HOMETOWN EVENTS

Falling Springs Fall Festival

Falling Springs Church will hold its fall festival at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26. The evening will include hot dogs, a hayride and fellowship. All are welcome and invited. The church is located 4½ miles west of Decatur on Falling Springs Road.

Donkey Basketball in Gentry

Donkey Basketball is coming to Gentry High School at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 28. Mounted on donkeys, games will be played between Gentry and Decatur and between school alumni and staff. Admission is $10 at the door or $7 if tickets are purchased in advance from Gentry middle and high school choir and theater students or by contacting Kim Acuff at kacuff@gentrypioneers. com. The event is a fundraiser for the theater and choir programs.

Trick or Treat on Gentry Main Street

Trick or Treat on Main Street in Gentry will be held on Thursday, Oct. 31, beginning at 5:30 p.m. Businesses, organizations and individuals will be on both sides of Main Street from the railroad tracks and west passing out candy to youngsters. Any businesses or individuals that would like to set up on Main Street to give out treats can call 479-736-2358 for more information.

Halloween Events in Decatur

First Baptist Church of Decatur will host Trunk or Treat from 7-8:30 p.m. in its meeting hall at 213 E. Roller Ave. The Decatur Fire Department will host its annual Trick or Treat giveaway from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the main fire station across from Decatur City Hall. The firefighters will give away candy, soft drinks, hot dogs and other treats during the event. For more information on these events, contact First Baptist Church of Decatur at 479-752-3514 or the Decatur Fire Department at 479-752-3912.

EAST Night Out planned in Gentry

Monday, Nov. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m., will be EAST Night Out at Gentry High School in Room 202, giving parents and others the opportunity to view the projects on which EAST students have been working in the current school year. The evening will begin with a welcome and overview at 5 p.m., a project overview at 5:15 p.m., project tours and a question and answer period at 5:30, and closing comments at 6:45 p.m. Snacks and drinks will be served.

Gentry Christmas Parade

Gentry’s annual Christmas Parade is set for 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. This year’s theme is “A Christmas Carol.” The parade will line up and start east of Arvest Bank. The lineup for the parade will start at 5:30 pm. No registration is necessary. For more information, call 479736-2358 or email info@ gentrychamber.com. The parade is sponsored by the Gentry Chamber of Commerce.

Live Nativity planned at Ozark Adventist Academy

A free walk-through live nativity will again be held at Ozark Adventist Academy from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, and from 3 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14. The nativity scene offers visitors a journey back in time to the streets of Bethlehem and to Calvary. A fully-costumed cast of more than 100 people, as well as animals and live music, is planned to bring the story of Christ’s birth, life, crucifixion and resurrection to life. Golf carts will be available for those unable to walk through the settings. Refreshments will be served. Non-perishable food items will be collected to be given to those in need through the food pantry at Total Life Community Center, located just south of Gentry on Arkansas Highway 59. For more information, call 479-736-2221 or email euglena1370@yahoo. com.

Smoked rib dinner fundraiser

The Billy V. Hall Senior Activity and Wellness Center will hold a smoked rib dinner fundraiser from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, at the Center, 1870 Limekiln Road in Gravette. The meal includes three smoked ribs, baked beans, potato salad, a roll, dessert and drink for $8 each. Diners may eat in or take out. All proceeds go to the Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors in Gravette, Decatur, Sulphur Springs, Hiwasse and Maysville.

Senior Health and Wellness Fair

Ozarks Community Hospital in Gravette is hosting its first Senior Health and Wellness Fair from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, at the hospital. Free health screenings will be given and a panel will answer questions on open enrollment for Medicare, Medicaid and supplemental insurance. There will be free goodies, light refreshments and a chance to win door prizes. Over 20 vendors will be present. Anyone who would like to be a vendor (vendor spaces are free) should contact agittlein@ ochonline.com.

NAGS to meet Oct. 28

The Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society will meet at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 28, at the Bentonville Public Library, 405 South Main Street in Bentonville. Tim Dollens, past president of the Missouri State Genealogical Association, will give the program, Death’s Doings: The Treasure Trove When Someone Dies — researching documents such as funeral home records, cemetery records, wills, probate files. For further information, call 479-271-6820. The public is welcome.

Falling Springs Singing

Monthly singing services at Falling Springs Church are held at 7 p.m. the first Friday of each month. The church is located northwest of Gentry and west of Decatur on Falling Springs Road.

First Baptist Pantry

First Baptist Church, located at 213 E. Roller Ave. in Decatur, holds a community food pantry on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. For more information, contact the church at 479-282-6658.

TOPS in Gentry

Gentry TOPS AR113, a nonprofit group that promotes healthy weight loss, meets every Monday at the First Christian Church Fellowship Room, Second and Giles, with a weighin at 2:15 p.m. and the meeting at 3 p.m. There is a small fee to join but the first meeting is free.

GFA Food Pantry

The GFA food pantry at the First Assembly of God in Gentry is open from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. The church partners with the NWA Food Bank and Rural Compassion to receive food to be given away, including canned goods, fresh vegetables, bread, milk and dairy products, eggs and meats. Other items such as toilet paper, shampoo, cleaning products and baby supplies are also available as supplies last. Clients are asked to call for an appointment. For more information, call 479-736-8415.