MAY CALENDAR: Merry, merry month

Spring comes into full bloom this month with festivals, music, a pickle party and Frozen ice skaters

Arkansas Demcrat-Gazette May Calendar illustration
Arkansas Demcrat-Gazette May Calendar illustration

May is the month of mayhaws, magnolias, mothers, Mustangs and Memorial Day -- when tubas go ommmmm-pah, and a steak on the grill smells mmm-mmmm.

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Arkansas Demcrat-Gazette Black Cat/Friday the 13th illustration

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Arkansas Demcrat-Gazette Snail illustration #1

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Arkansas Demcrat-Gazette Snail illustration #2

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Arkansas Demcrat-Gazette Dandelion illustration

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Arkansas Demcrat-Gazette Running illustration

1 Mother Goose Day -- when Mother Goose, Old Mother Hubbard and the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe collaborate on a rhyme to express the complaint they share with mothers in general:

Oh, the shame of it all,

And the reason we squall

Is the kids never call.

TINKER THINKERS

Imaginate exhibit of hands-on activities to encourage inventive thinking, through Oct. 2 at Museum of Discovery, Little Rock. Details at museumofdiscovery.org. Call (501) 396-7050.

FORECAST: BIG BLOW

2 Four days before International Tuba Day -- still time to evacuate.

THE VOICE(S)

3 Conway Men's Chorus pops concert, "SpringSing," 7 p.m. at Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, Conway. Details at conwaymenschorus.org. Call (501) 472-8758.

THE ICE MA'AM COMETH

4 Disney on Ice presents Frozen through May 8 at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (800) 745-3000.

ALWAYS ROOM FOR 'DILLO

Armadillo Festival through May 7 including Armadillo races, Hamburg. Details at hamburgark.com. Call (870) 853-8345.

MARGARITAVILLE

5 Cinco de Mayo -- the whole enchilada.

FRESH PAINT

6 Young Artists Exhibition through July 24 at Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock. Details at arkansasartscenter.org. Call (501) 372-4000.

THEREBY HANGS A TAIL

History on the Run 5K race and Dog Jog family fun run, 7 p.m. at MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Little Rock. Details at arkmilitaryheritage.com. Call (501) 376-4602.

TEMPERATURE CONTROL

National Nurses Week remains on call through May 12, "Lady With the Lamp" nurse Florence Nightingale's birthday, 1820.

RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

7 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Pops Live! concert, "The Movie Music of John Williams," 7:30 p.m. May 7 and 3 p.m. May 8 at Connor Performing Arts Center, Pulaski Academy, Little Rock. Details at arkansassymphony.org. Call (501) 666-1761.

BERRIED TREASURE

Mayhaw Festival, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at Newton House, El Dorado. Details at soarkhistory.com. (870) 862-9890

OOLONG TIME COMING

Tea Time With Top of the Rock Chorus and Acapella Rising, 2-4 p.m. at Albert Pike Masonic Center, Little Rock. Details at topoftherockchorus.com. Call (501) 758-3291.

MOM'S DA BOMB

8 Mother's Day.

• "Diddle-diddle dumpling, my son John." -- Mother Goose

• "Lies! All lies! You're all lying against my boys." -- Ma Barker

SEED THE SIGHTS

9 Wildflower Week: Beware the dandelions and even more snappish snapdragons.

DECK THE HAULS

10 Clean Up Your Room Day: It's in the bag.

DEF-INITIVE

11 Def Leppard with REO Speedwagon and Tesla, 7 p.m. at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (800) 745-3000.

THE TRUTH FROM DULUTH

Minnesota Admission Day, 1858. Minnesota admits that twin cities Minneapolis and St. Paul often trade places, and nobody can tell the difference.

IN THE MOOD FOR RUDE

12 Limerick Day.

A limerick should be, so they say,

A poem that is somewhat risque --

Naughty and flirty,

In fact, downright dirty,

But that's not the newspaper way.

DOGS ON THE CATWALK

Paws on the Runway, 6 p.m. at Next Level events, Little Rock, benefits Central Arkansas Rescue Effort of Animals, Inc. (CARE). Details at careforanimals.org. Call (501) 603-2273.

OOK HERE

13 This year's only Friday the 13th.

Veer past this one black cat in the road, and it's nothing but TGIF the rest of the way.

ROCK OPERA

Opera in the Rock performance, La Boheme, 7:30 p.m. May 13 and 3 p.m. May 15 at Pulaski Technical College Center for Humanities and Arts, North Little Rock. Details at pulaskitech.simpletix.com. Call (501) 812-2338.

LOOK! UP IN THE SKY!

14 International Migratory Bird Day -- another plan gone south.

RIVER REVVER

Cherry Street Fair, 5-8 p.m. downtown Helena-West Helena. Details at thrivecenter.org. Call (870) 338-3300.

HOME OF TOMES

15 Books in Bloom Literary Festival at the Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, with novelist Laura Lippman (Every Secret Thing), and children's book illustrator Brian Biggs (Frank Einstein). Details at booksinbloom.org. Call (870) 423-5300.

