Events in Little Rock March and April 2017

Pirates of Penzance 
     Pirates of Penzance will be performed 7:30 p.m. March 31 and 3 p.m. April 1 at Wildwood Park for the Arts.  This Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera has been a staple for audiences for decades, and it's just as funny today as it was at its debut in 1879.  For information, call Leslie Golden at 821-7275.

Jar the Floor

  Jar the Floor will be performed March 29 to April 16 at The Rep downtown.

       The ticket price is $30 to $65.  

    Four generations of black women gather to celebrate their beloved, outrageous matriarch’s 90th birthday. The trouble is, recently widowed MaDear would rather watch her soap operas and read her Bible than blow out the candles on her cake.

        Tempers flare and secrets are revealed, yet rollicking humor bites its way through the cycles of guilt and blame passed on from mothers to daughters. Fierce and funny, Jar the Floor is a heartfelt comedy that proves the ghosts of the past should not rob us of the moments we have together in the here and now.

Springfest 

    Springfest will be held 8:30 a.m. a.m. - 6 p.m. April 1 at Julius Breckling Riverfront Park in the River Market. This free festival includes activities for children, food trucks, a dog parade, races for short-legged dogs, special performances and fun with popular emcees Craig O’Neal and Roger Scott.

     This year’s theme for the Ruff on the River Pooch Parade is Saturday Night Fever with pups dressed in disco themes. There will be prizes for best costume, best stroller and best wagon. For $5, you can enter your pet into the fun. The Weenie Dog Derby will include races of  three size pooches - Beenie Weenies, Hot Dogs and Summer Sausage. 

     For more information, call Ashley Parker at 225-3378 or visit riverfestarkansas.com.

Gladys Knight

      The Empress of Soul and seven-time Grammy Award winner will dazzle Little Rock 8 p.m. April 3 at Robinson Performance Hall. 

      Tickets are $43, $58 and $68.  Come and hear some of the songs that made the 1960s and ‘70s a great time for music lovers: Every Beat Of My Heart, Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Midnight Train to Georgia, and more.  gladysknight.com.

Curbside Couture 
     The sixth annual Curbside Couture, a delightful "green" fashion show, will be held 7 - 9 p.m.
April 2 at the Clinton Presidential Center.  It features wearable designs made of recycled materials
by youngsters grades 3 through 12.
     Before the event, students will have had the opportunity to attend mentoring sessions with
acclaimed fashion designers - including Little Rock fashion maven Connie Fails - and receive
feedback about their creations.  Cash awards will be given for the best designs in elementary,
middle and high school levels.  For more information, call Ms. Fails at 748-0405 or write her at
cfails@clintonfoundation.org.

Jazz in the Park

         From 6 - 8 p.m. each Wednesday in April, music lovers can come together to enjoy live jazz and support Little Rock’s own musicians during Jazz in the Park in Riverfront Park. 

      For four years this free event has been held in the History Pavilion at the park. It is sponsored by the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau.

       This year, the event will continue its partnership with Art Porter Music Education, Inc., which offers scholarships to talented Arkansas music students who wish to further their education while promoting community service and volunteering.  

         This is the lineup:

         April 5 - The Funkanites (New to Jazz in the Park)

         April 12 - Ramona (New to Jazz in the Park)

         April 19 - Tonya Leeks & Co.

         April 26 - Sounds So Good                    

       Coolers are not allowed at Jazz in the Park, but beer, wine, soft drinks and water will be available for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the Art Porter Music Education’s scholarship fund. Lawn chairs and blankets are welcome, and there is some seating in the natural stone amphitheater at the History Pavilion.  In case of rain, the West Pavilion will be the alternate location.

Eggshibition

    

Youth Home’s Eggshibition celebrates its 26th year April 7 at the Jack Stephens Center at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  Come on out and support the kids while enjoying live and silent auctions, original egg art, glass from James Hayes, live music by The Rodney Block Collective and delicious food and libations. 

     David Bazzel and Chris Kane are hosting, and Craig O’Neill is this year’s auctioneer. General admission is $50.  Patron access is $75.  Doors open for general admission at 7 p.m. A special VIP reception for patrons begins at p.m. For more information, visit youthhome.org.

