Issuu

EDITOR’S NOTES

Quiet acts of enormous generosity and caring Editorial Staff LYNN WASSON Editor & Publisher lynnwasson@efortsmith.com DONNA PAYNE Senior Editor donnapayne@efortsmith.com

Contributing Writers BRITTANY RANSOM BOB ROBINSON Contributing Photographers GLENN GILLEY MCFARLAND PHOTOGRAPHY BOB ROBINSON Interactive Story Editor JOE WASSON joe@efortsmith.com

Advertising Sales LINDA GILHAM Account Executive lgilham@efortsmith.com 479-629-0235 CHARLES G. HUBBARD Corporate Sales charleshubbard@efortsmith.com 479-831-3995 Bookkeeping JULIE BERCH HAMILTON accounts@efortsmith.com 479-494-1888 © 2020 eFortSmith.com Media, Inc. efortsmith.com

Readers, your editor had a rather staggering experience as we prepared this magazine. I knew, and many of you know, that Fort Smith has many generous, giving people among us. There are two particularly special folks in this issue and I had the very pleasant experience to visit with them. It has been amazing to me. Imagine remembering, for more than 80 years, your third-grade teacher – all because she let you draw. That is how important the opportunity to make art has been to Dede Hutcheson. When we met to talk, Dede was wearing a T-shirt patterned with Monet’s water lilies, over a pair of jeans. Near her favorite chair was a stack of sketchbooks, always close at hand. Surrounding her on every wall, standing on every surface and hanging on every wall were canvases and framed pieces of art that she has collected. Some of the paintings – and amazing sculptural wood pieces – were made by her children and grandchildren. Because of the importance of art in her life, her family’s charitable foundation has, particularly in the last few years, made gifts and grants to K-12 schools, art centers and public universities that will give amazing educational opportunities to Arkansans from preschool to her age, which is now 95. Many children are going to remember that “she let us draw.” I also enjoyed an interview with a wonderful couple – Dede’s friends, in fact – who are just as unassuming but remarkable. Bob and Nadine Miller also seem to be as ageless as Dede. Quietly following what he feels is a calling from God, to whom Bob is endlessly grateful, the former natural gas driller has offered shelter, food and counsel to people in crisis. He founded, and has for 40 years closely watched over, the Community Rescue Mission,

CIRCULATION

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Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

which helps people who find themselves without housing and, often, without hope of regaining a stable life. They also are invited to find what he cherishes as the most important thing in his life – a relationship with Jesus. Neither one of these remarkable givers care for anyone to know of or even thank them for what they do. That’s often said as a testimonial to a donor, at a ribbon cutting. In this case, it’s simply true and they have shown it for most of their lives. Bob and Dede act on what is deeply, personally imperative to them. They want to give to others what they feel so fortunate to have had – a safe home, a chance to create, a faith. They acted on their personal convictions. Perhaps that’s why they, and Bob’s wife, Nadine, are all so keenly alive and intelligent, so ageless, so interesting and so very lovely to know. Many of you already knew that. I have just been lucky to know that now, too. Throughout the issue are other wonderful efforts that are made easy and fun for us to support. Perhaps we can each act, in our own way, with generosity and caring. Many things happening this month are planned at this time of anticipating the elusive spring. Trust that gardeners are going to work as if it will come soon. Even if it snows, as we always note, it will be spring when the Lawn & Garden Show says it is – at least indoors at three full days of indoor, growing glory. The March calendar also has a tour of midcentury modern architecture in Fort Smith – that’s a ticket to grab quickly. I’m going for the nostalgia but you millennials come along and I won’t be all boomer about it. – Lynn Wasson

To order by credit card call 479-494-1888. Mail check or money order to: Subscribe P.O. Box 1341 Fort Smith AR 72902

CONTENTS

March 2020

features

Bakery District opens

14 16 21

What’s Cooking

Celebrate his birthday by giving to others Bob Miller never makes things about himself – he does for others. But just this once, to celebrate his 90th birthday, his friends and community can gather to appreciate him and give to others in his honor.

It’s a new gathering place, not bread, rising at The Bakery The Hannas have created a new life for the former Shipley Baking Co. headquarters in downtown Fort Smith. It will be a gathering place that celebrates its history but trends millennial. By Bob Robinson

Three Artists, Three Visions, One Family RAM invites a mother and two daughters, all artists with very different ideas, to exhibit together. Dede Hutcheson reared a sculptor and a painter but her legacy also will be every student and artist in Arkansas who will have benefitted from the Windgate Foundations support of arts in education.

Noon Exchange Club nears a century of community service All former members or relatives, honorees of the Book of Golden Deeds and friends are invited to celebrate the Fort Smith Noon Exchange Club’s 95th anniversary and long record of service. By Brittany Ransom

departments

goodies Noticed in the best area retail stores.

WHAT’S COOKING Idaho potatoes – any way you like them.

eve n t s

33 Lawn & Garden Show

38 41

3-on-3 Hoops

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

KIDS EVENTS Enchanting young actors present Cinderella. Spring break camps and activities are found in art centers and libraries.

MUSIC & PERFORMANCE Rave on with Buddy Holly or dance in A Chorus Line. Opportunities to see or participate in performance are found in this month’s calendar of culture.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Get out there to state parks. Get up and run with Women Run Arkansas. Take in an exhibit, meet an author, tour architect-designed homes. March’s calendar has these opportunities and more.

On the cover: The joyful face of Robert E. “Bob” Miller, captured by Glenn Gilley.

A SPECIAL WELCOME

Welcome to our town

Fort Smith plays host to Governor’s Conference on Tourism t has been 11 years since the partners of the Fort Smith tourism/hospitality community have had an opportunity to share our destination with the hundreds of our friends and colleagues who make up the second largest industry in the Natural State – tourism. Happily, this will all change during the first week of this month when the Arkansas Department of Parks Heritage and Tourism hosts the 46th Annual Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism in our Fort Smith. Amazing changes have taken place in our industry statewide in 11 years, and Fort Smith is a prime example. Many of the 600 attendees have heard about those wonderful changes but now will be able to experience many of those impressive improvements for themselves.

Though the national fundraising continues prior to a grand opening, the U.S. Marshals Museum facility will be the host location for the opening night welcome reception. The private function will feature Western swing music by Robert Huston the Western Swing Rules band. On their way to the museum, attendees will pass the new Fort Smith Bike/Skate Park and the Greg Smith River Trail system. Just outside their hotel, they may note the Zagster Bike rental station, allowing them to tour the city on their own. Prior to the reception, attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a motor coach tour of Fort Smith’s world famous public art, with special narration by volunteers from 64.6 Downtown, courtesy of our friends at Entertainment Fort Smith magazine. With all of these amenities and activities taking place even before the opening ceremony, our special guests will have many chances to experience the wonderful changes that now make us Fort Smith Proud and River Valley Strong. This year’s conference is themed “Tourism Takes Grit,” which we find most appropriate when you consider much more than the title of the magnificent Charles Portis novel. When you consider the qualities of Grit like courage, conscientiousness, perseverance, resilience and passion, it’s plain to see the members of our industry statewide indeed have GRIT. On behalf of our industry in Fort Smith, we welcome them with open arms!

Claude Legris, Executive Director Fort Smith Convention & Visitors Bureau

w frontier star thofe western Ca us at (8800 0 ) 637 63 - 147 14 1477

miss laura’s visitor center

mural by bicicleta sem freio

bass reeves monument

mural by d*face

national historic site

the Clayton house

fort smith trolley museum

#E #Experience #Experienc #Experien #Experie #Experi #Exper #Expe #Exp #Ex Fort or ortSmith ortSmit ortSmi ortSm ortS

a & m excursion train

chaffee barbershop museum

park at west end

Welcome to Fort Smith — a city surrounded by nature, with a rich legacy as the gateway to The American West and modern reputation as a town with incredible public art.

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March 2020

@ExperienceFortSmith

A 90th birthdAY CELEBRATION for

Bob Miller

will help MANY TO A BETTER LIFE

e would never have anything be about himself – that’s not in the character of Robert E. “Bob” Miller. But when the idea of turning his birthday celebration into a charitable fundraiser for the project closest to his heart was pitched to him, he gave in. The April Designer Showhouse Ball honoring Miller’s 90th birthday will be held April 4 at the Fort Smith Convention Center. For 40 years, the self-made oil & gas driller has championed Fort Smith’s Community Rescue Mission, a residential shelter and a hand-up for people in need. He founded the mission in 1980, after feeling a calling from God and praying for help to make it real. Miller was only 50 when he was approached by a major investor who wanted to buy his thriving company, Miller Drilling. He had never thought of selling, but was pursued and, eventually, persuaded. He stayed on for a short time, through the transition to its new management. Retirement had been unforseen, not even contemplated by Miller, who had worked exceptionally hard in the risk-laden energy industry since buying his first rig, on credit, at the age of 27. “One month after I sold my company, I woke up in the night and I could hear sleet against the side of the house and I was so thankful I had a good, warm place,” Miller recalled. “Then, I had the thought, ‘What about people who don’t have a warm place to sleep tonight?’ I said to the Lord, ‘Are you trying to tell me to start a mission? And if you are, you have to show me where you want it and you have to give me somebody to run it.’” Sound like a pretty direct prayer? It was. In a biography published last year, Tailwind, The Robert E. Miller Story, Miller told writers Jennifer Tyler and Nicholas Younes why he came to have such trust that a divine reply would come. Miller believes he has experienced three miracles, help sent by God when he was in a hopeless situation. As a young man, four hard-working years into owning a Texas drilling operation, he took on a job that literally hit rock bottom – a rock layer so hard that his drill struggled to bite through and which might break off the shaft and bit underground. Miller had contrived a resourceful solution by adding the only heavy weight available to leverage the drill – his Chevy truck. It was just enough weight to keep the drill bit whirring through the night. Lubricating mud had kept circulating, somehow, to bring up the rock chips chewed by the drill. After barely whipping that threat, Miller was beyond exhaustion, resting for a few moments, when a roughneck woke him to say that one of the two engines that powered the drilling was completely broken. Miller recalled in the book he felt physically crushed. Hardly able to form a thought, he slipped a little New Testament from his glove box and walked up a hill, away from the under-powered, doomed rig.

Frustrated and facing financial ruin of his small operation that was barely getting by, Miller began “pouring out his heart and soul” to God, he said, going over all of his problems, asking for answers. But none came. As the sun rose, he took the little New Testament out of his pocket. It fell open to the fifth chapter of Romans, where he read this verse: “Rejoice in your suffering knowing that suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character, character produces hope, and hope will not disappoint us for God’s love has been poured into your heart through the Holy Spirit that has been given to you.” He experienced a revelation, Miller said. He only had been telling God his problems. He realized he had been too proud to ask for plain old help, he said in the book. Now, he did humbly ask and began to feel uplifted. He knew he was no longer trying to do it alone. “Nothing had changed, and that crankshaft was still as broken as ever, but I knew it would be all right, now that I was asking God for help – real help!” He told his crew to try to keep drilling and, filled with hope, drove to Abilene to find an engine. Miracle 2 was when an equipment dealer financed a used engine that had just become available. Miracle 3 was finishing that well two days under the deadline, earning a bonus that paid exactly the cost of the replacement engine, he said. It was a turning point for his business. He still faced difficulties and rig breakdowns in that tough industry, but his business inched into the black. He knew he would be able to make payroll for the workers he cared so much about and support his own family. He was, and remains, grateful. His reputation for bringing in wells on time at the lowest price put him in place, in 1961, to move his operation to Arkansas with a friend from Wichita Falls, Steve Gose. For the next two decades, he worked “like a rented mule,” as he said, drilling for natural gas in the Arkoma Basin. He purchased more used rigs and, proudly, ordered an entirely new rig built. So, when Miller asked God to show him the place for a mission and give him a person to run it, he had faith he would receive help. And he did. Only a week later, he drove past a church for sale on Third Street. The late Jon Grimm and his wife, Sam, joined with Miller as the mission's operators. Within a year, Community Rescue Mission was serving people who were homeless or in crisis. From that time on, the mission’s property, buildings and services had to be enlarged steadily to provide more and better living space, a chapel without leaks, a new kitchen and dining hall and a secure campus. All the way, Miller maintains, God sent help in the form of donors and good leaders to operate the mission and serve on its board. He continues to use the resourcefulness he was forced to learn in the oilfield, wasting little and using every dollar most effectively. March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

Miller shows his gratitude to God in his service to others

he Millers embraced Fort Smith. Bob and Joan and their children, Mike and Marcia, made friends and grew a deep bond with their church family at First United Methodist Church. Bob’s first love, Joan, had daringly plunged from a comfortable life in Wichita Falls, Texas, society to elope with him when he was still a college student, in 1950. The couple started out in life by trying to operate two hot, dusty cattle-ranching ventures. She was the at-home parent while Bob worked long, erratic hours to build his early drilling venture, with only more of the same as his rig count shot sky-high in Arkansas. In 1955, “Joanie” had been the conduit through which Miller first heard evangelist E. Stanley Jones, who led him to a deep personal faith. He became a lifetime teacher. She saw one of her own philanthropic projects open its doors in 2000 – the Miller Branch of the Fort Smith Public Library, for which the Millers had been leading donors. But just before their 53rd anniversary, Joan died at the age of 71.

ob considers himself blessed again with a loving marriage. After knowing one another as married couples for many years of friendship and attending the same church, Bob Miller and Nadine Hardin decided to marry. Surprising their church family, they simply announced at the end of a Sunday service that anyone who wanted to witness their vows was invited to remain seated. In this understated way, they united, each with respect and affection for the other’s late spouse and children. In his biography, Miller said, “Nadine has made my life happier than I ever thought it could be.” In person, their bond is easy to see. While he has a serene, quiet smile, Nadine is lively and humorous, adding effervescent bubbles to his “still waters.”’ Both are in good health and they enjoy traveling, most recently to Israel. Only Nadine could have convinced her modest husband to let his birthday be celebrated as a benefit. She has a formidable record of fund-raising and giving, herself, for a myriad of local causes and non-profits. She winks and says, “I think he may even enjoy it a little.” – Lynn Wasson 12

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

Rendering courtesy of Studio 6 Architects

The cause: sheltering people in need while helping them toward an independent, hope-filled life

Awakened by a sleet storm one cold night, Bob Miller thanked God for his warm bed and safe home. But he empathized with anyone without a roof over their heads or a prospect of finding one. He truly believes he has been blessed with God’s help in his own life. Miller felt called to do what he could do to offer shelter and safety to others and to help them find their way by accepting God’s help. At first, the mission was a place to stay, eat and attend church. Through its 40 years of operation, the abilities and campus of the mission have grown. The mission is funded by donation. It does not receive any United Way, city, state or federal funds. Operating without debt, the Community Rescue Mission completed a major renovation last year that helps it better serve its target: families. The HOPE Campus, another Fort Smith shelter, now serves single men and women, which allowed the Community Rescue Mission to dedicate more help to families.

