April 28
Smoke on the Mountain
CONWAY — The Lantern Theatre and Conway Community Arts will present Smoke on the Mountain, by Alan Bailey and Connie Ray, at 7:30 p.m. The play is directed by Cindy Romeo, with stage management by Angel Moix. Tickets are $20 each. For reservations or more information, visit www.conwayarts.org.
Poetry Slam
CONWAY — As part of the Faulkner County Library’s celebration of April as National Poetry Month, the library’s first poetry slam will take place at 7 p.m. Participants my read a poem they have written or a work by their favorite poet. Sign-up sheets are available at the front desk, by calling (501) 327-7482 or by emailing nancy@fcl.org. The library is also displaying the work of its patrons and staff. All library events are free and open to the public.
Hendrix Choir Performance
CONWAY — The Hendrix College Department of Music will present a performance of Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff, at 7:30 p.m. in Staples Auditorium on campus. The performance will feature the Hendrix College Choir, conducted by Andrew Morgan, along with the newly formed Hendrix Chorale and guest soloists. Composed in 1935-1936, Orff’s work is a 25-movement cantata based on texts from a medieval poetry collection found in a Bavarian monastery. The free performance is open to the public. For more information, contact Morgan at (501) 450-1248 or morgan@hendrix.edu.
April 30
Let’s Go Surfing! Postponement
FAIRFIELD BAY — The Let’s Go Surfing! benefit dance for the Fairfield Bay Community Education Center originally scheduled for Saturday has been rescheduled for Aug. 20.
Cemetery Preservation Workshop
MORRILTON — The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program will offer a free cemetery preservation workshop from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bold Pilgrim Cemetery on Bold Pilgrim Road. Rusty Brenner of Texas Cemetery Restoration will provide instruction on basic repair, straightening and cleaning of gravestones. Registration is
limited to 40 people. For more information, email holly@arkansasheritage.org.
May 1
Wolf Cemetery Decoration Day
OPPELO — The Wolf Cemetery Decoration Day will take place Sunday. A potluck dinner will begin at noon at the Riverview Baptist Christian School cafeteria, 123 Riverview Road. The program will start at 2 p.m. at the Wolf Cemetery. In case of inclement weather, the program will be at the Riverview Baptist Church. For more information, call Mike Atkinson, Wolf Cemetery Association president, at (501) 215-0375.
May 2 and 3
Normal Heart Auditions
CONWAY — Auditions for the Late Night at the Lantern production of Normal Heart will be at 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday at The Lantern Theatre, 1021 Van Ronkle St. Jeff Ward will direct the play, a biographic story during the rise of HIV-AIDS in New York. The cast calls for eight men and one woman, 18 and older. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the play. Production dates are June 2-4 and 9-11. For more information, visit the Conway Community Arts Association’s website, www.conwayarts.org/auditions.html, email conwaylanterntheatre@gmail.com, or call Ward at (501) 548-7419.
May 4
First Wednesday Ladies’ Lunch Break
CONWAY — The First Wednesday Ladies’ Lunch Break will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in the Second Baptist Church Fellowship Hall at Dave Ward Drive and Farris Road. Enter the church off Farris Road. Women of all ages are invited to attend. Lunch, for $5, includes a drink and dessert. Child care is available at no charge with advance registration by calling (501) 327-4066 or (501) 730-4106
by Monday.
State of Health Luncheon
CONWAY — The Conway Regional Women’s Council will present the fourth annual State of Health Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at the Centennial Valley Event Center. Doors will open at 11 a.m. The event will update community and business leaders on the status of Faulkner County, regional and statewide initiatives to improve health. Speakers will be Dr. Namvar Zohoori, deputy chief science officer with the Arkansas Department of Health, and Matt Troup, president and CEO of the Conway Regional Health System. The cost is $25 per person or $250 for a table for eight. Reservations can be made at www.conwayregional.org/specialevents through Friday. For more information, call the Conway Regional Health Foundation at (501) 513-5771.
ONGOING
Oil-Painting Class
FAIRFIELD BAY — A new oil-painting class will meet from 9:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays at the Fairfield Bay Community Education Center. The five-week class will begin Tuesday and run through May 31. The cost is $45. The instructor is Jim Tindall, who has taught the center’s Painting With Panache acrylic class and has his own studio in Mountain View. To register, call (501) 844-4440.
