COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THE RIVER VALLEY & OZARK AREA

Feb. 4

Small Works on Paper Exhibition and Reception

CONWAY — The 2016 Small Works on Paper touring exhibition, sponsored by the Arkansas Arts Council, will open today and run through Feb. 26 in Art Building A, 1238 Front St. near the intersection of Front and Mill streets at Hendrix College. An opening reception will be held from 5-6 p.m. today. The exhibit and reception are free and open to the public. Several artists from the River Valley & Ozark Edition coverage area have works in the show and plan to attend the reception: David Rackley and Rachel Trusty, both of Russellville; Melissa Cowper-Smith of Morrilton; and Jason McCann of Maumelle. For more information, visit www.arkansasarts.org.

Faulkner County Tea Party Lunch/Soapbox

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Tea Party Lunch/Soapbox will meet from noon to 1 p.m. at Larry’s Pizza. The guest speaker will be conservative radio host Paul Harrell, who can be heard at PaulHarrell.com. He is committed to advancing limited government and constitutional policy throughout the state. All are welcome to attend. The group meets every Thursday.

Bridge at the Library

CONWAY — A group will meet to play bridge at 1 p.m. at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler St. All library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Feb. 5

Maumelle Newcomers Coffee

MAUMELLE — The Maumelle Newcomers will hold their monthly coffee at 10 a.m. at the Maumelle Community Center. All women in the community are invited to attend.

Sally Barris Concert

CONWAY — Sally Barris will give a concert at 7 p.m. at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler St. All library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Bethlehem House Valentine Gala

CONWAY — The 11th annual Bethlehem House Valentine Gala and Auction will be held at 6 p.m. at oneChurch. The gala will be catered by David and Patti Stobaugh, who own Stoby’s and PattiCakes; and Pasta Grill. Entertainment will be provided by Preston Palmer. Proceeds from the event will supply operation funds for Bethlehem House, a shelter and rehabilitation program that helps the hungry and homeless. Tickets for the gala are $30 each, and table sponsorships with eight tickets are available for $350. Tickets can be purchased at Bethlehem House, 1115 Parkway St., or online at bethlehemhouse.net. For more information, call (501) 205-0905.

Feb. 6

Peace, Love and Refugee

CONWAY—Alpha Psi Omega, the University of Central Arkansas’ honorary theater society, will host a devised theater puppet slam titled Peace, Love and Refugee at 5 p.m. at UCA Downtown, 1105 W. Oak St. The slam will consist of short collaborative theater performances written by UCA students and focusing on interpretations of the word “refugee.” Admission $5, with proceeds going to the El Zocalo Immigrant Resource Center in Little Rock. Tickets will be sold at the door. Some performances may contain adult content. For more information, visit www.uca.edu/theatre/apo_events, or contact Melissa Kordsmeier, UCA Theatre business manager and Alpha Psi Omega staff adviser, at mkordsmeier@uca.edu or (501) 450-5092.

Pickin’ Porch

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library, 1900 Tyler St., will present a Pickin’ Porch session at 9:30 a.m. All library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Feb. 9

UCA Dixieland Jazz Band Concert

CONWAY — Celebrate Mardi Gras with the UCA Dixieland Jazz Band at the Faulkner County Library at 7 p.m. Led by director Jackie Lamar, the UCA Dixieland Jazz Band comprises student musicians who will perform a program of traditional New Orleans jazz and Mardi Gras music. All library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482, email nancy@fcl.org, or visit Facebook or Twitter.

Recreation and Parks Commission Meeting

RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department will hold the monthly meeting of the Recreation and Parks Commission at noon at the Hughes Community Center.

Arkansas Archeological Society Meeting

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas River Valley Chapter of the Arkansas Archeological Society will meet at 7 p.m. at the Arkansas Tech Museum in the Techionery Building at Arkansas Tech University. Jeffery Mitchem will present The Richards Bridge Site and Its Important Secrets. Chapter meetings are free and open to anyone interested in archaeology or Arkansas history. The chapter usually meets the first Tuesday of each month. For more information, contact Emily Beahm at ebeahm@uawri.org or (501) 727-6250, or visit the chapter’s Facebook page.

Feb. 10

Symphonic Band Concert

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Symphonic Band will give its first concert of 2016 at 7:30 in the university’s Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall. The concert, free and open to the public, is the only one of the 2015-2016 academic year that will feature just the symphonic band, comprising both music and nonmusic majors. The band is conducted by Brantley Douglas, associate director of bands at UCA. For more information, contact Douglas at (501) 450-5022 or bdouglas@uca.edu.