The new residence building, with its pleasant, covered front porches, can now house families and is ADA compliant. New fencing provides security around the entire campus and an upgraded playground gives kids a safe place to play. Nadine Miller pointed out that children who live in the shelter can give a street address just as others with homes do – they no longer say they live “at the mission.” The homelike residences have modern colors and up-to-date furniture. Some of the residences can be connected to house larger families. The mission coordinates many available services to assist parents back into reliable jobs and their own housing, as quickly as possible. In the Hope Chapel, Miller placed a statement he hopes will touch its readers. He calls it “the nearest thing to a personal testimony of how 70 years of walking with Jesus makes you see things.” In part, he asks, “If Lazarus could be dead and buried and still available to the salvation love of Jesus, how much better are your odds, still alive as you are?”

The eight family residences can house families of different sizes.Two rooms are ADA accessible. There is a separate bathing facility and families eat together in the mission’s dining hall.

The Celebration : Everyone is going to have a ball! Earl Douglas is producing Bob Miller’s 90th Birthday as his fourth April Designer Showhouse Ball. The experienced benefit event producer first worked with Nadine Hardin Miller in 2010 to introduce his style of Designer Showhouse charitable events for the benefit of Fort Smith Public Schools. Nadine gave Douglas use of the Free Ferry Circle home she had shared with her late husband, Hugh Hardin. Douglas selected a slate of talented local interior designers to decorate each room of the house with their own style in color, furnishings, window treatment and art. Public tickets sales to tour the home yielded their proceeds to the Fort Smith Public School Foundation. Two years later, he produced an April Designer Showhouse on Berry Hill Drive at the home of the late A.Y. Berry Jr. and Frances “Chee” Berry, successfully benefiting Project Compassion. His most recent showhouse, in 2017, was a large Garrison Avenue apartment, the home of Susan and Mark Hooks. Tours and a ball raised funds for the STEPS Family Resource Center. Each of his April Designer Showhouse events included banquets, but the April 4 Bob Miller birthday celebration will bring design right into the ballroom in vignettes staged by select exhibitors. Guests will see exhibits by the Ingrid Gipson Sculpture Studio & Gallery, Interior design by Mindy Seubold, Aariah Sol Glass Design art glass by Aaron and Mariah Newman and Interior design by Crystal White featuring the tile, glass and floor covering of Allison Flooring Sales Co. Earl Douglas will also show a vignette of his own interior design work.

Guests also will be served an elegant, plated dinner prepared by 21 West End, with a Greek garden salad, entree of Calvados Poulet Roulade with apple brandy, cornbread stuffing, apple chutney, calvados cream, quinoa and primavera vegetables, with a birthday cake of lemon cream and blueberry compote. A selection of wines will be served. During the evening, guests may bid to win private, catered dinner parties. Hosts donating their homes for the parties are Robert A. Young III and Mary Carleton Young with catering by Stonehouse at Chaffee Crossing; Benny and Landy Westphal, Taliano’s; the Millers, 21 West End; Phil and Kim White, The Rialto, and The Barn by Two Brothers, with Neumeier’s Rib Room. A celebrity auction at the ball will feature bidding for a commissioned portrait to be painted by artist Jim Horne of Fort Smith. Horne’s new portraits of Bob and Nadine Miller will be unveiled that night. An original sculpture by artist Ingrid Gipson also is an auction prize. Aariah Sol Glass Design gave an original pendant and earrings set. From Douglas’ time spent working with fashion designer Edith Head and film producer/director Alfred Hitchcock, he has contributed celebrity items from his personal collection such as cuff links that belonged to Frank Sinatra, earrings from Edith Head and paintings by John Wayne and Mary Tyler Moore. From Universal Travel, six travel packages will be auctioned, three domestic and three foreign. Tickets, $100 per person or $1,000 for tables of 10, may be reserved at 479-226-9530. To order by mail, make check payable to Community Rescue Mission, P.O. Box 607, Fort Smith, AR 72902.

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

The Bakery is reinvented as a gathering place

riffin Hanna, who has been managing the restoration of the 1921 Shipley Baking Co. building, is eager for people to see how the former Holsum Bread bakery has been brought to life again. He describes it as “a multi-tenant use space that complements each other, where each tenant works together to create an atmosphere of openness and fun for the community.” When Bill Hanna, Griffin’s father and president of Hanna Oil and Gas Co., purchased the former Shipley Baking building at 70 South 7th Street, it was initially meant to cure an eyesore. The building had been abandoned for more than 10 years and was a discouraging sight when viewed from the Hanna Oil & Gas building across the street. Bill remembers it as a hub of activity – bread trucks and employees coming and going, amid enticing aromas of freshly baked bread. He said it may have been the contrast of those fond memories with the idle, darkened building that drove home the urge to save it. They purchased it as is, with all the baking equipment still in place. As father and son began making daily explorations inside, they developed an emotional attachment. They began entertaining possible uses for the building, but the first step was to clean it out. From the start, they agreed they didn’t want a complete facelift. There was a story behind the chipped plaster and exposed brick that the Hannas wanted to preserve.

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

One such feature was the fire door for the freight elevator. It had been rigged with a counterweight that was strung with a rope. The theory was that in the event of a fire, the rope would burn, the weight would drop, and the door would slam shut. They preserved that setup for others to enjoy. As rooms were cleared, the Hannas allowed a few non-profit groups to hold meetings in the space. Fort Smith Museum of History asked to use the facility for its 2017 Pardi Gras fundraiser. The crowd embraced the building and the Hannas knew they had discovered its purpose. It was meant to be a place where the community came together. To that purpose, Griffin began managing Phase I of The Bakery in 2018. The Collection Room Event Center was the first project. Griffin renovated the 8,000 feet main room, always careful to retain the raw character of the building. They signed Kevin Dorey’s 7th Street Catering to cater the center’s events. He is also the owner of 21 West End. With a full-service kitchen on-site, Dorey is able to provide catering to all three of the event areas. Chef Paul has prepared a unique menu for the 7th Street location. Dorey is also in discussion to operate a pub room the Hannas plan to add to the cluster of tenants. When another of Bill’s sons, Tom, returned to live in Fort Smith, he joined Griffin for work on Phase II. Soon, their brother Sam was involved as well.

Clockwise, from opposite page. Worn flooring and chipped plaster revealing brick were left exposed. People seated in the outdoor patio. Silo murals by Hilda Palafox. Players on the outdoor bocce court.

As three generations of Shipleys operated the original bakery, the Hannas liked carrying on in family tradition. Bill believes these Millennials added the right youthful vibe to the project. Fort Smith Coffee Co. has also joined The Bakery community and plans to create a second location, featuring a full coffee shop and roastery. They will serve their fresh-roasted brews at the April 1 grand opening. The Hannas are open to finding several more tenants who can contribute the right elements to the mix. They’re currently in discussion with University of Arkansas-Fort Smith to convert the second floor of the building into a business development and family enterprise center. The initial design work included the possible addition of condos in an adjacent building. The grand opening be celebrated with live music, an assortment of beverages, ping pong and bocce ball on an outdoor court. From comfortable seats on the 5,800-foot outdoor patio, guests can socialize or admire the 360-degree murals painted by internationally renowned artist Hilda Palafox. She covered the bakery’s pair of 30-foot silos during the 2019 Unexpected Project. Three event center rooms of various sizes will be open so grand opening visitors may consider reserving them for weddings, meetings or events. The rugged bakery walls have become a gallery for local artists. Enlarged black-andwhite photographs showing the original baking operation provide some homage to the Shipley family and historical background. Restoration of the old Shipley Baking Co. neon sign, depicting a loaf of Holsum Bread, is under way and may be complete for the opening. The Fort Smith Museum of History released the sign in favor of seeing it lighted again. The Bakery District is a place of history that has become the future. – Bob Robison At right: Ping pong action and enlargements from the Shipley Baking Co. Vintage poster of Shipley’s bakery, fleet of bread delivery trucks and employees. The largest space, set up party-style. March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

A Family Affair

Three Artists, Three Visions, One Family Dede Hutcheson exhibits at RAM with daughters Karen Hutcheson and Robyn Horn

all mothers find, through experience, that her children will become individuals. At 95, Dede Hutcheson has had the chance to see how different her daughters Karen and Robyn would be from her and from each other – and still to share a bond with them, through art. The diverse work of these three distinctive artists will be exhibited at Fort Smith Regional Art Museum from March 13-June 21. An opening reception for the artists will be held from 5-7 p.m. April 9. When her three children were young, Dede was more than a little busy as a mother and helping her late husband, William “Hutch” Hutcheson Jr., run a family-owned shoe manufacturing company and Lloyd’s Shoes, its retail stores, in Fort Smith. Although she had taken an art degree before marrying Hutch, she turned her talents to utilitarian purposes when needed. “I’d get down on the floor and paint signs for the shoe stores,” she said. “I remember painting ‘Anniversary Sale’ on a really big sign and then realizing I had misspelled ‘anniversary’ after I stood up,” she recalled. She also drew original designs for shoes when needed, Dede recalled, along with the other shoe designers, most of whom were men. But whenever there was time, she painted for her own enjoyment. “I was doing oil painting all the time they were young,” she recalled. It is still her main medium and she is always trying to learn more, she said. The drive to create and learn is a defining part of her nature. “I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t have a pencil or a crayon in my hand,” Dede said. Growing up on North 13th Street, “I went to DuVal Elementary, which is not there any more. I still remember my second-grade teacher, Miss Cunningham. She let us draw!” If there were art classes at Fort Smith High School when she attended, they weren’t memorable to her. When she went on to the University of Arkansas, its art department disappointed her. “I think it was way up on the third floor at Old Main,” with an expression that indicates it wasn’t worth climbing the stairs to experience. After one semester, her parents agreed for Dede to transfer to the University of Tulsa. Her mother’s sister lived there and Dede’s uncle was serving in World War II, as were almost all college-aged boys. “It was kind of a girls’ school during the war,” Dede remembered. But while she studied there, the distinguished American realist painter Alexandre Pogue led the art department. A full, classical art curriculum was presented. From left, Karen and Dede Hutcheson and Robyn Horn.

She painted landscapes on the campus lawn, en plein air, as it is called in art school. Later in life, Dede would do a lot more outdoor painting, of necessity as well as choice. After their shoe company became a part of Walmart, Hutch became an executive of the retail giant and had to travel across the nation and to Canada to make visits to stores. Together, they traveled many miles by car and Dede took along her oil paint box and her ever-present sketch book. Often, while he was in meetings, she set up her easel and painted where they happened to be. “There were times he would stop and let me paint something that I saw from the car,” she recalled. She responded to the observation that she married the right fellow with a fond, “Yes, I did.” They attained 70 years of marriage before Hutch passed away in 2017. Together, they had increased their family’s charitable Windgate Foundation. Especially in the last decade, Windgate has made major gifts to art and education to a degree that is uplifting arts education in Arkansas now and for generations of students to come. In this area alone, the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith Windgate Art & Design Building opened in 2015, drawing all the visual arts into one building. With well-equipped classrooms, studios for diverse art forms and light-filled galleries, it serves the entire student body and the public with access to the arts. Ongoing grants support more programs. The Regional Art Museum is the beneficiary of a major Windgate gift to its endowment and for programming. RAM is open six days a week, with free admission and extensive free programming such as Saturdays for youth and a weekly open studio for figure drawing. In Van Buren, the Center for Art & Education received a substantial matching grant to build Art on Main, a much larger arts center on historic Main Street. It will allow art education for a great many more children and adults and will have more programming. Because she herself is a visual learner, Dede is convinced of the brain’s connection between seeing and making art and all other kinds of learning. “I learn by sight. If it is explained to me in a book, sometimes I can understand it. But I have to see it. There are such different ways that people learn,” she said. “I think more people are visual.” Fort Smith Public Schools has been given the former Hutcheson Shoes building, which will become its new Peak Innovation Center. It will offer specialized training leading to higher education or direct entry into advanced manufacturing, health care and information technology. March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

Slipping Sideways, Robyn Horne

What they know they share, Dede said, is this: “You get lost in it. You’re so concentrating, you don’t know what’s going on around you. We all keep talking about it, all the time. We don’t know what we’d do without it. It gives us so much pleasure in so many different ways.”

think all three of us respect the others’ works and appreciate what they are doing,” Robyn Horn said of her mother and sister. “It’s rather nice that none of the work is redundant so that you can tell by looking at each piece – if you are familiar with us at all – which one of us made it. The connective tissue is certainly a love for making things, painting things and enjoying creativity.” Robyn is a nationally noted artist in wood. She will exhibit here from a series in which she assembles pieces that make use of asymmetry and heavy textural qualities. “I think in terms of wood and stone, of the things of which nature is made, of the ease with which nature develops into shapes and forms, created throughout centuries of accumulated time,” she wrote in an artist’s statement. Some of her work requires a crane to lift it, such as an massive wood sculpture called Already Set in Motion, a permanent outdoor installation at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Robyn lives in central Arkansas with her husband, John Horn.

Lifelong Education Dede loves to take painting workshops. She also has regularly sketched along with other artists at the free “Drop in and Draw” studio at RAM. A live model poses for figure drawing. Jane Owen, director of the CAE, first took Dede as “another normal student, learning and improving her skills,” at workshops with artists/teachers George Kountoupis, Tony Couch and Charles Peer. Owen had no idea the pleasant, earnestly working woman at the next easel would also become a major donor to CAE. Dede is studying, right now, a lesson on use of negative space, given by a favorite teacher and artist, Peggy Kroll Roberts. Dede subscribes to lessons online and has also studied with the artist in on-site workshops. Too modestly, Dede doesn’t think her own 18

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

paintings are significant to the pantheon of art, but she deeply loves the process itself and highly prizes what making art for a lifetime has given her. Valuing that almost undescribable artistic process is what she knows she does share with her daughters and her son, who didn’t become an artist but whom she knows has artistic talent. She sees a love of art in several grandchildren. Their work makes a third generation of artists exhibited in her home. “We are all totally different,” Dede said of herself and her daughters. “Karen kind of slaps paint on – and I like it. Robyn is more lineal, kind of. She has something in her that’s like what I have. I want it to be like its supposed to be. But how she does sculpting – I can’t ‘get’ that because I wouldn’t have any idea how.”

bstracts in acrylic paint are Karen Hutcheson’s current work. Now living in Florida in retirement with her husband, she wrote about being in an artistic family: “I think our common interest in art has created a bond between us that helps us understand each other even when we don’t always agree on everything. It’s something we can return to again and again. I also think we express ourselves through art in three very different ways which keeps things interesting. We all have distinctive styles. I think Mother and I are in awe of Robyn’s sculpting abilities and the way her mind works, bringing a drawing on paper to life in wood.”

