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COMMUNITY EVENTS IN THE RIVER VALLEY & OZARK AREA

MONDAY

Audubon Society Meeting

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas River Valley Audubon Society will meet at 7 p.m. in the Lakeview Room of the Lake Dardanelle State Park Visitor Center. Members and guests will gather for a holiday potluck meal and presentations of Top 10 Nature Photos by several club members. Call (501) 977-3899 for directions to the Visitor Center.

MONDAY  THURSDAY

Intro to Arkansas Coding Academy

CONWAY — An Intro to Arkansas Coding Academy class will meet from 6-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday at 1835 Donaghey Ave. This four-night course will teach participants Java, SQL and HTML and offer them an opportunity to determine if a full-time or part-time course at the Coding Academy is right for them.

THURSDAY

Lighting Ceremony and Refreshments

DARDANELLE — The Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce invites all to volunteer to provide refreshments, such as hot chocolate and cookies, to be served during the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Gazebo on Front Street. To volunteer, contact the chamber and register by Wednesday. For more information, call (479) 229-3328.

SATURDAY Arkansas MG Walk

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas MG Walk will take place at Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville. Check-in/ registration will begin at 10 a.m., and the walk will start at 11 a.m. Participants affected by myasthenia gravis will gather to celebrate the lives of MG patients, physicians and caregivers and will walk to raise awareness and funds to support the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America. For more information, visit www. mgwalk.org/Arkansas, call (855) MGWALKS (649-2557) or email info@mgwalk.org.

ONGOING

Fall BA/BFA Senior Art Exhibit

CONWAY — The Baum Gallery will host its Fall BA/BFA Senior Art Exhibit through Dec. 6 in the Baum Gallery in McCastlain Hall at the University of Central Arkansas. A closing reception will be held from 2-4 p.m. Dec. 2 in the gallery. The exhibition is a requirement for graduating students with a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in art. Those from the River Valley & Ozark Edition coverage area who have works in the exhibit include Isabella Cilia, Hannah Bernhardt, Lauren Lee and Christina Lucas, all of Conway. For more information, contact Brian Young at bkyoung@uca.

edu or (501) 450-5793.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive

The Arkansas Educational Television Network and libraries across the state, including the Dardanelle Public Library, have partnered to sponsor the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood Sweater Drive as a tribute to Fred Rogers and his example of

being a caring neighbor. The drive will be held through Friday. People are asked to donate new or gently worn sweaters to the Dardanelle Public Library or to the AETN headquarters in Conway. Local charities and The Salvation Army of Arkansas will distribute sweaters collected in the drive.

Heber Springs TOPS Meetings

HEBER SPRINGS — TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets each Monday at the Church of the Nazarene, Eighth and Quitman streets. Weigh-in begins at 7:30 a.m., and a support meeting emphasizing weight loss and healthy living takes place from 9:30-11 a.m. Prospective members are welcome to attend. Enter the church through the back entrance. For more information, call Geneva Earles at

(501) 827-1243 or Janiece Brierly at (501) 250-5087.

Conway TOPS Meetings

CONWAY — TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets each Tuesday at Peace Lutheran Church, at the corner of Donaghey Avenue and Dave Ward

Drive. Weigh-in begins at 9:15 a.m., and a support meeting emphasizing weight loss and healthy living takes place from 10-11 a.m. Prospective members are welcome to attend. Enter the church from Donaghey Avenue. For more information, call Peggy at (501) 514-0823 or Sandy at (501) 329-0558.

Neighbor’s Table

RUSSELLVILLE — Neighbor’s Table is a free meal from noon to 1 p.m. every Saturday at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 501 S. Phoenix Ave. The doors open at 11:30 a.m. with free coffee. All are welcome to attend. Neighbor’s Table also sends home sack lunches with guests. All Saints’ has a Loaves and Fishes ministry, which accepts Sunday-morning offerings at the altar of necessities such as cereal, peanut butter, shelf-stable milk, toilet paper, toiletries, hand soap and detergent, to be distributed at Neighbor’s Table. For more information, call the church office at (479) 968-3622.

Humane Society Benefit Bingo

GREENBRIER — Bingo, sponsored by the Humane Society of Faulkner County, is played every third Friday at the Melton Cotton City Event Center, 5 Lois Lane. Pregames start at 5:30 p.m., and full games begin at 6:30. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Sloan-Swindel Spay and Neuter Memorial Fund. For more information, email rescuethestrays@ yahoo.com.

