ENTERTAINMENT NOTES: Foodie Alton Brown sets live Little Rock show

Food Network star Alton Brown headlines “Alton Brown Live — Beyond the Eats” Wednesday at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/David Allen)
Food Network star Alton Brown headlines “Alton Brown Live — Beyond the Eats” Wednesday at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/David Allen)


Elsewhere in entertainment, events and the arts:

Doing it up Brown

Author and uber-foodie Alton Brown headlines "Alton Brown Live — Beyond the Eats," 7 p.m. Wednesday at Little Rock's Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. at Broadway. Tickets are $46-$76 plus service fees; a limited number of $151 "VIP experience" tickets includes premium seating and an invitation to attend "an intimate Q&A session with Alton Brown," according to a news release. Call (501) 244-8800 or visit Ticketmaster.com.

Brown, the Food Network star who created the live culinary variety show, mixing science, music and food (his "Edible Inevitable Tour" and "Eat Your Science" played in more than 200 cities, including Little Rock in November 2017, attracting more than 350,000 people nationwide) says fans can expect "more cooking, more comedy, more music and more potentially dangerous science stuff. ... Plus, you'll see things I've never been allowed to do on TV."

Park preservation

Megan Brown, chief of the State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division of the National Park Service, will discuss the Park Service's historic preservation grant programs in a virtual Preserve Arkansas talk, via Zoom Webinar and YouTube Live, at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Participants can ask questions about the application process and find out how organizations can serve as a fiscal agent for a partner to take advantage of the grants. Free. Register at tinyurl.com/fu5e3nrm.

Kids writers contest

April 11 is the deadline for youngsters in grades K-3 to submit entries for the statewide 2022 Arkansas PBS KIDS Writers Contest, "designed to promote the advancement of children's literacy skills through hands-on, active learning," according to a news release. Visit myarpbs.org/writerscontest.

Stories can be fact, fiction, prose or poetry, one entry per person, and stories must be by a single author. Kindergarten and first-grade stories must have a minimum of 50 words and a maximum of 200 words. Second- and third-grade stories must have a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of 350 words.

Text must be printed, written legibly or typed; children who cannot write can dictate their story. Stories must have at least five original, clear and colorful illustrations. Non-English text must be translated on the same page and the translated English text must adhere to the word count.

Download entry forms from the website; submit signed and completed forms by mail to Arkansas PBS — Writers Contest, 350 S. Donaghey Ave., Conway, Ark. 72034.

Winners will be chosen in May. Entries will be judged on originality, creative expression, storytelling and integration of text and illustrations.

Each entrant will receive a participation certificate, and 12 winners — three from each grade — will receive an Arkansas PBS prize pack. In addition, first place winners will win a PBS KIDS Playtime Pad, which comes loaded with educational games, music and videos.

The website also features winning stories, contest rules and creative writing resources. For more information, email kwalker@myarkansaspbs.org.

Six Bridges speakers

Former entertainment journalist Sonya Singh will discuss her book "Sari, Not Sari," which a Central Arkansas Library System news release describes as "a swoony, laugh-out-loud debut rom-com that follows the adventures of a woman trying to connect with her South Asian roots — and finding love in the process," at 6:30 p.m. April 21.

It's the first in a series of virtual "Six Bridges Presents" presentations. The rest of the lineup (all virtual talks at 6:30 p.m.):

◼️ June 23: Sloane Crosley, author of the New York Times bestsellers "I Was Told There'd Be Cake" and "How Did You Get This Number," will discuss "Cult Classic," described in the release as a "wry literary fantasy."

◼️ Aug. 11: Phong Nguyen, who holds the Miller Family Endowed Chair in Literature and Writing at the University of Missouri, will discuss "Bronze Drum," a novel of ancient Vietnam.

"Admission" is free but requires advance registration. Visit sixbridgesbookfestival.org.

Downtown art grants

The Downtown Little Rock Partnership is offering matching public art grants to downtown businesses and property owners to "add more color and creativity to downtown," according to a news release.

Grant requirements:

◼️ Artwork must be accessible to the public and remain on display for at least three years.

◼️ All proposed renovations must meet Little Rock Planning zoning requirements — call (501) 371-4790.

◼️ Photographs of completed work must be submitted to the Downtown Partnership office with the final reimbursement request.

◼️ Each grant will require a one-to-one monetary match from a business and/or property owner.

Deadline to apply is May 30. Download an application at tinyurl.com/2p92we9b; email completed applications to Caroline Brown at cbrown@downtownlr.com; mail to DLRP, P.O. Box 1937, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; or dropped off at the Downtown Partnership offices in the former Main Street Mall, 101 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 106, Little Rock.

The application process is competitive, funds are limited and submission of an application does not guarantee an award. Projects chosen for grants must be completed by Dec. 31. Call (501) 375-0121 for more information.


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