This exhibit is presented by Arkansas Colleges of Health Education and supported by Dr. and Mrs. Greg and Marta Jones

Blue Fog, Karen Hutcheson, acrylic Monetâ€™s Garden, Dede Hutcheson, oil

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

Nearing a Century of Service

Noon Exchange Club celebrates 95 years

appy 95th Birthday, Fort Smith Noon Exchange Club! Tradition, enduring partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to service are the hallmarks of Fort Smith Noon Exchange Club and the reasons it has remained one of the region’s premier civic organizations for nearly a century. Chartered on March 4, 1925, Fort Smith Noon Exchange Club began with 21 members who gathered in downtown Fort Smith. From the onset, the club became known for its informative programs, which featured guest speakers highlighting local projects, nonprofits and other relevant groups. The format continues, as members are kept “in the know” and educated about area needs and activities every Friday. The programs have led to the formation of several partnerships with charitable groups in the community. Exchange’s support of Girls, Inc. dates back to the 1940s, when, according to a February 1947 Exchange newsletter, “Exchangite Jay Anderson invited Girls Club ladies to present a program about their summer camp.” Fellow member Dr. I. Fulton Jones suggested as a joke that community leader Nancy Orr should auction her hat at a club meeting to begin the fundraising. Orr took him up on it, raising $750 for 40 campers. That auction led to the formation of what would become the R.C. Goodman Scholarship. Since its inception, the club has contributed more than $350,000 to Girls, Inc., enabling more than 12,500 young ladies to have a unique camp experience. The scholarship fund is just one of Exchange’s youth programs. It has long served as a Partner in Education to Beard Elementary and Ramsey Junior High. The award-winning collaboration includes an annual shoe drive, a pen pal program and volunteering at campus functions. Exchangites promote Americanism through the “One Nation Under God” program and Freedom Shrine projects. Members also do extensive work in support of a national project, child abuse prevention awareness. Exchange was an early supporter of the “Step Up, Speak Out” movement and funds a Parent Aide Center at Hamilton House Child Safety Center. The group also does awareness activities each April during National Child Abuse Prevention Month. In addition to its members’ community service, Exchange also recognizes other citizens who give of their time and talents. Last month, Exchange hosted its 78th Annual Book of Golden Deeds Award Banquet. Recipients have included nonprofit leaders, ministers, educators and other outstanding citizens. Shown above are honorees

Ed Wright, Robert Miller, Dr. Roger Bost and librarian Gladys Krone. The club also honors EMTs, firefighters and law enforcement officers through its Hometown Heroes Award. “Our club is proud of the work our members do to improve the lives of others and we also count it a privilege to recognize folks outside of our organization who hold these same values,” explained club president Bob Beams. The camaraderie among its members is as legendary as the club’s service to country and community. Several have been involved or 50-plus years. For many, Exchange is a family affair. Ben Shipley, a member since 1980, followed in the footsteps of his father, the late Harry Shipley. Harry previously held the title of the longest serving Exchange member, having been part of the organization for 70 years at the time of his passing in 2018. Today, several spouses attend meetings together. Weekly meeting traditions include the 50/50 drawing benefitting the Exchange Foundation, as well as the news and weather report. The news update began decades ago when Mayor Jack Freeze posted headlines at a chamber function. It was suggested he present a similar weekly report to the club. For more than 50 years, Freeze shared news, the forecast, “a day in Exchange Club history” and a joke with the group. The tradition is now carried on by Daren Bobb. Birthdays are recognized and members are encouraged to share exciting news. However, trying to make an announcement without first giving one’s name will invariably result in humorous interruptions of, “Who are you?” What has allowed the group to thrive for nearly a century is its ability to uphold tradition while also adapting to changing times. The 1980s ushered in a new era for the club, as women were granted membership. Many have since held the office of president and board member. “While some things have changed, what has remained is the high caliber of our membership and our commitment to making the region a better place for all,” said Beams. “We are proud of our rich history and for the men and women who helped mold this organization into what it is today. We honor their legacy by continuing their traditions of service and unity.” Fort Smith Noon Exchange Club will host a special 95th Anniversary Celebration March 6. Past members, Golden Deeds Award winners and other Exchange supporters are invited. The lunch will be held at The Hall at Taliano’s in Fort Smith at noon. Cost is $10 for guests. For more information, visit www.FortSmithNoonExchange.com. – Brittany Ransom March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

goodies

A variety of shamrocks from Neumeier Nursery & Greenhouses.

Wide selection of free-standing bathtubs found at Allison Sales Co.

Razorback Bentley drinkware available at Luther Stem Pools & Spas.

Extend the life of your hearing aids with the PerfectDry Lux dehumidifier from Center For Hearing.

Gluten-free crackers in several tasty flavors from Paulâ€™s Meat Market.

Dr. Cohen's acuBall helps release tight muscles and joints naturally. Found at True Grit Running Co. 22

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

goodies

The Wright Weave colorful gourd found at Fort Smithâ€™s Regional Art Museum.

Rolex steel Submariner watch with black bezel. Available at Newton's Jewelers. March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

goodies Tall table with hidden shelf from Mike’s Furniture.

Fashionable slip-on canvas shoes from Firefly Boutique & Gifts.

St. Patrick’s Day platters, baking dishes and candleholders found at A to Z Variety.

Wide selection of bracelets available at Designer Again.

Bailey’s Irish Cream, a variety of Guinness products and Jameson Irish whiskey from 4 Corks.

Aveda nutri plenish products available at Metropolis Hair Studio. 24

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

goodies

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

goodies

Hobo snake skin print bags and clutch from Jenniferâ€™s Gift Shop at Baptist Health-Fort Smith.

Ouidad conditioners and shampoo for curly hair available at Vanity Calls.

Face A Face designer sunglasses found at Dr. Steven B. Stiles Eye Group.

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

goodies

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

goodies

Unique blended whiskeys found at In Good Spirits.

Farmhouse Fresh shea butter hand creams for dry hands from Greenwood Flower & Gift Shop.

Custom and area rugs available at D&D Floor Covering.

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

goodies

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

WHAT’S COOKING

ROASTED POTATOES WITH BACON AND PARMESAN CRISPS

Idaho Potatoes on Parade 30

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

24 oz. mix of baby Idaho potatoes, halved 1 cup broccoli florets, fresh or frozen 1/3 cup crumbled bacon 4 tbsp. olive oil 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tbsp. dried oregano ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. ground black pepper Parmesan cheese crisps, to garnish Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking pan with foil. Spread the halved potatoes, broccoli and bacon in an even layer in pan. Whisk together olive oil, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle over the vegetables and stir to mix. Cover with foil and bake 30-45 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Top with parmesan cheese crisps and serve. Photo and recipe courtesy of Stacey Doyle, Little Figgy Food

WHATâ€™S COOKING

VEGETABLE & POTATO NUGGETS 4 cups IdahoÂŽ potatoes, cooked and mashed 4 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1 cup broccoli, cooked and "riced" (diced fine) 1 cup fine bread crumbs, divided Salt and pepper to taste 2 eggs, lightly whisked Canola oil In a large bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, cheeses, finely diced broccoli, 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs, and the salt and pepper. Quickly give it a taste, adjust seasoning if needed, then add in the lightly whisked eggs and mix until well combined. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a shallow dish. In a heavy duty skillet, or Dutch oven, heat 2 - 3 inches of oil over medium-high heat. Using a 1-inch scoop, shape potato mixture into balls and gently roll each one in the bread crumbs to lightly coat. Add the potato nugget balls in batches to the oil, cook 2 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Allow to drain on a paper towel-lined dish. Repeat with remaining potato balls. Serve with your favorite dips, such as ketchup, mustard or ranch dressing. Photo and recipe courtesy of Stacey Doyle, Little Figgy Food

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

WHAT’S COOKING

CREAM CHEESE MASHED POTATOES 6 cups Idaho® russet potatoes, peeled 2 tbsp. olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 8 oz. of cream cheese (full fat) 2 tbsp. butter 1 ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 tsp. fresh thyme 1 cup milk 3 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Chop the peeled Idaho® potatoes into 2inch chunks. Add to a pot and cover halfway with water. Cover and bring to a boil. When the water starts to boil, turn down the heat to mediumlow and simmer until the potatoes are softened. This will take about 15 minutes. In a frying pan, add olive oil and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add in cream cheese, butter, spices and milk. Stir frequently. Simmer until the cream cheese is melted. Drain the potatoes into a colander. Add the potatoes to a large bowl and pour the cream cheese mixture on top. Use an electric mixer to whip the potatoes into a creamy soft mixture. Make sure there are no lumps. Spread the potato mixture into a casserole dish and sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes to blend the flavors together. Serve hot. Photo and recipe courtesy of Idaho Potato Commission and Sandi Gaertner. 32

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

KIDS

calendar of events

March 1-10 Girls Inc. Spring Volleyball Registration It’s time for spring volleyball. Sign ups are going on now until 5:30 p.m. March 10. Draft will be March 12: second grade, 5:30 p.m.; third and fourth grades, 6:30 p.m., fifth-eighth grades, 7:30 p.m. Season begins March 31. Games will be played on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Practices will be once a week. Current club membership is required. Membership fee, $30; activity fee $30. Girls Inc. of Fort Smith, Old Greenwood Road, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-782-0375 girlsincfortsmith.org

March 1-31 Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs Baseball Registration Sign-ups are under way for baseball season for ages 5-19. Players must be 6 years old by Sept. 15. There are six leagues: T-ball, Pee Wee, Rookie, Ripken, Babe Ruth, Senior Babe Ruth and American Legion. Club membership, $20, and activity fee, $25, are required. Register from 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday at any club location. Evans Unit, 6015 Boys Club Lane, 479-6469519; Goldtrap Unit, 8800 South Dallas, 479-452-5779; Jeffrey Unit, 4905 North O Street, 479782-7093; or Stephens Unit, 3101 North 6th Street, 479-782-6392. fsbgc.org

March 2 Wocket in Your Pocket Craft In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, every activity this week is inspired by Dr. Seuss. Hop on in and craft a wocket in your pocket. Keep what you make. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 Dr. Seuss Birthday Party Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March 2, has been adopted as Read Across America Day by the National Education Association. This fun reading initiative will be celebrated with a birthday party for the beloved author. Read a couple of Dr. Seuss’ classic stories, have a fun craft and even have a visit from Mr. Grinch! Free. 3:30-4 p.m. Miller Branch Library, 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-646-3945 Dr. Seuss Family Story Night Hear Dr. Seuss stories, make Seussical crafts and have goodies with the Friends of the Library to celebrate Read Across America 2020. Hosted by Friends of the Sebastian County Public Library. Free. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sebastian County Library, 18 North Adair Street, Greenwood, Ark. 479-996-2856

March 3 Bingo for Books: Dr. Seuss Edition It’s Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Celebrate with Bingo for Books – Dr. Seuss edition! Take your family and join the fun in this after-school event. Play bingo and earn books as your prize. Winners will be able to choose a book from a selection of children and teen titles. Free. 4-5 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229 Dr. Seuss Bookmarks Design wacky and crazy Dr. Seuss bookmarks to keep. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 4 Dr. Seuss Cookies Everyone invited! Do you like green eggs and ham, Sam-I-Am? You’re invited to make cookies that look like green eggs and ham. This tasty treat is for anyone and everyone, stop by for a snack! Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 March 5 Dr. Seuss Bingo B is for Bingo, and B is for Books! Play and take home a book or two as a prize. All ages. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 March 6 Dr. Seuss Party If the librarians ran the zoo, they’d have cake every day! Enjoy cake at this final fun of Dr. Seuss week. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 1-April 1 Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs College Scholarship Program Deadline Applications are being accepted for 2020 fall and spring semesters. Scholarship amounts range from $500 to $2,500 per college year. It is based on financial need, club involvement and academic achievement. Applicants must be a member or volunteer for a minimum of two years with the Fort Smith Boys & Girls Clubs. Applications are available online or at any unit. The committee conducts interviews with all new applicants. Selections are announced by May 1, and scholarship presentations are made at a board luncheon in June. Each year, a former recipient is invited to be a guest speaker at the lunch event. The program was established in 1985. There were 30 recipients during the past year. Since the creation of the program, 844 awards have been granted and 343 individual club members have received scholarships, with close to $1 million awarded. The scholarship program is one of the largest of any Boys & Girls Club organizations in the nation. Evans Unit, 6015 Boys Club Lane, 479-646-9519; Goldtrap Unit, 8800 South Dallas, 479-452-5779; Jeffrey Unit, 4905 North O Street, 479-782-7093; or Stephens Unit, 3101 North 6th Street, 479-782-6392. fsbgc.org

March 1-April 22 Mothers Day Out Preschool Program Community School of the Arts will offer an artsbased program for ages 3-5. This unique program is led by CSA instructors in music, theater, dance and visual art. Children rotate to each arts area throughout the morning as they do activities in each of the arts disciplines such as singing, playing instruments, ballet and movement, theater activities and drawing and painting. Led by instructors Kathleen Lavengood, Shannon Stoddard, Jennifer Woodside Anderson, Sherry Jones, Hachya Franklin and Sheila Mann. Children may attend one or both days, by the month. Register online or by phone. Tuition varies. 9 a.m.-noon. Community School of the Arts, St. Boniface, 201 North 19th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-434-2020 csafortsmith.org March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 1-17 Spring Soccer Registration Registration for RVFC Recreational Soccer is now open for the spring 2020 season. The registration deadline is March 17. Register online. Please email Amber@FCRiverValley.com with any questions. All day. River Valley Futbol Club, 7200 South Zero Street, Fort Smith 479-806-9701 fcrivervalley.com

March 2-17 St. Patrick’s Day Mask Craft Use creativity and imagination to make a Shamrock St. Patrick’s Day Mask. All materials will be provided at this open-house DIY crafting program for all ages. Drop in anytime the library is open for this activity. Free. Dallas Branch Library 8100 Dallas Street , Fort Smith, Ark. 479-484-5650

March 2-31 Teen Time Play games, make crafts and more. The library is closed March 18. Free. 3:30 p.m. Monday-Wednesdas. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

March 3 Coding for Home-Schoolers All kids from elementary to high school can discover new ways to play and learn at the same time. Learn computer coding through games. Free. 10 a.m. Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853

March 3-4 Trolls LIVE! Get ready for another hair-raising adventure when Poppy, Branch and their friends come to life on stage in “Trolls LIVE!” The journey begins when the Trolls’ Hug Time is unexpectedly put at risk. Knowing that the only way to save it is by doing what the Trolls do best, Poppy hosts a toe-tapping, Trollstastic show, jam-packed with all the epic music, glitter, humor and happiness that only the Trolls can create. 6 p.m. March 3, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. March 4. Fort Smith Convention Center, 55 South 7th Street, Fort Smith, Ark.

