Editor’s note: Many events have been canceled or postponed due to concern about the coronavirus.
Tuesday
Back the Blue
BATESVILLE — Back the Blue of Independence County will take place, rain or shine, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Riverside Park Pavilion. The keynote speaker will be Leslie Rutledge, Arkansas attorney general. Face masks and water will be available while supplies last. Donations will be accepted at the event to use for officer training. Donations may also be made by going to the event’s Facebook page and clicking the GoFundMe link. Attendees are asked to bring a lawn chair. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines will be followed. For more information, contact Brook Taylor at (870) 612-2667 or Jeannie Langle at (870) 793-7408.
Saturday
Drive-Thru Picnic
BATESVILLE — Kick off fall with a drive-thru picnic lunch at Ruddell Hill Baptist Church, 805 Bethesda Road, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The free lunches to go will include grilled hot dogs, chips, dessert and a drink. Participants can register for giveaways and offer feedback regarding how residents can help their community.
Oktoberfest Cancellation
FAIRFIELD BAY — Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fairfield Bay Conference Center and the city of Fairfield Bay have canceled Oktoberfest 2020, which was scheduled for Saturday. “However, a bigger and better event, including the art walk, will take place on Oct. 2, 2021,” said Robbie Miller, chairwoman of the art walk. For more information, call (501) 884-4202.
Ongoing
The River Haunt
BATESVILLE — The River Haunt, Batesville’s haunted house at 570 Stadium Drive, will open for the season Saturday and continue operation from 7-10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Halloween. Regular admission is $10, and advance reservations (skip the line) are $12. Masks are required for entry, groups will be limited to six or fewer, and guests will not be joined with anyone not in their party. Proceeds from the event will benefit Main Street Batesville. For tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/the-river-haunt-batesvilles-haunted-house-tickets-121807939827.
Bald Knob VFW Free Coffee
BALD KNOB — The community is invited to come out and get a free cup of coffee from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Bald Knob Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10007, 3012 Highway Ave. The VFW recognizes the sacrifices and efforts of all veterans and understands the importance of rallying community support for them. Volunteering to serve coffee are Will “Ace” Marler, a Purple Heart recipient and post quartermaster; Bill “Rhino” Morton, a veteran service officer; and Savannah Breaux, commander of VFW Post 10007.
Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery
HEBER SPRINGS — The Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery, 349 Hatchery Road, has reopened its outdoor space (outside fish-rearing area), but all indoor spaces remain temporarily closed to the public. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, except Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The hatchery staff asks people to contact the hatchery at (501) 362-3615 before arriving to confirm its hours. Visitors are required to follow current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safe practices, including maintaining a safe social distance from other groups and wearing face coverings.
Kindred Art Exhibit
BATESVILLE — The Batesville Area Arts Council presents Kindred, an exhibition by Adrienne Callander, at the BAAC Gallery on Main, 226 E. Main St., through Saturday. This interactive exhibition features one of Callander’s new projects, #littlesweaterhug, the artist’s socially engaged knit-based response to limited physical contact in the early days of COVID-19. The show includes a collection of little sweater hugs, along with more of Callander’s work. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays.
WRMC Virtual 5K
BATESVILLE — Highway to Health, the White River Medical Center Virtual 5K, will take place to raise money to give to school districts to fill their food pantries. Register at runsignup.com/Race/AR/Batesville/WRMCRuntheWave5k, and run a 5K anywhere and any time between Oct. 22 and Nov. 5. Fees are $30 for virtual runners or $25 for spirit participants, those who don’t want to run. Register before Oct. 12 to receive a swag bag, which can be picked up from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 22 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 23 at the White River Health System Foundation office, next to Hobby Lobby, or received by mail. Registration ends Oct. 21.
Independence County Library Public Computers
BATESVILLE — The Independence County Library, 267 E. Main St., has opened its public computers for use by patrons. This will be by appointment only, so call (870) 793-8814 to reserve a 30-minute slot. For updates on the Independence County Library, call the library, visit www.indcolib.com or email info@indcolib.com. Visit the library’s Facebook and Instagram pages for updates and video story times.
