There are a lot of great things to do around the city this weekend! That includes the Arkansas Literary Festival, art shows, a performance from Ballet Arkansas, shopping, food festivals and yoga events! Check out our lineup!
Thurdsay (April 24)
Business of Art at Pulaski Technical College, 3000 W. Scenic Drive, North Little Rock: Little Rock artist Kevin Kresse and Arvest Bank president Jim Cargill will be honored by the Pulaski Technical College Foundation‘s annual Business of Art event Thursday night. The event helps raise money for student scholarships in the business and art programs. The night’s festivities include a reception, silent auction and a live art exposition. Original art, including some from students, will be part of the silent auction. Some local artists, including Matt McLeod will have work on-site, as well. Guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres prepared by the colleges culinary school, along with desserts and drinks. The event is set for 5:30-8 p.m at the Campus Center Grand Hall on the main campus in North Little Rock. Tickets are $75 and available here. For more information, call the Foundation office at 812-2771.
Artist reception for Kadir Nelson at Hearne Fine Art, 1001 Wright Ave., Suite C, Little Rock: Kadir Nelson, an award-winning, nationally-known artist and illustrator, has an exhibition on display at the Hearne Fine Art now through June 7. To help kickoff the exhibition, Nelson will be at an artist’s reception 5:30 p.m. Thursday. The reception will include a book signing. Nelson has had works of art exhibited in national and international publications, institutions, art galleries and museums. She’s created paintings for Sports Illustrated, Coca-Cola, the U.S. Postal Service and Major League Baseball, among others. Nelson is also the illustrator of more than 30 children’s books, a repeat winner of the Coretta Scott King Award and the 2014 winner of the Robert F. Sibert Award for Nelson Mandela. Nelson’s exhibition at Hearne Fine Art includes “Words & Pictures:” Illustrated Works by Kadir Nelson, original works, “Oil on Cavas” and “Board.” For more information, call 372-6822 or visit www.HearneFineArt.com.
Girls Night Out at Box Turtle, 2616 Kavanaugh Blvd., Little Rock: Celebrate spring, the good weather and your friends with a girls’ night out at Box Turtle on Thursday! The store is offering exclusive discounts and styling help from 6-8 p.m. For more information, check out their Facebook page or website.
David Finkel at the Clinton School of Public Service, 1200 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock: Author and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Finkel will be in Little Rock on Thursday to discuss his most recently critically-acclaimed book, “Thank You for Your Service.” The book follows soldiers from the 2-16 Infantry Battalion following their return from the Iraq War. The story tells of the struggles the soldiers and their families face following time spent in the front lines of warfare. Finkel followed the same soldiers while they were entrenched in battle in Iraq for his previous book, “The Good Soldiers.” The event, in partnership with the Arkansas Literary Festival, is set for 6 p.m. To reserve seats, email PublicPrograms@ClintonSchoo.uasys.edu or call 683-5239. For more information on Finkel’s appearance, check out our story. For more on the Arkansas Literary Festival, check out our stories here, here and here.
Friday (April 25)
Earth Day Yoga at Trinity Methodist, 1101 N. Mississippi Ave., Little Rock: Earth Day may have been a few days ago, but you can still celebrate it with some yoga Friday. Yogis can expect 30 minutes of flow yoga, led by Courtney Frierson, 30 minutes of yin yoga, led by Judy Watts, and 30 minutes of crystal singing bowls. The class runs from 6:30-8 p.m., and is $15. For more information, check out the Facebook page.
Saturday (April 26)
Fourth annual Turkish Food Festival at the Raindrop Turkish House, 1501 Market St., Little Rock: Here’s your chance to learn about a different culture while enjoying food! Sample Turkish food, music and art presentations at this event at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, check out their Facebook page.
Pig Roast at the G Street Farm, 800 N. Buchanan St., Little Rock: Butcher and Public, and The Southern Center for Agroecology are partnering to bring a unique food experience to Little Rock. The Pig Roast from 4-7 p.m. will bring artisan bread, from the Arkansas Fresh Bakery, together with an Argentine-style whole, roasted pig from Freckle Face Farm. Flyway Brewing will have its Nine Killer IPA on-site for you to wash down the goodness of artisan bread and a whole, roasted pig. It’s all to benefit SCA. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased here. For more information not the event, email SCA at Info@SouthernCenterForAgroecology.org, or visit here.
Thursday-Sunday (April 24-27)
Arkansas Literary Festival, Little Rock: The yearly festival is back, and just like years past, the 2014 edition has plenty of events for the whole family. The festivities begin Thursday with music journalist Robert Hilburn discussing his biography on the Man in Black, titled “Johnny Cash, The Life.” It tells the story of the country music legend, and Arkansas native, who sold more than $130 million worth of albums in his career. Along the way, you’ll hear from authors, artists and illustrators that have had work featured in many publications, including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Glamour, Slate and The Washington Post. For a highlight of what’s coming, check out our story here. For a full rundown, click here. For more information on the festival, visit ArkansasLiteraryFestival.org.
Friday-Sunday (April 25-27)
Sculpture at the River Market, River Market Pavilions, 400 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock: This weekend of fine art sculpture show and sale will include more than 800 pieces of art by nearly 50 nationally-recognized artists, and it comes with great scenery on the banks of the Arkansas River. The event, which benefits Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden in Riverfront Park, is a fundraiser to boost public art in Little Rock. There’s a Show and Sale Preview Party from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday. It will include music from Dizzy 7 band and a cocktail buffet. Tickets are $100. Hang around for Bronze & Brewskis from 8:30-10:30 p.m. Tickets to that are $30. On Saturday and Sunday, the Show and Sale will be open to the public. For more information on the event and tickets, click here. You can also check out our preview story here.
Arkansas Travelers Baseball at Dickey-Stephens Park, 400 W. Broadway St., North Little Rock: The Travs are in the middle of a eight-game home stand, and have three games this weekend against the Springfield Cardinals. Friday night is Rally Cap night. The first 1,000 fans will receive one. Saturday’s game is bring your dog to the park night. The canines will have many games and treats to enjoy. There are multiple promotions Sunday, including $10 Family Sunday. Just bring your church bulletin to the box office and get family admission for $10. Those who serve in the Armed Forces will also receive a $3 discount with a valid military ID. Travs players and coaches will also provide a free-on-field kids baseball clinic about two hours before the first pitch. For a full look at this week’s promotions, click here. For tickets, click here. Friday’s game starts at 7:10 p.m., Saturday’s at 6:10 p.m. and Sunday’s at 2:10 p.m.
Momentum, presented by Ballet Arkansas, at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main St., Little Rock: See Ballet Arkansas‘ Momentum, which includes Gerald Arpino’s Birthday Variations, new work to the music of Bolero by Pacific Northwest Ballet soloist Kiyon Gaines, new work from Shayla Bott, Melody Mennite and the new artistic director at Ballet Arkansas, Michael Bearden. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $30-$35 and can be purchased here. Student matinee tickets are available for 10:30 a.m. Thursday and Saturday. Reserve them by emailing Erin@BalletArkansas.org.
Find more events here.