April 23
Audubon Society Meeting
CONWAY — The Arkansas River Valley Audubon Society will meet at 7 p.m. in Room 010, in the basement’s north hall, of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for Life Sciences at Hendrix College. The program, It’s the Little Things That Matter, will be presented by Margaret Cline, a retired technology professional who enjoys sharing her lifelong passion for pollinators. She will discuss meeting the pollinators in your backyard and learning how to help them survive. For more information or directions, call (501) 977-3899.
Heritage Center Dedication
FAIRFIELD BAY — The Fairfield Bay Heritage Center ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony will be 1 p.m. at the Indian Rock Cave entrance, 337 Snead Drive. The public is invited to celebrate as the Indian Rock Cave (the Edgemont Shelter) Log Cabin (circa 1850) and the museum are rededicated as the Heritage Center. Fairfield Bay has joined the Certified Local Government program, which recognizes a concentrated local effort to protect the city’s historic resources.
April 23 and 24
Macbeth Auditions
CONWAY — The Conway Community Arts Association and The Lantern Theatre will have auditions for Macbeth at 6:30 p.m. both days at The Lantern, 1021 Van Ronkle St. Parts are available for men and women 18 and older. Auditioners need to prepare a one-minute Shakespearean or Renaissance period monologue that is not from the show. Monologues will be provided at auditions for those who did not prepare one. There will also be cold readings from the script. Volunteers are needed for the production team — lights, sound and costumes — as well as a stage manager and a dramaturge. For more information, email the director, Darby Burdine, at darby@thelanterntheatre.com.
April 26
Symphonic, University Bands in Concert
CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Symphonic Band and University Band will be in concert for the final time this spring at 7:30 p.m. in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall. The concert is free and open to the public. Associate Director of Bands Brantley Douglas said the evening will include a wide variety of music and feature senior and graduate student conductors. For more information, contact Douglas at (501) 450-5022 or bdouglas@uca.edu.
QuickBooks Desktop
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Tech Small Business and Technology Development Center will present QuickBooks Desktop from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Arkansas Tech University. This interactive workshop is designed for business owners and their employees with little or no experience using QuickBooks desktop (Pro, Premier and Enterprise) software. Computers for use at the worksh0p and take-home workbooks will be provided. The cost to attend is $130. Registration is required by Wednesday by calling (479) 356-2067 or visiting asbtdc.org/training/russellville-events.
Arkansas Coding Academy Open House
CONWAY — The Arkansas Coding Academy will have an open house from 5-7 p.m. at UCA Downtown, 1105 W. Oak St. Are all invited to meet the staff and learn about the opportunities coding offers. For more information, call Anita at (501) 450-1715.
April 28
Art in Its Natural State
PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN — Art in its Natural State, a public, outdoor, temporary art exhibition, will launch Saturday at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute and Petit Jean State Park with a festival-type event that is free and open to the public. The day will feature artist talks and demonstrations, exhibits and interactive experiences by a wide range of Arkansas arts organizations. The institute will host a ticketed reception that will include an opportunity to meet and mingle with the artists, food and beverages, and music from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Rockefeller Quartet and country/folk artist Bonnie Montgomery. For more information, visit www.rockefellerinstitute.org/art.
April 28 and 29
Conway Women’s Chorus Spring Concerts
CONWAY — The Conway Women’s Chorus will present two spring concerts based on the theme Love Is in the Air at 7 p.m. Saturday at Family Life Bible Church, 150 Hogan Lane, and at 2 p.m. April 29 at Wesley United Methodist Church, 2310 E. Oak St. This year’s theme is love songs, which will include “At Last,” “Walkin’ After Midnight,” “My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord,” “Rescue Me” and “Sing Me to Heaven.” Both concerts are free and open to the public.
Ongoing
Audubon Society Essay Contest
MORRILTON — The Arkansas River Valley Audubon Society is having an essay contest for a scholarship to the Halberg Ecology Camp for June 10-15 or June 17-22 for children in the fifth or sixth grades who live in Conway, Faulkner, Perry, Pope or Yell counties. Contestants need to hand-write, in black or blue ink, one or two pages about why they want to attend camp and what they hope to learn, with a cover sheet with full name, date of birth and address; a parent or guardian’s full name, phone number and email; and the school or home-schooled. Mail essays to arrive by May 1 to Rachel Engebrecht, 206 Legacy Drive, Morrilton, AR 72110; or hand-deliver to Engebrecht at Monday’s meeting of the Audubon Society. For more information, email rachelatldsp@hotmail.com.