March 3-31 Baby & Me Babies, birth to age 3, and caregivers enjoy songs, finger plays, bubbles, parachute play, a story and playtime. This is an opportunity for social interaction with both babies and their adults. This program supports early literacy and language skills. Free. 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

March 4, 11 Story Time: Toddlers and preschoolers Ms. Lara will read stories, sing songs and do activities. Topics include hippos and St. Patrick’s Day. Free. 10 a.m. Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853 34 Entertainment Fort Smith March 2020

March 4, 11, 25 Wednesday Story Time Hear new stories, sing songs, create, make friends and check out books. On March 11, children may take their favorite book to share show-and-tell style. Free. 9:30 or 11 a.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

March 4, 11, 25 Rhythm and Rhymes for Infants and Toddlers Looking for an interactive, fun and educational program to enjoy with your infant, toddler or preschool age child? Rhythm & Rhymes is a 20- to 30-minute block of story time full of books, songs, rhymes and finger plays. R&R is also a great way to introduce your child to language skills in a positive and fun environment. Free. 10:30 a.m. Mountainburg Public Library, 225 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600 March 5 Story Time: Frogs Ribbit, ribbit! Hop into a story time about frogs. There will be songs, dances, stories and a super-fun craft. Free. 10:30 a.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 5 STEAM Tweens and teens join Ms. Lara at the library to have fun discovering new ways to play and learn at the same time. Engineer a mystery project. Free. 3:30 p.m. Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853

March 5 New Home School Group Informational Meeting Everyone interested in the formation of an Ozark/Mulberry/Alma home school group and/or educational coop is invited to an informational meeting to share and hear ideas. Free. 1 p.m. Ralph D. Graf Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226

March 5-26 Story Time Ms. Robin will read books, sing songs asnd make a craft. Free. 10 a.m. Thursdays. Ralph D. Graf Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226

March 5-26 Thursday After-School for All Ages A drop-in time for families to check out books and participate in a variety of activities. Free. 3:30 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

March 7 Subiaco Academy Spring Carnival An evening of fun for the whole family. There will be games for the kids, bingo, wine and beer-tasting, entertainment and lots of great food, as well as silent and live auctions to benefit the academy. Free. 4-9 p.m. Subiaco Academy, 405 North Subiaco Avenue, Subiaco, Ark. 479-934-1029

March 7-28 Saturday Story Time Read books, sing songs and do a craft or activity together. The story time builds literacy skills and confidence. Two of the days have a STEAM theme. Free. 1 p.m. Mountainburg Public Library, 225 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600

March 7-28 Mountainburg Coding Club For the next few months, alternate between learning javascript and solving puzzles with robots like sphearo and LEGO WeDo. There may even be some digital break-outs. For ages 8-14. Call to register. Free. 4:15 p.m. Saturdays. Mountainburg Public Library, 225 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600

March 5 Cinderella: A Preview Show Community School of the Arts performs a special preview of its production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” A new Broadway adaptation of the classic musical will be performed by 36 cast members in grades 7-12. This contemporary take on the classic tale features Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most-beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible / It’s Possible” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” alongside a hilarious and romantic libretto by Tony Award-nominee Douglas Carter Beane. There are some new characters and surprising twists. Free. 6-7 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith. 479-783-0229

March 9 Painting with Spheros Toddlers and children can use robots and paint to make colorful works of art. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 9, 23 Beginning Guitar Lesson A volunteer guitar teacher will help others learn the basics. Several guitars are available for students to use. This is best for those ages 10 to adults. Meets second and fourth Mondays. Free. 3:30 p.m. Mountainburg Public Library, 225 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600

March 10 Bubble Wrap Painting Teens can learn a new technique for creating cool art. All supplies will be provided. Free. 3:30-4:30 p.m. Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith. 479-785-0405

March 10 3D Rainbow Shamrocks Tweens and teens are invited to craft rainbow shamrocks, in 3D. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 10-31 STEM Activities Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math activities for grades 1-5. Register by phone. Free. 3:45 p.m. Tuesdays. Ralph D. Graf Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226

ster) is interrupted by a troublesome announcement: A real, live monster has been sighted in a nearby cemetery. The mismatched friends anxiously set out on their first hunt ever, only to find they have been duped by the Secret Society of Girls Who Like to Make Bracelets Club. Find out if the Monster Hunters will catch the monster and have the last laugh in the end. The production is open to ages second through eighth grade. Performances will be 7 p.m. March 13 and 2 p.m. March 14 at the King Opera House. Register by phone. $150 tuition. Scholarships available. Center for Art and Education, 104 North 13th Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-7767 art-ed.org March 12 Rainbow Story Time St. Patrick’s Day is almost here, and the library is in search of a rainbow. At rainbow story time, you will be looking at all the different colors of the rainbow. You will hear stories, sing, dance and make a colorful craft. Free. 10:30 a.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 12-14 The Monster Hunters The Center For Art & Education is taking registration for the children’s theater production of “The Monster Hunters,” a short comedy by Joshua Mikel. It’s a typical afternoon in Bumblewood when the weekly meeting of the Monster Hunters Club (whose members have never caught, seen or even tried to hunt a mon-

March 12 Rainbow Magnets Time to get colorful by making rainbow magnets by repurposing bottle caps. Crafters get to keep what they make. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 12 Teen Time Make a fun craft for St. Patrick’s Day. Free. 3:30 p.m. Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853

March 13 Annual Paper Airplane Contest Glide into spring and participate in the Dallas Branch Library’s fourth annual paper airplane flying contest. Compete to design a paper airplane that will fly the longest distance. First-, second- and third-place winners will all receive cash prizes. Kids and teens may participate. Free. 3:30-4:15 p.m. Dallas Branch Library 8100 Dallas Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-484-5650

March 13-14 Community School of the Arts “Cinderella” Community School of the Arts Youth Theatre Company of some 36 teens performs, directed by Shannon Stoddard, musical direction by George and Sheila Mann and choreography by Jennifer Woodside Anderson. This timeless classic is a perfect show for the whole family. Tickets are on sale online or by phone. Group rates are available. Also available at CSA offices, St. Boniface, 201 North 19th Street. Performances are 7 p.m. March 13; 2 and 7 p.m. March 14. Prices vary. ArcBest Performing Arts Center, 55 South 7th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-434-2020 csafortsmith.org.

March 14 Fancy Nancy Tea Party Bonjour, Fancy Nancy fans! “Mrs. Clayton” will be hosting a Fancy Nancy Tea Party. Guests will enjoy story time with Mrs. Clayton, tea & cookies, a craft activity and pictures with Mrs. Clayton. Reservations required. $15 children, $5 adults. 1-2:30 p.m. Clayton House, 514 North 6th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-3000 claytonhouse.org

LEARN. DISCOVER. THRIVE. VBSD uses innovative curriculum and hands-on learning to help students experiment, create, and explore. Discover why the Van Buren School District is the right choice for your child. Visit www.VBSD.us today!

@VBSDPointers

SCHOOL CHOICE APPLICATION DEADLINE IS MAY 1ST March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 16 LEGO Club: Draw a Category Kids, tweens and teens are invited to design, create and build unique creations with the Lego Club. Supplies are provided – just take your imagination. Free. 5 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

March 16 Leprechaun Hunt In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, go on a Leprechaun Hunt. Somewhere in the library is a hidden leprechaun. Use a series of clues to uncover his hiding spot. Make sure to take a friend. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 17 Shamrock Slime Make some sparkly green gloop to celebrate. All supplies will be provided. Free 3:30-4:30 p.m. Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-785-0405

March 17 Beaded Shamrocks In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, make beaded shamrocks. This craft is colorful and fun, and you get to keep what you make. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 18-20 River Valley Student Art Competition The Center For Art & Education will showcase local young artists at the River Valley Student Art

Competition and Awards Ceremony in April. This competition allows students in grades K-12 to show their artwork in a juried exhibition. Teachers and parents may submit their student’s artwork and students may submit their artwork, as well. One entry per student. Artwork will be accepted March 18-20 between the hours 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. You must submit artwork using the guidelines, entry form and entry spreadsheet available on CAE’s website. Free 10 a.m.5 p.m. Center for Art and Education 104 North 13th Street , Van Buren 479-474-7767 art-ed.org

March 19 Butterfly Story Time Read, dance and play with Ms. Allison, then stick around for a butterfly craft. Free. 10:30 a.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 19 Pet Rocks Have you ever wanted a pet that wouldn’t have any accidents? Then this is the craft for you. You’re invited to paint your very own Pet Rocks. It can be a cat, a dog, or a pet of your own creation. You get to keep what you make. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 19-20 Spring Break Two-Day Sewing Camp for Kids: Oklahoma Friends Students create a personalized book pillow. Sewing machines are provided. Sign-ups are available on Sewing Machine Center’s website under “Classes.” $50 includes all materials. 1-3:30 p.m. Sewing Machine Center, 6700 Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-484-5351 sewingfs.com.

March 20-28 Spring Break Scavenger Hunt Are you good at finding answers? Do you like to earn prizes? The Spring Break Scavenger Hunt is for you. Children, teens and their families are invited to visit the Youth Services Department all week to join in the hunt. Work alone or as a team to answer the questions to earn a prize. Free. 9 a.m.-noon. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

March 20 Spring QR Code Origami Hop into spring and try your hand at rabbit and flower origami crafts. Use a smartphone to scan the provided

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

QR codes linked to YouTube videos explaining how to complete the different crafts. Simple and intermediate level crafts will be available. All paper materials will be provided. Take a smartphone or tablet with headphones for watching the instructions. Free. 9 a.m.noon. Dallas Branch Library, 8100 Dallas Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-484-5650

March 21 Story Time with Princess Jasmine Princess Jasmine will make an appearance at a special Saturday morning story time featuring Gabrielle Gore. Join in the fun as Princess Jasmine leads stories, songs and arts & crafts. Gore attends Muldrow High School and the Community Schools of the Arts. She uses her vocal talents in her school, community and state. and supports the Wounded Warrior Project. Intrigued with a love of music by age 5, Gabrielle began vocal training and studies classical opera, jazz, country and oldies, as well as musical theater. A performer with the Tulsa Opera, Gabrielle holds three National Youth Arts Awards for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical, which include Mary in “Mary Poppins,” Wednesday in “The Addams Family” and Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls.” Gabrielle has recently made her debut as a vocalist with the Fort Smith Symphony. Free. 10:30-11:30 a.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

March 23 Spring Paper Craft Make a bright spring picture out of paper spirals. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 23-27 Spring Break Art Camp Students from age 7-18 can enroll in a fun and engaging art camp where they will create in a learning atmosphere using a variety of medium including drawing, painting, printmaking and more. Immersive art programs each of the five days. Experience the arts this spring break! Register by phone. $40. 1-3 p.m. Center for Art and Education, 104 North 13th Street, Van Buren 479-474-7767 art-ed.org

March 23 Teen Book Tasting Teens are invited to kickoff spring break with a “Book Tasting.” Guests will rotate from table to table, sampling various genres and getting a taste of what they want in a book. Menus with popular titles will be pro-

vided, along with five-star service from the library staff. Free. 2-3 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

March 23 Interactive Movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (PG) All attendees will be given a goodie bag and participation instructions, to be used to interact along with the beloved first movie in the popular series. Harry Potter receives his Hogwarts letter and begins his first journey to the school. He will encounter He Who Must Not Be Named. Watch “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” (PG) in a new way. Free. 3-5 p.m. Miller Branch Library 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-646-3945

March 24 Slime It’s oozy, it’s gooey, it’s slime! This is the perfect craft for tweens and teens who like messy crafts. Be prepared for slime. You get to keep what you make. Tweens and up. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 24 Pajama Story Time and Stuffed Animal Sleepover Kids of all ages and their families are invited to join the Miller Branch Library for a very special bedtime story time. Children are encouraged to wear pajamas and take a favorite stuffed animal friend. After everyone enjoys some bedtime stories, songs and a craft, the stuffed animals will have the opportunity to stay at the library for a sleepover. The next day, kids can pick up their animal friends and some fun pictures of the sleepover shenanigans. Free. 6-7 p.m. Miller Branch Library 8701 South 28th Street , Fort Smith, Ark. 479-646-3945

March 24 Family Board Game Day During sprig break, try out a board game. They’re always available, but this is a special day to play together. Free. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mountainburg Public Library, 225 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600

March 25 Sidewalk Graffiti Put your creativity to work; help decorate the side-

walks of the Miller Branch Library. Weather permitting, anyone who wants to get artistic is encouraged to decorate a sidewalk square with chalk. Chalk is provided, just take your imagination. Free. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Miller Branch Library 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-646-3945 fortsmithlibrary.org

Center’s website under “Classes.” $50 includes all materials. 1-3:30 p.m. Sewing Machine Center 6700 Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-484-5351 sewingfs.com

March 26-28 Regional Dance America Southwest Region Festival 2020 Western Arkansas Ballet hosts this festival. The Bloch Emerging Choreographer’s Performance is March 26, Showcase Performance Night is March 27 and Gala Performance Night is March 28. The performances feature the works of 19 member companies and the works of emerging choreographers. Tickets are available at the box office one hour prior to performance each night. $40 per performance. 7-10 p.m. ArcBest Performing Arts Center, 55 South 7th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-785-0152 rdasw2020wab.org

March 27 Game On at Your Library Cards, chess, checkers or board games and more will be available. Take your family and friends and see who goes home with the most wins. Free. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

March 25 Miyazaki Movie Day: “Ponyo” and “Spirited Away” See two animated features by noted director Hayao Miyazaki. At 10:30 a.m. is “Ponyo” (G). During a forbidden excursion to see the surface world, a goldfish princess named Ponyo encounters a human boy named Sosuke. Ponyo longs to become human, and as her friendship with Sosuke grows, she develops more humanlike features. Ponyo’s father discovers her on the surface and brings her back to their ocean kingdom. Guided by her strong desire to live alongside Sosuke, Ponyo breaks free, accidentally spilling a collection of magical elixirs that endangers the village. In “Spirited Away” (PG) at 1 p.m., 10-yearold Chihiro and her parents stumble upon a seemingly abandoned amusement park. After her mother and father are turned into giant pigs, Chihiro meets the mysterious Haku, who explains the park is a resort for supernatural beings, and that her parents are now cursed by the sinister Yubaba. In order to free her parents, Chihiro becomes enslaved to Yubaba, and must rely on her new friends to help her break the curse and find her way home. Free. 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

March 26 Sewing Camp for Kids: Arkansas Friends At a two-day mini-camp, students can create a personalized book pillow. This camp is during spring break for those who attend Arkansas schools. All materials and sewing machines are provided. Space is limited. Sign-ups are available on Sewing Machine

