April 23
Extension Homemakers Clubs Luncheon Fundraiser
PERRYVILLE — The Perry County Extension Homemakers Clubs will present a luncheon fundraiser in the Perry County Fairgrounds Multi-Purpose Building. Guest speaker Janet Carson, extension horticulture specialist with the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture Research and Extension, will present In the Garden: What to Do to Make Your Garden Shine. A light lunch will include taco-in-a-bag, dessert and a drink for $10. Lunch will be served at 10:30 a.m., followed by the program at 11:30. The event is open to the public. To reserve a ticket, call the Perry County Extension office at (501) 889-2661. Tickets can be paid for at the door. The event will support the Extension Homemakers Clubs of Perry County and local Master Gardeners programs.
April 23 and 24
The Heritage Quilt Show
HEBER SPRINGS — The Daisy Patch Quilters will host the Heritage Quilt Show from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday in the Education and Commercial buildings at the Cleburne County Fairgrounds on Bittle Road. Quilts are being accepted; there is a limit of three quilts per person. There will be prizes for Best of Show and Viewers’ Choice. Quilts must be delivered to the fairgrounds from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the show is $5, but there is no charge for displaying quilts or entering the contest. A heritage quilt will be raffled, and many door prizes will awarded. For more information, call Gerry Shipley at (501) 589-2300.
Historical Museum Event
PERRYVILLE — The Perry County Historical Museum will be open from 1-6 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday as part of Fourche River Days. The museum will have a quilt display and old-fashioned games and stories, along with a video of the history of Perry County. The Smith Boys will present a demonstration on blacksmithing. Baked potatoes with all the fixings will be available for purchase.
April 24-26
Shrek the Musical
RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville High School Cyclone Theatre at The Center for the Arts will present Shrek the Musical at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. Sunday. The musical is based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek, which portrays an ogre who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey, a feisty princess and others. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and can be purchased at the door or by calling The Center for the Arts box office at (479) 498-6600.
April 25
STAND Spring Bling Fundraiser
CONWAY — Stand Together And No Drugs will hold a fundraising event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Conway Adult Education Center, 125 Center St. The STAND Spring Bling will include bounce houses for kids, pony rides, free food, music, games, a silent auction and vendor booths. Donations will be accepted. For more information, call Sannecia Davis at (501) 838-6058.
Mount Vernon Cemetery Cleanup, Decoration Day
MOUNT VERNON — The Mount Vernon Community Cemetery will hold its annual spring cleanup and decoration day from 8 a.m. to noon. A potluck lunch will be served at noon at the community center. Those who have friends or loved ones buried in the cemetery are encouraged to take part in the activities. Anyone who cannot attend but would like to make a donation for the cemetery’s upkeep my mail donations to Bonnie Caldwell, 126 Shoemaker Circle, Conway, AR 72032. In case of rain, the cleanup will be held May 9.
Tornado-Anniversary Event
MAYFLOWER — The Interfaith and Partners Disaster Recovery Alliance will hold a tornado-anniversary event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Mayflower City Park to remember the loss and celebrate recovery, following an EF4-rated tornado that struck the area, including Faulkner County, on April 27, 2014, killing 12 people in the county, including three in Mayflower. The event will include special music, free food and drink, activities for children, special guests and a prayer. For more information, contact the Interfaith and Partners Disaster Recovery office at (501) 205-6873.
April 26
Council on Aging Annual Sunday Lunch
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Council on Aging will hold its 26th annual Sunday lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ola and John Hawks Senior Wellness and Activity Center, 705 E. Siebenmorgen Road. The menu includes chicken and dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls, cheesecake and a choice of drinks. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for children ages 4-12. Children 3 and younger may eat free. Carryout meals will be available. Tickets are on sale at the activity center and will be sold at the door. For more information, call (501) 327-1122 or visit www.fcseniors.com.
