Category Archives: Holidays

Boo at the Zoo adults preview tonight

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7_boobatlogoThe Little Rock Zoo has a special opening night of Boo at the Zoo.  It invites adults to come enjoy all the fun of BOO in an adults-only environment!
Adults will “trick-or-treat” for tasty beverages, ride the Haunted Hay Ride, tour the Haunted House, explore the many Haunted walkways of BOO, play carnival games, listen to live music, and enjoy food from food truck vendors! Costumes are encouraged, but not required and there will be a costume contest!

Last year’s event was a sell-out success, so be sure to get your tickets in advance!

CLICK HERE to purchase tickets now, or call 501.661.7208

A limited number of tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

Please remember to bring photo ID. No one under the age of 21 admitted.

Sorry, no refunds. Boo at the Zoo is a fundraiser for the Little Rock Zoo and we appreciate your support!

All proceeds help pay for operational support for the Zoo.

Starting tomorrow, Boo at the Zoo runs – October 18-20 and 25 through November 1.

$10 PER PERSON (general admission)  |  $8 PRE-SALE
$20 ALL-INCLUSIVE ARMBAND*  |  $18 PRE-SALE*
$5 DISCOUNT FOR ZOO MEMBERS!

*ALL-INCLUSIVE ARMBAND DOES NOT INCLUDE FOOD VENDORS OR FORTUNE TELLING.

BOO AT THE ZOO HAS SOMETHING TO OFFER EVERYONE!
BOO AT THE ZOO 2013 FEATURES:

Live Music EVERY Night!
Carnival Rides!
NEW and Improved Ghostly Garden!
Kids’ Corner!
NEW Day of the Dead Celebration!
NEW Fiser Kubota Haunted Hay Ride!
Beasts and Bones Animal Presentations!
FREE Carousel Rides Every Night!
Haunted House!
FREE Haunted Veldt Walkway Every Night!
Bounce House Inflatables!
Ghost Roast S’mores!
Food Truck Concessions!
Trick-or-Treating!
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!

ASO – Halloween Spooktacular tonight and tomorrow

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This weekend the Arkansas Symphony kicks off the 2013-2014 Pops season with HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR.

Chills and thrills – back by popular demand! Bring the family and friends, come in costume and enjoy your favorite classics from Wagner, Berlioz and Liszt and movie music from Ghostbusters, Superman, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and much, much more!

The concerts take place at Robinson Center Music Hall at 8pm on Saturday, October 12 and 3pm on Sunday, October 13.

All kids in Arkansas Kindergarten through 12th grade can attend all Sunday performances for free using the Entergy Kids’ Ticket!

Little Rock Look Back: Angelo Marre

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angelomarreOn September 11, 1842, future Little Rock Alderman Angelo Marre was born in Borzonaca, Italy.  He immigrated to Tennessee with his parents in 1854.

During the Civil War, he served in the Confederate Army. From 1865 to 1868, Angelo Marre worked for the Memphis Police Department but was forced to resign after he was accused of killing a man during an argument.  After his acquittal, he returned to the saloon business.  In 1872 Marre was convicted of stealing money and sentenced to three years in prison.

Tennessee Governor John Brown granted Marre a full pardon two years into his sentence, and he regained his citizenship in 1879.

After getting out of prison, he claimed an inheritance and joined his brothers in Little Rock.  He worked as a bartender at the Metropolitan Hotel.  He later opened a saloon and billiard parlor.

By the mid-1880s, Marre owned two saloons, a liquor import business, an office building in downtown LR, 3,000 sharesof stock in mining companies operating in Garland and Montgomery counties, and he was the first president of Edison Electric Company of LR.

In 1883, he was elected as an alderman on the Little Rock City Council.  He lost is bid for reelection in 1885. In 1888, he was an unsuccessful candidate for Pulaski County Sheriff.

villamarreAngelo Marre died February 18, 1889, as a result of his infection.  He is buried at Calvary Cemetery in LR. His custom designed, marble monument was ordered from Florence, Italy, and cost $5,000.

Marre is probably best known today as the builder of the structure now known as the Villa Marre.  Built in 1881, it is designed in the Italianate and Second Empire styles.  It was built in 1881 and 1882 on Block 21, Lots 5 & 6 of the Original City of Little Rock.  The cost was $5,000.

It was originally a red brick structure and has been modified and expanded several times as well as painted white.  It did not bear the name Villa Marre until the 1960s when historic preservation advocate Jimmy Strawn gave it that name.

After serving as the headquarters for the Quapaw Quarter Association for several years, it was returned to a private residence.  It is now available for special events and rentals.

The Villa Marre is probably best known locally and nationally for serving as the facade for the Sugarbaker design firm on the CBS sitcom “Designing Women.”  Though the interior of the house does not match the interior on TV, the building was featured in the opening credits as well as in exterior shots each week.

 

Labor Day Museum Monday: Historic Arkansas Museum

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hamlogoSeveral Little Rock museums are offering a break from the heat on this Labor Day.

Historic Arkansas Museum is kicking off its new touring experiences today from 10am to 4pm.

Someone’s always home.

There’s a brand new way of doing things at Historic Arkansas Museum. Come see what it’s all about on Labor Day, September 2, 10 am – 4 pm.
Self-guided tours at your own pace include more hands-on activities, more pioneer demonstrations and more fun.
Bring a picnic to enjoy on the grounds. HAM will be making lemonade in the kitchen of the historic Brownlee House and we’d love to share!
There’s a brand new way of doing things at Historic Arkansas Museum. Visit the Museum from Wednesdays through Sundays and create your own experience when you visit the historic houses and grounds. Everything is at your pace as you guide yourself through the past. And there’s more going on! More costumes, more cooking, more pioneer demos, more hands-on activities.