Learn to Swim Program Registration
RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department will conduct swim lessons with certified Red Cross instructors this summer at the M.J. Hickey Pool. The program will begin June 6, with sessions and classes determined by the number of participants. Each session will be eight lessons in two weeks. Morning and evening classes will be offered. Registration, beginning Monday, will be accepted from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Hughes Community Center, 1000 E. Parkway. A parent or legal guardian needs to register minors, and the fee is $60. For more information, call (479) 968-1272.
Meeting Date Change
RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Recreation and Parks Commission has changed its meeting date to noon the second Thursday of each month. The commission meets at the Hughes Community Center.
Tea Party Luncheon
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Tea Party has a luncheon at noon every Thursday at Larry’s Pizza, 1068 Markham St. Guest speakers and
the members’ “soap box” are featured each week. Anyone interested in governmental and business affairs on the county, state or national level is invited to arrive early, eat pizza and meet the group’s members.
Upcoming
Book Signing
CONWAY — Lois Giorgis will have a book signing from 10 a.m. to noon May 5 at the Faulkner County Library. She will sign copies of Life Keeps Happening, a set of two novellas for young readers: Three Weeks and its companion novella, Saying Goodbye. Giorgis is a former high-school counselor and the mother of two and stepmother of three. She is also a longtime artist. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482, email nancy@fcl.org, or contact Facebook or Twitter.
Maumelle Newcomers Coffee
MAUMELLE — The Maumelle Newcomers will have a monthly coffee at 10 am. May 6 at the Maumelle Community Center. All women in the community are invited. For more information, call Pat Matthews at (501) 803-0225.
Pony Up for HAVEN
CONWAY — Pony Up for HAVEN, the third annual Kentucky Derby Party to benefit Help for Abuse Victims in Emergency Need, will be from 4-7 p.m. May 7 at Back Achers Ranch, 3725 College Ave. Tickets are $30 each or $100 for four. The event includes hors d’oeuvres and drinks and viewing the race, plus a live auction. Attendees are asked to wear traditional Kentucky Derby attire. Tickets are available at havenar.eventbrite.com. HAVEN is a residential home for abused and neglected girls ages 6-18.
Master Gardeners Plant Sale
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Master Gardeners will have their annual plant sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 14 at the Conway Expo Center and Fairgrounds, 2502 E. Oak St. (U.S. 64). There is no admission fee. Guest speakers will be Janet Carson at 9:30 and Rand Retzloff at 11. Annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, hanging baskets, trees and garden art will be for sale. The event will offer complimentary tool sharpening and a raffle for a handmade garden bench. Proceeds will fund scholarships for students majoring in plant sciences. For more information, call the Faulkner County Extension Office at (501) 329-8344.
Mustang 5K Color Run
PERRYVILLE — The second annual Mustang 5K Color Run to benefit the Perryville boys basketball team will begin at 8 a.m. May 21 at the Perry County Fairgrounds. Registration and packet pickup will be at 7 a.m. Age categories of runners are 12 and under; 13-20; 21-39; and 40-plus. The registration fee is $20 if postmarked by May 15, and $25 after that. Mail forms to Perryville Boys Athletics, Donnie Smith, 325 Houston Ave., Perryville, AR 72126. Team registration is $15 per person by May 15 and $20 each afterward, with a 10-member minimum. T-shirts are guaranteed only for preregistered participants. The event will not be officially timed. For more information, call (501) 889-2277.
Atkins Picklefest Breakfast
ATKINS — The Atkins Picklefest breakfast will take place from 6-11 a.m. May 21 at the Church of the Assumption Catholic church, 118 Ave. Three NE. The cost is $6 for all-you-can-eat sausage and pancakes, plus coffee, milk and juice. For more information, call (479) 264-4618.
Quilts of Valor Sew Day
CONWAY— The “A Second Tour” Quilts of Valor group will have a sew day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 21 at the McGee Center, 3800 College Ave. The group will work on Quilts of Valor projects — quilt blocks or tops. Quilters of any skill level are welcome to participate. All quilt tops completed are awarded to veterans in Arkansas. To request a quilt for a veteran, visit www.qovf.org. For more information regarding joining a group or starting a group, contact Sheila Gordon, Arkansas state coordinator, at (501)-354-5758 or sheila.gordon@qovf.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.