Today
Iris Yard Tour
SEARCY — The White County Iris Society will host a yard tour, beginning at 2 p.m., at 10 Mohawk Drive. Anyone interested in seeing irises is welcome to join the group, which will also view the Love Garden at 605 E. Race Ave. and one or two other gardens, weather permitting. The George Benson, Sally Benson and Clifton Ganus irises being sold by Women for Harding will be on display.
Pioneer Village Spring Fest
SEARCY — Pioneer Village, at 1200 Higginson St., a late-19th-century village, will continue its 12th annual Spring Fest from noon to 4 p.m. All Village buildings will be open. Activities will include square dancing, live music, clogging, pioneer games for children and demonstrations of pioneer crafts. There will be vendors, food, live animals and a Civil War re-enactors camp. Admission and parking are free, but donations will be accepted. For more information, call (501) 580-6633.
Monday
Community Music Gathering
BATESVILLE — A community music gathering will take place from 6-8 p.m. at First Community Bank. Singers, players and listeners are welcome to attend. Guitar or accordion accompaniment will be provided.
Tuesday
Community Health Fair
ASH FLAT — Ozarka College will host a Community Health Fair from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ash Flat campus, 64 College Drive. Admission is free and open to the public. The fair will offer free checks for blood pressure, glucose, body mass, cholesterol and HbA1c, beginning at 7 a.m., and participants are asked to fast after midnight for the screenings. There will be mammograms, vision and hearing tests, a blood drive, and CPR tutorials at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. There will also be a bake sale with proceeds benefiting the Back-to-School Backpack Program. Concessions will be available. For more information, contact Angela Phipps or Cheryl Ekenes at (870) 368-2380.
American Legion Riders Meeting
CABOT — The American Legion Riders, a group for veterans who ride motorcycles, will meet at 7 p.m. at Criswell-Robinson American Legion Post 71, 114 N. First St. For more information or to join the group, come by Post 71 or call (501) 203-5715.
Friday
Harding ROTC Commissioning Ceremony
SEARCY — Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin will be the guest speaker at the Harding University ROTC commissioning ceremony at noon in Harding’s Reynolds Recital Hall. Four cadets from the Bison Detachment will receive their commissions as second lieutenants as they move on to careers of service in the United States Army.
Saturday
Three Festivals in One
FAIRFIELD BAY — Bloomin’ in the Bay, a celebration of spring, will take place from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Ed Leamon Park, with a plant sale, local artisans and vendors, food booths, a kids play zone, a free Mother’s Day craft and more. Blues & BBQ will take place from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., featuring backyard barbecue maestros competing for a $500 cook-off prize. Plus, Cruisin’ in the Bay, a classic-car fest hosted by the Fairfield Bay Chamber of Commerce, will have upward of 50 classic cars. And the day will wrap up with a new event, a street dance featuring the Zac Dunlap Band. All events are free and open to the public.
Beginner Embroidery Workshop
NEWPORT — Jacksonport State Park will host a Beginner Embroidery Workshop from 1-4 p.m. at the park’s Visitor Information Center. Each participant will create a hand-sewn sampler to take home while learning six simple stitches. All supplies will be provided. The workshop is best suited for those 12 and older. Advance registration is required by 3 p.m. Thursday. Admission is $15. For more information, contact the park staff at Jacksonport State Park, 205 Ave. St., Newport, AR 72112; (870) 523-2143; or jacksonport@arkansas.com.
Harding University Spring Commencement
SEARCY — Harding University’s spring commencement exercises will take place Saturday in Harding’s George S. Benson Auditorium, with three ceremonies: at 9 a.m. for the College of Bible and Ministry, the Carr College of Nursing and the College of Sciences; at noon for the College of Arts and Humanities and the Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration; and at 3 p.m. for the College of Allied Health, the Cannon-Clary College of Education and the College of Pharmacy.
Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
HORSESHOE BEND — As part of Dogwood Days, a pancake breakfast fundraiser, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus in Horseshoe Bend, will take place from 7:30 a.m. to noon in St. Mary’s Church Hall, First and Church streets. The menu will feature pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, and coffee or juice.
ONGOING
Main Street Searcy Farmers’ Market
SEARCY — The Main Street Searcy Farmers’ Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon, or until sold out, Saturdays on the east side of the Courthouse Square. The market will offer a variety of Arkansas-grown seasonal produce, baked goods, farm-fresh eggs, jellies, local honey, handmade soaps, U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified meat, woodwork, and arts and crafts. The White County Daylily Society will sell daylilies and other plants. To participate in the farmers market, call the Main Street office at (501) 279-9007 or email mainstreetsearcy@sbcglobal.net.
Museum of Imagination New Exhibits
BROCKWELL — The Museum of Imagination, 25 Chapel Hill Road in Brockwell, near Melbourne, has two new exhibits for children. A model railroad set, complete with houses, is set up and ready to run. The other exhibit is an interactive display of a carnival-type magnetic snag-it booth, with the captured prize being a mineral specimen. All interactive displays are free. The museum is open from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sundays, and by appointment by calling museum director Barbra Knight at (870) 895-2087.
Encaustic Photo Collage
MOUNTAIN VIEW — The Arkansas Craft School, 101 N. Peabody Ave., will offer Encaustic Photo Collage, with La’Nelle Gambrell, by appointment. For available dates or to request a specific date, call (870) 746-5506.
