April 18
Family Game Night
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will hold a Family Game Night from 5-7 p.m. Games, cards and puzzles will be available, and participants are welcome to bring their favorites. All ages are welcome. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.
Author Visit
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will welcome back Joseph G. Smith from 5-7 p.m. to read excerpts from his recent book, The Crossover: Making Your Biggest Dreams Your Greatest Reality. He will also speak about the motivations for his endeavor with The Ambassador Trek program, a coalition effort to build a school in Malawi, East Africa, and Nicaragua, Central America, and how people can get involved.
April 18-20
Jammers Jamming
VILONIA — The 13th annual Jammers Jamming will continue today through Saturday at Lester Flatt Memorial Park off Arkansas 107 in Vilonia. The event offers fun and music for everyone in the family and is handicap-accessible. For more information, contact Elizabeth Kuykendall at (501) 835-2451 or kuykendallcement@sbcglobal.net, or visit www.lesterflattmemorialpark.com.
Used Book Sale
MORRILTON — The Friends of the Conway County Library of Morrilton will continue its biennial book sale through Saturday in the Southern Christian Home Fullerton Activity Center on Arkansas 95. The sale will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Friday; and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. The books will be sold for 50 cents a pound each day, and on Saturday, books will be $1 a bag. There will be a daily limit. For more information, call the Conway County Library at (501) 354-5204, or contact Pamela Brownlee at (501) 977-2199 or brownlee@uaccm.edu.
April 18 and 21
Community Band Opportunity
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Center for Music Education is seeking volunteer instrumentalists to assist with a community band that will play for the Russellville Adult Education Center’s graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Center for the Arts at Russellville High School. Players should be junior-high-school level and up. The band will play two pieces — “Pomp & Circumstance” for the processional and “With Valor and Honor” for the recessional. There will be two rehearsals: at 7 p.m. today and at 1:15 p.m. Sunday before the ceremony. Music is available to be picked up by anyone who wants to play in the band. Students in service clubs or organizations can receive up to two hours of service credit. To acquire the music or for more information, contact Shirley Faulkner at (479) 264-9107 or info@ac-me.org.
April 19
Graduate Ceremony
MORRILTON — The Conway County School Counts! Foundation will honor its 2013 graduates in a ceremony at 9 a.m. at Morrilton High School. Matt Zimmerman, assistant coach of the Arkansas Razorback men’s basketball team, will be the guest speaker. Zimmerman graduated from Wonderview High School, one of the four Conway County high schools that participate in the School Counts! Initiative. The School Counts! graduates, their parents, area government officials and special guests — eighth-graders from the counties’ schools — will attend.
Meet and Greet
RUSSELLVILLE — Mary Anne Salmon, newly appointed by Gov. Mike Beebe to the Governor’s Council on Arkansas Higher Education, will be the guest speaker for the Pope County Democrats’ Meet and Greet from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Missouri Pacific Depot. The public is invited to attend this informal event to hear Salmon and engage in conversations about current political issues. For more information, contact Jim Kennedy, chair of the Pope County Democrats, at (479) 970-7678; or Susan Easley, chair of the Pope County Democratic Women, at (479) 886-1685.
Kids Run Arkansas
CONWAY — Kids Run Arkansas, a one-mile and three-mile run/walk for children of all ages, will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a run at 6 p.m. in Laurel Park. The event is coordinated by the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center. The cost is $8 per child and includes a goody bag and refreshments. A registration form is available by calling the Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center or visiting www.conwayregional.org/ClassesPrograms. The area school with the highest percentage of children registering for Kids Run will be awarded $300 to use for the school’s physical-education program. For more information, call Amy at (501) 450-9292, ext. 305, or email aroutt@conwayregional.org.
Blood Drive
RUSSELLVILLE — Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center will host an American Red Cross blood drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the annex across the street from the emergency department. For more information, call the medical center at (479) 968-2841, ext. 0.
April 19-21
Production Canceled
MORRILTON — The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton Theatre Department’s spring production, Kindertransport, scheduled for Friday through Sunday, has been canceled. The department hopes to present the production in the fall. For updates and other upcoming special events, visit www.uaccm.edu.
Mountain Man Rendezvous
GREENBRIER — Find out how rugged life was for explorers and trappers in Arkansas in the early 1800s as re-enactors portray the period at the Mountain Man Rendezvous on Friday through Sunday at Woolly Hollow State Park. The event is free and will include demonstrations of crafts, games, survival skills and more. For more information, contact the park at (501) 679-2098 or woollyhollow@arkansas.com.
April 20
The Slobber Knocker
PERRYVILLE — The third annual running of The Slobber Knocker will be Saturday in Perryville. This endurance mountain-bike race offers distances of 75 and 45 miles, with the former being part of the Arkansas Mountain Bike Marathon series and the latter open to all bikers. The race course consists of dirt roads and some pavement. For more information, contact Fred Phillips at (870) 246-6686 or DLTevents@yahoo.com, or visit www.DLTevents.com.