 Dead Poets Society

      Dead Poets Society will be shown 1 - 3 p.m.  April 8 at The Ron Robinson Theater downtown.  Admission is $5. Come enjoy the full movie theater experience complete with comfortable seating, wonderful picture and sound, and concessions, including wine and beer. For information, call Moriah Pedro at 320-5715.

Beethoven and Blue Jeans

   The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra’s Beethoven and Blue Jeans will be held 7:30 p.m. April 8 and 3 p.m. April 9 at Robinson Center downtown.

   It will include Beethoven's Consecration of the House Overture, Sibelius's Symphony No. 2, and Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, featuring Andrew Irvin on violin. Philip Mann will conduct. For more information, visit arkansassymphony.org.

Downtown Dash 

     The Junior League of Little Rock’s Downtown Dash will be held 8:30 a.m. - noon April 8 starting at the Junior League Building, 401 Scott Street.  It will include a 10k, a 5k and a special 1k for kids that will begin at 8 a.m. The cost is $10 - $40. 

   The race will feature Downtown Little Rock landmarks, such as the River Market, the Clinton Library and the Arkansas Arts Center. The race is also handicap and stroller accessible. For more information visit jllrdowntowndash.racesonline.com.

An Evening with David Sedaris

   An Evening with David Sedaris promises to be filled with his wickedly witty observations 8 p.m. April 21 at Robinson Center Performance Hall.

    Mr. Sedaris made his comic debut recounting his charmingly quirky experiences of being a Macy's elf, reading his "Santaland Diaries" on National Public Radio's Morning Edition in 1992. His sardonic humor and incisive social critique have made him one of NPR's most popular and humorous commentators. 

    In 2001, he was named Humorist of the Year by Time magazine and received the Thurber Prize for American Humor.  His new Theft By Finding will be released May 30. Tickets are $25, $33, $38, $43 and $50.   ticketmastercom.

Jewish Food Festival 

     The Jewish Food and Cultural Festival will be held 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. April 30 at War Memorial Stadium.  Admission and parking are free.

    The festival features traditional Jewish foods, booths on Jewish and Israeli culture, Judaica, jewelry and other gift items for sale, Jewish music, and kids activities. It will include traditional Jewish foods: corned beef sandwiches, kosher hot dogs, cabbage rolls, blintzes, kugel and more, as well as homemade Jewish treats including rugelach, babka, challah, and chocolate-covered matzo. Israeli dishes, such as falafel, hummus, and Israeli salad, will be available, too. 

      The  festival will also feature booths on Jewish and Israeli culture. At the ever-popular Ask-the-Rabbi booth, visitors can learn about Judaism itself, from Jewish holidays to life-cycle customs. For more information, call Marianne Tettlebaum at 663-3571 or visit jewisharkansas.org. 

IndiaFest

       IndiaFest 2017 will be held 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. April 30 at the River Market Pavilion.

    Admission is free. IndiaFest attempts to bridge cultures, generations and communities through a one-day of togetherness. The event promises an environment that salutes history, embraces globalization and celebrates communities. There will be cultural activities, entertainment, merchandise for sale, and, of course, authentic Indian food.  indiafestar.com.

Pioneer Day Camp 2017: Settling Arkansas

       Each summer, pioneer day campers have fun as they explore what life was like in Arkansas more than 150 years ago. This year campers will take on the role of being new settlers in Arkansas. They will learn the fascinating steps involved in setting up home, including haggling over the price of land with the owner of a local land agency and surveying their newly-purchased land. They'll visit the blacksmith in his shop and see him make the nails and hardware for building a house. And they'll have the opportunity to “build a house” and then cook on the open hearth in a pioneer kitchen.

     The campers will enjoy crafts, pioneer games, and dancing. On the last day of camp, parents will be invited to watch the children dance the Virginia Reel in celebration of building a house.

     The dates are: June 12–16 for rising 3rd and 4th graders; and June 19–23 for rising 5th and 6th graders. The hours are 8 a.m. to noon. The cost is $85 per camper ($65 for museum members).  You may register online now to reserve your spot. Join the museum now to get discounted tuition. For more information, visit historicarkansas.org.