Holiday happenings

Three Rivers area prepares for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter

Members of the Lyon College Pipe Band are seen in parade formation. The band will be part of the festivities March 16 as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is held in Little Rock and North Little Rock. The parade will begin at 1 p.m.
Members of the Lyon College Pipe Band are seen in parade formation. The band will be part of the festivities March 16 as the St. Patrick’s Day Parade is held in Little Rock and North Little Rock. The parade will begin at 1 p.m.

March is in full swing, and with it comes two holidays gladly celebrated by Three Rivers cities — St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. Whether it’s a mellow shamrock-adorned story hour or the friendly competition of a parkwide Easter egg hunt, there are plenty of events to keep residents of all ages occupied this month. Check out a few of the activities below, or contact your local city hall, library or parks department for more information.

Batesville: Easter by the River, March 23 in Riverside Park, off of Chaney Drive in Batesville. Organized by Shaun Campbell at Sonic, the event goes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to the public. Organizers are prepping more than 25,000 eggs for the event, which will include games and a treasure hunt in the sand pit for kids. Music and food will also be available. The egg hunt will be split into four age groups: 0-2 years old, 3-6 years old, 7-9 years old and 10-12 years old.

Cabot: St. Patrick’s Story Time, March 13 at the Arlene Cherry Memorial Library in Cabot. Be sure to dress the kids in a little green for this holiday-themed story time. The event starts at 10:30 a.m. at 506 N. Grant.

Mountain View: Celtic in the Caverns, March 16 at Blanchard Springs. Sponsored by the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, Celtic in the Caverns is an annual underground concert featuring Irish musicians playing throughout the caverns. Shows start at 2:30 and 4:30 p.m., and tickets are $20 per person. For tickets and more information, contact Dee at (870) 269-8068.

Newport: 29th annual Easter Egg Hunt, 11 a.m. March 23 at Jacksonport State Park. The Easter Bunny will be on hand for pictures with children after they finish the egg hunt, which starts at 11 a.m. The event will be divided by age group, and eggs will be filled with candy and slips for special prizes. Contact the park at (870) 523-2143 for more information.

North Little Rock/Little Rock: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 1 p.m. March 16. It may be in Little Rock, but this central-Arkansas parade has strong representation from Three Rivers with the Lyon College Pipe Band, a Scottish bagpipe band, set to headline the annual parade. The parade kicks off at Third and Rock downtown before moving through the River Market and across the Main Street Bridge into Argenta, ending at Sixth and Main in North Little Rock. This year’s parade benefits the Arkansas Rice Depot, and the public is asked to bring canned food donations, which will be picked up by Rice Depot volunteers along the parade route.

Sidney: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 1 p.m. March 16. This Sharp County town may have a population of less than 200, but that doesn’t stop them from celebrating St. Pat’s each year. Since 1958, the town has celebrated with a downtown parade. The parade will kick off at the Baptist church downtown.

Searcy: 34th annual Easter Egg Hunt, 8:30-10:30 a.m., March 29 at the Searcy Sports Complex. Since 1979, Searcy Parks and Recreation has held a city egg hunt, complete with a visit from the Easter Bunny. The event will also include face painting and prizes for kids who find specially marked eggs. The hunt starts at 9 a.m. at the complex, which is between Queens Way and Higginson Road in Searcy.

Staff writer Emily Van Zandt can be reached at (501) 399-3688 or evanzandt@arkansasonline.com.

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