fun
Guests are sure to see hundreds, if not thousands, of daffodils adorning the mountaintops at Wye Mountain Community Church (22300 Arkansas 113) in Bigelow. Y Mountain Daffodil Festival, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through March 10, “unless Mother Nature decides to water the flowers,” according to the Facebook event post (facebook.com/events/1320465176014578). The event will also include crafters and food vendors. The church's soup and concession stand will be open during the week and food trucks will be available on weekends. Dogs are welcome if on a leash. Parking and admission are free. Donations are accepted. Flower picking is prohibited until the last two days of the festival, but daffodil bulbs will be sold in limited quantities on a first-come, first-served basis. Visit facebook.com/wyemountainchurch.
Japanese culture, exhibitions, performances, workshops, sumo wrestling, children's activities, anime cosplay contests, haiku contests, and more are all part of this event. 2024 Arkansas Cherry Blossom Festival, will be held Sunday from 12:30pm to 5:30pm at the Hot Springs Convention Center, 134 Convention Blvd., Hot Springs. Also part of the weekend's activities is the American Craft Sake Fest held Saturday at the Bridge Street Entertainment District. The event will include a ticketed tasting area featuring craft liquors from North American and Japanese breweries, as well as a food truck, an Arkansas beverage vendor, and live entertainment. The sponsor is the North American Society Brewers Association. The festival concludes with a sumo exhibition at the Convention Center's Bank OZK Arena. Visit hotspringssistercity.org.
“Return of the solar eclipse”
The power of science and fandom collide Science After Dark: “Star Wars: Return of the Eclipse” It will be held today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Discovery Museum, 500 President Clinton Avenue, Little Rock. In advance of the April 8 solar eclipse, the event will feature lightsaber light painting, “Star Wars” music performed by a quartet from the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, “Star Wars” characters from the 501st, spaceships and vacuums. Chamber tests are performed. , “Eclipse 101”, https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2024/feb/28/entertainment-festivals-honor-cherry-blossoms-in/ “Sith Zaps” (Odin Coyle) and trivia, and “Cosmic cocktails, stone throw beer, and pizza treats await,” Star Wars Cantina proclaims on its Facebook event page (facebook.com/events/229113020261487/). She must be 21 years of age or older to participate. Admission is $5 (free for museum members), and pizza, beer (Stone's Throw Brewing), and cocktails will be on sale (tickets available online or at the door). Visit tinyurl.com/4pxsbp9k.
theater
“Call me Mara.”
“Please call me Mara.” The premiere of Philip Hull McMath's novel, set in the early days of World War II, will be held Friday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday through March 17 at 2:30 p.m., 1001 Chester Street, Little Rock. It will be held at the Weekend Theater on W. Seventh St. . McMath's play depicts the complications that arise from a blind date that intertwines the lives of his two families as he manufactures bomber engines to aid the war effort. The cast includes Leslie Beard, Drew Ellis, Deb Lewis, Tommy Tinker, Tricia Spione, John Hutton, Kirsten Rasmussen, and Logan Morgan. Directed by Donna Singleton. Tickets are $20, and $18 for students, seniors over 65, and military. Visit weekendtheater.org.
The special performance on March 7 at 7:30 p.m. is a collaboration with the MacArthur Museum of Military History. In a pre-show talk at 7 p.m., McMath and museum director Stephen McAteer will discuss the history of the B-17 bomber and the importance of Arkansas bauxite in the war.
Eldorado's “Harvey”
South Arkansas Arts Center, 110 E. Fifth St., El Dorado, Stage “Harvey” Written by Mary Chase, Friday-Saturday and March 7-8 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday and March 9 at 2:30 p.m. Sponsors are Murphy Pittard Jewelers and All About Flowers and Gifts. Tickets range from $5 to $15. Call (870) 862-5474 or visit saac-arts.org.
music
“Origin Stories”
Program with Israel Getsov conducting the Conway Symphony Orchestra “Origin Stories” Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Central Arkansas' Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 2150 Bruce Street at Donaghy Avenue in Conway. The program consists of JS Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Symphony No. 29 in A major. Getsov will talk about the origins of the songs and their importance in the artistic life of “their creators and subsequent generations of artists,” according to a news release.
The Department of Physics and Biology at the University of California, California, and the Neuroscience and Psychology Club at Hendricks College explore how music is generated as vibrations, which travel through the mammalian brain and become sound. We will present a pre-concert exhibit that includes a demonstration of how the ear performs this transformation in the physical and physical realms. 6:30 p.m., Windgate Center lobby, on the cellular level and how humans typically and atypically experience music.
The presenter is Engagement Management. Tickets range from $30 to $60, with discounts available for UCA faculty and staff. Students are $15. If you purchase an adult ticket, children will be charged $15. Call (501) 450-3265 or visit conwaysymphony.org.
art
painting and sculpture
Recent works by sculptor and painter Robin Horne, paintings by Donnie Copland, and new paintings from Adrian Deckver's nature series “Hot Springs'' will “headline'' the exhibition in March. Justus Fine Art Gallery, 827A Central Ave., Hot Springs. It opens at our monthly Gallery Walk reception on Fridays from 5pm to 9pm and runs through March 31st. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., by appointment only. Admission is free. Call (501) 321-2335 or visit justusfineart.com.
“Small works” on the move
The 2024 “Small Works on Paper” traveling visual art exhibit featuring small-scale works by Arkansas artists opens at 10 a.m. Friday at the River Valley Art Center, 1001 E. “B” Street, Russellville. March 29th. Admission to reception is from 2pm to 4pm. March 16th. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (501) 324-9767 or email cheri.leffew@arkansas.gov.
etc.
romney author
McKay Coppins, who covers politics, religion and national affairs for The Atlantic, talks about his book. “Romney: A Reckoning” Moderated by Nate Coulter, executive director of the Central Arkansas Library System, it will be held today at 6:30 p.m. at the Ron Robinson Theater, 100 Rivermarket Avenue, Little Rock. This talk is part of his CALS speaker series. Admission is free. Registration required via CALS.org.
poetry finals
High school students who win poetry contests through their schools and educational organizations will compete for state titles at the Arkansas Arts Council. arkansas poetry out loud Statewide Poetry Reading Contest, 10:45 a.m. Saturday, Ron Robinson Theater, 100 Rivermarket Ave., Little Rock. Admission is free. For more information, email matt.boyce@arkansas.gov or visit arkansasarts.org.
An independent panel of judges will decide which students will advance to this spring's national competition, and the Arkansas state champion will have the opportunity to compete for the top prize of $20,000. This year's participants: England High School students. Deere High School; Arkansas School of Mathematics, Science, and Art; Lisa Academy West High School; Little Rock West High School of Innovation. Parker's Chapel High School. Sheridan High School; Arkansas School for the Blind; Founders Classical Academy; and Valley Christian High School.