July 1
The Music Man
RUSSELLVILLE — The River Valley Arts Center will present The Music Man at 2 p.m. at The Center for the Arts, 2209 S. Knoxville Ave. For ticket information, call (479) 968-2452.
July 3 and 4
Fourth of July Celebration in the Bay
FAIRFIELD BAY — The Fourth of July celebration in the Bay will start at 6 p.m. Tuesday with a free performance by the Cherokee National Youth Choir in the Indian Rock Cave at the Fairfield Bay Heritage Center. The choir will perform a program, One Nation Under God, of patriotic and gospel music sung in the Cherokee language. Attendees are asked to bring a lawn chair. July Fourth events on Wednesday will include a parade in the morning, live history demonstrations at the Fairfield Bay Heritage Center in the afternoon and fireworks on the water after dark.
July 4
Tom Sawyer Days
FAIRFIELD BAY — Tom Sawyer Days at the Fairfield Bay Heritage Center will follow the July 4th parade. Volunteers will tell pioneer stories, demonstrate spinning wheels, play harmonica and create God’s Eye crafts for children. There will be free lemonade and maybe a pie contest. Visitors are encouraged to stop by the cave, the log cabin and the museum and sit a spell on the front porch. For more information, call (501) 884-4440.
Holiday Closing
RUSSELLVILLE — The Hughes Community Center, 1000 E. Parkway Drive, will be closed for observance of Independence Day. For more information, call the center at (479) 968-1272.
Community Fireworks Display
RUSSELLVILLE — The city of Russellville will present a free community fireworks display on July Fourth. The show will take place at dark in Old Post Road Park.
July 5 and 8
Henry IV, Part I
CONWAY — The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre will present Henry IV, Part I in an intimate, onstage setting that allows the audience immediate engagement with both the actors and the action. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and at 2 p.m. July 8 in Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. Tickets are $32 for adults and $25 for seniors, active military personnel and students. For tickets or more information, visit arkshakes.com or call (866) 810-0012.
Ongoing
Farmers Market
FAIRFIELD BAY — The Thursday-morning Fairfield Bay Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m. to noon at the Village Mall Gazebo. Fresh produce and canned items are available. Anyone with a bumper crop of backyard tomatoes or a garden plot of greens is welcome to set up a booth. No preregistration is required.
Junior Park Ranger Tours
FAIRFIELD BAY — Junior Park Ranger tours at the Fairfield Bay Heritage Center take place from 1-4 p.m. Mondays. Bring kids to the museum, and they will get a name badge and an activity book from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program. For more information, call (501) 884-4440.
Art Classes
FAIRFIELD BAY — The Fairfield Bay Community Education Center offers its Paint With Jim class from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays; Barbara Cornett’s fused-glass class from 2-4 p.m. Wednesdays; and Fran’s Jeweled Spider class from 1-2:30 p.m Thursdays. For class fees and more information or to RSVP, call the center at (501) 884-4440. Information is also available on the center’s Facebook page.
Neighbor’s Table
RUSSELLVILLE — Neighbor’s Table is a free meal from noon to 1 p.m. every Saturday at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 501 S Phoenix Ave. The doors open at 11:30 a.m. with free coffee. All are welcome to attend this no-pressure, no-questions-asked free lunch. Neighbor’s Table, which is celebrating its sixth year of service, will now send home sack lunches to guests who come for lunch. All Saints’ has also started a Loaves and Fishes ministry, which accepts Sunday-morning offerings at the altar of necessities such as cereal, peanut butter, shelf-stable milk, toilet paper, toiletries, hand soap and detergent. These items will be distributed to guests on Saturday at Neighbor’s Table. For more information on the program or how to help, call the church office at (479) 968-3622.
