this week’s EVENTS

LITTLE ROCK — ONGOING Tax-Return Preparation BRYANT - Free preparation of tax returns, including free e-filing, will be offered from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays at an AARP Tax-Aide site at Park Place Baptist Church, 22208 Interstate 30. To make an appointment, call Larry at (501) 303-6829. Walk-ins will be welcome but will be served after those with appointments.

Young Arkansas Artists Exhibition BENTON - A representation of the creative efforts of Arkansas artists in grades K-12 will be on display through April 20 at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library. The works are award winners from the 50th annual Young Arkansas Ar tists Competition and Exhibition conducted at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock and feature four Saline County artists. The display is open during regular library hours.

For more information, call (501) 778-4766.

TODAY Cajun Feast BENTON - The annual Benton Area Chamber of Commerce Cajun Feast will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Christian Life Center. The menu will include Cajun food, and for an extra price, 2 pounds of crawfish can be purchased. Advance tickets are $10 per person, and $20 with crawfish.

Tickets will be $12.50 at the door, but crawfish must be ordered in advance. For more information, contact the chamber at (501) 315-8272.

Creative Writing BRYANT - Jennifer Watson will teach creative writing for ages 16 and older at 6 p.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library.

No registration is required.For more information, call (501) 847-2166.

Rives Sisters Opening Reception ARKADELPHIA - An opening reception for artists Veda and Meda Rives will be held at 7 p.m. today in the Hammons Galler y of O BU ’s Mabee Fine Arts Center. Ouachita Baptist University’s Visual Arts Department is hosting the artists’ guest exhibit, “Confluence, Divergence, Concurrence,” through April 13. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Exhibits are also available on evenings when other School of Fine Arts events take place. For more information, contact Donnie Copeland at copelandd@obu.edu or (870) 245-5559.

TODAY AND FRIDAY BOWFIRE Concert H OT S P R I N G S V I L L AG E - The Hot Springs Village Concerts Association will close its 20th Anniversary Season with performances of BOWFIRE at 7:30 p.m. today and Fridayat the Woodlands Auditorium. BOWFIRE presents a show of fiddle and violin artists performing music that includes jazz, classical, bluegrass, Celtic, rock, gypsy and Texas swing. For more information, call Mary Ann Mueller at (501) 922-1277.

FRIDAY Deadline to Order Smoked Meats MALVERN - Friday is the deadline to place orders in St. Paul United Methodist Church’s smoked-meat sale. The church will smoke 14- to 16-pound Petit Jean hams and 7- to 9-pound turkey breasts. Whole hams are $50, and half hams are $28. Turkey breasts are $40 whole and $20 for half. Pickup time will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 6. To place orders, call (501) 337-7364. The United Methodist Women will also have a bake sale April 6 from 9 a.m. until all items are sold.

Golf Tournament BENTON - The Boys and Girls Club of Saline County Golf Tournament will begin with a morning tee off at 8 a.m. at the Longhills Golf Course. The afternoon tee off will begin at 1 p.m. For registration information, call Deena Johnson at (501) 315-8100.

Habitat Youth United Sleepout Event BENTON - The Youth United group from Habitat for Humanity of Saline County will hold the fourth annual Sleepout on the Courthouse Lawn, beginning at 6 p.m. Friday. The event will be the kickoff to Act! Speak! Build! Week, held Sunday through April 7. The cost to attend is $15. Ages 13 through 25 are encouraged to attend. For more information, visit www.habitatsalinecountyar.org.

SATURDAY Pancake Breakfast ARKADELPHIA - The Arkadelphia Lions Club will hold its semiannual pancake breakfast from 7:30-10:30 a.m. at the CADE/Senior Center. Tickets can be purchased at the door or from any Arkadelphia Lions Club member. Proceeds are used to help the visually impaired or other charitable causes.

SUNDAY Bridge Caravan BENTON - The Saline Crossing Regional Park and Recreation Area Inc. will hold a caravan to the Old River Bridge at 2 p.m. The tour will begin from the old Saline County airport behindHolland Chapel Missionary Baptist Church on Airlane Drive. The public is invited to view the second-oldest bridge in Arkansas, circa 1891. For more information, call Lynn Moore at (501) 778-8661.

MONDAY Book Club Meeting B RYA N T - T he M o nday Afternoon Book Club will meet at 1 p.m. at the Mabel Boswell Memorial Library to discuss the club’s chosen title. The group is open to adults 18 and older. For more information, call (501) 847-2166.

Monday with the Master Gardeners BENTON - The Saline County Master Gardeners will meet at 6:30 p.m. at the Bob Herzfeld Memorial Library. Presenter Sherry Faulkner will discuss “ Vegetable Gardening in Small Areas.” The program is open to the public. For more information, call (501) 778-4766.

TUESDAY Historical Association Meeting ARKADELPHIA - The Clark County Historical Association will meet at 11:30 a.m. atWestern Sizzlin’ restaurant. The program, which will begin at noon, will feature Civil War author Joe Walker, talking about his new book, which details the Battle of Jenkins Ferry. Visitors are welcome to attend.

UPCOMING Kelly Miller Brothers Circus Shows MALVERN - The Malvern Area Kiwanis Club and the Malvern Moose Lodge will host the Kelly Miller Brothers Circus on April 6. The shows will be at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. at the Malvern Moose Lodge, 2365 U.S. 67 S. Proceeds from the event will benefit various service projects for area children. For more information, call Susan at (501) 337-6422.

Parkinson Disease Association Fundraiser HOT SPRINGS - The Arkansas Chapter of the American Parkinson Disease Association will hold the chapter’s annual silent auction from 5-8 p.m. April 6 at The Regency Banquet Room, 714 Central Ave. Each year, the Arkansas Chapter of APDA holds the auction to kick off Parkinson Disease Awareness Month. Proceeds from the auction will be used to operate the Arkansas office and20 Parkinson’s support groups throughout the state. Items for auction will include work by local and regional artists, entertainment packages, hotel stays and more. Refreshments will be provided by T he Regency.

Banquet Featuring Gus Malzahn HOT SPRINGS - Gus Malzahn, the new head football coach at Arkansas State University, will be the keynote speaker at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes banquet at 6 p.m. April 27 at the Hot Springs Convention Center. The event will raise money to support FCA in its ministry to youth in south-central Arkansas. For more information or to attend the banquet, be a sponsor or table host, or play in the FCA golf tournament, call Angie Heaton at (501) 318-7740 or email aheaton@fca.org.

To submit a school or community event for the Tri-Lakes Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, Tri-Lakes Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203; fax to (501) 378-3500; or email to tlnews@arkansasonline.com. Deadlines for calendaritem submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.