FUN
The sixth Arkansas Pie Festival pits competition pies by commercial makers, home chefs and students, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday at the Cherokee Village Town Center, 2 Santee Drive, Cherokee Village. The prize: a “golden ticket” chance to compete in the dessert category at the World Food Championships in October with an ultimate prize of $100,000. Attendees can sample pies of all varieties before crowning a people’s choice. Pies will also be on display and up for auction. The festival also features pie-eating contests, the Pie Fest Pup Parade, live music, a kids zone with family-friendly activities, food trucks and shopping at the Arkansas Pie Pop-up Shop. arkansaspiefestival.com.
“American Idol” winner Kris Allen, The Cleverlys, Rodney Block, Genine Latrice Perez, The Rocktown Sparks and Shannon Boshears perform for Party at the Plaza, 1:30–10 p.m. Saturday at Argenta Plaza, 510 Main St., North Little Rock. The event also includes food trucks, local artists and vendors and kids' activities. It’s a benefit for LifeTouch Health (formerly Arkansas Hospice). (877) 713-2348; partyattheplaza.org.
The Central Arkansas and North Little Rock library systems wrap up National Library Week, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, at the CALS Main Library, 100 Rock St., Little Rock, with free, family-friendly activities, including face painting and crafts, children’s activities, a Mobile Makerspace with a library joy-themed art activity, the CALS Cruiser bookmobile and Rover, the North Little Rock system’s mobile library; and a passport services information table. Plus music and food from Boulevard Bread, Problem Child Pizza and The Dogfather. CALS.org.
DANCE
Arkansas Festival Ballet returns to the Dreamland Ballroom, 800 W. Ninth St., Little Rock, as it stages “Once Upon a Time,” with original choreography and staging by Rebecca Miller Stalcup, 6:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday. The ballet troupe’s 25th anniversary production follows Jack and Jill down a rabbit hole, through a cave of wonders and into Neverland, set upon music by Charlie Chaplin, Carl Davis, Carmen DeLeone and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. ArkansasFestivalBallet.org.
MUSIC
Violinist Nathan Amaral and pianist Haeshin Shin play music by Johann Sebastian Bach; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Claude Debussy under the aegis of the Chamber Music Society of Little Rock, 7:30 p.m. today Thursday in Morgan Hall at the Stella Boyle Smith Music Center, located at 1101 E. Third St., Little Rock. chambermusiclr.com.
Little Rock Winds and conductor Israel Getzov mark the nation’s 250th anniversary with a concert titled “America-250,” 7:30 p.m. today Thursday at Second Presbyterian Church, 600 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock. The program includes a musical setting by David Lovrien of the Declaration of Independence with narration by Teresa McCraney, Baker Wells and Brent Walker. lrwinds.org/tickets.
Violinist Charlotte Crosmer solos in the Violin Concerto by Samuel Barber with the Conway Symphony Orchestra and conductor Israel Getzov as the orchestra closes out its 2025-26 season with a concert titled “Spirit of the New World,” 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the University of Central Arkansas’ Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 2150 Bruce St., Conway. The program also includes the “New World” Symphony No. 9 by Antonin Dvorák. (501) 470-7572; conwaysymphony.org.
U.S. Air Force Band jazz ensemble The Airmen of Note performs, 7 p.m. today Thursday in Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway, and 7 p.m. Friday at Little Rock Central High School, 1500 Little Rock Nine Way, Little Rock. music.af.mil.
And not exactly the weekend, but we thought you’d like to know: Melissa Etheridge performs at 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Hall, 721 W. Ninth St., Little Rock. (501) 406-1364; littlerockhall.com..
THEATER
Argenta Contemporary Theatre, 405 Main St., North Little Rock’s production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” runs, 7 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, April 28-May 1 and May 5-8, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday through May 9. argentacontemporarytheatre.org.
“Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville,” Ludwig’s comedy-thriller adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mystery “The Hound of the Baskervilles,” is onstage through May 23 at Murry’s Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock. Buffet opens 30 minutes before curtain time — 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday (except Wednesday matinees only April 29 and May 6), 12:45 and 6:45 Sunday. (501) 562-3131; murrysdp.com.
And Actors Theatre of Little Rock continues its run of August Wilson’s “Fences,” 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday through May 2 at Quapaw Quarter United Methodist Church, 1601 Louisiana St., Little Rock. The theater is rating the show PG-13. actorstheatrelr.org/tickets.
ART AND EXHIBITS
New this week:
“Remote Wonder: Richland Creek Wilderness,” recent photographs by Paul Caldwell centering on Richland Creek, a tributary of the Buffalo River, opens with a 6-8 p.m. reception Friday at Cantrell Gallery, 8202 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. The exhibition is up through July 18, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. (501) 224-1335; cantrellgallery.com.
Continuing:
“The Three SoMa Sisters: History, Nature, Wellness, and Anita Davis’ Mission to Thrive in SoMa” is on display through Aug. 30 at ESSE Museum & Store, 1510 Main St. in Little Rock’s SoMa neighborhood. The exhibit explores how Davis has created a community focused on her three SoMa enterprises: the museum, the Bernice Garden and The Authentic Self Collective. (501) 916-9022; essepursemuseum.com.
“Impressions of Spain,” paintings by Sean LeCrone inspired by a recent journey through the Iberian Peninsula, on display at the Art Group Gallery, in the Pleasant Ridge Town Center, 11525 Cantrell Road, Little Rock. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday or by appointment. (501) 690-2193; artgrouparkansas.com.
Hearne Fine Art, 1001 Wright Ave., Little Rock, holds a reception at 5:30 p.m. Friday for “Women Create Space. Grace. Power: A Multimedia Survey of Thirteen Black Women Artists,” on display through June 13. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. (501) 372-6822; hearnefineart.com.
“Do You See What I See,” works from the Six Bridges Watercolor Group, is up through May 8 in the Argenta Library Gallery, 420 Main St., North Little Rock. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. (501) 687-1061; NLRlibrary.org.
And speaking of watercolors, The Mid-Southern Watercolorists’ 56th annual juried exhibition is on display through May 1 at the William F. Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday-Saturday. (501) 758-1720; NLRlibrary.org.
“Disfarmer: Portraits of Rural Arkansas,” early 20th-century black-and-white portraits of Arkansans by Mike Disfarmer, is up through June, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday, at the Old State House Museum in Little Rock. (501) 324-9685.
“Thomas Hart Benton,” a traveling exhibition of original artwork created by the artist during World War II, is up through July 31 at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 376-4602; littlerock.gov/macarthur.
And “Kuimeaux’s World,” drawings and paintings by late Little Rock native Dwight “Kuimeaux” Drennan, is on display through spring 2027 at Little Rock’s Historic Arkansas Museum, 200 E. Third St. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. (501) 324-9351.