JUNE CALENDAR: You're getting warmer

Shakespeare and his dad are ready to ride a bathtub full of peas, ’maters and cats to a riverbank rodeo celebrating the first day of summer

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette tomato contest illustration.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette tomato contest illustration.

June is when summer finally arrives like Old St. Nick in shorts, flip-flops and a screaming Hawaiian shirt, in a top-down convertible sleigh filled with doughnuts, yo-yos, tomatoes, Shakespeare and purple hull peas. Santa's reindeer kick back, and the Beach Boys fly the load. Happy summer to all, and to all a good flight.

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Special to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Ron Wolfe

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Fresh Veggies Day illustration.

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Special to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Ron Wolfe

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette June calendar illustration.

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette/RON WOLFE

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Brickfest illustration.

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Special to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette/Ron Wolfe

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Chocolate Ice Cream Day and Rose month illustration (left). Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Adopt a Cat Month illustration (right).

1 Dairy Month, Accordion Appreciation Month, Fight the Filthy Fly Month. Milk and cheese, give a squeeze, worse than fleas.

SHORE THING

Riverfest through June 4 on the banks of the Arkansas River, downtown Little Rock, with Wiz Khalifa, Colt Ford, Cage the Elephant, fireworks. Details at riverfestarkansas.com. Call (501) 255-3378.

BIBLICAL BOPPITY

Rock musical Godspell through June 25 at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Little Rock. Details at therep.org. Call (501) 378-0405.

GLAZED EXPRESSIONS

2 National Doughnut Day -- better half than hole.

AYE, THERE'S THE TUB

Stueart Pennington Racing of the Tubs: tub-judging party, 6 p.m. June 2; bathtubs-on-wheels parade and races at 9 a.m. June 3, downtown Hot Springs. Details at hotsprings.org. Call (501) 321-2027.

NAME THAT 'TOON

3 Symphony of Northwest Arkansas concert, "Music and Animation," 7:30 p.m. at Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville. Details at sonamusic.org. Call (501) 443-5600.

NEWS LEAK

4 How to celebrate National Fishing and Boating Week: Drop a marker. Cast a bobber. Float a rumor.

AND TO WALL A GOOD NIGHT

5 Brit Floyd, 7:30 p.m. at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (800) 745-3000.

A LITTLE NIP BEFORE

SLEEPY-TIME

Bed Bug Awareness Wee-eek!

SPIN THERE, SPUN THAT

6 How to celebrate National Yo-Yo Day: just sleeper through it.

SEND IN THE CONES

7 Rose Month, Candy Month -- the combination that makes anything possible. Nothing does the trick like roses and candy. And National Chocolate Ice Cream Day, besides. Dessert first, why not?

"Anything you want to, do it." -- Willy Wonka.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE,

WHEN, WHY -- AND VOW

Roses and chocolate and -- weddings. June is named for Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage. To this day, more people get married in June than in any other other month. Oh, sweet roses and honeysuckles! (The flowers of June.) June is what aisles you.

TRA-LA-LA

Movies in the Park outdoor film series opens with La La Land, 8:30 p.m. at First Security Amphitheater, downtown Little Rock. Series continues Wednesdays through July 26. Details at rivermarket.info.

MEAL TICKETS

8 Searcy Summer Dinner Theatre shows, Til Beth Do Us Part, June 8-11 and 15-17; and Father of the Bride, June 29-July 2 and July 6-8 at Harding University, Searcy. Details at hardingtickets.com.

POP AND GO

Fun Day with bubble gum-blowing contest and wheelbarrow races, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at Woolly Hollow State Park near Greenbrier. Details at arkansasstateparks.com. Call (501) 679-2098.

BARD ON THE RUN

9 Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre summer festival with performances of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost, Julius Caesar and The Taming of the Shrew, and Meredith Willson's The Music Man, through July 9 at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway and other venues including Crystal Bridges of Museum of American Art, Bentonville. Details at arkshakes.com. Call (501) 852-0702.

NAMED AND FRAMED

Delta Exhibition, works in all media from the Mississippi Delta, through Aug. 27 at the Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock. Details at arkarts.com. Call (501) 372-4000.

GRADUATED ALMA 'MATER

Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival through June 10, Warren. Details at bradleypinktomato.com. Call (870) 226-5225.

WATTLE I DO

10 Turkey Lovers Month -- when a chicken in every pot is nothing compared to a tom for every Dick and Harry.

START FROM SCRATCH

11 Rough patch ahead: National Corn on the Cob Day.

SEE WHO SALUTES

Little Rock Wind Symphony concert, "Stars and Stripes Celebration for Flag Day," 7 p.m. outside the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, Little Rock. Call (501) 376-4602.

AS PURR REQUEST

12 National Adopt a Cat Month -- not to be confused with adapt a cat month. Cats can be adopted, but they adapt to suit themselves.

HOT HOUSE PARTY

13 Some Like It Hot movie-theme small standard flower show, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. through June 14 at Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs. Details at garvangardens.org. Call (501) 262-9300.

