Aug. 17
M.J. Hickey Pool Closing
RUSSELLVILLE — Today is the last day to swim at the M.J. Hickey Pool, which will then close for the season.
Library Summer Concert Series
CONWAY — Men of Fire will perform at 2 p.m. to conclude the Faulkner County Library’s Summer Concert Series 2014. The concert will be held in the “parklike setting” of the interior of the library, with ice cream and lemonade provided. The series is supported by Friends of the Faulkner County Library. 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.
Author Presentation
CONWAY — Jay Grelen, author of Sweet Tea Tales, will be at the Faulkner County Library at 3:30 p.m. Grelen will read from his new book and discuss life as a “newspaper hack” and the stories that go along with that. Grelen spent 35 years at 10 newspapers, including 10 years at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which published his thrice-weekly “Sweet Tea” column.
Aug. 18
Rotary District Seminar
HEBER SPRINGS — The Rotary Club of Heber Springs will host a seminar by the Rotary District on Monday at Arkansas State University-Heber Springs. For more details, contact Rotary member Brenda Erby Fudge at (501) 472-0161.
Aug. 19
Child Development Associate Training
CONWAY — Childhood Services at Arkansas State University will conduct training for individuals in the Conway area who would like to earn the Child Development Associate credential. Classes in Conway will begin Tuesday and meet weekly. For more information on the CDA credential, visit the Childhood Services website, asuchildhoodservices.org; email cda@astate.edu; or call (870) 972-3055 or (888) 429-1585.
Aug. 20
Holiday Puppets Family Show
FAIRFIELD BAY — The Holiday Puppets will perform at 11 a.m. at the Puppet Playhouse in the post office building. The 45-minute show, which will be the group’s last performance at this venue for the summer, features Punch and Judy, Dudley the Magnificent Magician and The Cat Came Back shadow puppets. The family show is free and open to the public.
Adult Digital Literacy Classes
CONWAY — Connect Arkansas returns to the Faulkner County Library with free adult digital-literacy classes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The course schedule is 10 a.m., Intro to Windows 8 (students encouraged to bring their own laptops; 11 a.m., Intro to Microsoft Word; 1 p.m., Setting up and Using Email; and 2 p.m., Q&A. Students are asked to register in advance by calling the library at (501) 327-7482 or emailing nancy@fcl.org. All library events are free and open to the public.
Aug. 21-22
Gospel Singing Convention
GREENBRIER — The 2014 Arkansas-Oklahoma Gospel Singing Convention will be held Friday and Saturday at LifeSong Baptist Church in Greenbrier. Singing will begin at 6 p.m. Friday, with refreshments following. Singing will resume at 10 a.m. Saturday, break for a potluck lunch and continue at 1 p.m. The public is invited. Officers for the convention are Larry Hutson, president; Roy Guiltner, Arkansas vice president; Thomas Williston, Oklahoma vice president; and Karroll Morphew, secretary-treasurer. Freddie Mark Wilcox is pastor of the church.
Aug. 23
Concealed Carry Course
Maumelle — Safe Shooting Sports of Arkansas, LLC will conduct an Arkansas Concealed Handgun Carry License course Saturday at the Hampton Inn in Maumelle. The course includes a free National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Shooting Course. Discounts are available for nurses and first responders. See www.safeshootarkansas.com to register for the class, or contact Jeff Allison, an Arkansas State Police instructor, at (501) 813-2908.
World Record Potluck Party
CLINTON — We love Van Buren County will attempt to break the Guinness world record for the largest potluck party. The event will be held Saturday at the school auditorium and gymnasium in conjunction with SurvivorFest. Admission to the event is “one dish” as defined by the Guinness rule book, which means “large enough to share with at least six other people at the potluck.” Live entertainment will be provided, and the event will be videotaped to document the attempt at a world record. For more information, call (501) 253-4716 or email jackiesikesjp8@yahoo.com.
Alzheimer’s Walk
RUSSELLVILLE — The fourth annual River Valley Alzheimer’s Arkansas Walk will be held Saturday at the L.V. Williamson Boys & Girls Club in Russellville. Participants will donate $25 each and receive a commemorative T-shirt while supplies last. Admission is free. For more information, call (501) 224-0021, email barbara.jensen@alzark.org, or visit www.alzark.org.
