Food
06/03
The Oxford American magazine’s restaurant and cultural experience spot South on Main hosts Ethiopian- Israeli soul singer Ester Rada at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 and available in advance through metrotix.com. This is Rada’s first appearance in Little Rock, and the South on Main show is one stop on a 30-plus day tour of the U.S. and Canada in support of her debut full-length, self- tiled album, which was released earlier this year. Doors open at 6 p.m. (and on-site ticket sales begin then, too), and seating is general admission.
Film
05/28
The Arkansas Living Treasures Film Series, a documentary short film project presented by the Arkansas Arts Council and the Historic Arkansas Museum, debuts at the Central Arkansas Library System’s Ron Robinson Theater. The free event begins with a 5:30 p.m. reception, and the shorts start screening at 6:30 p.m. The 11 shorts, produced by the museum’s Arkansas Made team, focus on Arkansas Arts Council-designated “Arkansas Living Treasures,” from chair maker Dallas Bump to fiddle creator Violet Hensley.
Lecture
05/29
The Clinton School of Public Service presents The Jennifer Schuett Case Study at 6 p.m. in the school’s Sturgis Hall. In August 1990, an 8-year-old Schuett was kidnapped, raped and left for dead in Dickinson, Texas. She survived, and in 2009, Schuett’s attacker, North Little Rock resident Dennis Earl Bradford, was charged with the crime. (Bradford hung himself in prison in 2010.) Schuett’s true-life lecture is free, but reserve seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling (501) 683-5239.
Music
05/30 Kickstart the weekend with the Red Dirt-country music of Oklahoma-bred, Texas-based band Jason Boland & the Stragglers at Rev Room. The group, influenced by equal parts Waylon Jennings, Robert Earl Keen and Kid Rock, released their Dark & Dirty Mile album in May 2013, and Jennings’ son, Shooter Jennings, co-produced the record, which entered the Top 40 of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Little Rock act Swampbird open the show with their rock ’n’ roll at 9 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the 18-and-up show.
Run or Dye
05/31 Color runs of all shapes and colors are big events and, with that in mind, welcome the Run or Dye color 5K to the Arkansas State Fair Complex in Little Rock at 9 a.m. Self- proclaimed as “the world’s most colorful 5K,” the run boasts five dye stations and a dye zone. Registration is available at runordye.com for $57 per an individual or $52 per an individual in a team of four runners. Participants are encouraged to run, walk or dance through the course and get showered in safe, plant-based powdered dye at every kilometer.
Cals Con
05/31 Fans of Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Captain America, superheroes, comics and gaming get ready: The Central Arkansas Library System presents its inaugural CALS Con from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Main Library campus. The free event invites participants to dress as their favorite characters and participate in panels, workshops and contests based on popular fandoms. The day also includes board and video game tournaments, and Heroclix and trading card game open play along with a cosplay contest at 4 p.m.
Pride parade
06/01 Teaching tolerance since 2004, the Conway Pride parade and festival returns to Conway for its 11th year. Lineup for the parade begins at 1 p.m. at the “Pink House” at 1605 Robinson Ave., and the parade begins at 2 p.m. with a $100 prize given to the best float this year. Following the parade, food, entertainment and vendors are on-site at Simon Park. Find more information at conwaypride.com. The mission of Conway Pride, according to its website, is to teach tolerance and acceptance of the LGBT community in the South.