Bluegrass Music Night

HEBER SPRINGS — Heber Springs Christian Church, 1101 N. Broadway St., offers a bluegrass music night from 6:30-8:30 every Tuesday. Musicians are invited to participate. Free coffee will be available. For more information, call the church at (501) 362-2389.

Yoga Class at the Library

CONWAY — Danny Mize, a registered yoga instructor, teaches a yoga class at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the Faulkner County Library. Yoga practitioners of all skill levels are welcome to attend. All library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Faulkner County Coin Club Meetings

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Coin Club meets the second

Tuesday of each month at the Ola & John Hawks Senior Wellness & Activity Center, 705 E. Siebenmorgen Road. The 5 p.m. dinner is optional, and a $6 donation is suggested for those 60 and younger. A fellowship time will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. with educational speakers, show-and-tell, news and door prizes. For more information, call (501) 514-0785.

VFW Tuesday Night Bingo

QUITMAN — Tuesday Night Bingo takes place each week at the Veterans of Foreign Wars, 1295 Bee Branch Road. Doors open at 5:30 for bonanzas, and regular play starts at 6:30 p.m. Food is available. For more information, call (501) 362-9979.

American Legion Friday Night Bingo

HEBER SPRINGS — Friday Night Bingo takes place each week at the American Legion Hall, 49 Park Road. Doors open at 5:30 for bonanzas, and regular play starts at 6:30. For more information, call (501) 362-9979.

Faulkner County Tea Party Luncheon

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Tea Party has a luncheon at noon every Thursday at Larry’s Pizza, 1068 Markham St. Guest speakers and the members’ “soap box” are featured each week. All who are interested in governmental and business affairs on the county, state or national level are invited to attend.

UPCOMING Book signing

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Library will present a book signing by Morrilton author Diane Brown from 2-4:30 p.m. Dec. 2. Brown is the author of I’m A Loser, a go-to-book for healthier living that includes food tips, jump-start diets, healthy recipes and lifestyle diets. All library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Springtime in the U.K.

FAIRFIELD BAY — The Fairfield Bay Community Education Center will present Springtime in the U.K., a pictorial essay highlighting places visited, including castles, landmarks and scenic views of England and Scotland, by Lee Phillips, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Indian Hills Club,

337 Snead Drive. This free event is hosted by the Fairfield Bay Rotary Club. For more information, call the center at (501) 884-4440.

Russellville Christmas Parade

RUSSELLVILLE — The 2018 Russellville Christmas Parade will take place at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 6. Parade entry forms are available at the Recreation and Parks Department office, 1000 E. Parkway, and at www. russellvillearkansas.org. The entry fee is $25 for a float or $100 for a commercial entry other than a float. All parade participants must submit an entry form. The deadline to enter is noon Dec. 3.

The rainout date is Dec. 10. For more information, call the Recreation and Parks Department at (479) 968-1272.

Lighting Contest

DARDANELLE — The city will have a lighting contest for homes and businesses, which need to be decorated by Dec. 7, the day of the Christmas Parade. The judging of the homes and businesses will take place Dec. 10, with winners announced as soon as possible. Prizes will go to the first-, secondand third-place winners in the home/individual category, and the business winner will display a trophy at the business for 2019. Registration is due Friday. For more information, call (479) 229-3328.

Dardanelle Christmas Parade

DARDANELLE — The Dardanelle Christmas Parade is set for 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7. For the first time, the parade will be livestreamed on the city’s community channel for residents at the Dardanelle Nursing and Rehab Center. The rainout date for the parade is Dec. 14. For more information, call (479) 229-3328.

Christmas Bazaar

VILONIA — A Christmas Bazaar is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Museum of Veterans and Military History, 53 N. Mount Olive St. Free visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus and free carriage rides will be available from 10 a.m. to

1 p.m. Baked goods and jewelry will be for sale in the Spirit of Christmas barn. Museum tours, which are always free, will be available throughout the event.

To submit an item for the Calendar of Events, mail information to Calendar of Events, River Valley & Ozark Edition, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, AR 72203; fax to (501) 378-3500; or email to rvonews@ arkansasonline.com. The deadline for calendar-item submissions is noon Tuesday.