April 27
Tornado-Anniversary Reception
VILONIA — The city of Vilonia will hold a tornado-anniversary reception from 7-9 p.m. in the Vilonia High School Cafeteria. The event will include a memorial for who lost their lives in the April 27, 2014, storms, and first responders will be honored. Also included will be recovery highlights from the past year and a presentation of the Vilonia Plan developed by Rebuild Vilonia. Speakers will include Mayor James Firestone; Jim Youngquist, executive director of the Institute for Economic Advancement; Marty Knight, chairman of Rebuild Vilonia; and Steve Luoni, executive director of the University of Arkansas Community Design Center. For more information, contact Kira Livingston at Kira.Livingston@capdd.org.
April 28
QuickBooks Payroll Workshop
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present a hands-on QuickBooks Payroll workshop from 9 a.m. to noon at Arkansas Tech University. Participants will learn to use the payroll features in QuickBooks accounting software. Topics include tracking employee time, issuing paychecks, paying liabilities and producing payroll reports. A computer will be provided for each participant during this interactive session. The cost is $65 per person. Registration is required by calling (479) 356-2067 or visiting asbtdc.org/training/russellville-events.
Conway Men’s Chorus Spring Sing 2015
CONWAY — The Conway Men’s Chorus will present its 17th annual Spring Sing concert with a wide variety of music, including songs of faith, songs of spirit and songs of fun. The free concert will begin at 7 p.m. in Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and parking is free. The 55-plus-member group is under the direction of Sam Huskey, with assistant directors Jordan Bennett and Greg Murry, and piano accompanist Paul Bradley. Conway High School’s girls group The Accidentals will open for the chorus. For more information, contact Mike McCullars at (501) 327-5151, email info@conwaymenschorus.org, or visit www.conwaymenschorus.org.
Ongoing
Love Cap Group
HEBER SPRINGS — The Love Cap group meets to sew caps on the fourth Wednesday of each month at First Baptist Church. For more information, call Polly at (501) 206-0808.
Friends of the Library Book Shop
HEBER SPRINGS — The Friends of the Library Book Shop, 2255 Arkansas 25B N., is open from 3:30-7 p.m. Mondays, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays. The shop offers a large selection of books at bargain prices. All proceeds from the shop benefit the libraries in Cleburne County.
Cherokee Bingo
CONWAY — Cherokee Bingo begins at 6:15 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at Helton’s Wrecker Service/U-Haul, 710 S. Harkrider St. All proceeds go to the Helton-Osburn-Spencer Scholarship Fund at the University of Central Arkansas.
Morning Movers Class
MAUMELLE — The Morning Movers class is offered from 8:15-9 a.m. Monday through Thursday at the Maumelle Senior Wellness Center, 550 Edgewood Drive, Suite 400. For more information, call (501) 851-4344.
TeamKID
MAUMELLE — Southern Hills Baptist Fellowship and JumpZone have teamed up to offer a free children’s program, TeamKID, for first- through sixth-graders. The program is held at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday at the JumpZone building. For more information, call (501) 851-7729 or visit www.south
ernhillsbaptist.tv.
Midday Manna
CONWAY — A Bible lecture and luncheon led by Wanda Landers takes place from 11:45 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Woodland Heights Baptist Church, 4215 Prince St. Lunch, including a drink and dessert, is served for $5. For child care by reservation, call (501) 329-0001.
Tea Party Meeting
HEBER SPRINGS — Arkansas’ We the People Tea Party of Cleburne County meets at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of every month at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, 1101C W. Main St. Various issues are discussed. For more information, call Marlin Schwartz at (847) 977-5261.
Upcoming
Wampus Cat Wellness Expo
CONWAY — Physical-education teachers in the Conway School District will host the Wampus Cat Wellness Expo from 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 30 at Buzz Bolding Arena, 2300 Prince St. The event will include a bounce house, an obstacle course, a Conway Fire Department truck, and live music from Matthew Huff, a former Conway elementary-school teacher. Other activities will include a petting zoo, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission fish tank and almost 50 vendor booths, most of which are interactive. Admission is free, but some items, such as T-shirts, will be sold. Proceeds from the T-shirts will benefit physical education programs, and some vendors give a percentage of proceeds to the schools. For more information, email Brad Cowger at cowgerb@conwayschools.net.
