FEBRUARY CALENDAR: The long & short of it

With its history, high balls and high jinks, you’ve gotta love February

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Main calendar illustration
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Main calendar illustration

February is the short month with short days, short stacks, brief vows, groundhogs and valentines. Nothing goes long but the hope for a certain valentine in return.

photo

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Heart Illustration 1

photo

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Heart Illustration 2

photo

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Heart Illustration 3

photo

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Heart Illustration 4

photo

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Groundhog Illustration

1 First full month of Chinese New Year, the Year of the Fire Rooster -- not to be confused with Nashville hot chicken.

STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT

Theatre Squared drama, Detroit, through Feb. 26 at Walton Arts Center's Nadine Baum Studios, Fayetteville. Details at theatre2.org. Call (479) 443-5600.

Comedy The Nerd through Feb. 18 at Murry's Dinner Playhouse, Little Rock. Details at murrysdp.com. Call (501) 562-3131.

LIVING COLOR

Black History Month.

SHADY AFFAIR

2 Groundhog Day. The weather-watching rodent sees his shadow -- meaning one thing or the other: Six more weeks of winter is coming, or six more months to wait for the next season of Game of Thrones.

PIKE'S PEEK

Intimate Apparel Market Week. Underwear-makers gather in New York for serious business, no wedgies allowed.

YO-HA-HA

3 The Laughable Legend of Fancybeard the Pirate, through Feb. 19 at the Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre, Little Rock. Details at arkansasartscenter.org. Call (501) 372-4000.

MASKED AND ANSWERED

4 Eureka Springs' month of Mardi Gras events start with Taste of N'Awlins coffee and beignets, 1 p.m. at the Grand Central Hotel. Masquerade balls and parades go on through Feb. 25. Details at eurekaspringsmardigras.com. Call (479) 253-4503.

KREWS CONTROL

Pardi Gras Cajun-theme dinner and auction, 6-11 p.m. at Shipley Baking Co., Fort Smith, benefits the Fort Smith Museum of History. Details at fortsmithmuseum.org. Call (479) 783-7841.

CONCERTED EFFORTS

Eric Church, 8 p.m. at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (800) 745-3000.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 8 p.m. at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. Details at waltonartscenter.org. Call (479) 443-5600.

SPOCK AND AWE

Mini Spa-Con games, costumes and presale of tickets to big Spa-Con at the Hot Springs Convention Center. (Spa-Con science-fiction convention will be Sept. 22-24.) Details at spa-con.org. Call (501) 321-2027.

PIGSKINS AND PORK RINDS

5 Super Bowl Sunday from Houston with Lady Gaga, cheese dip, cheerleaders, Cheetos, beer, commercials, commercials, commercials and some kind of ballgame.

TAKING SPAIN'S

6 The United States played tough to negotiate something from Spain in February 1819, namely: (A) Flamenco dance lessons, (B) Penelope Cruz's phone number or (C) Florida.

Answer at Feb. 22.

RING-A-BING-BING

7 Life is just a bowl of National Cherry Month.

TOMORROW ISN'T

WHAT IT USED TO BE

8 French science-fiction novelist Jules Verne's birthday, 1828. He wrote Around the World in 80 Days, never imagining that, now, people can go around the world in no time. Eighty days is what it takes to get through airport security.

SPOON REVVER

9 National Grapefruit Month, Creative Romance Month. Either way, a shot to the kisser.

LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT

10 Lanterns! Winter Festival through Feb. 12 at Wildwood Park for the Arts, Little Rock. Details at wildwoodpark.org. Call (501) 821-7275.

WHEEL HOUSE

Arkansas RV Show through Feb. 12 at the Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock. Details at dgattractions.com. Call (501) 765-1423.

THE DUDE ABODES

11 Home Builders Association of Greater Little Rock Home Show through Feb. 12 at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at hbaglr.com. Call (501) 758-3646.

ROCKY MODE

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concert, Rock On, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 and 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at arkansassymphony.org. Call (501) 666-1761.

BATMAN RETURNS

Arkansas premiere of Danny Elfman's Music From the Films of Tim Burton, 7:30 p.m. at Reynolds Performance Hall, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, with the Conway Symphony Orchestra and Choral Ensembles. Details at uca.edu/public appearances. Call (501) 450-3265.

PUDDIN' ON THE RITZ

12 Plum Pudding Day stirs up the curious old English dessert that traditionally is made about now to be aged properly in time for Christmas, and has no plums in it.

Georgie Porgie, puddin'-type guy

Tried a bite and wondered why:

He tasted raisins,

Currants, some,

Even kumquats,

Why not plum?

