This week’s EVENTS

TODAY Maumelle Expo 2017

MAUMELLE — The Maumelle Area Chamber of Commerce will host its 15th annual Maumelle Expo from 2-7 p.m. at the Jess Odom Community Center, 1100 Edgewood Drive, with over 70 exhibits, as well as door prizes and giveaways. Maumelle Mayor Mike Watson will give a State of the City address at noon in the South Room of the center. Tickets are $15 and include a catered lunch by Cheer of Maumelle. For more information, contact Alicia Gillen at (501) 851-9700 or alicia@ maumellechamber.com.

Chili Bowl Fundraiser

RUSSELLVILLE — The River Valley Arts Center, 1001 E. B St., will have a Chili Bowl Fundraiser at 6 p.m. Tickets, at $40 each, include a handmade bowl chosen by the ticket-holder, chili and toppings, and a beverage. For tickets, call the center at (479) 968-2452. Raffle items will include a piece created by Arkansas Living Treasure Winston Taylor and a signed copy of The Idle Class, with an article featuring Winston. Raffle tickets are $5 each or three for $10.

TODAY  SATURDAY Samuel Beckett’s Endgame

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Theatre program will present Samuel Beckett’s Endgame at 7:30 p.m. today and Friday, and at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Black Box Theatre of the Snow Fine Arts Center. Kevin Browne, associate professor of theater, is the show’s director. Endgame is considered by many critics to be Beckett’s greatest single work. Seats will be limited, and free tickets are available at uca.edu/tickets.

FRIDAY Dr. Seuss Night

MORRILTON — The Conway County Library, 101 W. Church St., will host Dr. Seuss Night at 7 p.m. Children are invited to wear pajamas, bring pillows and celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday. For more information, call the library at (501) 354-5204.

Maumelle Newcomers Club Coffee

MAUMELLE — The Maumelle Newcomers Club will have its monthly coffee at 10 a.m. at the Maumelle Community Center. The club is a social, charitable and educational organization designed to provide a way for women in Maumelle to meet others and gather together for various activities of their choice. For more information, call Barb Spahr at (501) 766-4664.

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY ATU Symphonic Wind Ensemble Concerts

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Tech University Symphonic Wind Ensemble, directed by Daniel A. Belongia, will perform with the the Dardanelle High School Wind Ensemble, directed by Clay Hooten, at 7 p.m. Friday at The Center for the Arts in Russellville. At 6 p.m. Saturday, the ATU ensemble and the Fort Smith Southside High School Wind Ensemble, directed by Sean Carrier, will give a concert at the Fort Smith Southside Auditorium. For more information, visit www.atu.edu/music.

SATURDAY Boy Scout Troop 444 25th-Anniversary Celebration

VILONIA — Boy Scout Troop 444 will host a 25th-anniversary celebration at 5 p.m. at Vilonia United Methodist Church, 1112 Main St.

All current and former Scouts and leaders are invited. The cost is $7 for ages 9 and older, and $4 for ages 8 and younger. Send Paypal payments to viloniatroop444@gmail.com.

For more information, call (501) 697-8222.

UCA Percussion Festival

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas Percussion Club and the department of music will host the UCA Percussion Festival, starting at noon at the Snow Fine Arts Center. The event, which will feature concerts and master classes, is free and open to the public. Guests will include John Parks, Florida State professor of percussion; Keith Aleo, Interlochen Arts Academy director of percussion studies; and percussionist duo Tierra Fria — Connor Stevens and UCA alumnus Brant Blackard. For more information, contact Blake Tyson, UCA professor of percussion, at (501) 450-5236 or btyson@uca.edu.

