COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THE RIVER VALLEY & OZARK AREA

Sept. 2

First Wednesday Ladies’ Lunch Break

CONWAY — The First Wednesday Ladies’ Lunch Break will be held from noon to 1 p.m. in the Second Baptist Church Fellowship Hall at Dave Ward Drive and Farris Road. Lunch costs $5 and includes a drink and dessert. Women of all ages are invited to attend. Enter the church off Farris Road. Child care is available at no charge with advance registration by calling (501) 327-4066 or (501) 730-4106 by Monday.

Sept. 4

Welcome Back Coffee

MAUMELLE — A Maumelle Newcomers Welcome Back Coffee will be held at 10 a.m. at the Maumelle Community Center. Displays of various Newcomers activities will be available for viewing. All women in the community are welcome to attend.

Sept. 5

Labor Day Weekend Concert

HEBER SPRINGS — Kacey Smith will headline the Red River Ram Labor Day Weekend Concert at the Spring Park Amphitheater, and the Imagine That Band will open for her. The free show will start at 7 p.m., and Smith will take the stage at 8:30 p.m.

Canoe/Kayak Race

PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN — The Petit Jean State Park annual Canoe/Kayak Race for adults and children will be held from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Lake Bailey. The registration fee is $5 per person. Canoe/kayak rental is $17, or participants can bring their own canoes. Each participant will receive a certificate, and awards will be given to teams for outstanding theme costumes. To register, visit the park, call (501) 940-2243 or 501-215-9726, or go online at www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-petit-jean-eh-club-canoe-race-tickets-17894037548?aff=es2.

Ongoing

A Starry, Starry Night at the Library

CONWAY — Kaye R. Clanton, a retired teacher of sciences from the Conway School District, will present a series of four star-gazing events with various topics from 7-8 p.m. during the autumn months at the Faulkner County Library. Sept. 21’s program will include Finding Your Way in the Night Sky; Autumnal Equinox; and Saturn on the Plane of the Ecliptic. Oct. 19’s event will also feature Orionid Meteor Shower; and Meteors, Meteorites, Meteoroids and Asterisms. Nov 16’s program will include Leonid Meteor Shower; Moon phases; and more. Dec. 14’s event will include Geminid Meteor Shower; Winter Solstice; and Comets, Andromeda Galaxy and Milky Way Galaxy. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email Nancy@fcl.org.

Reimagine Society Student Art Exhibit

CONWAY — ArtsFest 2015 and The Faulkner County Library will offer Reimagine Society, the first juried student art exhibit exploring the themes of recycling and science through the eyes of emerging artists. The exhibit is open to students enrolled at Central Baptist College, Hendrix College or the University of Central Arkansas. Graduates of 2013 and 2014 may also submit entries. The juror is Ann Prentice Wagner, curator of drawings at the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock. Best-in-show cash prizes of $200, $100 and $50 will be awarded at an opening reception for the exhibit at 2 p.m. Sept. 20 at the Faulkner County Library. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

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 book sales 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.southernhillsbaptist.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

Retired Teachers Meeting

HEBER SPRINGS — The Cleburne County Retired Teachers Association will meet at noon Sept. 8 at the Rustic Inn. Topics for discussion will include plans for hosting the Area II District Meeting in May 2016 and ways to keep the teachers-retirement-system funds safe. All retired school personnel are invited to attend the meeting. For more information, call Lavern Penn at (501) 206-0357.

Jeni & Billy Concert

CONWAY — The duo Jeni & Billy will perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at the Faulkner County Library. Jeni Hankins’ lyrics have been said to reflect hardships, trials and sorrows, yet also resonate with humor, spirit, faith and dignity. Billy Kemp accompanies Hankins’ old-style country voice with guitar, banjo and harmonies. Refreshments will be served. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Life Choices Gala

CONWAY — Life Choices, a pregnancy resource center in downtown Conway, will host its annual fundraising gala, titled Celebrating 35 Years of Life, on Sept. 12 at the Conway Expo Center. The featured speakers will be Alan and Lisa Robertson of A&E’s Duck Dynasty. The event will be catered by D&L Catering and will feature a live auction, as well as a ministry update. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Dress for the event is casual. For more information about attending this free event or sponsoring a table, email lifechoicesgala@gmail.com or call (501) 329-5944.