March 27 Special Reptile Story Time The library is having a special story time. Heather Hula from Lake Fort Smith will be at the library for Reptile Story Time. You will read and dance, then meet her special reptile guest. Make sure to bring a friend. Free. 10:30 a.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 30 Bring Your Own Book (Club) Join Ms. Allison at the library to talk about your book of the month. Share what you have read and see what your friends are reading. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 30 Teen Lounge: Vision Boards Teens in grades 7-12 are invited to celebrate the spring season by creating vision boards at February Teen Lounge. All supplies will be provided. Free. 4-5:30 p.m. Free. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-0229

March 31 Teen Advisory Board Are you in grades 7-12? Do you love your local library? Then join the Teen Advisory Board. This group will consist of teens who are interested in creating new, fun teen programs. Make sure to sign up to join, and sign in to get your volunteer hour. The meeting is an hourlong session to share your ideas while getting to know your fellow board members. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

April 4 River Valley Futbol Club Spring Into Soccer Enjoy the First Spring Into Soccer event, with a 3v3 soccer tournament, Easter egg hunt, food trucks, games, competitions, candy and prizes. DJ Master P entertains. All families are welcome. $5 per car. Noon4 p.m. Call for location. 479-806-9701 facebook.com/events/628968891186666 March 2020 Entertainment Fort Smith 37

MUSIC & performance

March 6 Grape Escapes Grape Escapes is Bost Inc.’s cocktail-style, signature fundraiser offering guests a menu of wines from around the world for sampling and hors d’oeuvre from local restaurants and caterers. Live music by Don Bailey Jazz. There will be a lively auction and raffle along with a red-carpet photo opportunity. All funds raised will be used locally to fund critical services and support for individuals with disabilities. Bost Inc. is a non-profit organization serving people with disabilities and their families. Event attire is semi-formal. Must be 21 to attend. Tickets can be purchased at Sodie’s Wine & Spirits, online or by phone. $100. 6-9 p.m. DoubleTree by Hilton, 700 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith. 479-652-4553 grapeescapes.org

‘One’ singular chance to dance the most famous number of ‘A Chorus Line’ MARCH

Michael Serrecchia is an original cast member of the 1975 musical “A Chorus Line,” which was the winner of a Pulitzer Prize and nine Tony Awards. In this dance workshop, participants will become the performers as this multi-award winning Broadway performer, director and choreographer teaches the iconic “One” dance sequence. Lunch and talk with Serrecchia, from noon to 1 p.m., will follow.

The unforgettable “One” dance is the finale of the musical, which follows 17 dancers auditioning for eight parts in the chorus line of a Broadway musical. During the auditions, each dancer tells the story of how they got to the stage and how much they want to make the cut. After knowing each dancer as an individual, their dance of the final number is in precise unison, emphasizing that a chorus is about the performance of the ensemble, always in service to the dance. The cochoreographers of the original show were Michael Bennett and Bob Avian. Serrecchia played the role of Frank in the original production and went on to a very full Broadway career, almost 18 years of performance. He now makes his home in Dallas and has prolifically directed and choreographed, including directing productions of “A Michael Serrecchia Chorus Line.” Every dancer, young and even former dancers who still hold that passion will be able to participate in this “one” chance to dance under the tutelage of Serrechia and speak with him about his part in dance history. Proceeds benefit the Southside High School Theater Department. This unique learning experience with an icon of theater, film and television is open to anyone 13 and older, at any level of dance or performance experience. Anyone who loves “A Chorus Line” is welcome. Dress for comfortable movement and dance on a stage. Soft soled or dance shoes required. $30, includes lunch. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Southside High School Auditorium, 4100 Gary Street, Fort Smith. 479-646-1179 38

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

Maxim Lando March 7 Fort Smith Symphony: The Sounds of Power A concert of symphonic “Greatest Hits” features piano sensation Maxim Lando performing “Rhapsody in Blue” by Gershwin and Prokofiev’s intense “Symphony No. 5.” Lando, a teenager, has achieved acclaim internationally for his concert and competition performances. He is an alumnus of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, and has been a student of Hung-Kuan Chen and Tema Blackstone at Juilliard Pre-College since the age of 11. Composer Rocky Reuter is a guest for the Arkansas premier of his majestic work, “Where Eagles Fly.” Tickets, $25 students, $45 adults, are available by phone or online. 7:30 p.m. ArcBest Performing Arts Center, 55 South 7th Street, Fort Smith. 479-452-77575 fortsmithsymphony.org March 7 Local Color Radio Hour From the Golden Age of live radio comes "Local Color Radio Hour," a live variety show filled with music, history, interviews, comedy, Little Known Facts and What’s on Display, with a focus on Van Buren history in the spirit of "Prairie Home Companion." Featured this show are local musicians Joe Hardin, Maggie Jones, The Numskulls! (Gary Udouj, Dan Maher, Steve Kite and Matt McCoy), along with special musical guests Eric Mathews and La Nueva Imagen de San Luis. The show also stars Kevin Jones, Dennis Siler and Katrina Brandli. Caroline Speir of the Fort Smith Museum of History tells "What’s On Display" with help from Greg Hall of the Drennen Scott House. Benefit Drennen-Scott House, Wilhauf House and the Fort Smith Museum of History. $10 adults; $5 ages 16 and under. 7-9 p.m. King Opera House, 427 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-783-7841

MUSIC & PERFORMANCE

Local Color Radio Hour March 9 FSLT Auditions for A Southern Exposure Four women are needed for this comedy-drama by Kelley Kingston-Strayer, to be directed by Lora Rice. A young woman, Britney, displeases her grandmother, Hattie, when she moves to New York City with a boyfriend. The struggle between them is as powerful as the love they have for one another. Auditions are 7 p.m. March 9. Callbacks March 10. Production dates are April 16-25. Fort Smith Little Theater, 401 North 6th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-783-2966 fslt.org March 13-14 Community School of the Arts Presents Cinderella Community School of the Arts announces tickets on sale for the production of â€œCinderella.â€? The CSA Youth Theatre Company of some 36 teens performs, directed by Shannon Stoddard, musical direction by George and Sheila Mann and choreography by Jennifer Woodside Anderson. This timeless classic is a perfect show for the whole family. Tickets are on sale online or by phone. Group rates are available. Also available at CSA offices, St. Boniface, 201 North 19th Street. Performances are 7 p.m. March 13; 2 and 7 p.m. March 14. Prices vary. 7-9:30 p.m. Arc Best Performing Arts Center 55 South 7th Street , Fort Smith 479-434-2020 csafortsmith.org

HEAR, HERE. KUAF

DONâ€™T DRINK AND DRIVE

March 14 St. Patrickâ€™s Day Pub Crawl Downtownâ€™s entertainment venues will celebrate St. Patrickâ€™s Day with green beer and shamrocks. Venues participating will include Arlie Muck's Tavern, Gus's Bar and Grill, DoubleTree Hotel, Hero's, Roosters On The Avenue, La Huerta Grill on Garrison, Harry's Downtown, R. Landryâ€™s New Orleans Cafe, Old Town Grain & Feed, 5th Street Cafe, Bricktown Brewery, Papa's Pub and Pizzaria, Majestic, Neumeierâ€™s Rib Room and Club Kinkeadâ€™s. 6 p.m. Downtown Fort Smith, Ark. godowntownfs.org March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

MUSIC & PERFORMANCE March 14 Celtic Angels of Ireland Through their passion for Ireland’s musical traditions, this talented troupe takes its audiences to Ireland through Irish dance, music and song. The Celtic Angels are Victoria Kenny, Emily Carroll, Tammy Browne, Amy Penston and Ellie Mullane – Irish to the core. The Celtic Knight Dancers, featuring two former lead dancers of Riverdance, perform with athletic precision in routines that leave audiences breathless. The Trinity Band Ensemble of Dublin rounds out the show with flawless interpretations of authentic Irish Trad instrumentals, backing of both singers and dancers. This show is a recent addition to the schedule of Alma PAC, with perfect timing for St. Patrick’s Day. Alma Performing Arts Center, 104 East Main, Alma, Ark. 479-632-2129 almapac.org

Celtic Angels

Chris Smither March 19 AACLive! presents Chris Smither Continuing AACL's current season of “Fan Favorites”, Chris Smither returns. Smither’s impressive musical career, spanning almost 50 years, includes 18 albums, seven books, several film projects, and his songs have been covered by Diana Krall, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Esther Phillips, John Mayall and Rosalie Sorrels. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. $40. 7:30-9:30 p.m. 801 Media Center at 5 Star Productions 801 North A Street, Fort Smith 479-719-8931 aaclive.com March 30 Big Daddy Weave Concert World Vision presents a concert of Big Daddy Weave with guest artists The McClures. $14.95 to $75. 7 p.m. Van Buren Fine Arts Center, 2001 Pointer Trail, Van Buren, Ark. eventbrite.com

Buddy April 1 Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story A rockin' musical tells the story of Lubbock, Texas, rocker Buddy Holly through his short, yet spectacular, career. The musical features his classic hits "Peggy Sue," "That'll Be The Day," "Not Fade Away," "Oh Boy" and many more. This is the final Broadway touring show of the UAFS Season of Entertainment. $30. 7:30 p.m. ArcBest Performing Arts Center, 55 South 7th Street, Fort Smith. uafs.universitytickets.com 40

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

CALENDAR of events

March 1 Ozark Pastel Society Exhibition Celebrate the light-capturing medium of pastel with members from the Ozark Pastel Society. The society is a group of artists based in Northwest Arkansas with members from surrounding states. These artists mainly use soft pastels and promote the medium through workshops, exhibitions and demonstrations. Meet the artists and view the work of Jeanette Foreman, Charles Peer, Julie Mayser, Suzanne King, Barbara Iglehart, Randall Kronblad, Bitsy Newell, Margie Tucker, Pam Ernst, Cheryl Netherton, Lee Ann Crisp, Karen Brannon, Lynn Nabb, Cindy Rowden, Janette Meetze, Wanda Roe and Charlotte Childs. An opening reception includes light appetizers with refreshing beverages provided by Belle Point Beverages, Inc. Music performed by harpist Darice Augustson. Free. 1-4 p.m. Center for Art and Education, 104 North 13th Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-7767 art-ed.org. March 1 Drop-In Crafts: Vision Boards Creating your own vision board can jump start your future. All supplies provided but feel free to take personal photos or items. No registration required. Free. 2-4 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith. 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org

Alma Dog Run is a race for everyone to see that athletic programs are for all MARCH

This 18th annual fundraising 5K run/walk gives all proceeds to Alma High School Partners Club and AHS special needs athletes. It is one of the most inclusive races held anywhere in the region and has become a larger and larger community event each year.

Runners can compete with babies in strollers and leashed dogs, which brings out a lot of moms and dads – and dogs. Runners who compete by running special needs kids in various mobility strollers especially enjoy the race. Kids 10 and under can join in a fun run. Kids who cross the finish line get a medal and a toy. For competitive adult 5K runners and all others as well, chip timing is kept by Jaymax Race Timing Services. Volunteers help at the start/finish line at Alma High School and help to set up the in-town route. The race simply takes over downtown Alma for one morning with good spirits and big cheers for everyone. Entry fees are $25, until March 6, for runners and walkers. Kids may enter the fun run free. 8-10 a.m. Alma High School, 103 East Main Street, Alma, Ark. 479-414-1929 Facebook.com/alma.dogrun

March 1-8 We are the Music Makers: Preserving the Soul of America’s Music Organized by Music Maker Relief Foundation, the exhibit educates and engages viewers in the cultural history of traditional Southern music. Thirty panels feature 28 photos and stories from Music Maker musicians. A supplemental website has audio and video components for each panel. The exhibit highlights how poverty, geography and age have limited the exposure of these artists, questioning the widespread idea that these musical traditions they perform have “died out.” 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Free. Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith. fsram.org March 1-April 2 Expressions of a Creative by Nadia Lougin Nadia Lougin is a local student artist and a senior at Northside High School. In her childhood, she was fascinated with art, expressing herself through storytelling and drawings. Nadia’s favorite mediums include acrylic paint, charcoal, oil painting and pastels. While she enjoys creating originals with traditional mediums, she also creates digital art inspired by popular characters in today’s media. She plans to attend college and pursue her love for art as a graphic designer in sales and marketing. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Free. Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith. fsram.org March 1-April 24 Paintings by Anna Sue Wilcox The paintings of Arkansas artist Anna Sue Wilcox will be on exhibit in the Community Room. Since childhood, her dream was to be an artist whose focus would be people. The artist had her first show while stationed in Germany; she also started doing commissioned work there and continues to do commissioned portraits. Her work can be found in collections throughout the United States and Europe. Free. Library hours. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-0229 March 2020 Entertainment Fort Smith 41

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Maximum Exposure at RAM MARCH

APRIL

These images made by local photographers are a documentation of who we are and where we have been, according to the program note of the ongoing Maximum Exposure exhibit at the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum.

The exhibition is to encourage and recognize professional artists in the field of photography. All works in this group exhibit are for sale and proceeds will benefit RAM and the participating artists. Visitors are invited to pick up a ballot at the gallery entrance and vote for their choice of works. The photographer with the most votes will have a solo exhibit at RAM in January 2022. Almost 80 photographers contributed work, from Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Admission is free. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. 1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith.

Photography by Brenda Yelvington, top. Clifford Ivey, left. Mark Burnett, right. 42

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 1-14 Cloth As Community: Hmong Textiles in America Hmong flower cloth (or paj ntaub) is one of the world’s great textile traditions. Despite its deep roots in Hmong culture, this complex art was not widely known outside Asia until after the Vietnam War, when Hmong refugees arrived in the United States and at Fort Chaffee. The works illustrate the profound relevance of textiles as infrastructure in the Hmong culture, an art form that shifted as it adapted to fit new realities. The exhibition features 28 textiles – flower cloths and embroidered story cloths – created by members of the local Hmong community. 16 and older $7; children 6-15 $2; children 5 and under free; $5 veterans/military. Fort Smith Museum of History members and UAFS students, free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Fort Smith Museum of History, 320 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-7841

Women Run Arkansas is a free, encouraging, inclusive 10-week training program for women of all ages and abilities to learn to run or walk for exercise. At the completion of the training, the graduation celebration is the annual Women Can Run/Walk 5K in Conway on May 9. MARCH Locally, WRA clinics will meet twice weekly at 6 p.m. on Mondays and Thursdays at a new location, 7000 Taylor Avenue, near the Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority headquarters.