VROOM WITH A VIEW

Petit Jean Swap Meet and Car Show through June 17 at the Museum of Automobiles on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton. Details at museumofautos.com. Call (501) 727-5427.

OH, SNAP!

14 Flag Day.

NATURAL FACT

15 Arkansas' 181st birthday. But no candles -- not in this hog-crazy, woodsy state. Smokey Bear says, "Only you can prevent boar-fest fires."

SHE DIDN'T CARROT

ALL FOR SPINACH

16 How to celebrate Fresh Veggies Day: Squash the competition.

BEAN AROUND

17 World Juggling Day, Eat Your Vegetables Day. Playing with our food, are we? One of two things will come of this -- a scolding, or America's Got Talent.

MAKE AND MODEL

Tinkerfest, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Mid-America Science Museum, Hot Springs. Details at midamericamuseum.org. Call (501) 767-3461.

HOWDY ADO

Western Days, barbecue and street dance, 5 p.m. at Persons Stadium, Springdale. Details at rodeooftheozarks.org. Call (479) 756-0464.

COOL DADDY-O

18 Father's Day.

Father's Day sunset lake cruise, 7:30 p.m. at Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock. Details at arkansas.com. Call (501) 868-5806.

BASKET CASE

International Picnic Day, International Panic Day: One bee can make all the difference.

GONE WALKABOUT

19 World Sauntering Day.

I'd run, but no sooner begun

Whuff! -- I'm done;

And I'd strut, but here's what:

I just don't make the cut;

So I'll go very slow

On my sauntering toes.

WHERE THE DAWN

COMES UP LIKE TUNDRA

20 The U.S. buys Alaska from Russia, 1867, but denies collusion.

LEMONADE IN THE SHADE

21 Lazy, hazy, crazy first full day of summer.

PALOMINO PALOOZA

Rodeo of the Ozarks, steer wrestling and bronc riding through June 24 at Parsons Stadium, Springdale. Details at rodeooftheozarks.org. Call (479) 756-0464.

MOTOR CITY MOTIVATION

Motown: The Musical through June 25 at Robinson Center Performance Hall, Little Rock. Details at celebrityattractions.com. Call (501) 244-8800.

CRAB CAKE WALK

22 CANCER (June 22-July 22): Is today your birthday? If so, why be hard-shelled about it? Even hermit crabs step out this month. Stroll the beach sideways with fellow crustaceans Captain Kangaroo (Bob Keeshan), born June 27, 1927; comedian Kevin Hart, 37 on July 6; and guru gone hard-to-find Richard Simmons, 69 on July 12.

WHAT WAILS YOU

23 Riverfront Blues Festival with the Cate Brothers, Good Luck Slim, through June 24 at Harry E. Kelley Park, Fort Smith. Details at riverfrontbluesfest.org.

FLICK A BRICK,

THINK A THUNK

Brickfest with brick toss, Miss Brickfest pageant, through June 24, Malvern. Details at malvernbrickfest.com. Call (501) 458-1115.

PEAS PORRIDGE SPOT

24 Purplehull Pea Festival and World Championship Rotary Tiller Race, Emerson. Details at purplehull.com. Call (870) 547-3500.

GLUG GRUB

25 National Catfish Day and fish bait quiz: Based on the tales that fisherman cast "on-line," which of these things are good to use for catfish bait? -- (A) Soap, (B) Bubblegum, (C) French fries, (D) Pickles, (E) Brussels sprouts.

Answer at June 29.

FUGGEDDABOUDIT

26 Forgiveness Day. Some forgive and forget, some forget to forgive, and some forfeit foregoing in favor of miffed.

TANKS FOR ANEMONES

27 How to celebrate Aquarium Month: with a splash of the ol' bubbly.

BAND-AID ON THE RUN

28 National Safety Month. Whoops, slipped. National Safety Month. Uh-oh, tripped over "Safety." National Safety Month. Ow! -- dropped the "h." Be careful out there.

DIRTY DEEDS

29 How to celebrate International Mud Day -- with mud pie and coffee sludge.

BOTTOM FEEDER GREETERS

Boop-boop-ditt'em-datt'em-whatt'em-choo fishies quiz answer: Catfish seem to bite on pretty much anything, except maybe (E) Brussels sprouts. And it's probably just a matter of time before somebody hits on a Brussels sprouts recipe that even catfish will eat. Brussels sprouts in Parmesan garlic butter with water beetles, anybody?

BATTER UP

30 Day after Waffle Iron Day. Whose job was it to unplug the waffle iron? Do we have to go back and see if anybody remembered? Did anybody remember to put the eggs back in the refrigerator? And where's Mom? Did Mom decide not to come with us, or what?

Coming next month: July! Write to Ron Wolfe at rwolfe@arkansasonline.com by June 15 to suggest July calendar entries or how to celebrate July as National Hot Dog Month, such as: with condiments to the chef. All entries require a web address and/ or phone number that is answered during business hours.

Style on 05/30/2017

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