Fun in the Sun! Art Exhibit
CLINTON — The art exhibit Fun in the Sun! is on display at Ozark Health Medical Center on U.S. 65 in south Clinton. The collection, which will hang through Aug. 6, features 46 original paintings by various local artists. Art is located in the hallways near the cafeteria on the upper level and in the outpatient wing on the lower level. The paintings are for sale for $15 to $350. Proceeds will benefit Hospital Auxiliary projects. For more information, call Joyce Hartmann at (501) 745-6615.
Community Teaching Garden
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Master Gardeners will have a community teaching garden in front of Freyaldenhoven’s nursery, at the corner of Siebenmorgen Road and Bob Courtway Drive. The group meets there at 9 a.m. the first and third Saturdays of each month through September. All are invited to attend and learn to grow their own food.
Friday Night Kruzn
CONWAY — Friday Night Kruzn, a free event, will take place from 6-8 p.m. the third Friday of each month through Oct. 19 at The Village at Hendrix. Cars will be on display, and a donation will be made to the Arkansas Food Bank. For more information, contact Don Searls at (501) 269-1817.
Humane Society Benefit Bingo
GREENBRIER — Bingo, sponsored by the Humane Society of Faulkner County, is played every third Friday at the Melton Cotton City Event Center, 5 Lois Lane. Pregames start at 5:30 p.m., and full games begin at 6:30. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Sloan-Swindel Spay and Neuter Memorial Fund. For more information, email rescuethestrays@yahoo.com.
Bluegrass Music Night
HEBER SPRINGS — Heber Springs Christian Church, 1101 N. Broadway St., offers a bluegrass music night from 6:30-8:30 every Tuesday. Musicians are invited to participate. Free coffee will be available. For more information, call the church at (501) 362-2389.
Yoga Class at the Library
CONWAY — Danny Mize, a registered yoga instructor, teaches a yoga class at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the Faulkner County Library. Yoga practitioners of all skill levels are welcome to attend. All library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.
Faulkner County Coin Club Meetings
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Coin Club meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Ola & John Hawks Senior Wellness & Activity Center, 705 E. Siebenmorgen Road. The 5 p.m. dinner is optional, and a $6 donation is suggested for those 60 and younger. A fellowship time will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. with educational speakers, show-and-tell, news and door prizes. For more information, call (501) 514-0785.
VFW Tuesday Night Bingo
QUITMAN — Tuesday Night Bingo takes place each week at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 1295 Bee Branch Road. Doors open at 5:30 for bonanzas, and regular play starts at 6:30 p.m. Food is available. For more information, call (501) 362-9979.
American Legion Friday Night Bingo
HEBER SPRINGS — Friday Night Bingo takes place each week at the American Legion Hall, 49 Park Road. Doors open at 5:30 for bonanzas, and regular play starts at 6:30. For more information, call (501) 362-9979.
Faulkner County Tea Party Luncheon
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Tea Party has a luncheon at noon every Thursday at Larry’s Pizza, 1068 Markham St. Guest speakers and the members’ “soap box” are featured each week. All who are interested in governmental and business affairs on the county, state or national level are invited to attend.
Upcoming
Adult Fall Softball League Registration
RUSSELLVILLE — Registration for the Russellville Recreation and Parks Department’s fall softball league will begin July 9 and end at 5 p.m. July 20. Teams may register at the Hughes Community Center, 1000 E. Parkway Drive, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Forms are available in the Russellville Recreation and Parks Department office and at www.russellvillearkansas.org. For more information, call the Hughes Center at (479) 968-1272.
Chocolate Festival: Shake, Rattle and Roll
DARDANELLE — The fifth annual Chocolate Festival — Shake, Rattle and Roll — will take place from 5-8 p.m. July 13 at the Dardanelle Community Center, 2011 Arkansas 22 W. Participants will have an opportunity to explore the unique tastes of various chocolate flavors. Tickets for the event are available at the center for a minimum donation of $5 each. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Lizard Lunch Box and Ethan Gutierrez. To become a sponsor or an exhibitor, or to make a donation, contact the Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce at (479) 229-3328 or email dardanellechamberofcommerce@gmail.com.