Over the past few years, HAM has added a few new things—big things—like a working kitchen, a blacksmith shop and a two-story print shop. They are putting those big things to great use. Some days there are costumed staff working in the kitchen, perhaps pickling or maybe cooking with a Dutch oven. Other days there may have the blacksmith forging nails and chain links in the shop. Or maybe there is someone in the print shop helping visitors seal letters with wax. Or all of those things on one day, along with a rotating cast of 19th century characters who will greet you like it’s 1849 (or ’27, or ’19). Each day will offer different hands-on and interactive experiences, with no two days being exactly the same.

The staff-guided tours are still offered on Mondays and Tuesdays, but even they have changed—they are now offered every half-hour, instead of on the hour (except during the noon lunch hour). We also offer cellphone audio tours, and 360 degree visual tours on your computer or smartphone, every day.

 Historic Arkansas Museum is an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage.

Ark Democrat-Gazette Pops on the River tonight

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popsonriverPops on the River, presented by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and sponsored by Arkansas’ Best Chevy Dealers, will take place Thursday, July 4, at the First Security Amphitheater. The event holds true to its roots by continuing to offer free family entertainment with a performance by the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and a fireworks finale, but has expanded over the years to include more activities and events for festivalgoers.

Salute the Troops, which is sponsored by St. Vincent, is a three-part campaign to honor the men and women in the armed forces. Throughout the day, a letter-writing station will be set up for children in our Kids Pavilion (open noon-8:30 p.m.) where letters can be written (or pictures drawn) to the troops serving overseas through the A Million Thanks campaign. From 5:30-9:30 p.m., a Salute the Troops tent will be sent up to record video messages to the troops. The videos will appear on www.arkansasonline.com/salute. Those who are not able to make the event can upload their own video to the website through July to honor these men and women.

Other events/attractions at this year’s Pops include The Chevy Car Pavilion will feature the newest lines of cars and trucks. The Kids Pavilion, sponsored by Arkansas Children’s Hospital, will include bounce houses, games, crafts, live music, face painting and caricatures by John Deering, cartoonist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Also at the event is a classic car show, a marketplace for shopping and, of course, food trucks with traditional (and not so traditional) fair food. Live music will be played throughout the day and evening, including local acts Mister Morphis, Kirk Anderton, the Oh Say! Can You Sing? contestants and the Happy Tymes Jazz Band.

The gates will open to the First Security Amphitheater at 5:30 p.m. for the other planned entertainment that is the backbone of the event, including Arkansas Symphony Orchestra concert, sponsored by Delta Dental, will begin at 8:30 p.m. with Music Director Philip Man conducting. Fireworks, sponsored by St. Vincent,  will begin at approximately 9:30 p.m. and are shot off the Main Street Bridge. This year’s show will be 30 minutes to mark the 30th anniversary. Fireworks used at Pops are 100 percent made in the U.S.A.

Festivalgoers are asked to take their best shot for a chance to win a $250 gift card from Bedford Camera and Video. Photos of Pops can be submitted to www.capturearkansas.com and it’s monthly challenge for a chance to win.

Transportation and free parking are provided for festivalgoers. The route includes stops at the Clinton Presidential Center, the U.S. Post Office, the Arkansas Arts Center and the River Market, where the event will be held. Free parking is available at each trolley stop, and trolley service is free.

The following roads will close between 5 and 11 p.m.: Rock, Ottenheimer, Commerce and the Main Street Bridge.

The event is free to the public. People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to enjoy the festivities. Amphitheater seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. The public can reserve amphitheater seating for only $10 prior to the event through the Pops on the River website. No fireworks, food, drinks, coolers or pets will be allowed in the park.

The event’s benefiting charity this year is Ronald McDonald House Charities. The event is supported by sponsors Arkansas’ Best Chevy Dealers, Delta Dental, Chick-fil-A, Bedford Camera and Video, St. Vincent, City of Little Rock, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Hiland Dairy, Downtown Little Rock Partnership and Flynco.

Ark Arts Center – Military Appreciation Day; BBQ for the 4th

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arkartsMilitary Appreciation Day

In observance of Independence Day, the Arkansas Arts Center will show its appreciation to the dedicated United States men and women in uniform, both current service members and veterans, by offering complimentary admission to the Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: Treasures of Kenwood House, London exhibit on the fourth of July holiday.

11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Arkansas Arts Center Patio
4th of July Cookout
Join us for Burgers, Bratwurst and Beer at our Independence Day celebration! Four legged friends are welcome on the patio! Food will be grilled to order, and will include your choice of burger, brats, hot dog or chicken breast. The buffet will include a variety of condiments, baked beans, potato salad, dessert and choice of tea or lemonade. Admission for adults is $12 and $7 for children age seven and under.

Frontier Fourth at Historic Arkansas Museum

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FrontierFourthBy George! This year’s Historic Arkansas Museum Frontier Fourth of July is all about George Washington, in honor of his signed family bible featured in the exhibit, Treasures of Arkansas Freemasons.

Amid all the frontier fun and pioneer games, there will be a traveling sideshow barker displaying his amazing, “authentic” relics from the great George Washington, including his powdered wig, wooden teeth and the “actual” axe he used to cut down his father’s cherry tree.

Others will regale visitors with stories of Washington, his Inauguration in New York and his involvement with Freemasons. As always, there will be crafts, music, games, a parade and refreshing watermelon and lemonade. During a reading of the Declaration of Independence, watch out for Red Coats who have nothing good to say about it.
Thursday, July 4 from 2pm to 4pm.  There is no charge.