Clinton School of Public Service graduation and collection of protein food items to benefit the Arkansas Foodbank in front of the Clinton Presidential Center, Little Rock. Call (501) 683-5200.

MONKEY SEA, MONKEY DO

16 Sea Monkey Day remembers those comic book ads that promised, "Instant pets!" that would "swim, play, scoot, race, and do comical tricks." But one thing that sea monkeys -- brine shrimp -- can't do is read.

GO GREEN

17 The greenest thing about May is: (A) Mayflies, or (B) Mayhaw berries, or (C) the birthstone for this month, emerald.

Answer at May 27.

RIDE, RIDE, RIDE

18 National Bike Week keeps pedaling all the way to Bike to Work Day, May 20.

Bicycle Advocacy of Central Arkansas Ride of Silence memorial ride, 6 p.m. from 1300 Main St., Little Rock. Details at arkansasbicycleclub.org. Call (501) 912-1449.

BLUE STREAK

19 National Police Week: All the merrymaking the law allows.

PETER PAN KEEPS CAP'N HOOK ON HIS TIPPY-TOES

20 Arkansas Festival Ballet's Peter Pan, a Storybook Ballet, through May 22 at Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock. Details at arkansasdance.org. Call (501) 227-5320.

ROCKABILLY IN THE ROCK

Charlie Rich Jr. with Sonny Burgess & the Legendary Pacers, 7 p.m. at Ron Robinson Theater, Little Rock. Details at arkansassounds.org. Call (501) 918-3033.

PINCH OF THIS, PINCH OF THAT

Crawdad Days Festival through May 21, Harrison. Details at crawdaddays.org. Call (870) 741-2659.

FUN, FUN, FUN 'TIL HER DADDY TAKES THE T-BONE AWAY

Magnolia Blossom Festival through May 21; World Championship Steak Cook-Off May 21, Magnolia. Details at blossomfestival.org. Call (870) 234-4352.

BUMPY RIDE

Picklefest, pickles, pickle juice and pickle eating through May 21, Atkins. Details at peopleforabetteratkins.org. Call (479) 747-0122.

FIDDLE-DEE-DEE, FIDDLE ADO

21 Hope/Hempstead County Bluegrass Festival, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. at Historic Washington State Park near Hope. Details at historicwashingtonstatepark.com. Call (870) 983-2684.

YOU AND YOU, TOO

GEMINI (May 21-June 21): Is today your birthday-birthday? If so, opportunity knocks twice. Double down on the twin goals of a Gemini birthday party: (1) Have your cake, and (2) Eat it , too. Go-go in the know with double-dippers Mike and Ike, Ronald and McDonald, Noel and Leon -- and CeeLo Green, 42 on May 30; and Clint Eastwood, 85 on May 31.

SEE HERE

22 Sherlock Holmes'creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday, 1859.

"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." -- Sherlock Holmes

SWEET CENT OF SUCCESS

23 Lucky Penny Day, and what a penny still buys in today's economy:

• Half of two cents' worth.

• A pretty penny.

• One hand of penny-ante poker.

SNAILS IN THE SUNSET

24 Escargot Day: a slime time had by all.

SHOE AND TELL

25 Tap Dance Day: There's a tap for that.

WHIRRED, PASS THE WORD

Spring Carnival, rides and concession through May 29 at Parsons Stadium, Springdale. Details at rodeooftheozarks.org. Call (479) 756-0464.

KELP! I NEED SOMEBODY.

26 How to celebrate Salad Month: at an after-hours salad bar. Everybody knows your name, and just for you they break out the good stuff -- the radicchio they keep under the counter.

LITTLE GREEN MIEN

27 It's not easy bein' green quiz answer: (C), emerald, the stone left over from St. Patrick's Day -- or as the leprechauns say: "Give her the Blarney Stone if you want her to kiss a rock. Give her an emerald if you want her to kiss you."

BLOW BY BLOW

28 International Jazz Day forecast: cool with a front line moving in.

PONIES EXPRESS

29 Mustangs on the Mountain Show and Shine, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton. Details at museumofautos.com. Call (501) 727-5427.

SAY CHEESE

Wisconsin Admission Day, 1848. Wisconsin admits Gouda is good, but cheddar is better.

GET A LOAD OF THIS

What's to learn about Composting Day? -- a heap.

SUNDAY-MONDAY-HAPPY DAYS

30 Memorial Day.

BUSTED

31 So much for Janet Jackson's Unbreakable World Tour at North Little Rock's Verizon Arena -- she broke the appointment: postponed. But here, have a sweet consolation: It's National Macaroon Day, celebrating the cookie that never malfunctions.

Coming next month: June! Call (501) 399-3633, write to Ron Wolfe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 121 E. Capitol Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or e-mail

rwolfe@arkansasonline.com

by May 15 to suggest June calendar entries or how to celebrate June as Adopt a Cat Month, such as: Buy a whisker. Each event requires a phone number that is answered during business hours or by an answering machine that identifies the event or its sponsor.

Style on 04/26/2016

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