July 8
Retirement Ceremony
CONWAY — A retirement ceremony for Conway Fire Chief Bart Castleberry will be held at 6 p.m. Monday at New Life Church, 633 S. Country Club. Castleberry will retire Friday after 32 1/2 years of service, including serving as chief for 20 years. For more information, call Amy Springer at (501) 450-6143.
July 11
Newcomers Meeting
HEBER SPRINGS — The Cleburne County Newcomers Club in Heber Springs will meet at 10 a.m. at First Electric on Industrial Road. Local attorney Melanie Grayson will present a program about mentoring with The CALL. Everybody is welcome to attend. For more information, call Sandy at (501) 362-5344.
Children’s Musical Theatre
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Center for Music Education will host a Children’s Musical Theatre program for children ages 7-14 from 4-6 p.m. Thursdays, beginning this week. The group will perform at The Granny Awards on Aug. 3. For more information or to register, contact Shirley Faulkner at info@ac-me.org or call (479) 264-9107.
AARP Trip Deadline
MAUMELLE — Reservations are due Thursday for Maumelle AARP Chapter 5359’s trip to the Choctaw Casino in Pocola, Okla. The July 20 trip will be a fundraiser for the chapter. The group will leave Maumelle at 8 a.m. and return at 7:30 p.m. The cost is $20. Call (501) 851-6826 for more details or to make a reservation. Send the fee and registration form to Away We Go!, Betty Hall, 116 Montpellier Drive, Maumelle, AR 72113. Make checks payable to Maumelle AARP Chapter 5359.
July 12-13
Guy Peachfest
GUY — The second annual Guy Peachfest will be held Friday and Saturday at Guy City Park. Activities will include a beauty pageant, a 5K run/walk, a parade, a classic car show, a horseshoe tournament, a peach cook-off, a poker run, vendor booths, concessions, a rodeo and live music. The festival will begin Friday afternoon and conclude Saturday night with the Fireworks Finale. For more information, contact Wendy Grimes at (501) 679-4585, email cityofguy@windstream.net, or visit guypeachfest.com.
July 13
Summer Supper, Silent Auction
WILBURN — The Wilburn Friends and Family Relay for Life Team will have a Summer Supper and Silent Auction from 5-7 p.m. at Friendship Community Church on Dry Mountain Road between Wilburn and Ida. This is a fundraiser to benefit Relay for Life. Donations will be accepted. For more information, call Danita Hayes at (501) 206-2505 or Dorothy Ball at (501) 206-7308.
Ongoing
Book Bag Sale
HEBER SPRINGS — Cleburne County Friends of the Library will host a Book Bag Sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday and Saturday in July at 2255 Arkansas 25B N. All proceeds will benefit the Cleburne County Library.
FAST Summer Programs
CONWAY — The Conway Regional Therapy Center’s summer FAST program continues at the Hendrix Wellness and Athletic Center. The program is designed to help young athletes, grades 3 through college, improve their skills. Sessions that have not yet begun are as follows: Total Athlete session B, July 15 to Aug. 9, for grade 7 through college; and Movement Skills Session B, Tuesday and Thursday, July 16 to Aug. 8, for grades 3-6. For details, visit www.conwayregional.org/fast or call (501) 269-4041.
Beekeepers Meeting
RUSSELLVILLE — The River Valley Beekeepers meet at 6:30 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Western Sizzilin’. Anyone interested in beekeeping is invited to attend.
Upcoming
High School Fishing World Finals
RUSSELLVILLE — High school bass anglers from across the nation will converge on Russellville and Lake Dardanelle on July 15-20 to compete in the High School Fishing World Finals tournament. Prospective participants can register online at highschoolfishing.org. For more information about The Bass Federation, visit bassfederation.com or call (580) 765-9031. The visitors center at Lake Dardanelle State Park will be the host site for the tournament.
Southern Gospel Quartet Singing
HEBER SPRINGS —The 41st annual Bud Magness Memorial Southern Gospel Quartet Singing will be held July 19 and 20 on the stage of the Spring Park Amphitheater. Several groups will perform in the free concerts that begin at 7 p.m. each day. For more information, call Chris Bennett at (501) 825-0395, email info@nhimtrio.com, or visit nhimtrio.com.
Senior Softball League
RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Senior Softball League will have registration from 6-8 p.m. July 22 and 23 at the Russellville Hughes Center. This is the eighth fall season for the league. Participants must be at least 49 years old. The fee is $35 per person. The first play date is Aug. 13. For more information, contact Charles Lemley at (479) 970-5248.
9 to 5: The Musical
LESLIE — 9 to 5: The Musical will take the stage at the Ozark Heritage Arts Center in Leslie at 7 p.m. July 27. The show will be 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. All proceeds will go to nonprofit organizations. For more information, call (870) 448-2557.
Cardboard Boat Races
HEBER SPRINGS — The 27th annual World Championship Cardboard Boat Races will be held July 27 at Sandy Beach on Greers Ferry Lake. Awards will be given for the most elaborate and fastest boats and the best team spirit. There will be a Titanic Award for the most dramatic sinking. Parking will cost $5. For more information, contact Melisa Gardner at (501) 362-2444 or chamber@heber-springs.com, or visit www.heber-springs.com.
Bargains Galore on 64
More than 160 miles of yard sales and flea markets will line U.S. 64 across and beyond the River Valley & Ozark Edition coverage area on Aug. 8-10. The sale will extend from Fort Smith to the west to Beebe in the east, with sellers in cities such as Russellville, Atkins, Morrilton, Conway and Vilonia participating in between. Bargains Galore on 64 will feature antiques, collectibles and other knickknacks. For more information, call (501) 796-2534, email bargainson64@centurytel.net, or visit www.bargainsgaloreon64.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 email to rvonews@arkansasonline.com. Deadlines for calendar-item submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.