SUNDAY UCA Composer’s Forum Concert

CONWAY — University of Central Arkansas music composition students will debut their new pieces at 3 p.m. in the Snow Fine Arts Center Recital Hall. Students have been working with Paul Dickinson, associate professor of composition and music theory. The program includes “Short Fugue in Db Major” for saxophone quartet, by Jorrell Bonner; “Anxiety” for solo flute, by F’lar Ausburn; and “Bassai” for multipercussion soloist, by John Vinzant. The free concert is open to the public. For more information, contact Dickinson at (501) 450-3242 or pauld@uca.edu.

WEDNESDAY Light the Night

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Tech University International and Multicultural Student Services Office will host Light the Night 2017 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. at Hindsman Tower. The event offers members of the campus community and beyond free food and entertainment to celebrate the wide variety of cultures represented at Tech. Attendees are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items for donation to River Valley Food 4 Kids. For more information, call (479) 964-0832 or email imsso@atu.edu.

ONGOING Student Competitive Art Exhibition, Reception

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas’ Baum Gallery will feature its annual Student Competitive Art Exhibition through March 16. The opening reception for the exhibition will be at 4 p.m. today. For more information, contact Brian Young, interim director of the Baum Gallery, at (501) 450-5793 or bkyoung@uca.edu.

Smartphone Photo Show

CONWAY — The Gallery at EM, 1100 Oak St., is hosting an art show featuring works from members of the Arkansas Mobile Phoneographers through Wednesday. ArkMoPhs is a Facebook/Instagram group that captures images with smartphones. The show represents the best smartphone photographs of Arkansas taken in 2016 by about 40 members. All pieces in the show are for sale. The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, call (501) 329-6253.

Adult Summer Softball Registration

RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville Recreation and Parks Department will register teams for its Summer Adult Softball League through 5 p.m. March 10. Teams that register must pay the entry fee and submit an entry form and a team roster. Forms are available in the Recreation and Parks Department Office and online at www.russellvillearkansas.org. For more information, call (479) 968-1272.

Master Gardener Training

RUSSELLVILLE — The Pope County Master Gardeners will offer a 40-hour training course on April 11, 13, 18, 20 and 25 at the Pope County Cooperative Extension Service office. The deadline to register is March 20. For more information or to request an application, call the Extension Service office at (479) 968-7098. For an online generic application, go to uaex.edu, and click on “yard and garden.”

Faulkner County Coin Club Meetings

CONWAY — The Faulkner County Coin Club meets the second Tuesday of each month at the Ola and John Hawks Senior Wellness and 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 takes place from 5:30-7 p.m. with educational speakers, show-and-tell, news and door prizes. For more information, call (501) 514-0785.

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 p.m. Food is available.

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 Master Gardeners Events

RUSSELLVILLE — The Pope County Master Gardeners invite the public to a meeting at 1 p.m. March 9 at the First Assembly of God Church, 124 E. G St. Kenny Crawford, district conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, will speak about Seasonal High Tunnel Houses. Also on March 9, the Master Gardeners will host a special program, Mingle With the Masters: Learn About Becoming a Master Gardener, from 4:30-6 p.m. at the Pope County Cooperative Extension Service Office, 105 W. B St. For more information, call the Extension Service Office at (479) 968-7098.

Rhythmic Interactive Percussion Experience

CONWAY — Join True Alisandre for a Rhythmic Interactive Percussion Experience (RIPE), a drumming event for people of all ages, at 2 p.m. March 11 at the Faulkner County Library. Using hand drums, maracas, tambourines, claves, jars, sticks and the human voice, this experience allows simple rhythms to happen spontaneously. Everything participants need will be provided. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482 or email nancy@fcl.org.

Chase Race and Paws

CONWAY — The 12th annual Chase Race and Paws, a nonprofit event, will begin at 7 a.m. March 11 in Simon Park on Front Street. All proceeds from the race will be donated to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for brain-trauma research and to Friends of the Conway Animal Shelter for the care and treatment of rescued animals. For more information, visit www.chaserace.info.

