APRIL CALENDAR

Stress relievers abound

Sibling pigs strum guitars, dance and sing in harmony — all while paying the IRS

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Main calendar Illustration
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Main calendar Illustration

April is the month of vibrant colors: dandelion yellow, Earth Day green, pink and purple Easter eggs -- and brightest of all, taxes in the red.

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FOR THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Flower Illustration

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FOR THE DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Pig Illustration

1 April Fools' Day, National Lawn and Garden Month, and watch out for jokers in the garden. The snapdragons snap, the buttercups dribble, and the forget-me-nots have trick memories.

FOOLIN' AROUND

Springfest family fun day, games and pooch parade, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on the banks of the Arkansas River, downtown Little Rock. Details at riverfestarkansas.com. Call (501) 255-3378.

CHOO-CHOO WHO'S WHO

Railroading Show and Sale, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Arkansas Railroad Museum, Pine Bluff. Details at arkansasrailroadmuseum.org. Call (870) 535-8819.

SMOKEY FLAVORED

Musical Smokey Joe's Cafe through April 29 at Murry's Dinner Playhouse, Little Rock. Details at murrysdp.com. Call (501) 562-3131.

FINNY GIRL

2 The Little Mermaid writer Hans Christian Andersen's birthday, 1805.

IT IS TO LAUGH

3 National Humor Month, National Poetry Month.

To jest, to hoot, to be in stitches,

Scoff and sniggle, split your britches,

Ha-ha, hee-hee, silly goose --

The circus closed, the clowns are loose.

CHARITY BALL

Tee Off for a Cause golf tournament benefits Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled, Pleasant Valley Country Club, Little Rock. Details at aeddinc.org. Call (501) 801-3648.

HELP WANTED SECTION

4 Hug a Newsman Day. The ink stains mostly wash out.

GRASS-ROOTS INQUIRY

5 National Garden Week raises the question: What is April's sunny-bright flower of the month that grows all over Arkansas: (A) daffodil, (B) sunflower, (C) marigold, (D) buttercup or (E) I Can't Believe It's Not Buttercup.

Answer at April 25.

BATTERS UP

6 Arkansas Travelers baseball team's season opener, 6:10 p.m. at Dickey-Stephens Park, North Little Rock. Details at travs.com. Call (501) 664-1555.

YOLK ART

7 Eggshibition auction of celebrity-decorated eggs benefits Youth Home Inc., 7 p.m. at Jack Stephens Center, University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Details at youthhome.org. Call (501) 821-5500.

SWINE AND DANDY

Hogskin Holidays Festival, racing pigs and pork chop cook-off through April 8, Calhoun County Fairgrounds, Hampton. Details at hogskin-holidays.com. Call (870) 798-2100.

HAUGHT PANTS

8 Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concert, "Beethoven & Blue Jeans," 7:30 p.m. April 8 and 3 p.m. April 9 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at arkansassymphony.org. Call (501) 666-1761.

ON, DASHER; ON, PRANCER

Junior League of Little Rock Downtown Dash, 8 a.m. from the Junior League building on Scott Street. Details at jllr.org. Call (501) 375-5557.

READY OR YACHT

Antique Boat Show, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. at Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs. Details at garvangardens.org. Call (800) 366-4664.

YELLOW SLICK ROAD

Diamond Edge Figure Skating Club show, All About Oz, 6 p.m. April 8 and 9 at Arkansas Skatium, Little Rock. Details at diamondedgefsc.org. Call (501) 231-4375.

LIVING IN WELDED BLISS

9 How to celebrate National Welding Month: Bolder and bolder, solder to solder.

SISTER ACT

10 National Siblings Day -- and still no fun to ride in the backseat.

HELLO, MY RAGTIME GAL

11 How to celebrate Barbershop Quartet Day: with harmony, yes. Harmonica, no.

GLOBAL A CHORD

12 International Guitar Month. April is when the axman meets the taxman.

TOE-TAPPIN' HAPPENIN'

13 Arkansas Folk Festival, bluegrass music and dancing through April 15, Mountain View. Details at yourplaceinthemountains.com. Call (870) 269-8068.

JIG'S UP

14 "Riverdance: The 20th Anniversary World Tour" through April 16 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at celebrityattractions.com. Call (501) 244-8800.

SCREEN TRYST

Ozark Foothills Film Fest through April 15 and April 21-22 at University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville. Details at ozarkfoothillsfilmfest.org. Call (870) 251-1189.

DEVISE OLD OWL

15 Leonardo da Vinci's birthday, 1452. He never married, which left him free to invent other things besides excuses.

FAIR PLAY

Saturday's Fair, games and entertainment 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Hughes Community Center, Russellville, benefits Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home. Details at arkansashospice.org. Call (479) 964-4500.