Corona Corona! Exhibit
FAIRFIELD BAY — Joyce Hartmann, a Choctaw artist, has an exhibit, Corona Corona!, at the Fairfield Bay Library, 369 Dave Creek Parkway, through October. The show consists of 19 paintings, mostly watercolor, as well as some in mixed media or acrylics. More than half of the works are being shown for the first time. The public can view the exhibit from 1-4 p.m. daily whenever the library is open. For more information, call (501) 884-4930, as hours may change because of COVID-19.
Main Street Batesville Farmers Market
BATESVILLE — The Main Street Batesville Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon every other Saturday through October in the Pocket Park on Main Street. Upcoming dates include Oct. 10 and 24. All items are home-grown or homemade by members of the market who live and work in the community.
Cleburne County Cares Food Pantry
HEBER SPRINGS — The Cleburne County Cares Food Pantry, 2016 Arkansas 25 Bypass, is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Those who need food are asked to call ahead at (501) 362-8486 so the pantry can have the food ready for pickup.
Jacksonville Farmers’ Market
JACKSONVILLE — The Jacksonville Farmers’ Market is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Sunday through Oct. 25 at 9 Municipal Drive. Local produce and essential items will be for sale. For more information, call the Jacksonville Community Center at (501) 982-4171.
Fairfield Bay VFW Bingo Nights
FAIRFIELD BAY — Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4513 Bingo Nights take place at 6:30 every Monday. Centers for Disease Control and Protection guidelines are strictly enforced.
Fairfield Bay Senior Center Bingo
FAIRFIELD BAY — Senior Center Bingo will take place from 10-11:15 a.m. every Tuesday at the Fairfield Bay Senior Center, 385 Dave Creek Parkway. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Arkansas Department of Health guidelines will be followed. There will be limited seating, and reservations are required. For more information or reservations, call the center at (501) 884-7800.
Fairfield Bay Rotary Meetings
FAIRFIELD BAY — The Fairfield Bay Rotary meets at noon every Wednesday, with lunch at 11:30 a.m., in the Fireside Room at the Little Red Restaurant at Indian Hills, 337 Snead Drive. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Arkansas Department of Health guidelines will be followed.
Upcoming
In the Know Series: Ballot Referendums
SEARCY — The Searcy Regional Chamber of Commerce’s In the Know Series will present a virtual Zoom event, Ballot Referendums: What You Need to Know, at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 6. Randy Zook, president and CEO for the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, will lead the session. Registrants will be sent an email with the Zoom link at a later date. The session is free, but sponsorships are being accepted.
Powhatan Ghostwalks Cancellation
POWHATAN — Ghostwalks, scheduled for Oct. 17 at Powhatan Historic State Park, has been canceled. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arkansas State Parks has canceled all public programming through at least Oct. 31. “The event typically sees between 400 and 800 attendees each year who crowd into small historic structures to hear our storytellers spin spooky folk tales from Powhatan’s history,” Park Interpreter Geoffrey Havens said. “While we hate canceling the event, we have to put the safety of our guests first.” The 2021 Ghostwalks is scheduled for Oct. 10.
LRAFB Air Show Cancellation
LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE — The Thunder Over the Rock air show set for Oct. 24 and 25 as been canceled as a result of continuing COVID-19 concerns. Little Rock Air Force Base officials made the decision to cancel the air show and concurrent STEM Festival, in order to focus base resources on keeping airmen, their families and the base’s community partners safe, while also maintaining the base’s agile combat airlift mission. The next air show is scheduled for October 2022.
Thrills & Chills 5K/10K
MAGNESS — The Thrills & Chills 5K/10K is a spooky, fun run, starting at 7 p.m. Oct. 30, through the farmlands of Magness. Thrills & Chills will start and finish at the Magness Community Center and Park. The event will feature spooky music, along with scary surprises along the route. Runners are asked to observe COVID-19 safety precautions and to wear a mask before and after the race. Headlamps/lights of some type are required. The registration fee is $20, and virtual options are also available. To register, visit runsignup.com/Race/Register/?raceId=98939&eventId=431665. Race packets can be picked up at Natural State Running, 148 E. Main St. in Batesville, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 30 and at the race site from 5:30-6:45 p.m. on race day.
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.