Bernard Burgess Book Signing
CONWAY — Local author, Bernard “Bernie” Burgess will give a reading and book signing at 2 p.m. July 14 at the Faulkner County Library. Burgess, the author of the mystery Bert and Norah: The Nickel Dime Murders, entered the Air Force after graduating from the University of Nebraska and retired as a command pilot with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was then a freelance writer and had a bed-and-breakfast in Cody, Wyoming. He was also a private investigator in Northwest Arkansas and now lives in Bee Branch with his wife and near his daughter and her family. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 908-2106 or email nancy@fcl.org.
Summer Strings Camp
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Community School of Music’s 10th annual Summer Strings Camp, for students in grades six through 12 who have completed at least one year of private lessons or orchestra, is set for July 15-21 on the campus. Daytime activities include rehearsals, masterclasses, a webinar with young orchestra professionals, ultimate Frisbee and extreme noodling. Night activities, for commuters and on-campus campers, will include a trip to Wild River Country, a movie night and a camp dance. For more information, visit www.uca.edu/csm/camps, call Ronald Jensen-McDaniel at (501) 450-3672, or email ucacsm@uca.edu.
Marvin Williams’ Cooking Adventures
CONWAY — Marvin Williams’ Cooking Adventures: Summertime Favorites will be offered from 6-8 p.m. July 20 at UCA Downtown, 1105 W. Oak St. Join Williams while he makes some of his favorite summertime drinks, such as Purple Rain Lemonade, and desserts, including ice cream and his Cake of Many Colors. Register at uca.edu/outreach/types/culinary-classes or call (501) 450-3118.
Joyce Tucker Book Signing
CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library welcomes local author Joyce Tucker for a book signing at 2 p.m. July 21. Tucker won her first award for writing at the Arkansas Writers Conference in 2008 and is now a novelist and a motivational speaker. Loyalty is Everything: Boss Up is the story of Robert, who struggles to maintain his bad-boy reputation, that is, until he meets Autumn, who makes him question his notion that love is a distraction. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.
3C’s Train-the-Trainer Program
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas will off the 3C’s Train-the-Trainer Program from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 26 and 27 at UCA’s Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center, 201 Donaghey Ave. Based on the book Civility, Compassion and Courage in Schools Today: Strategies for Implementing in K- 12 Classrooms, this course will focus on becoming civility-competent and compassionate, as well as provide an in-depth reflection on how one’s personality impacts authentic program delivery. Register at uca.edu/outreach/types/business/pd or call (501) 450-3118.
World Championship Cardboard Boat Races
HEBER SPRINGS — The 32nd annual World Championship Cardboard Boat Races will take place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 28 at Sandy Beach. Along with the boat races, additional activities will include a treasure dig, a watermelon-eating contest and a volleyball tournament. For more information, call (870) 834-1437.
Old Soldiers Reunion Parade
HEBER SPRINGS — American Legion Post 64 will host the annual Old Soldiers Reunion Parade at 6 p.m. Aug. 2. The parade will start at Harps Grocery and end at Spring Park. Lineup will be at 5:30. The following prizes will awarded for floats: first place, $500; second place, $350; and third place, $250. The theme is “United We Stand,” and there is no entry fee. The parade will be followed by a carnival in Spring Park and other activities Aug. 3 and 4, including a beauty pageant. For more information, call the Post 64 at (501) 362-9979 or Gabe Cothron at (501) 206-9571.
Pewter Casting Class
FAIRFIELD BAY — The Fairfield Bay Community Education Center will offer its one-day Pewter Casting class from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 4. Participants will learn the skill of carving and casting jewelry or tokens from master caster Fred Zeiler. Preregistration is required, and students will have a pre-class assignment. The cost of the class is $50, and all materials are provided. For more information or to register, call the center at (501) 884-4440 or visit its Facebook page.
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. The deadline for calendar-item submissions is noon Tuesday.