.
Call (501) 666-1761.
IT’S THAT POPPINS WOMAN!
17 Musical Mary Poppins through April 22 at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. Details at waltonartscenter.org. Call (479) 443-5600.
“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” - Mary Poppins
MARY POPPINS PROVED WRONG
State and federal income tax pay-up-or-else day.
ALL YOU WANNA DO IS RIDE AROUND, PAULIE
18 American revolutionary Paul Revere mounts up for his famous ride, 1775, and gallops away crying: (A) “The British are coming!” (B) “The British are charming!” or (C) “Downton Abbey is on!”
Answer at April 29.
CAM, SAW AND CONQUERED
19 Corvette Weekend through April 21 in Hot Springs. Events include a sports car parade through downtown Hot Springs at 4 p.m. April 20.
Details at centralarkcc.com. Call (501) 321-2835. Chamber Music Society concert with pianist and composer Michael Brown, 7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall, Little Rock.
Details at chambermusiclr.com.
Call (501) 661-0520.
SPLAT!
How to celebrate Fresh Florida Tomato Month: being careful not to call tennis racket swinging Florida resident Venus Williams a fresh Florida tomato.
TOMATO RED
20 Red Hat Society Anniversary Tea and decorated high-heel shoe contest, 1-3 p.m. at the Patrick Hays Senior Center, North Little Rock. Call (501) 945-5658.
FRESH-PICKED PICASSOS
Young Artists Exhibition through May 27, and National Drawing Invitational: New York, Singular Drawings through July 15 at the Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock. Details at arkarts.com. Call (501) 372-4000.
WON’T BACK DOWN
21 Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 7:30 p.m. at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Call (800) 745-3000.
BLUE WHO
Blues on the River with Clarence Carter and Bigg Robb,
3 p.m. start at the Riverfest Amphitheatre, downtown Little Rock. Details at koky.com. Call (501) 401-0200.
COMPACT PARKING
Arkansas Model Championship - the scale-model car kind, not the Kate Moss kind - and car show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Pulaski Technical College, Little Rock.
Call (501) 772-1483.
Artworks auction of donated paintings and other creations, 6:30 p.m. at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Little Rock. Details at therep.org. Call (501) 378-0405.
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE
22 Earth Day.
CAKES AND ALE
23 William Shakespeare’s birthday, 1564.
“With mirth and laughter, let old wrinkles come.” - Shakespeare
DAGWOOD BUMSTEAD CALLS HIS DOG ...
24 Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer true, quiz answer: (C) The namesake flower of Daisy Duke, Daisy Duck, Daisy Mae and the BB gun slogan that struck fear into the heart of every crow that ever roosted on a fence post, “It’s a Daisy!”
BEET THAT
Little Rock Farmers Market opens for the season, 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays through October at the River Market downtown. Details rivermarket.info. Call (501) 375-2552.
25 Administrative Professionals Day - because nobody would do this kind of work as a hobby.
WOULDN’T MIND A LITTLE NIP
Science After Dark program, “Itsy-Bitsy, Teeny-Weeny” grown-up program about micro-science with a cash bar, 6 p.m. at the Museum of Discovery, downtown Little Rock. Details at museumofdiscovery.org. Call (501) 396-7050.
LOGGED AND NOTED
26 National Card and Letter Writing Month asks three questions in the age of e-mail:
Card?
Letter?
Writing?
Royal Players’ The Fantastics though April 29 and May 3-6 at the Royal Theatre, Benton. Details at royalplayers.com. Call (501) 315-5483.
CLOSET DRAMA
27 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe through May 13 at the Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre, Little Rock. Call (501) 372-4000.
The Arkansas Choral Society, University of Arkansas at Monticello Concert Choir and members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra join to perform Haydn’s “The Creation,” 6:30 p.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, Little Rock. Details at lovetosing.org. Call (501) 376-8484.
Glen Campbel
l, 8 p.m.
April 27 and 28 at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. Call (479) 443-5600.
TWO-TWO MUCH
28 How to celebrate Couple Appreciation Month
:
with a table for two, his-and hers Dos Equis and a toast to that pair that everybody is the most happy to see - matching socks.
29 Revered history quiz answer: (A) “The British are coming!” - one if by land, two if by Virgin Airlines.
TISKET-A-CASKET
Mount Holly Cemetery Picnic, 5-7 p.m. with the Quapaw Brass Quintet at Little Rock’s historic graveyard. Call (501) 664-2626.
CAJUN CONFLATION
30 The United States buys Louisiana Territory (in the Louisiana Purchase) from France, 1803, under terms that exclude the secret recipe for Tabasco Sauce.
Louisiana admission day, 1812. Arkansas’ neighbor to the south admits that everybody is up to the middle in alligators, and it’s time to drain the swamp.
Coming next month: May! Call (501) 399-3633, write to Ron Wolfe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 121 E. Capitol Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or e-mail
by April 15 to suggest May calendar entries or how to celebrate National Tap Dance Day, May 25, such as: Live tappily ever after. Each event requires a phone number that is answered during business hours, or by an answering machine that identifies the event or its sponsor.
Style, Pages 27 on 03/27/2012