"The puddin' leaves me nicely fed,"

Is what this pudding lover said;

"The name, though, messes with my head."

SOUND THE TIN WHISTLE

13 How to celebrate Canned Food Month: with a canned stew attitude.

HEARTY GREETINGS

14 Valentine's Day. Love is all you need. But in case of no love, a Swiss Army Knife is almost everything.

DOCTORS ON DUTY

Documentary Baghdad ER, 6:30 p.m. at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Little Rock. Call (501) 376-4602.

CAN'T GRIN 'EM ALL

15 "Heartbreak in Peanuts" cartoon exhibit through April 16 at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, Fort Smith. Details at fsram.org. Call (479) 784-2787.

BRIDE AND PREJUDICE

16 How to celebrate National Weddings Month: with a toast to the bride and a toast to the groom, thanks to that classic favorite of wedding gifts -- the toaster.

HOUSE PARTY

17 Home Show through Feb. 19 at Kay Rogers Expo Center, Fort Smith. Details fortsmithhomebuilders.com. Call (479) 452-6213.

BETTER AND BUTTER

18 Whole Wheat Bread-Making Workshop, noon at Plantation Agriculture Museum, Scott. Details at arkansas.com. Call (501) 961-1409.

GO, FISH

19 PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Is today your birthday? If so, do like Mama Fish told the Three Little Fishies: "Boop boop dit-tem dat-tem what-tem choo!" Translated: Sing along with fellow Pisces Johnny Cash, born Feb. 26, 1932, in Arkansas. How high's the water, Mama?

BOY GEORGE

20 George Washington's Birthday (observed), the federal and state holiday. Daisy Gatson Bates Day, the state holiday.

CHEEP TRILLS

21 National Wild Birdfeeding Month, Pancake Week. Crepes for cranes, waffles for warblers -- and a pannukakku in the pear tree.

SPAIN YOURSELF

22 Tapas the morning quiz answer: (C) Florida. The United States took Florida from Spain on condition that Spain had to throw in something not even Ponce de Leon could afford, a five-day park-hopper family pass to Disney World.

RETROACTIVE

23 Little Rock Wind Symphony concert, Reminisce, 7:30 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, Little Rock. Details at lrwindsymphony.org. Call (501) 666-0777.

BY LAND, BY SEA

24 Arkansas Flower and Garden Show through Feb. 26 at the Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock. Details at argardenshow.org.Call (501) 821-4000.

Hot Springs Boat, Tackle and RV Show through Feb. 28 at Hot Springs Convention Center, Hot Springs. Details at dgattractions.com. Call (501) 765-1423.

TAKING PANES

25 Arkansas Glasshoppers Inc., Depression Era and Vintage Glass Show and Sale with 24 dealers from 14 states, through Feb. 26 at the Hall of Industry, State Fairgrounds, Little Rock. Details at arglasshoppers.org. Call (501) 868-4969.

TRACK MEET

Great NWA Arkansas Model Train Show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Northwest Arkansas Convention Center, Springdale, by the Sugar Creek Model Railroad and Historical Society Inc. Details at trainshow-nwa.org. Call (479) 871-2802.

GLITZ BLITZ

26 Oscar Sunday, night of Hollywood's Academy Award ceremonies with host Jimmy Kimmel.

Red Carpet Academy Awards-watching soiree, 5:30 p.m. at Robinson Center Performance Hall, benefits the Wolfe Street Foundation. Details at wolfestreet.org. Call (501) 372-5662.

VANILLA ICE

27 Polar Bear Day, when the big white bears hibernate in their nightgowns and icecaps.

CUPID HAS LEFT

THE BUILDING

28 Last day of February.

FLING A BLING-BLING

Mardi Gras in New Orleans and wherever fine drinks are spilled.

EXPANDED PROSPECTS

29 Watch this space. February will have 29 days next leap year, 2020. But why wait? Here's what small-but-mighty February might do if only given the chance:

FREE SHIPPING ON ORDERS

OF MORE THAN $1 BILLION

30 American astronauts land on Mars thanks to delivery via Amazon drone.

ROAD WORRIER

31 Technology advances past the driverless car to the ultimate ride of the future: the no-driver, no-passenger, no-motor car that makes highways safe again.

SHADOW BOXING

32 The groundhog petitions the court to give him a do-over try for a better forecast.

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

rwolfe@arkansasonline.com

by Feb. 15 to suggest March calendar entries or how to celebrate March as National Frozen Food Month, such as: Freeze the peas, sleet the beets, solidify the cherry pie. 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 01/31/2017

Upcoming Events