1 SEEDS
It's time for digging in and spitting seeds. The watermelons are ready and two towns are holding their annual celebrations, with watermelons galore today-Saturday.
• In Sharp County, the Cave City Watermelon Festival will feature crafts, fishing derbies, a dog show, music, a parade, children's activities, car show and a rodeo as well as watermelon-theme activities. This year's music headliners are The Palmers today, The Lockhouse Orchestra on Friday and Shenandoah on Saturday. General admission is free, but there are fees for some activities. Call (870) 283-5301 or visit cavecityarkansas.info.
• Meanwhile, in Hempstead County, Hope hosts the Hope Watermelon Festival and welcomes the Liverpool Legends on Friday and Buddy Jewell and Sammy Kershaw on Saturday. The festival also includes the Watermelon Olympics, arts and crafts and games. Concert tickets are $15 for both nights. Call (870) 722-8516 or (870) 777-3640 or visit hopechamberofcommerce.com. See story on Page 4E.
2 SCI-FI
Get a taste of science fiction, fantasy and horror at the Little Rock Picture Show. This year's offerings include a live score of Nosferatu, a music panel with Rocky Gray and screenings of films including Mad Max: Road Warrior and Dog Soldiers. Screenings are 7-11 p.m. today at the Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave.; 2 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday and 10:45 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday at the Studio Theatre, 320 W. Seventh St.; 3-11 p.m. Friday and 10:45 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Saturday at the Public Theater, 616 Center St.; and 3-10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday at Vino's, Seventh and Chester streets. Passes are $30. Call (501) 205-0400 or visit facebook.com/littlerockpictureshow.
3 SHAKESPEARE
A cast of 10 will bring the words of the Bard to life in a unique setting at the fourth annual Shakespeare at the Shelter presentation, 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday. The production is a project and fundraiser for Our House shelter, 302 E. Roosevelt Road, with shelter residents performing scenes from Shakespeare under the guidance of local Shakespeare scholars. Each performance will be followed by a Q&A session. Tickets are $20. Call (501) 374-7383 or visit ourhouseshelter.org/shakespeare.
4 SHUTTERBUGS
Photographers will be out en masse for the Little Rock Photo Expo, 4 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday at the Metroplex, 10800 Colonel Glenn Road. The expo features a trade show, speakers, classes and hands-on experiences. Full VIP registration is $99, $119 at the door, $25 for students and teachers. Trade show admission is free. Call (501) 224-2020 or visit bedfords.com/littlerockphotoexpo.
5 SEEK
Rare books, historical documents, postcards, maps and other paper-based collectibles will be on display and for sale at the annual Arkansas Book and Paper Show, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at Jacksonville Community Center, 5 Municipal Drive, Jacksonville. Author Ray Hanley will sign copies of Lost Little Rock, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $5. Call (501) 985-1663.
6 SOUNDS
The John Bush Quintet -- jazz saxophonist John Bush, singer Kelley Hurt, Bill Huntington on bass, Chris Parker on keyboards and Brian Withers on drums -- will perform jazz favorites in the spirit of Arkansas native Louis Jordan, the Original Yellow Jackets and Pharaoh Sanders at 7 p.m. Friday at the Central Arkansas Library System's Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave., Little Rock. It's part of the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies' Arkansas Sounds series. Admission is $10. Call (501) 918-3033 or visit arkansassounds.org.
7 SALLY
Works by illustrator Sally Nixon will debut with a reception, 6-9 p.m. Friday at Thea Foundation, 401 Main St., North Little Rock. It's the eighth installment in the foundation's quarterly Art Department series, featuring up-and-coming Arkansas artists and musicians. Admission, $10, includes heavy hors d'oeuvres, an open beer-and-wine bar, music by The Funkanites and the chance to win an original Nixon illustration. The exhibition will remain up through August; gallery hours are 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call (501) 379-9512 or email stacey@theafoundation.org.
8 'SMOKE SIGNALS'
American rock band Extreme, with frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, performs at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Timberwood Amphitheater at Magic Springs, U.S. 70 East (East Grand Avenue) in Hot Springs. Lawn seating is part of the gate admission -- $59.99, $46.99 for children under 4 feet tall and adults 55 and older, free for children 3 and younger. Reserved seating is $10 and $8. Call (501) 624-0100 or visit MagicSprings.com.
9 '(JESUS OF) SUBURBIA'
American Idiot (an expansion of Green Day's album by that title, lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, book by Armstrong and Michael Mayer) wraps up its run at 7:30 p.m Friday-Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at The Weekend Theater, 1001 W. Seventh St. (at Chester Street), Little Rock. Tickets are $20, $16 for students and adults 65 and older; visit weekendtheater.org. Call (501) 374-3761.
10 SIXTIES
Big hair and '60s rock 'n' roll styles dominate the stage as Hairspray (music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Shaiman and Scott Wittman, book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, based on a screenplay by John Waters) continues through Aug. 29 at Murry's Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 12:45 and 6:45 p.m. Sunday. Dinner starts 90 minutes before curtain time. Tickets are $32-$36, $23 for children 15 and under and $25 and $15 show-only. Call (501) 562-3131 or visit murrysdp.com.
Weekend on 08/06/2015