April 21
Jazz Concert
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Department of Music will host its final Jazz Ensembles concert of the semester at 7:30 p.m. in the Snow Fine Arts Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public. The concert will feature three student musical groups: Jazz Ensemble I, Jazz Ensemble II and the UCA Dixieland Band. For more information, contact Larry Jones at (501) 450-5018 or rljones@uca.edu.
April 22
Orchestra Concert
CONWAY — The Hendrix College Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Karen Griebling, will present Fiori Musicali at 7:30 p.m. in Reves Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Griebling at (501) 450-1249 or Griebling@hendrix.edu.
Audubon Society Meeting
CONWAY — The Arkansas River Valley Audubon Society will meet at 7 p.m. at the Faulkner County Library. The program, Exploring the Ivory Billed Woodpecker Controversy Through Film, will be presented by Amanda Wood, a post-doctoral fellow in the Environmental Studies Program at Hendrix College. Guests and visitors are welcome, and refreshments will be served. For more information, emaill coewilson2@att.net or call (501) 208-2264.
Earth Day Celebration
HEBER SPRINGS — Arkansas State University-Heber Springs, a center of ASU-Beebe, will sponsor an Earth Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the ASU-Heber Springs parking lot. The event is free and open to the public. Activities will include face painting, games and seed planting, as well as information available on the Earth and the environment. For more information, contact ASU-Heber Springs at (501) 362-1100, or email jlshapiro@hebersprings.asub.edu.
April 23
Business Seminar
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present Starting a Business in Arkansas from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Arkansas Tech University. This seminar prepares participants for the intensive business-planning process. The workshop includes a how-to New Business Guide and handouts relevant to each attendee’s county licensing requirements. The cost is $30, and veterans may attend free. Registration is required by calling (479) 356-2067.
Bra Art Workshop
CONWAY — The North Faulkner County Extension Homemakers Council will host a bra art workshop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Tommy Lewis Conference Room of the Faulkner County Resource Center Building as part of the Road Runners club’s breast-cancer-awareness project that will end May 30. Everyone is invited attend and decorate a bra or bring one or more they have decorated to enter into the bra-extravaganza contest. Prizes will be awarded following the presentation of the bra project at the Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council state convention June 4-6 in Hot Springs. Supplies will be available, but participants may also bring their own supplies to use and share. Participants are welcome to bring a sack lunch. Free breast-cancer literature will be available.
Wind Ensemble Concert
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Department of Music will host a UCA Wind Ensemble concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall. The concert, which is free and open to the public, should last about an hour. For more information, contact Ricky Brooks at (501) 450-5764 or rickyb@uca.edu.
April 24
Band Concert
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Department of Music will host a band concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall. The concert, free and open to the public, should last about 90 minutes with a brief intermission. The University Band will play first, followed by the Symphonic Band. For more information, contact Brantley Douglas at (501) 450-5022 or bdouglas@uca.edu.
Ongoing
Scholarship Opportunity
MAUMELLE — The Maumelle Newcomers Club is offering a $1,000 scholarship. All residents of Maumelle are eligible to apply, as well as immediate family members of Newcomers Club members. Applicants must have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade-point average and cannot be the recipient of a full scholarship. The scholarship is available to those attending a four-year or two-year institution or an accredited technical college. Graduate and part-time students are also eligible. Applications must be postmarked by April 26 and can be obtained at the Maumelle Public Library or by calling scholarship chairwoman Ann Lewis at (501) 803-3669.
Cherokee Bingo Fundraiser
CONWAY — Cherokee Bingo will be held every Tuesday and Thursday at Bob’s Grill in downtown Conway. Doors will open at 4 p.m. for dinner, with bingo mini packs starting at 6:15 p.m. and main packs starting at 6:45 p.m. Proceeds from the event will go to the University of Central Arkansas Athletic Scholarship Fund.
Senior Wellness Center Volunteers
MAUMELLE — The Maumelle Senior Wellness Center, 550 Edgewood, is a day activity center for senior citizens. The center needs volunteer drivers to take members to medical appointments, as well as van shuttle drivers to transport members to and from the senior center. The center serves lunch daily and needs kitchen volunteers. For more information, call (501) 851-4344 or email pholt@maumelle.org.
Upcoming
Taste of the Valley
RUSSELLVILLE — The 21st annual Taste of the Valley will be held April 25 at the Historic Russellville Depot in the city’s downtown district. This award-winning tasting party will showcase River Valley area restaurants, bakeries, caterers, delicatessens and vineyards. The event will include live music, and food and drinks will be available. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the event. For more information, contact Main Street Russellville at (479) 967-1437 or msrsvl@centurytel.net, or visit www.mainstreetrussellville.com.
Choir Spring Concert
CONWAY — The Hendrix College Choir, under the direction of Nancy Fleming, will present its spring 2013 concert, Music for Royal Occasions, at 7:30 p.m. April 25 in Greene Chapel. The program, which is free and open to the public, will feature four centuries of music composed for British royalty on the occasion of coronations, weddings, funerals and other celebrations. For more information, contact Fleming at (501) 450-1248 or fleming@hendrix.edu.