St. Patrick’s Day Craft for Kids

MORRILTON — The Conway County Library, 101 W. Church St., will offer a St. Patrick’s Day craft session for kids at 10 a.m. March 11. For more information, call the library at (501) 354-5204, or visit www. conwaycountylibrary.org or the library’s Facebook page.

Mardi Gras Party for Teens

MORRILTON — The Conway County Library, 101 W. Church St., will present a special Mardi Gras Party for teens at 1 p.m. March 11. Plenty of Mardi Grasthemed foods will be available, along with colorful beads. For more information, call the library at (501) 354-5204, or visit www. conwaycountylibrary.org or the library’s Facebook page.

Reading and Book Signing

CONWAY — Mark Spitzer, associate professor of creative writing at the University of Central Arkansas, will read from his new book, Beautifully Grotesque Fish of the American West, at 7 p.m. March 16 at the Faulkner County Library, 1900 W. Tyler St. A book signing will follow the reading, and the events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Nancy Williams at (501) 327-7482 or nancy@fcl.org.

Heber Springs Area Chamber Ambassadors

HEBER SPRINGS — The Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors will meet from noon to 1 p.m. March 17 in the Training Room of Eagle Bank, 122 W. Main St. The group meets the third Friday of every month. For more information on the meeting or becoming an ambassador, call the chamber at (501) 362-2444.

Kick-Start Heber Springs Committee Meetings

HEBER SPRINGS — The next Kick-Start Heber Springs Committee meetings, which are open to the public, will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 22 in Room 1 of the Heber Springs Community Center, 201 Bobbie Jean Lane. All are encouraged to attend and take part in implementing the city’s five-year growth strategy. The active committees are Quality of Life and Place, Economic Development, Tourism Development, Education and Workforce, Marketing and Branding, and Funding and Finance. To volunteer for one of the committees, email director@heber-springs.com.

Arkansas Dream Center Benefit Golf Tournament

DRASCO — The Arkansas Dream Center of Cleburne County will host its third annual Dream Center Benefit Golf Tournament, a fundraiser for the Dream Center’s communityservice programs, March 25 at the Tannenbaum Golf Course, with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. The cost for the four-person scramble is $75 per person, with teams flighted after play. The entry fee includes a cart and the green fee. Lunch will be served. There will be prizes for each flight and closest to the hole. For more information or to sign up for the tournament, call (501) 529-8913 or email littleredriver@gmail.com.

Munchin’ on Main

MORRILTON — Munchin’ on Main — a city market, kids activities and live music — will take place March 25. Market booths are available for $25. Five food trucks from Northwest Arkansas will set up on Railroad Avenue, adjacent to the Morrilton Depot Museum, for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and for dinner from 5-8 p.m., while supplies last. Live music featuring Matt Stell and other local artists will begin at 5 p.m. For more information, call Main Street Morrilton Director Sarah Croswell at (501) 4048604 or follow Main Street Morrilton on Facebook.

ATU Alumni Association Day at the Races

RUSSELLVILLE — The Arkansas Tech University Alumni Association will host Tech Day at the Races 2017 on March 25 at Oaklawn Racing & Gaming in Hot Springs. Tickets, at $30 each, may be purchased at www.techties.atu.edu or reserved by calling (479) 968-0242 or emailing alumni@atu.edu. The deadline to RSVP is March 15. Tickets include a racing program and admittance to the Arkansas Room for the Winner’s Circle Buffet, which includes a deluxe carving station, various entrees, sides and desserts. Post time for the first race is 1 p.m.

Sally Barris Concert

CONWAY — Sally Barris will perform at 7 p.m. March 31 at the Faulkner County Library. Barris is a Nashville songwriter who has had songs covered by Kathy Mattea, Martina McBride, Lee Ann Womack, and Trisha Yearwood and Keith Urban. Barris is also part of the trio The Waymores. Her new CD is The Road in Me. All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library at (501) 327-7482.

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. Deadlines for calendar-item submissions are noon Friday for Thursday editions and noon Tuesday for Sunday editions.