SUNDAY BEST

16 Easter.

EGGS-IT RAMP

Little Rock's new Broadway Bridge eases car traffic gridlock on the Bunny Trail.

SQUEAKY BINGE

17 Bat Appreciation Day -- otherwise known as Joker Calls In Sick Day.

DOOM FOR ONE MORE

18 Federal income tax pay-up-or-else day.

Stress Awareness Month.

OFF TO WORK WE GO

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Spring Job Fair, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock. Details at jobfair.arkansasonline.com. Call (501) 378-3807.

STINK BALM

19 National Garlic Day -- made possible by a grant from the Phew Charitable Trust and by phewers at home.

BULL RIDERS

20 TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Is today your birthday? If so, beware of china shops. You break it, you've bought it -- and what do you need with another moo-cow butter dish? Go bullish with England's Queen Elizabeth II, 91 on April 21; and Jerry Seinfeld, 63 on April 29.

MONSTER MASH

Little Rock Wind Symphony concert, "Godzilla Eats Las Vegas," 7:30 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, Little Rock. Details at lrwindsymphony.org. Call (501) 666-0777.

ONE MAN WITH A CIGAR

MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Smokin'-jokin' Ron White, 8 p.m. at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at ticketmaster.com. Call (800) 745-3000.

MAKE IT NAPPY

21 Kindergarten Day -- because deep down we all know that crying is the only good response to spilled milk.

DAILY PLANET HEADLINES

22 How to celebrate Earth Day: with global warm greetings.

Earth Day Celebration and tree-planting, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock. Details at arkansas.com. Call (501) 868-5806.

HABaNERO HOBNOB

Red Hot Chili Peppers, 8 p.m. at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (501) 975-9000.

LICENSED TO TRILL

Fort Smith Symphony concert, "Bonded -- The Music of James Bond," 7:30 p.m. at ArcBest Performing Arts Center, Fort Smith. Details at fortsmithsymphony.org. Call (479) 452-7575.

RUST AROUND THE CORNER

Bella Rustina Modern Vintage Market through April 23 at Conway Expo Center, Conway. Details at bellarustina.com. Call (501) 230-5728.

CHROME SWEET CHROME

Arkansas Street Machines Car and Truck Show, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Goodsell Truck Accessories, Jacksonville. Benefits the Jacksonville Museum of Military History. Call (501) 982-2245.

ROOT TOOT-TOOT

Arkansas County Master Gardeners Plant Sale and luncheon, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Arkansas County Fairgrounds, DeWitt. Call (870) 946-3231.

TENOR IS THE NIGHT

23 River City Men's Chorus concert, "In the Spirit," 3 p.m. April 23, 7 p.m. April 24 and 7 p.m. April 27 at Second Presbyterian Church, Little Rock. Details at rivercitymenschorus.com. Call (501) 377-1080.

TOM CATS

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, 7:30 p.m. at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (501) 975-9000.

SQUAWK BOX

24 National Karaoke Week -- or in the words of Tom Petty, "Don't Do Me Like That."

TIE A YELLOW BIB ON

25 Mr. Mustard in the meadow quiz answer: (B) sunflower, but look quickly before the squirrels get the best of everything.

TURN, TURN, TURN

26 National Pretzel Day. The plot takes a twist.

GOTTA LOTTA LIT

27 Arkansas Literary Festival through April 30 in and around the Central Arkansas Library System campus, downtown Little Rock. Details at arkansasliteraryfestival.org. Call (501) 918-3098.

THE HAIR UP THERE

28 Rapunzel through May 14 at the Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre, Little Rock. Details at arkarts.com. Call (501) 372-4000.

HEP HOORAY

Rhythm on the River jazz-theme dining and dancing with The B Flats, 6:30 p.m. at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock, benefits Arkansas Symphony Orchestra. Details at arsymphonyguild.org. Call (501) 747-2162.

IRIS 'R' DESIROUS

29 Central Arkansas Iris Show, 1-4 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Little Rock. Call (501) 416-6390.

KNISHES COME TRUE

30 Jewish Food and Cultural Festival, 9 a.m. at War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock. Details at jewisharkansas.org. Call (501) 663-3571.

BUT NOW WE HAVE TO GO

R.I.P.: Restore in Perpetuity benefit picnic, 5-7 p.m. at historic Mount Holly Cemetery, Little Rock. Call (501) 666-1723.

Coming next month: May! Write to Ron Wolfe, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 121 E. Capitol Ave., Little Rock, Ark. 72203, or email

rwolfe@arkansasonline.com

by April 15 to suggest May calendar entries or how to celebrate May as National Salad Month, such as: Rally the radicchio, lettuce eat. 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 03/28/2017

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