ONGOING

Cake Decorating Class

CONWAY — Cake Decorating, Phase 1, will meet at UCA Downtown, 1105 W. Oak St., from 6-8 p.m. Mondays, Feb. 8-29. The class will be taught by instructor Marieda Priest. The regular class fee is $60; the early-bird and senior fee is $51. Early-bird registration will end Friday. All Community Education classes are now 50 percent off for University of Central Arkansas faculty, staff, students, retirees and Alumni Association members. Register online at uca.edu/outreach or call (501) 450-3118.

Rotary Meat Sale

HEBER SPRINGS — The Rotary Club of Heber Springs will sell 7- to 9-pound fully cooked pork butts for $40 each. Proceeds from the sale will fund college scholarships for Heber Springs students. The meat can be picked up from 8-9:30 a.m. March 12. Place an order with any Rotarian, or call Connie Herrin of the Public Relations Committee at (501) 281-5115 or Julie Turney, Rotary president, at (501) 206-6855.

Summer Adult Softball Registration

RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department will register teams for the Summer Adult Softball League from Feb. 29 to 5 p.m. March 11. Teams that register must pay the entry fee and submit an entry form and a team roster. Forms are available in the Recreation and Parks office and online at www.russellvillearkansas.org. For more information, call (479) 968-1272.

Dead Man’s Cell Phone

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas will present the production Dead Man’s Cell Phone, by Sarah Ruhl, in the Black Box Theatre (Studio 210) of the Snow Fine Arts Center at UCA. The production, directed by Jim Harris, will be at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11, 12, 18 and 19; and at 2 p.m. Feb. 13. Tickets are $10 for the general public and free to the UCA community. For reservations, call (501) 450-3265 or visit UCA Ticket Central in the Reynolds Performance Hall box office. For more information, visit www.uca.edu/theatre or contact Melissa Kordsmeier, UCA Theatre business manager, at mkordsmeier@uca.edu or (501) 450-5092.

Pre-K Music Class

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Center for Music Education is registering students for a pre-K music class for ages 2 to 4. The class meets from noon to 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and is taught by Brian Faulkner. Students will enjoy fun, high-energy songs and have an opportunity to attempt to play a variety of instruments. Special-needs students are welcome. The cost is $5 per month. Classes are held at the center, 502 Tyler Road. To register or for more information, email info@ac-me.org or call (479) 264-9107.

Teens Create

MORRILTON — Teens Create meets from noon to 1 p.m. every Saturday at the Conway County Library. Creative teens will join together to make a photo puzzle of the library. The photo puzzle will be presented by the teens to the library in October in honor of the library’s centennial year. For more information, call the library at (501) 215-3789.

Friendship Clothes Closet Ministry

GREENBRIER — The Friendship Clothes Closet Ministry offers free, gently used clothing for the entire family from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. the third Saturday of every month. The clothes closet is at Friendship Baptist Church, 170 Cash Springs Road, on the corner of West Republican Road, 4 miles north of Greenbrier. For more information, call (501) 679-1672.

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

AARP Chapter Meeting

MAUMELLE — The Maumelle AARP Chapter will meet at 6 p.m. Feb. 11 at the Maumelle Senior Wellness Center. Sandie Lubin, a registered nurse and geriatric nurse specialist at the Reynolds Institute on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, will give a presentation titled Family Caregiving 101. All who are 50 or older are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Doug Ladner at (501) 413-8184 or Fred Fleming at (501) 350-6102.

The McKameys Concert

CONWAY — The McKameys will perform at 7 p.m. Feb. 12 at Oak Bowery Baptist Church on Otto Road, 6 miles east of Conway. There is no admission charge, but a love offering will be taken. For more information, call Matt Corkran at (501) 336-9133 or Lloyd Kelley at (501) 514-5670.

UACCM Job Fair

MORRILTON — The University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton will host a free job fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 13, with free lunch included. Information sessions will be offered on the hour from 9 a.m. to noon for those interested in getting more information about both short-term training programs and the college’s credit programs. While the fair is designed for those who are currently unemployed, all are invited to attend. The Governor’s Dislocated Worker Task Force Mobile Unit will be present to provide Internet access and computers, printers, copiers and fax machines. For more information, contact Vicki Shadell at (501) 977-2132 or Ryan Huffman at (501) 977-2113, visit www.uaccm.edu/jobfair, or email jobfair@uaccm.edu.