Women should bring a bottle of water to every clinic session, starting March 2. Take a headlamp or flashlight for the first week of clinics. Experienced, competitive runners can benefit from training tips to improve their performance. But the heart of Women Run Arkansas is to encourage women to adopt running or walking for health as a lifetime habit. At the first clinic, participants will find the right fit in a running group (some of whom will become running buddies long after the clinic) and meet their trainers. The training groups are Walker Group A - Train to walk up to 3.1 miles and/or learn to walk longer and at a faster pace. Walker Group B - Train to walk up to 3.1 miles using alternating slow-fast intervals. Beginning Runner Group A - These women train to run/walk up to 3.1 miles. Beginning Runner Group B - Your goal is to train to run/walk up to 3.1 miles. It is for women who are currently running 3 minutes or less at a time. Intermediate Runner - Running consistently up to 3.1 miles is the goal. Advanced Runner - Longer distances at a faster pace is the goal. You are currently running approximately 3 miles and have possibly run some 5K or 10K races. These runners will train to increase speed and run for longer distances. The entire clinic is free. This year’s clinic leader is Melissa Vitale. Email her at wramelissavitale@gmail.com or call 479-629-8676 with any questions. Western Arkansas Runners Building, 7000 Taylor Avenue, Fort Smith. runsignup.com - 2020 Women Run Arkansas Training Clinic - Fort Smith 44

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

March 1-27 Russek-Scheinbaum Exhibits at Windgate PHOTOGRAPHS, an exhibition by artists Janet Russek and David Scheinbaum, continues at Windgate Art & Design. Four bodies of work by the artists focus on exposing sexual harassment and discrimination. In Spam and Anxiety, Janet Russek has photographed Renaissance paintings, as well as Greek and Roman sculptures, superimposing actual sexist spam messages she has received. In the series Not One More, Russek again works with sculpture and paintings eloquently combined with text to confront contemporary issues. In - + - = + (Negative plus a Negative Equals a Positive), Scheinbaum depicts Black Memorabilia, racist decorative objects. By capturing them in unique paper negatives, the objects are seen in reverse, turning what was black on the original to white. The married couple founded Scheinbaum and Russek, Ltd., private photography dealers in Santa Fe, N.M. Both have exhibited internationally and are represented in numerous museum collections. Free. The public is invited to enjoy all exhibits at Windgate Art & Design during campus hours. UAFS Windgate Art & Design, 5210 Kinkead Avenue, Fort Smith March 2 Friends of the Mountainburg Public Library Meeting Everyone invited to attend the meeting. The Friends of the Library group is a 501c3 organization dedicated to serving the Mountainburg Public Library and its patrons. They volunteer, publicize, raise funds and help the library be the best library it can be. Free. 3:30 p.m. Mountainburg Public Library, 225 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600 March 2-31 Jigsaw Puzzle Swap Are you ready for a new puzzle? Take a lightly used 500+ piece puzzle you no longer want and trade it for one that’s new to you. For younger puzzlers, take easy puzzles to swap. Be sure puzzles have all their pieces prior to swapping. Free. 9 a.m.-noon. Miller Branch Library 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith 479-646-3945 March 2-31 Artists of the Month – Michael Leonard The award-winning photography of Michael Leonard will be on display. Known as an innovative and highly skilled photographer, his photographic interests and styles are multifaceted and he has photographed many different subjects. Recognized for unique printing and presentation techniques, he has inspired and

CALENDAR OF EVENTS trained many other photographers to learn his dramatic style of both color and infrared photography. Leonard has won numerous local and regional photography competitions, toured with the Arkansas Arts Council’s “Small Works on Paper” exhibit and shown his work in Missouri, Texas and Arkansas. Free. Miller Branch Library 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith 479-646-3945 March 2-30 Ballroom Dance Lessons Learn to dance! It’s great exercise and a lot of fun. Mike and Lisa Lawrence teach group dance lessons on Mondays. No lesson March 23. Advanced lessons at 6:30 p.m. and beginner lessons at 7:30 p.m. Dress attire is casual. $5. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fort Smith Senior Activity Center 2700 Cavanaugh Road, Fort Smith 479-208-1072 March 3 Sneak Peek Snack Bag: Embroidery In the Hoop Create adorable snack bags perfect for any snack packing occasion. This project uses clear vinyl to allow a snack inside to be visible. There are multiple patterns from which to choose: unicorn, hedgehog, apple, ice cream cone and more. The workshop is taught by an instructor who is available for guidance and assistance throughout the class. It is recommended those attending should take their own sewing machine. Sign-ups are available on Sewing Machine Center’s website under “Classes.” $30. 10 a.m.-noon. Sewing Machine Center, 6700 Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith 479-484-5351 sewingfs.com. March 3 Lunch & Learn: Debunking Hospice Myths The public is invited to a luncheon presentation by Heart of Hospice. Hospice care provides comprehensive, supportive end-of-life care for patients and their families. Learn the truths about the vast array of services hospice can provide at this informative session. Lunch provided by Heart of Hospice. Register by phone. Free. Noon-2 p.m. Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House, 3324 South M Street, Fort Smith 479-782-6302 ReynoldsCancerSupportHouse.org.

March 7 Hike Big Bluff on the Buffalo River TrailBlazers Hiking Club will hike to Big Bluff, a 440-foot bluff overlooking the Buffalo River near Compton, Ark. It is a strenuous 5.5 mile round trip to the ledge where there are lots of interesting rock formations and great views of the river valley. Going in is easy but coming out requires a 1,000 foot elevation gain in 2.75 miles - not steep enough for switchbacks, just a continuous uphill trek. But the view from the bluff is so worth it! Meet to carpool/caravan. Free. 8 a.m. Cloverleaf Plaza Parking Lot 20 Cloverleaf Plaza, Van Buren 479-646-9562 thcfs.com

March 2-30 Color Me Happy Adults and seniors are invited to drop by to enjoy a relaxing time coloring. The library furnishes all supplies and the intricate designs to color. Free. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 March 2-30 Monday and Thursday Yoga The purpose of yoga is to create strength, awareness and harmony in both the mind and body. The physical benefits of yoga may include increased flexibility, muscle strength, improved respiration, increased energy, better cardio and circulatory health and protection from injury. Free. 10 a.m. Mondays and Thursday. Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853 March 4 Mulberry Book Club “Fates and Furies” by Lauren Groff, a New York Times best-seller and a finalist for the National Book Award is the topic of discussion. Free. 10 a.m. Ralph D. Graf Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226 March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 4 Show & Tell Coffee & Conversation Take an antique, collectible, hobby, childhood memento or other treasures to show and tell about. The library will provide the coffee. Free. 10 a.m.-noon. Sebastian County Library 18 North Adair Street, Greenwood, Ark. 479-996-2856 March 4 David Banks Book Signing Meet local novelist David Banks, author of “Fort Whiskey” and “Gum Town Detective Agency.” The author will sign books. Free. 11 a.m. Ralph D. Graf Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226 March 4 Discover Drawing Adults are invited to a free drawing class led by Anna Lewis. She has been teaching drawing and art for more than 30 years as a public schoolteacher and as a private art teacher. She will be covering a different drawing technique every month using various materials, including graphite, charcoal and chalk. No registration is necessary. Materials are provided. Free. Noon-2 p.m. Miller Branch Library 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith 479-646-3945

leads the class. This organization is an invaluable resource to beginning beekeepers. Knowing or belonging to an association gives novices support and the knowledge of experienced beekeepers. Earn a Watchable Wildlife patch from the AGFC Outdoor Skills Patch Program. $15. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith. 479-7151768 waeoba.com March 7 Junk In The Trunk Fundraiser for Animal Welfare Calling all junkers and thrifters for a junk in the trunk event to help save kitties and puppies. Tons of local junkers and thrifters will be set up inside and outside the Fort Smith Retro Market. A portion of sales will be donated to Almost Home Shelter and Jen’s Kitty Rehab. Refreshments will be available from local food trucks, including treats such as cotton candy. Participate in a salsa competition, play carnival games and dance to live music. Pose for family photos with Darth Vader and Kylo Ren, $2. After the event is a consignment auction. Have fun and shop while raising muchneeded money and supplies for animal welfare organizations. Free. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fort Smith Retro Market, 3101 Towson Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-522-2887 Facebook – Fort Smith Retro market

March 4, 11 25 Dungeons & Dragons Everyone welcome! Dungeons & Dragons has captured the imaginations of creative individuals for almost 40 years. Although it is simple to play, it is a game that uses many skills involving math, storytelling, teamwork, reasoning and creative writing. It also encourages kids and teens to interact socially and explore ideas about different cultures and sociology. Best of all, it is fun. This group is varied in age, and the Dungeon Master is careful to conduct the game in a way that is fun and engaging for all. If you’ve got D&D stuff already, feel free to bring it, but we can lend you anything you need to get started if you’re a firsttime player. Free. 3:30-5:15 p.m. Mountainburg Public Library, 225 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600

March 5 First Thursday Films: Paris Blues Two American visitors in the city of love. The 1961 movie stars Paul Newman, Sidney Poitier, Diahann Carroll and Joanne Woodward. Not rated. Free 6-8 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith. 479-783-0229 March 7 Beekeeping 101 Join an informative beginner class in beekeeping that provides the knowledge to get started. The Western Arkansas Eastern Oklahoma Beekeeper Association 46 Entertainment Fort Smith March 2020

March 9 Book Talk “The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah is March’s book. The novel, an epic love story and intimate family drama set in Alaska in the turbulent 1970s, is a daring, stay-up-allnight story about love and loss, the fight for survival and the wildness that lives in both nature and man. Free. 7-8 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 March 9 Plant-Based Sheet Pan Meals Cooking Class Learn a super simple formula for making plant-based sheet pan meals with your favorite ingredients – or whatever you have in the pantry and fridge. Learn the basics about plant-based cooking, how to grocery shop for plant-based foods/vegan options, and other tips. The best part of the class is the tasting. Everyone will enjoy the meal based on recipes discussed and learn how amazing plant-based food can be. Register by phone. Free. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fort Smith Seventh Day Adventist Gymnasium 2000 Louisville Street, Fort Smith 479-926-8039 March 10 Crawford County Genealogical Society If you like to hear fascinating stories on the history of Crawford County, this is where you want to be every month. There will be a guest speaker who will talk about Crawford County history. Plus you will get to know a lot of great volunteers that can help you with your family lineage. Free. 1 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 March 10 Tech Basics for Adults Technology changes every day. Learn to do more than just turn on your device. This class will cover laptops, e-readers, tablets and phones. Register by phone for one-on-one help. Free. 1:30 p.m. Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853

March 7 Paint and Sip: Paint Like the Masters Van Gogh Sunflowers Artist Petra Radcliffe will guide and inspire participants to create a take-home painting based on the art of Vincent Van Gogh. Learn about the artist while creating your own masterpiece. Relax with a glass of wine, beer or a nonalcoholic beverage. Radcliffe encourages both beginners and painters who would like to return to painting to start with this class in painting for enjoyment. $27 members. $30 non-members. 6-8 p.m. Fort Smith Regional Art Museum 1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith. 479-784-2787 fsram.org March 9 Adult Coloring Grown-ups have returned to coloring for pleasure, creativity and relaxation. The library provides free designs and colored markers. Some take along their own materials and designs to join other in artful recreation. Free. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

March 10 Timmy Turtle Pincushion With the help of an instructor, this class will focus on creating a stuffed turtle pincushion. The pincushion can be made with any fabric, available at the store during the time of the class. It is recommended those attending should take their own sewing machine. Sign-ups are available on Sewing Machine Center’s website under “Classes.” $20. 10 a.m.-noon. Sewing Machine Center 6700 Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith 479-484-5351 sewingfs.com. March 10 The Book Lovers Club Read a good book lately? Tell others about it at The Book Lover’s Club. Read whatever you like, fiction or non-fiction, and come give a short report on up to three titles. The club meets the second Tuesday of every month at the main library. This month is a potluck; take a favorite snack if you wish. Free. 10:1511:45 a.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-0229

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 10 Inclusion 2020: Veterans to Work Diversity itself comes in all shapes and forms. Sometimes overlooked for its potential, the veteran population enriches workplaces by its gender diversity, ethnic diversity and skill diversity. Understanding the lingo associated with employment of veterans is a challenge for many. Similarly, growing a leadership team that understands the demands on employees who practice dual employment can be a struggle. The Veterans at Work Certificate, developed for HR professionals, hiring managers, and front-line supervisors, is a multi-faceted program from the SHRM Foundation and brought to you with generous support from Comcast NBCUniversal. Participants will hear a discussion of the merits of employing vets, the process of gaining a Veterans at Work certification, and best practices. Online registration required by March 4. Lunch included. Event co-sponsored by UAFS Center for Business and Professional Development and Western Arkansas Human Resource Association. $30. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. UAFS-Echols Conference Center, 5600 Kinkead Avenue, Fort Smith. 479-788-7782 wahra.com March 10 Alma Library Book Talk March’s title is “The Story of Arthur Truluv” by Elizabeth Berg. Free. 6 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-414

The Junior League of Fort Smith presents two days of shopping, a fashion show and family night at its first-ever Spring Market. Shop from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. A Sixth Annual Fostering Fashion Show is 6-9 p.m. Friday, showing upcoming collections from more than 60 local and regional vendors. Tickets, for ages 21 and older only, include VIP treatment, shopping, a fashion show, silent auction, drinks and dinner provided by Zapata's Mexican Grill. Saturday from 6-9 p.m. is Family Night, with a character meet-and-greet and bounce houses. Shop for women, men, teens and children of all ages. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Junior League of Fort Smith's community projects. Purchase tickets online or at the door. $5 admission for each shopping day. $50 per person or $500 for tables of 8 at fashion show. Family Night, $15 per person for family night. Fort Smith Convention Center, Rogers Avenue and South 9th Street, Fort Smith. 479-783-3930 jlfsevents.org

March 10 Authors in the Afternoon: Anita Beeler Downs Arkansas author Anita Beeler Downs will sign copies of her children’s book “Persons of Speech.” The book is a collection of four separate stories told with rhyming verses about characters who share their names with the part of speech they are illustrating. Nancy Noun in her wedding gown explains what a noun is while Pete Pronoun is quite the clown scattering pronouns across the pages. Vera Verb takes us on adventures from deserts to city suburbs while Adjective Annie teaches us the importance of adjectives in our sentence structures. Downs lives near Magazine, Ark. She created the characters as a homeschooling mom. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing at this open-house style event. Free. 4-6 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org March 11 Twila King Exhibit and Book Signing Twila King will have a photography exhibit on display, including items from the Mulberry area and Mulberry athletics. She also will be discussing and signing her several books. Drop in throughout the day. Free. Noon-5 p.m. Ralph D. Graf Library, 220 North Main Street, Mulberry, Ark. 479-997-1226

CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 11 Take Your Trash and See How Beautiful Art Can Be Made Fun and educational for the whole family. Artist Barbara Cade will give a talk and demonstration on her sculptural fabric art techniques and process using unrecyclable trash bags. Take plastic bags such as potato chip bags, frozen veggie and fruit bags and coffee bags. Cade will incorporate the bags in an artwork demonstration. She will introduce her newest project that she will be working on throughout this year, focused on the detrimental effect of non-recyclable plastic bags. Light refreshments will be provided. Free. 5-7 p.m. Center for Art and Education, 104 North 13th Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-7767 art-ed.org March 12 Sit & Stitch Anyone who likes cross stitch, embroidery, knit or crochet is invited to join others to work together on their crafts. Show off what you are working on and maybe even pick up a few tips while mingling. For all ages. Free. 3-4 p.m. Miller Branch Library 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith 479-646-3945 fortsmithlibrary.org. March 12 Cedarville Library Book Club Adults choose books or themes to read and discuss it. Free. 1:30 p.m. Cedarville Public Library, 737 Pirates Way, Cedarville, Ark. 479-410-1853 March 13 Bingo for Books Everyone will win at least one book. Fun, laughter, and books for everyone. Coffee provided. Free. 10 a.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 March 13 Beginning Fly Fishing The Nature Center staff gives a lesson on fly fishing, teaching about casting, equipment and more. Registration is required. Earn a Fishing Patch from the AGFC Outdoor Skills Patch Program. Free. 6-8 p.m. River Valley Nature Center 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith 479-452-3993 agfc.com/en/education/calendar March 13, 27 Needles and Chatter Needles & Chatter is open to anyone that enjoys any kind of crafts; crocheting, knitting, sewing, quilting, cross-stitch, embroidery, paper-crafting, and anything else. Just bring your own project and meet and enjoy others that share your hobbies. Have an interest in a new hobby, drop by and there will probably be someone in the group that can lead you. Free. 12:30-2 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 March 14 Boater Education Learn the fundamentals of safe and responsible boating. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1986, must complete a boater education course and carry a valid boater education card to operate a motorboat powered by an engine of 10 horsepower or more in Arkansas. Registration is required. Register at https://register-ed.com. Free 9 a.m.-3 p.m. River Valley Nature Center 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith 479-452-3993 March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Early birds follow spring into Arkansas State Parks

March 14 Buckeye/Caney Creek Trails The Buckey and Caney Creek trails are in the Caney Creek Wilderness of southwest Arkansas, southeast of Mena. TrailBlazers Hiking Club will combine two trails to form a loop of about 8.5 miles. There are great views, rock outcrops, waterfalls and several creek crossings. This route is rated strenuous due to the elevation gain and the distance. Take wading shoes, lunch and water. Meet at 7:30 a.m. to carpool or caravan. Free. Home Depot Parking Lot, 5101 Phoenix Avenue, Fort Smith 479-646-9562 www.thcfs.com.

No one can accurately predict the end of winter in Arkansas. But in March, the spontaneous and winter-weary can wait no longer to flock into Arkansas’ beautiful state parks, ready for warm or chilly days alike. It’s just time to get out there! Nearby state parks such as Lake Fort Smith, Devil’s Den and Queen Wilhelmina State Park begin to see greater numbers of visitors on every sunny spring day, ready for any weather with everything from shirtsleeves to fleeces to a real coat. Some days require all of the above! Motorcyclists love the Talimena National Scenic Byway to Queen Wilhelmina as the tender green color overtakes the bare mountainsides. They’ll arrive at the “castle in the sky” lodge. The Boston Mountain Scenic Loop, including U.S. 71 and Interstate 540, is the favorite route for early dogwood and pear tree spotters. Their white blossoms can be seen first under the bare canopy of trees yet to leaf. At Lake Fort Smith State Park, the waters brightly reflect the spring skies as vegetation springs up around the Ozark Highlands Trail head. A walk around the park’s trails are enough for day trippers. Others start or end a full OHT hike there. Devil’s Den State Park also offers a great warm day destination for hiking to its highest overlooks or down to the deep fissures of the caves for which it is named. (Caves remain closed to help protect bat populations). To see for miles and miles, take a steep hike at Mount Magazine to the highest point in Arkansas with the whole Petit Jean River Valley snaking below. For those less inclined, the view from the park’s beautiful lodge is also breathtaking without taking all your breath to reach. Dusk and sunset are incredible from the lodge and its only a few lighted steps to the Skycrest Restaurant, a lodge room or the car to return home.

Talimena Scenic Byway

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

March 14 Once Upon A Prom Giveaway Girls 14-19 years old who cannot afford a prom dress may shop for a free gown from size 00-24. Quantities are limited in the larger sizes. Proof of financial need is not required. Have a formal dress to donate? Phone to arrange a pick-up. Larger sizes are especially needed. Free. Noon-4 p.m. Heritage United Methodist Church 1604 Pointer Lane, Van Buren 479-208-0063 or katursky@ymail.com . March 14 Drop-In Crafts: Rubber Band Book and Book Charm Make your own book and a book charm. All supplies will be provided and no registration is required at this open house-style event for adults. Free. 2-4 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org

Lake Fort Smith State Park

Mount Magazine State Park Lodge

Arkansas.com offers a complete online guide to all our outstanding state parks, with maps, online reservations, maps and even video of the adventure or tranquility that park visitors seek. Each Arkansas Welcome Center (the nearest is on Arkansas 540 near Van Buren, Ark.) also has free and informative print guides and brochures to all Arkansas attractions. Dress for anything in spring – and get out there! 50

March 14 Alma FFA Antique Car Show Vehicles from 1980 and older are eligible to register onsite from 8 a.m.-noon. Trophies will be awarded at 2 p.m. All proceeds benefit the Alma FFA. $25 for first vehicle, $15 for second entry. $10 for vehicle display only. Free 8:00 AM- 2:00 PM. Alma High School 101 East Main Street, Alma 479-276-7274 .

March 14 Under the Big Top at RAM Fort Smith Regional Art Museum’s annual gala is themed as a vintage circus, with old-fashioned carnival games, circus acts and performers, odd curiosities and more. Delicious food will be served. Tickets $50 members; $60 non-members, available online at fsram.ticketspice.com. Must be 18 to attend. Sponsorships are available with perks of promotion in print and social media, two Paint ‘n Sip tickets and four complimentary passes to exhibition openings. 6:3010 p.m. Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith. 784-2787 fsram.org

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Speaker Schedule Friday, March 20 10:30 a.m. Growing Plants from Seed - Simple Tips and Supplies Mary Ross, Master Gardener 1 p.m. Starting Your First Garden Berni Kurz, Consumer Horticulture Specialist, UA Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension 2-4 p.m. Yoga For Gardening Health Terri Hargrove, Yogaterrium

Annual Lawn & Garden Show brings spring MARCH

The 2020 Arkansas River Valley Lawn and Garden show will bring in the spring gardening season at new location at Kay Rodgers Park Expo Center. The theme for the 27th annual show is “Through the Garden Gate.” As always, it will be spring under the roof of the expo center no matter what the weather is outside.

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Since 1994, the River Valley Master Gardeners and the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Arkansas sponsor this three-day event as a garden exposition with an impressive line-up of seminars, demonstrations and expert speakers discussing a wide variety of gardening topics. Experts in ornamental and food gardening will speak and also answer questions and provide free information at the Master Gardener booth and through the lectures. Vendors will showcase the newest and best garden products of all kinds including live house and plants. Many area non-profit organizations participate. Each year local nurseries and garden centers build indoor, inspirational garden designs. There will be food concessions, silent auctions, a children's area, door prizes and yoga demonstrations. Admission is $5 (good for all three days). Children 11 and under are free. Parking is free. Show hours are 10 a.m.6 p.m. March 20-21 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. March 22. Kay Rodgers Park, 4400 Midland Boulevard, Fort Smith. 479-221-1860 fslawngardenshow.com

Entertainment Fort Smith

3 p.m. Urban Farming Jeremy Prater, Sebastian County Conservation District Urban Program Manager 5 p.m. Curb Appeal for Residential Homeowners Mike Wilbanks, Master Gardener Saturday, March 21 10 a.m. Let’s Talk Tomatoes Mary Smith, Master Gardener 1 p.m. Curb Appeal for Residential Homeowners Mike Wilbanks, Master Gardener 12:15 p.m. Fresh Flower Arranging Kay Schlaefli, AIFD Certified Floral Judge 1 p.m. From Soil to Soul: Mental Health Benefits of Gardening Anje Nevala, Master Gardener and Horticulture Therapist 2:15 p.m. Cement Pots – DIY Project Veronica Fenton 3 p.m. Berries, Berries, Berries Clyde Fenton, Sebastian County Extension Agent 5:15 p.m. Moles and Gophers H.C. Varnadore, Lt. Col. USAF retired Sunday, March 22 2 p.m. Herbs through the Garden Gate Mary Russell-Evans, Master Gardener 3 p.m. Caring For Your Turf Jason McGaugh, former Sebastian County Extension Agent

March 2020

CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 15 3rd Sunday Art Show Every third Sunday afternoon of the month, Michael’s Mansion opens its art gallery to the public. All works by local, featured artists are for sale. March’s theme is “Wish Me Luck” to honor St. Patrick’s Day. See paintings, fabric art, pottery and jewelry, meet the artists and enjoy refreshments by Chef Mike. Free. 14 p.m. Michael’s Mansion, 2900 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-883-8336

a.m.-noon. Sewing Machine Center, 6700 Phoenix Avenue, 479-484-5351 sewingfs.com. March 17 Social Media for Business The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center presents a speaker from Rock City Digital to discuss the five golden rules of social media; how to create your own social media content strategy; how to capture creative content and what programs to use to create easy graphics. Sponsored by Arvest Business Resource Center. Registration required no later than March 16, by phone or online. Free. 1011:30 a.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-356-2067 asbtdc.org/russellville-events

March 16 Historic Preservation in Cane Hill, Arkansas Founded in 1827, Cane Hill (Washington County) was a thriving community and the home of many Arkansas “firsts,” including the first public school and library. Major historic preservation began in 2013 and today 16 Cane Hill properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Executive director of Historic Cane Hill, Bobby R. Braly, will address the South Sebastian County Historical Society and discuss preservation efforts, the site’s history and museum. All are welcome. Free. 7-9 p.m. Farmers Bank, 71 West Center Street, Greenwood facebook.com/OldJailMuseum

March 18 Bingo For Adults! Take your lucky bingo daubers or lucky troll for this fun hour of bingo! There will be prizes for winners and refreshments will be provided at this free program for adults. Free. 6-7 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org.

March 16 Tummy Time Play Mat Create a double-sided, round play mat for any child. Playmats are perfect as a baby shower gift or for the newest family member. The playmat can be created using any fabric, available in the store. It is recommended those attending should take their own sewing machine. Sign-ups are available on Sewing Machine Center’s website under “Classes.” $35. 10

March 18-April 29 RAM Adult Painting Class: Landscapes with Marti Corff This six-session class can help you produce your first oil paintings, or improve upon the skills you’re already building. Long-time art teacher Marti Corff instructs beginner and intermediate painters in ways to use the power of color, capture harmonizing hues and create an amazing landscape. A registration form and class

supply list is available at fsram.org by phone. More adult painting classes will be scheduled throughout the year. $75 for all six lessons; students provide art supplies 1-3 p.m. Wednesdays. Fort Smith Regional Art Museum 1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-784-2787 fsram.org March 19 Mountain Dulcimer Club Beginning and experienced mountain dulcimer players meet to play together and to build new skills. Free. Noon-2 p.m. Mountainburg Public Library, 225 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600 March 19 Bingo For Books Adults play bingo to win books. Free. 10 a.m.-noon. Sebastian County Library, 18 North Adair Street, Greenwood 479-996-2856 scottsebastianregionallibrary.com.

March 19 Cactus Rocks Adults and seniors need to register for this craft, in person or calling the library at 479-632-4140. Time to get cactus crazy! Go to the library to decorate a rock to look like your favorite type of cactus. Be prepared to paint. You get to keep what you make. All supplies are provided but registration is required. Free. 2 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140 March 19 Parks & Recreation Trivia Treat yo’ self 2020! Test your knowledge on all things

Join us for RAM’s Annual Fundraising Gala

March 14th 6:30-10pm Experience the whimsical and odd curiosities of a vintage circus. We will have old-fashioned carnival games, circus acts, performers, oddities & much more!

Entertainment Fort Smith

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

33rd Annual Family Kite Flite Day

MARCH Celebrate spring’s arrival at Oklahoma’s only prehistoric Native American

Parks and Recreation. Come as a team (up to four) or solo to this free program for adults. Free. 6 p.m. Dewey’s Cafe at the Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org. March 19 Knitting Class Are you interested in learning to knit, a beginner to knitting or an advanced knitter? There is a new knitting club at the Van Buren Public Library, held in a familyfriendly atmosphere and open to all levels of experience. Needles and yarn provided. Free. Call for reservations and details. Free. 3:30 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045 March 19 Card Class Everyone loves receiving cards, especially ones made with a personal touch. Join other card makers to create both a spring and an Easter-themed one. All adults are welcome, both beginners and advanced. All supplies will be provided, but please call 479-474-6045 to reserve your spot. Free. 1:30-2:30 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

historic site, Spiro Mounds Archeological Center.

Visitors fly hundreds of kites alongside professional kiters such as the Tulsa Windriders, who sail large and stunt-flying kites. Take your own kits, or make one on-site the old-fashioned way. A free kite-making area is provided. Donated kites will be given away by drawings during the day. Kids can dig for archeological “treasure” in a sandbox where discoveries are sure to be found. They can relate the experience to the preColumbian artifacts on display that were excavated to understand the original residents and builders of the mounds. Food vendors offer refreshments. Admission is free but donations are appreciated. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Spiro Mound Archeological Center, 18154 1st Street, Spiro, Okla. 918-962-2062 Facebook - Spiro Mounds Archeological Center

March 19 Spiro Mounds Vernal Equinox Walks Archaeologist Dennis Peterson will lead visitors on a two-hour, one-mile walk (on paved trails) of the Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center. Learn about the prehistoric significance of the site, the people who created it, what happened to them and what happened to the site in modern history. Peterson will talk about why some of the mounds align with the Solstice and Equinox sunsets and the activities surrounding those events. Site admission is 7 adults, $5 seniors, $4 children and $18 for families. OHS and SMDA members receive free admission. The walking tour fee (members, too) is an additional $5 adults and $3 children. Cash or check only. 11 a.m., 2 and 7 p.m. Spiro Mound Archeological Center, 18154 First Street, Spiro, Okla. 918-962-2062 Facebook – Spiro Mounds Archeological Center March 19 Knitting Class: Adults and Seniors Are you interested in learning to knit, a beginner to knitting, or an advanced knitter? There is a new knitting club at the Van Buren Public Library, held in a family-friendly atmosphere, free, and open to all levels of experience. Needles and yarn provided. Free and open to all skill levels. Call for reservations and details. Free. 3:30 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 19 Open Mic Night @ Dewey’s Café Join this fun, casual open mic night at Dewey’s Café. Musicians, poets, and other talented folks are invited to perform. Sign-up at the door; arrive early to ensure a spot on the list. Showcase your talent, or just come and listen. Music or poetry does not have to be original work. Share a favorite poem or musical piece. Acoustic music only, please. Free. 7-8:30 p.m. Dewey’s Cafe, Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org.