Journalist, Author Lecture
CONWAY — The Crain-Mailing Center of Jewish Culture at Hendrix College will host journalist and author Dan Raviv at 7 p.m. April 25 in the Worsham Student Performance Hall at the Student Life and Technology Center. The event is free and open to the public. Raviv is a national correspondent for CBS News. Copies of his book Spies of Armageddon: Inside Israel’s Secret Wars, will be available at the event for purchase through Village Books, and a book signing will follow the program. Refreshments will be served. Raviv will be available for photos at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Ellen Kirsch, director of the Crain-Maling Center of Jewish Culture, at (501) 450-4598 or kirsch@hendrix.edu.
Film Festival
CONWAY — The annual UCA Film Festival, featuring films by undergraduate students in digital filmmaking at the University of Central Arkansas, is set for 5:30 p.m. April 26 at the Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall. The screening is free and open to the public. The purpose of the festival is to present the work of UCA students to the community and to provide networking opportunities. The program will be set the week of the festival. For more information, visit www.ucafilm.org, or contact Dull at (501) 852-2377 or jdull@uca.edu.
Aquatic Conservation Camp
RUSSELLVILLE — Lake Dardanelle State Park will offer an Aquatic Conservation Experience Camp on April 26 and 27. This two-day, one-night camp for children ages 10-13 will teach them about the lake and its inhabitants through a variety of activities, including kayaking. The registration fee of $65 includes meals and activities. For more information or to sign up, contact the park at (479) 967-5516 or lakedardanelle@arkansas.com.
Pork Butt Fundraiser
HEBER SPRINGS — The Rotary Club of Heber Springs will smoke Boston pork butts April 26 in the Eagle Bank Main Street parking lot. To place an order, call Lewis Haller’s office at (501) 362-6018 or contact any Rotarian. The price is $35, and pickup will be from 7:30-9:30 a.m. April 27. Proceeds will support scholarships and community projects.
Springfest
HEBER SPRINGS — An art and photography walk will kick off Springfest in Heber Springs on April 26, with more activities planned for April 27. There will be crafters, children’s activities, gardening information and food. For more information, contact Melisa Gardner at (501) 362-2444 or chamber@heber-springs.com, or visit www.heber-springs.com.
Bloomin’ in the Bay
FAIRFIELD BAY — Bloomin’ in the Bay will be held from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. April 27 at Ed Leamon Park, 522 Dave Creek Parkway. The event will feature the Van Buren County Master Gardeners’ annual plant sale from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. In addition to plants, vendors will sell garden-related items and Japanese maple trees. Admission is free. For more information, call Eleanor Hilsenrath at (501) 884-3884. Bloomin’ in the Bay will also include live folk music, puppeteers, arts, crafts, children’s activities and a dinner and concert featuring Still on the Hill. For more information, contact Erin Taylor at (501) 813-7155 or email erin@taylormack.com.
Party in the Park
RUSSELLVILLE — The Party in the Park will offer music, food, art and more on April 27 at Russellville City Park on B Street near Knoxville. There is no admission fee. For more information, contact Betty LaGrone at (479) 968-2452 or chamber@russellville.org.
Fashion Show
RUSSELLVILLE — A spring mother-daughter fashion show and tea will be held at 2 p.m. April 28 in the First United Methodist Church Family Hall, 304 S. Commerce. Intergenerational models (grandmothers, mothers and children) will wear spring and summer fashions. A high tea with finger sandwiches, savory snacks and scones will be served. Joann Hays will be the narrator. Admission is a $10 donation, which will be used for United Methodist Women mission projects. Guests will be eligible to win door prizes. For ticket information, call Joann Hays at (479) 968-6562.
The Wizard of Oz
LESLIE — The Wizard of Oz Young Performers’ Edition will be presented at 7 p.m. May 4 at the Ozark Heritage Arts Center. The youth of the Conway Dinner Theater will be featured. The show is presented by the Conway Dinner Theater in association with the Faulkner Academy of Arts and the Greater Searcy County Chamber of Commerce. Tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children 10 and younger. Tickets will be available at the door while they last, or for advance tickets or more information, call (870) 448-2557.
Health Fair
CONWAY — The Conway Human Development Center Health Fair will be held from 8 a.m. to noon May 8 in the center’s gymnasium, 150 E. Siebenmorgen Road. The event will offer free health screenings for fasting cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure and pulse, body-mass index and fibromyalgia, as well as prostate and breast exams and cardiac assessment. Lunch will be available for $5, and proceeds will go to Special Olympics. An American Red Cross blood drive will be held in conjunction with the fair, and the Air Evac Lifeteam helicopter will land. For more information, contact Diann Jones at (501) 329-6851, ext. 288 or ext. 267.
Hershey Track and Field Meet
RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department will hold the local Hershey Track and Field Meet at 10 a.m. May 11 at the Russellville High School track. Registration will begin at 9 a.m. This is a free event for boys and girls ages 9 to 14. Entry forms are available at the Hughes Center or online at www.russellvillearkansas.org. For more information, call (501) 968-1272.
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 email to rvonews@arkansasonline.com. Deadlines for calendar-item submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.