Evening GED Class
MOUNTAIN VIEW — An evening GED class is being offered at Ozarka College in Mountain View. The class meets from 5-8 p.m. Tuesdays. Instruction is available in math, writing skills, reading comprehension and refresher skills for college prep, military service or employability. An instructor is available for one-on-one assistance. For more information, call (870) 368-2051.
Painting Class
FAIRFIELD BAY — Jim Tindall’s painting class will meet with a new subject from 10 a.m. to noon. every Tuesday at the Fairfield Bay Community Education Center, 130 Village Lane, Suite 5E. Each class costs $45, and all materials are provided. The center also offers Tindall’s once-a-month evening class from 5:30-8, with the dates to be announced. For more information, call the center at (501) 884-4440, or visit the center’s Facebook page.
Heber Springs TOPS Meetings
HEBER SPRINGS — TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets each Monday at the Church of the Nazarene, Eighth and Quitman streets. Weigh-in begins at 7:30 a.m., and a support meeting emphasizing weight loss and healthy living takes place from 9:30-11 a.m. Prospective members are welcome to attend. Enter the church through the back entrance. For more information, call Geneva Earles at (501) 827-1243 or Janiece Brierly at (501) 250-5087.
Searcy Lions Club
SEARCY — The Searcy Lions Club meets at noon every Tuesday on the second floor of the Heritage Building at Harding University. The Lions Club raises funds for eye care and eyeglasses for White County residents who otherwise could not afford such care. New members are always welcome. For more information, visit the Searcy Lions Club on Facebook.
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 p.m. Food is available. For more information, call (501) 362-9979.
Cabot Lions Club Meetings
CABOT — The Cabot Lions Club meets at noon the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at Colton’s Steak House & Grill, 195 Northport Drive. All are invited to the meetings.
Free Brown-Bag Lunch
CABOT — The Mount Tabor United Methodist Church Women of Cabot serve a free brown-bag lunch at 11 a.m. each Thursday at the church, 4100 Arkansas 89 S. All are welcome. To volunteer or make a donation, call (501) 843-3797.
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 is available. For more information, call the church at (501) 362-2389.
Beebe Kiwanis Club Meetings
BEEBE — The Beebe Kiwanis Club meets at noon the first and third Thursdays of each month in the Stephens Room of the Student Center at Arkansas State University-Beebe. Kiwanis is a volunteer organization with the mission of helping youth in the community. For more information, call Flo Fitch at (501) 230-2890 or Debra Crisco at (501) 454-3505.
Civitan Meetings
CABOT — Civitan meets at 6 p.m. the first and third Mondays of the month at First Security Bank in downtown Cabot. Civitan is an organization that provides training and support for people with developmental disabilities.
Opportunity for Bridge Players
BEEBE — Bridge players are needed at 1 p.m. Wednesdays at the Shepherd’s Center at Beebe United Methodist Church, 302A N. Main St. Beginners are welcome. For more information, call (501) 843-2930.
Beebe Caregivers Support Group
BEEBE — The Beebe Caregivers Support Group meets at 3 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at the Shepherd’s Center at Beebe United Methodist Church, 302A N. Main St. For more information, call Sandra Garrett at (501) 940-4021.
Alzheimer’s Support Group
CABOT — The Alzheimer’s Support Group meets at 10 a.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Cabot United Methodist Church, 2003 S. Pine St. For more information, call (501) 265-0027.
Republicans Meetings
NEWPORT — The Jackson County Republicans meet at 7 p.m. the fourth Monday of the month at Merchants and Planters Bank, 915 Arkansas 367 N. For more information, call Jeff McDonald at (870) 731-7646.
Upcoming
Staff Workday Closing
BATESVILLE — The Independence County Library, 267 E. Main St., will be closed May 13 for a staff workday. The library will reopen at 10 a.m. May 14. For more information, call the library at (870) 793-8814.
Sons of American Legion Meeting
CABOT — The Sons of American Legion (SAL) will meet at 6 p.m. May 14 at Criswell-Robinson American Legion Post 71, 114 N. First St. For more information or to join the group, come by Post 71 or call (501) 203-5715.
7th Sons Poker Run
SEARCY — The third annual 7th Sons Poker Run, hosted by the Punishers 7th Sons Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club, will take place May 18, starting and ending at Sunrise Motorsports, 800 Truman Baker Drive. The schedule is kick stands up at 10 a.m., with the last bike out at 11 a.m. The entry fee is $20 per bike and $10 per passenger or additional poker hand. The event will feature music, food, local vendors, a silent auction and a gun raffle. Raffle tickets are $10, and the winner does not need to be present. Proceeds from the event will benefit local charities.
New Name Rally
CHARLOTTE — The New Name Rally, a free ladies’ event for ages 11 and older, will take place at 5 p.m. May 18 in The Eagle’s Nest Lodge at John 3:16 Ministries, 150 Holmes Road. The rally will feature a free fish fry, Hosanna Poetry, praise, worship and testimonies. For more information, call (870) 799-2525 or visit www.john316thecure.com.
Salem Public Schools All-Class Reunion
SALEM — The sixth annual Salem Public Schools All-Class Reunion will take place May 25, immediately following the Fulton County Homecoming Festival parade, at the Old Main schoolhouse, 221 N. Oak St. The reunion will include the presentation of Friends of Old Main royalty, tours of the schoolhouse, refreshments, and recognition of donors and others involved in the effort to Save Old Main. For more information, call (501) 607-3767 or visit the Fulton County Heritage Foundation’s Facebook page.
To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, Three Rivers Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR, 72203; send faxes to (501) 378-3500; or email trnews@arkansasonline.com. The deadline for calendar-item submissions is noon Tuesday.