1 BITES
August is a great time to explore Little Rock eateries. The seventh annual Little Rock Restaurant Month kicked off Monday and will continue through Aug. 31 with each week highlighting a different area. Through Sunday, participating restaurants in the downtown district will offer special showcases and discounts. Call (501) 376-4781 or visit dinelr.com.
2 BEERS
Brewers from all over will pour their best suds at the Great Arkansas Beer Festival, 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock. Tickets are $30 in advance, $40 at the door. Visit garbf.com.
3 BARRISTERS
Four score and seven actors -- mostly local lawyers, judges and other legal professionals -- and musicians make up the cast and orchestra for the biennial Gridiron Show, this year titled Gridiron 2016: Bake America's Cake Again, 7 p.m. today and 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main St., Little Rock. Since it's the 100th anniversary of the show's 1916 debut, it spoofs and celebrates Arkansas and national politics, past and present. Tickets are sold out. Call (501) 378-0405 or visit therep.org.
4 BRUSHSTROKES
The Arkansas Arts Center, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock, opens two new exhibits Friday. "Jon Schueler: Weathering Skies" features sky-theme watercolors by the abstract expressionist painter while life-size portraits are the focus of "Cut, Pieced and Stitched: Denim Drawings by Jim Arendt." Both exhibits will remain on display through Oct. 23. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Call (501) 372-4000 or visit arkansasartscenter.org.
5 "BERMUDA NIGHTS"
Saxophonist Gerald Albright and his daughter, singer Selina Albright, headline the concluding show in Art Porter Music Education Inc.'s sixth annual "A Work of Art," 8 p.m. Saturday at Wildwood Park for the Arts, 20919 Denny Road. The concert will also feature performances by Porter scion and jazz violinist Lexington Porter and this year's APME scholarship winner, Little Rock Central High School student Kendric Kelley. Tickets are $55-$65. Call (501) 492-9120 or visit artporter.org.
6 BRILLIANCE
The Thea Foundation, 401 Main St., North Little Rock, welcomes a collection of works by sculptor Sandra Sells in its quarterly Art Department series, 6:30-9 p.m. Friday. Reception admission is $10. The exhibit, "Curiosity Revealed: Inspiration," continues through Aug. 31. Gallery admission is free and hours are 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Call (501) 379-9512 or visit theasartdepartment.com.
7 BASH
The Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, will help kids get ready to go back to school with its annual Head of the Class Bash, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. The family festival includes hearing and vision tests, immunizations and demonstrations in healthful cooking and coding. Admission is free and the first 2,000 students will receive free backpacks and supplies. Call (501) 374-4242 or visit clintonfoundation.org.
8 BARBER
A wrongfully imprisoned London barber and his pie-baking neighbor collaborate on a plan of exquisite vengeance in Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by Hugh Wheeler, adapted by Christopher Bond). The Pocket Community Theatre, 170 Ravine St. at Ramble Street, just off Park Avenue, Hot Springs, is staging the musical at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and Aug. 12-13 and 2:30 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 14. Tickets are $15, $5 for children 12 and younger. Call (501) 623-8585 or visit pockettheatre.com.
9 BOOKS, ETC.
Historical documents, old maps, books and postcards will fill the Jacksonville Community Center, 5 Municipal Drive, Jacksonville, for the annual Arkansas Book and Paper Show, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Hosted by the Arkansas Antiquarian Booksellers Association, the show features dealers with a variety of rare and antique items. Admission is $5, $2 for students. Call (501) 985-1663.
10 BELLY LAUGHS
Actor-comedian Kevin Hart performs at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Walmart AMP, 5079 W. Northgate Road, Rogers. Doors open at 6. Tickets are $119.50, $50 for lawn seating, plus applicable fees. Call (501) 443-5600 or visit amptickets.com.
Weekend on 08/04/2016