Native Plants Program
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Historical Society will hold its annual program for the community at 6 p.m. April 30 at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 W. Tyler St. The guest speaker will be naturalist and retired biology teacher Shirley Pratt, who will talk about Native Plants in Faulkner County.
Civil War MarkerDedication
PLUMERVILLE — An Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial historical marker commemorating Conway County in the Civil War and the death of John Clayton will be dedicated at 2 p.m. May 1 at the Plumerville Cemetery. University of Central Arkansas professor Kenneth Barnes, author of Who Killed John Clayton?: Political Violence and the Emergence of the New South, 1863-1891, will be the featured speaker at the ceremony. Mark Christ, community outreach director for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, and board member Tommy Dupree will also speak. For more information, call Bill Plummer at (501) 208-2882.
Relay for Life Fundraiser
PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN — The Petit Jean Mountain Extension Homemakers Relay for Life team will host a walk to raise money for the American Cancer Society from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 1. Participants will meet at the picnic area of Pavilion A in Petit Jean State Park. Team members and volunteers will walk trails in the park area for donations. The relay cookout for walkers and volunteers will begin at 4:30 p.m. To donate to the Relay for Life, contact team captain Sandy Shaw at (501) 727-5259 or shaw12769@yahoo.com, or send donations to Shaw at 1722 Petit Jean Mountain Road, Morrilton, AR 72110.
Swim Lessons Registration
RUSSELLVILLE — Registration will begin May 1 for the Russellville Recreation and Parks Department’s Learn to Swim program, taught by certified Red Cross instructors. The lessons will begin June 8 at the M.J. Hickey Pool. Each two-week session will run Monday through Thursday. Morning and evening classes will be available. Registrations will be accepted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Hughes Community Center, 1000 E. Parkway. Minors must be registered by a parent or legal guardian, and a fee of $60 is required. For more information, call (479) 968-1272.
Bean Supper
PLUMERVILLE — The Plumerville Homecoming Committee will hold its annual fundraiser bean supper from 4-7 p.m. May 2 in the W.C. Plummer Senior Citizens building, just east of the Arch Ford Co-op. The menu consists of pinto beans, home-fried potatoes, slaw, cornbread, dessert and a drink. The cost is $7 for adults and $5 for children younger than 12. The proceeds will benefit the Senior Center and Homecoming expenses. Everyone is invited to attend and support this cause. For more information, call David Garrett at (501) 208-2319 or Bill Plummer at (501) 208-2882.
Pope County Master Gardeners Plant Sale
RUSSELLVILLE — The Pope County Master Gardeners will host their annual plant sale from 8 a.m. to noon May 2 at the Pope County Fairgrounds, 500 S. Knoxville St. There is no admission charge. There will be a special display on the monarch butterfly.
Author Visit
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will present David Joiner, author of Lotusland, at 7 p.m. May 2. Lotusland tells the story of a young American who falls in love with a talented Vietnamese painter. Joiner, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Arizona. He lives in Saigon, where he is working on a second novel set on the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482, email nancy@fcl.org, or visit Facebook or Twitter.
Small-Business Forum: Ask the Experts
CLARKSVILLE — The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present Small-Business Forum: Ask the Experts from 8:30-10:30 a.m. May 8 at the University of the Ozarks. Experts — an attorney, a certified public accountant, a marketing specialist, a business consultant and a lender — will discuss topics concerning small-business ownership, management and best practices. The event will include a light breakfast and an opportunity to ask the experts questions. There is no fee to attend. Registration is due May 7 by calling (479) 356-2067 or visiting asbtdc.org/training/russellville-events.
Faulkner County Master Gardeners Plant Sale
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Master Gardeners will hold a plant sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 9 at the Conway Expo Center, 2505 E. Oak St. Guest speakers will include Janet Carson, horticulture specialist with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, at 9:30 a.m., and Bob Byers, associate director of Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, at 11. There is no admission charge.
Flag Football Game Fundraiser
CONWAY — The Blondes vs. Brunettes flag football game, a fundraiser for the Alzheimer’s Association, will be held at 1 p.m. May 16 at the University of Central Arkansas. For more information, contact Jane Gunter at (501) 265-0027 or jgunter@alz.org.
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.