Our Town

Little Rock notebook

River Market plans 20th-birthday bash

The River Market is celebrating its 20th birthday this week with a day full of events Saturday.

Tuesday marks the 20th year the River Market has been open, but officials decided to celebrate Saturday in conjunction with the Little Rock Farmers Market, which opens at 7 a.m.

At 9 a.m., an hourlong session of the Garden Gourmet Chef Series will take place, and the farmers market mascot -- Dean the Bean -- will make an appearance.

At the same time, the Indian Percussion Ensemble of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock will perform and the Red Cross will conduct a blood drive, which will last until 1 p.m.

Family activities such as train rides through the park, bounce houses, slides and a climbing wall will be available from noon until 5 p.m.

At 5 p.m., SynRG will start a night of music followed by Rodney Block and the Big Dam Horns at the First Security Amphitheatre until about 9 p.m. Food trucks will sell food, drinks and beer.

A limited edition 20th anniversary T-shirt will be available for $9.99.

Pryor part of panel for luncheon event

A discussion of Arkansas politics in the 1970s is this month's topic for the Central Arkansas Library System's Legacies and Lunch event.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette columnist John Brummett will moderate the conversation Friday at noon in the library's Ron Robinson Theater, 100 River Market Ave.

"The passing of Dale Bumpers and Ray Thornton has stirred memories about the 1970s as a transformative time in Arkansas politics and an era of modernization and moderation," a news release said.

The panelists will be former U.S. Sen. David Pryor, who served two terms as Arkansas governor during the 1970s; Ernie Dumas, who reported on politics for the Arkansas Gazette; and Archie Schaffer, a former Tyson Foods executive and nephew and executive secretary for Bumpers and later campaign manager for Thornton in his 1978 race for the U.S. Senate.

Butler Center sets 2 new art exhibits

Two exhibitions will open during Second Friday Art Night at the Butler Center Galleries this week.

The opening reception is from 5-8 p.m. Friday at the galleries at 401 President Clinton Ave. The exhibits feature a juried show by the Arkansas League of Artists and a display of artwork from the Central Arkansas Library System's permanent collection.

Juror Joe Lampo selected the league's displayed work. The collection features various media.

The league was formed to promote the visual fine arts in Arkansas to all ages across multiple disciplines, according to a news release.

The second exhibit, "From the Vault," is a display from the library's collection. It features various media, including prints by Win Bruhl and Evan Lindquist, sculptures by Shep Miers and Gene Hatfield, and recent donations from artists Ray Khoo and Jerry Phillips.

Metro on 07/07/2016

Upcoming Events