Classic Films Series

CONWAY — Host Mark Lager continues his series of classic films at the Faulkner County Library with two films in September. Samsara will be shown at 7 p.m. Sept. 12. Filmed over a period of almost five years and in 25 countries, Samsara explores the wonders of the world from sacred grounds to industrial sites, looking into the reaches of man’s spirituality and the human experience. The Tree of Life will screen at 7 p.m. Sept. 19. This original film from director Terrence Malick is an epic, yet intimate, story that follows the life journey of Jack, the eldest son of a fractured Texas family. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482.

The Construction Has Stopped and It’s Time To Shop

CLINTON — The Construction Has Stopped and It’s Time To Shop will be held Sept. 25 through Oct. 2. The event is a citywide promotion to celebrate the completion of the U.S. 65 road-construction project with prize drawings and sales. Customers can register to win prizes at participating businesses in the city of Clinton. This week of promotions and sales will conclude with prize drawings at the eighth annual Chili King Cook-off on Oct. 3 in historic downtown Clinton.

Paddle Battle

FAIRFIELD BAY — The Paddle Battle — kayak, canoe and stand-up paddle board races — will be held Sept. 26 at the Fairfield Bay Marina, 4350 Arkansas 330 S. Registration will be at 8:30 a.m., and the races will start at 9 a.m., with three race courses: 5 miles, 3 miles and 1 1/2 miles. The event will include food and entertainment. For more information, call Roxie at (501) 884-6030 or (901) 233-8245.

Author Fair

CONWAY — The fourth annual Author Fair will take place from 1-4 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Faulkner County Library. The event will be on the eve of Banned Books Week and during ArtsFest 2015. Authors from a variety of genres will be featured, and books will be available for purchase. Attendees will have an opportunity to meet and greet local and regional authors and learn what it takes to write and sell nonfiction, novels, children’s books, literature, poetry and more. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org. Published authors who would like to attend the event may contact the library.

Tales From the South Broadcast

CONWAY — Tales From the South will return to the Faulkner County Library at 7 p.m. Sept. 29. The doors will open at 5 p.m., and food trucks will be on hand, including The Locals, Patticakes, Hot Rod Wieners, Road Hog BBQ and Katmandu Momo. Live music will begin at 6, and the radio broadcast of the show will begin at 7. This special edition of Tales From the South will celebrate Banned Books Week. All library events are free and open to the public. Preregister at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Heber Springs Dulcimer Day

HEBER SPRINGS — Strings & Things will sponsor a one-day mountain-dulcimer workshop with classes for beginners and intermediate players from 9-11 a.m. and 1-3 p.m. Oct. 10. in the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 201 N. Fourth St. Lee Cagle will lead the intermediate class, and Wayne Randolph will lead the beginners. There will be a free concert that night at the William Carl Garner Visitor Center, featuring Lee Cagle and local string band Strings & Things. For more information, contact B.J. Stracener at (501) 206-9566 or visit the Heber Springs Dulcimer Day Facebook page.

Fall Bazaar

MAYFLOWER — The Mayflower United Methodist Women will hold their Fall Bazaar at 7 a.m. Nov. 7. The event will feature handmade fried pies — chocolate, cherry, apple, peach, blueberry and apricot — cooked in peanut oil and sold for $1 each. Copies of the group’s latest cookbook, Feeding the Flock, will be sold for $10 each. The sale will include home-baked cakes, breads, rolls and quick breads: jams and jellies; and home-preserved pickles. Gently used toys, books, collectibles and other items will also be available. All proceeds will fund local mission projects. The church is at the corner of Miller (Arkansas 89) and Grove streets. For more information, call UMW President Carol Bales at (501) 529-2330 or the Rev. Rick Wilkins at (501) 442-5045.

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.

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