Editor’s Note: At press time, the following events and meetings were known to be still scheduled. Organizers or appropriate officials are encouraged to contact Sandra Hope at shope@pbcommercial.com to make additions or changes.
Friday, June 18 Criminal record-sealing clinics set
The Center for Arkansas Legal Services will host a free Criminal Record Sealing Clinic on June 18 at 2514 W. 28th Ave. at Pine Bluff and July 9 at 3225 S. 74th St.at Fort Smith. The event is geared toward people whose criminal records have kept them from getting ahead, according to a news release on StuffinTheBluff.com. Participants must have a copy of the sentencing order and ACIC report at the time of the appointment. For more information, call the help line at (501) 376-3423 or (800) 950-5817. Details: www.ArkansasLegal.org. The in person clinic is also sponsored by Goodwill Industries of Arkansas.
Beginning Friday, June 18 Juneteenth event set for teens
Pine Bluff Parks and Recreation Department will host Glow in the City for 9-12th graders from 7-11 p.m. at Saracen Landing as part of the Juneteenth celebration. Student ID will be required to attend this Forward Fest Teen Edition. The event will feature Battle of the DJs with DJ Hakeem v. DJ Tay Be and guest performance by Tay Bandz, according to a newsletter from the Pine Bluff Downtown Development.
Merrill All School Reunion underway
The Merrill High School All School Reunion will continue. Friday, a street dedication will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the corner of Pullen of Linden Streets near Merrill Auditorium in honor of Massathau D. Jordan and Raye Jean Montague. The public is invited to attend. A city tour for alumni will follow the dedication and the celebration banquet will be held from 6:30-10:30 p.m. at the convention center. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the reunion picnic, business meeting and Merrill Museum update will be held at the convention center. Details: Rosie Pettigrew, (404) 245-5436.
Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival underway
The Fordyce on the Cotton Belt Festival will continue. Beginning Friday at 5 p.m., Country singer/songwriter Mathew Huff will kick off the entertainment. At 6:30 p.m., Earl and Them will treat listeners to a mix of original and classic Rock & Roll, R&B and Blues. After Friday night’s music, a massive-fireworks display will light up the skies over downtown Fordyce. At 11 a.m. Saturday, one of the largest parades in the state will roll down 4th Street to wind its way through throngs of spectators ending up downtown at the Cotton Belt Railroad depot.
Saturday, June 19 Ribbon cutting set for Streetscape
The city of Pine Bluff will host a ribbon cutting for the Pine Bluff Downtown Street-scape at 10 a.m. June 19 in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse. The ceremony is part of the city’s overall 2021 Juneteenth Celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 19. The ribbon cutting will mark the official completion of the streetscape project, which has resulted in expanded sidewalks, new landscaping, light fixtures, and improved streets in the area. New benches and trash receptacles have also been installed, according to a news release.
Pine Bluff Juneteenth events announced
Saturday, the city of Pine Bluff will host its 2021 Juneteenth Celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse on Main Street. The event is free to attend and will feature live musical and dance performances, dramatizations, free food and activities for children and teens. (Correction — Wil Jenkins’ block party is not taking place as previously mentioned, according to an update from Go Forward Pine Bluff.) Details: Mary Liddell at marylddll@yahoo.com or call (870) 643-2383. Also Saturday, Go Forward Pine Bluff will present Forward Fest Juneteenth edition at the amphitheater at Pine Bluff Regional Park. Bring your own lawn chairs. No backpacks or coolers for this event, according to a newsletter from the Pine Bluff Regional Chamber of Commerce. Admission is free and the gates open at noon. Various entertainers will perform beginning at 2 p.m. Details: ForwardfestPine-Bluff.com .
MLK Commission hosts Juneteenth event at Dumas
The Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Commission will present a free Juneteenth celebration from 1-5 p.m. June 19 at Dumas High School, 709 Dan Gill Drive. The 2021 Juneteenth Nonviolence Youth Summit Delta Financial Literacy Program is open to the public. The celebration will include live music, a comedy showcase, a kids zone, food trucks, Juneteenth Car Show and Shine, arts and crafts show, a free covid-19 vaccination clinic, free school supplies and voter registration and Southeast Arkansas’ first Victory Over Violence Peace and Unity March that begins at 12:30 p.m. The keynote speakers will be Selwyn Jones, uncle of the late George Floyd, and Tawanna Gordon, cousin of the late Breonna Taylor, according to a news release.
Through Saturday, June 19 Pine Bluff High School Exhibition open at ASC
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas is hosting the annual exhibition of artwork by Pine Bluff High School students in the International Paper Gallery in ASC’s main building. On display through June 19, this exhibition consists of two-dimensional work in various mediums, according to a news release. The display can be seen at the center or online at at www.asc701.org/2021-annual-pine-bluff-high-school.
Monday, June 21 House of Bread to give away food inside church
House of Bread Deliverance Church, 500 S. Main St., will now give out food at the church instead of the drive-thru session, according to a news release. The pantry will be open Monday, June 21, from 1-4:30 p.m. or until the 250 food boxes run out. Food will be handed out on a first come, first served basis. Only one box per household will be given and everyone must bring proof of address. Everyone will have to stand in line (six feet apart) on the side of the building and the ministry will let in seven people at a time. Masks are required to enter the pantry. Details: Saint Mary Harris, House of Bread apostle, (870) 872-2196.
A&P finance panel to meet
The Pine Bluff Advertising and Promotion Commission Finance Committee meeting is scheduled for noon Monday, June 21, at the office of the A&P Commission, 623 S. Main St. The agenda includes financial reports, A&P financials, CACC (Civic Auditorium Complex Commission) financials and online payment fees, according to a news release. Details: Betty Brown, A&P administrative assistant, (870) 534-2121 or bbrown@explorepinebluff.com.
Thursday, June 24 Virtual claims clinics for veterans set June 24
The Little Rock VA Regional Office’s next Virtual Claims Clinic for Arkansas Veterans is scheduled from 4-6 p.m. June 24. To schedule a timeslot, veterans are asked to call (501) 370-3829 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. today through June 23, according to a news release.VA Regional Offices provide financial and other forms of assistance to veterans and their dependents. This includes disability compensation, survivor’s benefits, pension and fiduciary service, education and training, life insurance coverage, and home loans guaranties. For more information about VA’s benefits, go to http://benefits.va.gov/benefits/ or call (800) 827-1000. Details: VA Regional Offices, (501) 370-3829.
Beginning Thursday, June 24 Arkansas Women to Watch 2021: Paper Routes open
Paper Routes, an exhibition curated by Allison Glenn of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, will be on view from June 24 through Aug. 14, at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas. This show features work by Arkansas women and is themed around inventive uses of paper. Joli Livaudais of Little Rock will represent Arkansas in the exhibition Women to Watch. Other artists include Kim Brewer, Linda Nguyen Lopez and Suzannah Schreckhise.