Spaghetti and Sausage Dinner

NEW DIXIE — St. Boniface Catholic Church will have a spaghetti and sausage dinner from 4-7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 in St. Boniface Hall. The dinner will feature homemade rolls and peach cobbler. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Children younger than $6 may eat free with a parent. The public is invited. For carryout meals, call (501) 759-2896 after 3:30 p.m.

Seed Swap

CONWAY —The Faulkner County Library and the Faulkner County Urban Farm Project will host their 2016 Seed Swap from 1-4 p.m. Feb. 14 at the library, 1900 Tyler St. Events will include live music from Jeff Clanton, workshops on seed starting and seed saving, two showings of the film Seed Swap in the Ozarks, and children’s activities, including face painting and Valentine’s Day seed packets. Participants may bring seeds to share and/or small envelopes to donate. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482, email nancy@fcl.org, or visit Facebook or Twitter.

Mamma Mia!

CONWAY — The long-running hit musical Mamma Mia! will visit the University of Central Arkansas’ Donald W. Reynolds Performance Hall for two performances. The original date, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15, sold out quickly, so UCA Public Appearances scheduled a second show for 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17. Tickets are $30 to $40 for the general public and $10 for students. For tickets, call the UCA Ticket Central Box Office at (501) 450-3265 or toll-free in Arkansas at (866) 810-0012 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or visit www.uca.edu/reynolds. For more information, contact Amanda Horton, director of UCA Public Appearances, at (501) 450-3682 or AHorton@uca.edu.

Other Desert Cities Auditions

CONWAY — The Conway Community Arts Association and The Lantern Theatre will hold open auditions for Other Desert Cities at 7 p.m. Feb. 15 and 16 at The Lantern Theatre, 1021 Van Ronkle St. Trent Reese will direct this Late Night at the Lantern production, which calls for three men and two women, ages 20 to 80. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the play. Production dates are March 17-19 and 24-26. For more information, call Reese at (501) 730-3653 or visit www.conwayarts.org.

Startup Small Talks

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Tech Small Business and Technology Development Center will present Startup Small Talks from 11 a.m. to noon Feb. 16 at the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce. This free event features a business consultant, a certified public accountant and a lender who will share valuable tips on starting a small business. Seating is limited, and registration is required by Feb. 15 by calling (479) 356-2067 or visiting asbtdc.org/training/russellville-events.

Glenn Miller Orchestra Concert

HEBER SPRINGS — The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra will perform Feb. 16 at the Heber Springs Schools Performing Arts Center, 1100 W. Pine St. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased online at heberspringsband.ludustickets.com or by calling (501) 362-3141. The high school jazz bands will open the concert at 6:45, with the Glenn Miller Orchestra taking the stage at 7:30. Seating is general admission, and the doors will open at 6:30.

A Cappella Choir Concert

MAYFLOWER — The A Cappella Choir of Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, will present a free concert at 6 p.m. Feb. 20 at Palarm Chapel Baptist Church, 795 Arkansas 365. The event is sponsored by the Youth Advocate Resource Network, or YARN. The choir will present traditional gospel songs and “Negro spirituals” in conjunction with Black History Month. The Wiley College choir is directed by native Arkansan Stephen Hayes. Memorabilia and artifacts pertaining to black history will be on display at the concert. For more information, call (501) 590-7619 after 6 p.m.

Heber Springs Chamber Banquet

HEBER SPRINGS — The Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its 60th annual banquet at 6 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Heber Springs Community Center, 201 Bobbie Jean Lane. The guest speaker will be Jeff Moore, director of marketing and communication for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. The event will include a live auction, and business attire is requested. Tickets are $35 each or $250 for a table of eight. Tickets are available through Feb. 15 at the chamber office, 1001 W. Main St., or by calling (501) 362-2444.

Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr.

LESLIE — The Leslie Area Merchants Association and the Red Curtain Theater of Conway will present the children’s musical Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Ozark Heritage Arts Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger. Tickets are available at L.A. Salon and the Elk & Eagle Trading Post, LLC in Leslie. For more information, call (870) 448-2557.

Holocaust Survivor Events

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Community College at Morrilton and the University of Central Arkansas partner each year to bring a Holocaust survivor to central Arkansas from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C., for free public events. This year’s series of events will be at 7 p.m. March 7 in the James H. Clark Auditorium at Conway High School; at 9:45 a.m. March 8 in the H.B. White Auditorium at Morrilton High School; and at 6:30 p.m. March 8 in the Fine Arts Auditorium at UACCM. For more information, call (501) 977-2081 or email strain@uaccm.edu.

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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