March 21 Hunter Education Course The course teaches the fundamentals of safe and responsible hunting. Open to all ages. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 1969, must complete a hunter education course and carry a valid hunter education card to hunt in Arkansas. Registration is required: register-ed.com. Pick Arkansas as the state, and view upcoming events for Hunter Education Classroom until you find the specific date you want. Free. 7 a.m.-6 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith 479-452-3993 facebook.com/JHARVNC

WORLD-CLASS ART

March 21 RAM Paint ‘N Sip: Paint Like the Masters Artist Petra Radcliffe will guide participants to create their own canvas in the style of Pop artist Peter Max. Learn about the artist under Petra’s friendly and personable instruction. Relax with your choice of beer or nonalcoholic beverages. Painting is a creative outlet that keeps your mind strong, expands your horizons, provides stress relief and promotes a positive attitude. $30. 6-8 p.m. Fort Smith Regional Art Museum, 1601 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith, Ark. 479-784-2787 fsram.org.

HISTORIC DOWNTOWNS

NO RTH WE ST

March 21 Prologue to Publication: Publishing Ryanne Harper of Tipsy Mockingbird Books will be leading a three-part series on writing, editing and publishing. The third class will cover publishing. The workshop is free, but space is limited and registration is required. Call or go online to register. Free. 2-4 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org. March 21 Diamond Dance Dance the night away in a congenial, smoke-free environment open to all who love to dance. It’s cheaper than a movie and a lot more fun. A variety of music is played. Dress code is dressy casual. $5. 7-9 p.m. Fort Smith Senior Activity Center, 2700 Cavanaugh Road, Fort Smith 479-208-1072 EPIC BIKE TRAILS

Enjoy the perfect mix of big-city fun and small-town charm. Explore our distinctive downtowns, the great outdoors, world-class art and more! DISCOVER MORE AT NORTHWESTARKANSAS.ORG

March 22 TrailBlazers Hike Lake Fort Smith Trails Starting at the Lake Fort Smith Visitors Center, the hiking club will hike in-and-out on the Ozark Highland Trail. There will be views of the lake, wet weather waterfalls and historic remnants along the trail. Total distance will be about 3 miles. Meet at Cloverleaf Plaza parking lot in Van Buren at 1 p.m. to carpool/caravan or meet at the Visitors Center at 1:30 p.m. Free. Lake Fort Smith State Park, 15458 Shepherd Springs Road, Mountainburg 479-646-9562 www.thcfs.com

NIGHTLIFE

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

This ad paid for with state and private regional association funds March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

CALENDAR OF EVENTS March 22 Marty Haggard: A Tribute to My Dad, Merle Haggard Join Marty Haggard, oldest son of the legendary Merle Haggard, and his Little Big Band, in an intimate setting, sharing music and memories, with a meet & greet after the show. Tickets are available at martyhaggardvanburen.eventbrite.com or 1-800-838-3006. Available locally at Cinders & Smoke, 710 Main Street, Van Buren. 479-922-2030. This is a family friendly event. Alcohol is not allowed. Doors open 1 p.m. $30. 2 p.m. King Opera House 427 Main Street, Van Buren 337-794-3113 martyhaggard.net March 23 Sack Lunch Program Volunteer Opportunity! Families looking for a community service project to do with your children can help a Sack Lunch Program volunteer make lunches for people who are in need of a nutritious meal. Two sessions will be held: 1-2 p.m. March 23 or 9:30-10:30 a.m. March 26. Register by phone for one of these sessions. Free. St. John’s Episcopal Church 215 North 6th Street, Fort Smith 479-782-9912

Preserve Arkansas offers a tour of local Mid-Century Modern architecture MARCH Preserve Arkansas, the only statewide nonprofit advocate for the

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preservation of Arkansas’ historic places, will hold its next “Mid Mod Arkansas” tour in Fort Smith. The tour series seeks to increase appreciation for Arkansas’ unique Mid-Century Modern architecture. March 27, guests can purchase tickets to a reception and guided tour at the Oscar Chambers House, designed in 1964 by Fayetteville architect Ernie Jacks. The home on Dallas Street was built in 1963-64. This unique example of Mid-Century Modern architecture was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. At 1 p.m. March 28, guided tours and refreshments will be offered at the United Hebrew Congregation Temple and the Dr. Neil Crow House. The temple, originally constructed in 1956, was rebuilt after a fire in 1970 and features a prominent menorah and projecting brick details on its facade. The tour continues at 2 p.m. at The Crow House at 19 Berry Hill Road, designed in 1968 by John G. Williams, founding faculty member and longtime chair of the Department of Architecture at the University of Arkansas. Saturday tickets include guided tours and light refreshments. Until March 20, tickets are $25 for the March 27 Oscar Chambers House reception and tour and $35 for the Saturday tour of the temple and Crow house. A combo ticket for both days is $40. Tickets purchased after March 20 will be $30, $30 and $50, respectively. Order online at PreserveArkansas.org. All proceeds benefit Preserve Arkansas, the statewide nonprofit advocate for historic preservation. Preserve Arkansas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and all contributions are taxdeductible. For more information, please contact Executive Director Rachel Patton at 501-372-4757 or email RPatton@preservearkansas.org. 56

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

March 24 Clearinghouse Guild Meeting The Clearinghouse Guild supports the Community Services Clearinghouse, which provides various kinds of support to the elderly, families in medical crisis and children in area schools. New members are welcome. Learn what you can do to help feed kids. $15 lunch available. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Hardscrabble Country Club, 5211 South Cliff Drive, Fort Smith 479-782-7211 March 24 Wild Edibles Learn which plants are edible and where to find them in Arkansas. Charles Griffith has been teaching about wild edibles since the early 1980s, including plant walks at Yellowstone National Park. Registration by phone requested but not required. Free. 6-8 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith 479-452-3993 facebook.com/JHARVNC March 25 Windsor Branch Library 20th Anniversary Celebration The Windsor Branch is turning 20 years old! Festive refreshments will be served all day to celebrate two decades of fun at the Windsor Branch Library. Free 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith 479-785-0405 fortsmithlibrary.org March 25 Cookbook Club Adults, March is National Noodle Month and also National Sauce Month, so take your favorite noodle or sauce dish to share. Don’t forget to include the recipe! Free. 2 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 26 Welcome Neighbor Book club Come and join the discussion of “The Woman in the Window” by A.J. Finn. All woman are welcome. Free. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 972-849-3004 welcomeneighborftsmith.com.

March 26 Adult Crafty Corner Adults can be crafty, too! Rediscover your creative spark by joining the Miller Branch Library for an easy craft that you’ll be able to take home. This month, the class will be painting wooden Easter eggs. All supplies will be provided. Free. 2-3 p.m. Miller Branch Library, 8701 South 28th Street, Fort Smith 479-646-3945 fortsmithlibrary.org.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 26 Garden Clean-up The library loves its garden. Help them show that love by helping to clean the back garden. This can count as a volunteer hour for high school students. Be prepared to get a little dirty but have a lot of fun. Free. 4 p.m. Alma Public Library, 624 Fayetteville Avenue, Alma, Ark. 479-632-4140

March 26 Crafterworks Crafterworks is a great way for grownups to unwind and relax from the day while creating a craft with all supplies provided. This month’s selection is an Easter/Spring theme. Register by phone. You may visit the Van Buren Public Library Facebook page to view an example of the craft. Free. 5:30-7 p.m. Van Buren Public Library, 1409 Main Street, Van Buren, Ark. 479-474-6045

March 26 Boston Mountain Writers League Meet with other writers, from teen-agers to seniors, in a workshop to share writing, encourage one another and grow. Gentle fiction, local history, memoir and religious stories are the focus of many in this group. Free. 10 a.m. Mountainburg Public Library, 225 U.S. 71 North, Mountainburg, Ark. 479-369-1600 March 27 Fourth Friday UFO Complete your UnFinished Object, or UFO. Bring your UFO, or start a new project, and enjoy fun, friendship and food. Don’t have a UFO? Attend anyway, and indulge in coloring therapy. free. 10-11 a.m. Windsor Branch Library, 4701 Windsor Drive, Fort Smith 479-785-0405 fortsmithlibrary.org.

March 28 Outdoor Enthusiasts Fair All things related to experiencing the outdoors will be represented at this inaugural Spring Outdoor Enthusiasts Fair. Check out outdoor sporting equipment, apparel, area activities. Various organizations and clubs will be on-site. Free. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith 479-452-3993 facebook.com/JHARVNC

March 28 Murder in Manhattan A whodunit at the Fort Smith Museum of History invites guests to catch a murderer. Life is sweet and the view from a posh penthouse apartment of a creme de la creme New Yorker is astounding, but what’s to come is anyone’s guess. Guests must use their sleuthing skills at a high-society Murder Mystery Dinner. Drinks, hors d’oeuvres, lively conversation in hushed tones and the intrigue of crime-solving will be held all in the glow of the Manhattan skyline. $60. 68 p.m. Fort Smith Museum of History 320 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-7841

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

March 31 Learn Your Own Device: Basic Assistance for your Phone, Tablet, or other Device Library staff will help patrons with basic device questions and show how to access the libraryâ€™s electronic resources such as Library2Go, Kanopy, Mango and Learning Express. Adults are invited to drop in. Take your own phone, tablet or other device. Be ready to type in usernames, emails and passwords. Charge your device beforehand. Free. 2-4 p.m. Fort Smith Public Library, 3201 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-0229 fortsmithlibrary.org.

April 2 Oral Cancer Screenings Presented by UAFS School of Dental Hygiene. April is head and neck cancer awareness month. This quick, painless screening involves a physical examination of the mouth. Early detection can save your life. Oral cancer screenings are recommended for everyone. Increase risk of developing cancers of the head and neck are those with a history of tobacco usage and those at an increased risk of HPV. Appointments strongly encouraged. Schedule by phone. Free. 5-7 p.m. Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House, 3324 South M Street, Fort Smith 479-782-6302 reynoldscancersupporthouse.org.

The trial of Babe Beard for the murder of Will Jones Audience is the jury, hearing the trial as it happened MARCH

Babe Beard thought he had done his best to help his wife's orphaned nephew, Will Jones, but the young man in his care felt he suffered abuse in his uncle's home. Beard's nephew complained to his brothers and soon all three of the siblings vowed to help their brother break free of his uncle and make certain the cow given to the young man by their father went with him when he left.

April 4 Airedale Car & Craft Show Alma Project Graduation 2020 is holding a fund-raising car show and arts and crafts market. Register from 7 a.m.-noon. Trophies awarded at 2 p.m. $25 first vehicle, $15 for second vehicle. $25 arts & crafts vendor booth fee. Free. Alma High School, 101 East Main Street, Alma 479-276-7274 .

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The long-running argument about the cow came to an end the day the Jones boys showed up at Beard's house to claim the animal. Beard insisted the cow was payment for the care of the Jones orphan and would not release it. Words were exchanged and, in a flash of anger, Beard struck Will Jones in the head with his gun and left a killing wound. Beard said he was defending himself from three men. Others claimed only words were exchanged and Beard had no need to strike a vicious blow. How will you view the event after hearing the actual, historic testimony of the witnesses? Will Judge Parker's instructions to the jury influence your judgement? The audience votes as a jury before hearing the verdict the historic jury reached and the sentence Judge Parker imposed. These re-enactments of trials held in the federal court of the Western District of Arkansas are held in the same courtroom over which Isaac C. Parker presided at the Fort Smith Historic Site. The Friends of the Fort, a non-profit group that provides programming and support to the Historic Site, presents two performances of the trial of Babe Beard for the murder of Will Jones. 7 p.m. March 27. 6 p.m. March 28. Tickets must be purchased in advance at the Fort Smith National Historic Site between noon and 5 p.m. on March 7, 16 and 21. $7 per person. 7-9 p.m. Fort Smith National Historic Site, 301 Parker Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-3961 nps.gov/fosm 58

Entertainment Fort Smith

March 2020

April 4 Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Museum Day is an annual celebration of boundless curiosity hosted by Smithsonian magazine. Participating museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket. The Museum Day ticket provides free admission for two people. Tickets are available online at smithsonianmag.com/museumday/museum-day2020. Free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fort Smith Museum of History, 320 Rogers Avenue, Fort Smith 479-783-7841 smithsonianmag.com/museumday

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

April 4 Hoops on Garrison 64.6 Downtown, a nonprofit organization, is hosting Hoops on Garrison. This family-friendly event is a 3on-3 basketball tournament for ages 17 and up, along with a children’s obstacle course and vendors. With the volunteer support of young professional group 16B and Park Kings, Hoops on Garrison assists in the ongoing implementation of programming downtown cultural events that support a healthy and active community. According to Aspire Arkansas, 29 percent of adults in Sebastian County reported they did not engage in leisure-time physical activity within the past 30 days, such as running, calisthenics, golf, gardening or walking, while 46 percent of children are considered obese (have a BMI that is at or above the 85th percentile). Hoops on Garrison continues 64.6 Downtown’s portfolio of unique activations that encourage outdoor engagement, alongside their signature project, The Unexpected, which promotes community walkability through its outdoor art gallery. Free. Team (3 players, 2 subs) registration, $160. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. 800 block of Garrison Avenue, Fort Smith eventbrite.com/hoops on garrison

April 8 Adult Craft Time Make a clay pot wind chime at a craft time for adults. Call to register. Materials are provided. Free. 10 a.m.noon. Sebastian County Library, 18 North Adair Street, Greenwood, Ark. 479-996-2856 scottsebastianregionallibrary.com.

April 10 Smallmouth Bass Fishing Learn the techniques and tricks to catching one of Arkansas’s favorite game fish. Earn a Fishing Patch from the AGFC Outdoor Skills Patch Program. Free. 6-8 p.m. River Valley Nature Center, 8300 Wells Lake Road, Fort Smith 479-452-3993 agfc.com/en/education/ March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

DINING

Bon Appetit! Entertainment Fort Smith invites attendees of the Governorâ€™s Conference on Tourism to enjoy dining at these and the fine restaurants on page 9 of this magazine.

March 2020

Entertainment Fort Smith

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