M.J. Hickey Pool Information
RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department will begin selling individual pool passes for the M.J. Hickey Pool on May 1 for $75 per pass. Reservations for private pool parties will also be taken beginning May 1. Available times are 9-11 a.m. Saturdays and 7-10 every night. The cost of pool rental is $50 per hour, plus lifeguards at $10 per hour per guard. The number of guards required based on attendance is two guards for 1-50 people; three guards for 50-200; and four guards for more than 200. Buy passes or make reservations at the Hughes Community Center, 1000 E. Parkway, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call (479) 968-1272.
UCA Spring BA/BFA Senior Show and Reception
CONWAY — The Baum Gallery at the University of Central Arkansas will present the Spring BA/BFA Senior Show through Thursday. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The Baum Gallery, in McCastlain Hall, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and from 10-7 p.m. Thursdays. For more information, contact Brian Young at (501) 450-5793 or Bkyoung@uca.edu.
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.
Cheers! Art Exhibit
CLINTON — Cheers! is the North Central Arkansas Artist League’s free original art exhibit at Ozark Health Medical Center on U.S. 65 on the south side of Clinton. On display until Monday, the collection includes 50 paintings by 11 local artists. Artwork is exhibited in the hallways, both upstairs near the cafeteria and downstairs in the outpatient wing. All paintings are for sale at prices ranging from $15 to $325. A portion of each sale will benefit projects by the Hospital Auxiliary. For more information, call Joyce Hartmann at (501) 745-6615.
Humane Society Benefit Bingo
GREENBRIER — Bingo, sponsored by the Humane Society of Faulkner County, takes place 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
Creating Butterfly Landscapes
FAIRFIELD BAY — Ruth Andre will give a presentation on creating butterfly landscapes from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 2 at the Indian Hills Club/Little Red Restaurant. Andre will talk about how to cultivate a garden to be butterfly-friendly. The event is free, and purchase of lunch is optional. For more information, contact the Fairfield Bay Education Center at (501) 884-4440 or ffbcec@artelco.com.
Newcomers Club Coffee
MAUMELLE — The Maumelle Newcomers Club will have its monthly Coffee at 10 a.m. May 4 at the Maumelle Community Center. The recipient of the Maumelle Newcomers Club Scholarship will be recognized, and club officers will be installed. The Maumelle Newcomers Club is a social, charitable and educational organization designed to provide a way for women in Maumelle to meet others and gather for various activities of their choice. For more information, call Barb Spahr at (501) 766-4664.
Chamber Classic Golf Tournament
RUSSELLVILLE — The Chamber Classic Golf Tournament, hosted by the Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce, will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 4 at the Russellville Country Club, 186 Country Club Plaza. Tee time for the three-man scramble is noon. Lunch, beverage carts and carts are included in registration. Each flight will have cash prizes for first, second and third place. Tickets are available at russellvillearcoc.wliinc31.com. For more information, contact Misty Lumpkins at (479) 968-2530 or mlumpkins@russellville.org.
Master Gardeners Plant Sale
RUSSELLVILLE — The Pope County Master Gardeners’ 20th annual plant sale will take place from 8 a.m. to noon May 5 at the Pope County Fairgrounds, 500 S. Knoxville St. Master Gardeners will answer questions and help with the selection of vegetable and flower plants, which may include tomatoes, lavender, basil, sunflowers, coleus, viola, sweet basil, hydrangea, Swedish ivy, salvia, cosmos, gaillardia, agastache, day lilies, peppers and stevia. A potting table and a wheelbarrow bench, along with garden art items, will also be for sale. Information about the Master Gardener program and various training options will be available.
Springfest
HEBER SPRINGS — The 31st annual Springfest, hosted by Downtown Heber Springs, will start at noon May 18 and at 9 a.m. May 19 in downtown Heber Springs. The festival home base is Spring Park, with activities on the courthouse square and throughout the city. Springfest will feature an extensive arts and crafts show, classic festival-food favorites, and live music and other entertainment. Kids’ activities will include pony rides, a petting zoo and the Butterfly Pavilion. Tickets to the pavilion are $3, which includes a butterfly net. There will also be a Volkswagen Car Show, The Ride Like a Mountain Man, a dog show benefiting the Heber Springs Humane Society, the Springfest Pageant and more.
Sacred Heart Catholic School Bazaar
MORRILTON — The Sacred Heart Catholic School Bazaar will take place June 1 and 2 at the school, 106 N. St. Joseph St. A traditional spaghetti/sausage and turkey/dressing dinner will be served from 5-8 p.m. June 2 in the school gym, with carry-out dinners available. Various activities will be available for all ages on both nights, including a midway featuring kiddie-land games, bingo, a ham and bacon stand, and a silent auction. The grand prize for the raffle is a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Sport, with the drawing the evening of June 2. For more information, call the school at (501) 354-8113 or visit www.sacredheartmorrilton.org.
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.