Cultural Celebration
RUSSELLVILLE — Lake Dardanelle State Park will hold a cultural celebration Saturday to highlight the many aspects of the past and present that create a unique culture in the Arkansas River Valley. For a detailed schedule for this free event, call (479) 967-5516 or email lakedardanelle@arkansas.com.
Aug. 23 – Aug. 31
Chuckwagon Races
CLINTON — The 29th annual National Championship Chuckwagon Races are slated for Aug. 23 through Aug. 31 at the Bar of Ranch, 2848 Shake Rag Road. The event will feature the wagon races, along with the Snowy River Race, bronc fanning, camping, trail rides, concerts, equine clinics, bull riding and a nondenominational religious service. Admission is $25 per adult per day. For more information, call (501) 745-8407, email chuckwag@artelco.com, or visit chuckwagonraces.com.
Ongoing
Augsburg Fall Fest Booth Applications
AUGSBURG — JoAnn Dorn, arts, crafts and vendor booth chairwoman, is taking applications for booth spaces for the seventh annual Augsburg Fall Fest, to be held Oct. 11 at Zion Lutheran Church at the intersection of Arkansas 333 and Augsburg Road. To reserve a booth at the festival, call Dorn at (479) 331-2302. The fee for all booths is $25. Proceeds from the festival will benefit the River Valley Free Christian Clinic and the Augsburg Food Pantry.
Midday Manna
CONWAY — A Bible lecture and luncheon led by Wanda Landers takes place from 11:45 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at Woodland Heights Baptist Church, 4215 Prince St. Lunch, a drink and dessert are served for $5. For child care by reservation, call (501) 329-0001.
Conway Community Meditation Group
CONWAY — The Conway Community Meditation group meets from 12:30-1:30 p.m. every Tuesday at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. This session provides a time of unifying harmony with fellow Conway residents. All are welcome. For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
Simply Said Storytelling
CONWAY — Simply Said is an informal, open-mic storytelling time held at 6 p.m. every Thursday at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. Participants are asked to share a story, without using notes, in no more than five minutes. For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
Spanish Practice Group
CONWAY — The Spanish Practice Group meets at 4 p.m. every Friday at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. Join other Spanish-speaking enthusiasts in conversation. Todos son bienvenidos! For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
Wordpress Conway
CONWAY — Wordpress Conway takes place at 6 p.m. the second Tuesday of every month at The Locals, 1024 Van Ronkle St. For anyone who uses Wordpress or wants to learn more about it, this central-Arkansas group can provide help with questions or issues Wordpress users may have. For more information, visit www.thelocals.be/events.
TeamKID
MAUMELLE — Southern Hills Baptist Fellowship and JumpZone have teamed up to offer a free children’s program, TeamKID, for first- through sixth-graders. The program is held at 6:30 p.m. each Wednesday at the JumpZone building. For more information, call (501) 851-7729 or visit www.southernhillsbaptist.tv.
Tea Party Meeting
HEBER SPRINGS — Arkansas’ We the People Tea Party of Cleburne County meets at 6:30 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of every month at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, 1101C W. Main St. Various issues are discussed. For more information, call Marlin Schwartz at (847) 977-5261.
Upcoming
QuickBooks Workshop
RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present QuickBooks Beyond the Basics from 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 27 at Arkansas Tech University. This hands-on workshop is geared toward experienced QuickBooks users with an emphasis on enhancing the basics of day-to-day use. Participants will learn to customize reports and forms and to work with inventory, jobs, estimates, progress invoices and more. A computer will be provided for each participant to use during the session. The cost is $65. Seating is limited, and registration is required by calling (479) 356-2067 or visiting asbtdc.org/training/russellville-events.
Wait Until Dark Auditions
CONWAY — The Conway Dinner Theater will hold auditions for Wait Until Dark on Aug. 30. Call (501) 339-7401 for an appointment. The cast includes six men, one woman and one girl, who should look about 12. Performance dates will be Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 and Nov. 1. The Conway Dinner Theater is at 2201 Washington Ave. and is sponsored by the Faulkner Academy of Arts.
Founders and Builders Day
PETIT JEAN MOUNTAIN — On Aug. 30, Petit Jean State Park staffers will hold a variety of programs related to the history of the park’s founders and builders. Petit Jean became the first state park in Arkansas in 1923, and in 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps laid the foundation for the park as it is today. For a detailed schedule for this free event or more information, contact the park at (501) 727-5441 or petitjean@arkansas.com, or visit www.petitjeanstatepark.com.
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. Deadlines for calendar-item submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.