Tag Archives: Riverfront Park

Jazz in the Park tonight – Tawanna Campbell

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Jazz in the Park is a free happy hour style event featuring different Jazz musicians weekly from 6pm-8pm in the History Pavilion in Riverfront Park. Family and Pet Friendly.  It is offered each Wednesday in April and September.

Tonight features Tawanna Campbell.

For years Tawanna Campbell has been a beacon, leading the way for Arkansas’ burgeoning Soul musical scene. An all-encompassing performer, Tawanna possesses a heavenly sound, amazing stage presence and a style all her own.

Sparking comparisons to everyone from Patti LaBelle to Alicia Keys to the queen of soul herself Aretha Franklin Tawanna does not allow herself or her music to be pigeonholed. Her musical acumen is eclectic and dynamic. her range of performances run the musical spectrum. She’s performed at Easter Sunrise services, Jazz festivals and classical concerts. She’s even provided the musical backdrop for another Arkansas gem, Academy Award winner and Newport native Mary Steenburgen.

Tawanna’s soothing, smooth and moving tones have long served as the Natural State’s voice. She is a talented and beautiful star who continues to light the way not only for Arkansas’ grown & sexy sect but for music lovers around the world.

No Coolers Please. Lawn Chairs Welcome. (Rain Location is East Pavilion at River Market)

LaHarpe Sees a Rock on April 9, 1722

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On April 9, 1722, French explorer Jean-Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe rounded the bend of the Arkansas River and saw La Petite Roche and Le Rocher Français.  He had entered the mouth of the Arkansas River on February 27 after traveling up the Mississippi River from New Orleans.

Though La Harpe and his expedition are the first Europeans documented to have seen La Petite Roche, the outcropping of rocks was well-known to the Quapaw Indians in the area.  The outcropping jutted out in the Arkansas River and created a natural harbor which provided a perfect place for boats to land.

The rock outcropping is the first one visible along the banks of the Arkansas River.  It marks the place where the Mississippi Delta meets the Ouachita Mountains.  Geologists now believe that the Little Rock is not the same type of rock as the Ouachita Mountains and more closely matches the composition and age of mountains in the western US.

In 1813, William Lewis became the first European settler to live near La Petite Roche but only stayed a few months.  Speculators and trappers continued to visit the area throughout the 1810s. During that time, the outcropping became known informally as the Little Rock.

La Petite Roche had become a well-known crossing when the Arkansas Territory was established in 1819. The permanent settlement of ‘The Rock’ began in the spring of 1820, and the first building has been described as a cabin, or shanty, and was built on the bank of the river near the ‘Rock.’ In March 1820, a Post Office was established at the ‘Rock’ with the name “Little Rock.”

Over the years, La Petite Roche was altered.  In 1872, Congress authorized the building of a railroad bridge. A pier for the bridge was built at the location of the La Petite Roche which caused the removal of several tons of rock.  The bridge was never built.  When the Junction Bridge was built in 1899, even more rock was removed in the process of erecting part of the bridge on top of the rock.  It was not viewed as being disrespectful of the City’s namesake at the time.  Indeed, it was viewed as a testament to the sturdiness of the rock.

In 2010, La Petite Roche plaza opened in Riverfront Park.  It celebrates the history of La Petite Roche and explores its importance to various aspects of Little Rock’s history and geography.

LRCVB announces agreement with AWAKENING EVENTS to book and promote First Security Amphitheater in Riverfront Park

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Image result for first security amphitheaterThe Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) has finalized a Promoter Agreement with AWAKENING EVENTS to provide exclusive rights to book and promote ticketed concerts in the First Security Amphitheater in Riverfront Park downtown.

AWAKENING EVENTS is a nationwide, full service live event company based in Arkansas. They successfully produce over 250 concerts each year. AWAKENING EVENTS has produced concerts at Verizon Arena, Wal-Mart Amphitheater, the First Security Amphitheater, as well as many iconic venues around the country, including Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and The Forum in Los Angeles. AWAKENING EVENTS is owned by Arkansas native Dan Fife.

AWAKENING EVENTS is proudly partnering with STARR HILL Presents, owned by Red Light Management’s Coran Capshaw. Red Light Management’s extensive artist management roster ranges from Dave Matthews Band to Chris Stapleton and many others. STARR HILL Presents is an independent concert promotion company based in Charlottesville, Virginia, promoting hundreds of events each year, ranging from small club shows to multi-day festivals. The company operates multiple venues and is a partner in festivals across the country including Bonnaroo, SXSW and Outside Lands.

AWAKENING EVENTS responded to a Request for Qualifications released by the LRCVB in late 2018. Following negotiations, an agreement was finalized and signed on March 11, 2019. The agreement requires a minimum of three “A-Tier” concerts in 2019 and six concerts each year in 2020-2023. A-Tier is defined as “Artists that tour nationally or globally, having the documented ability to sell 2,000 or more tickets.”

In addition, it is the desire of AWAKENING EVENTS & STARR HILL PRESENTS to create an additional 2020 series of free, or very low cost, “Live at Five” type events. Dan Fife, president of AWAKENING EVENTS, stated, “We are excited to get back into the Amp business on the River in Riverfront Park. It is a great venue and we need to start offering regular and diverse concert programming again.”

Gretchen Hall, LRCVB President & CEO said, “I am excited about this new partnership and the quality of entertainment it will provide in Little Rock.”

This exclusive promoter agreement is designed to allow a booking window for the concert season, as well as protecting Little Rock’s long time Amphitheater and Pavilion events and provide the flexibility for community events to continue booking in those venues. LRCVB will maintain the booking and coordination efforts for all non-concert bookings.

A formal press conference to announce the initial season is expected in the next 30 days.

Jazz in the Park kicks off with Bijoux tonight

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Jazz in the Park is a free happy hour style event featuring different Jazz musicians weekly from 6pm-8pm in the History Pavilion in Riverfront Park. Family and Pet Friendly.  It is offered each Wednesday in April and September.

First up is Bijoux.

Bijoux—a native of Little Rock – is a sultry  singer adept in various styles. The daughter of West African parents, Bijoux grew up in a household exposed to differing genres of music including folk, classic rock and roll, makossa, country, and R&B. Her jovial spirit, endearing vocals, vibrant entertaining, and musical versatility make her concerts engaging and fun.

No Coolers Please. Lawn Chairs Welcome. (Rain Location is East Pavilion at River Market)

Lunar New Year – Year of the Pig

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Today marks the start of the Lunar New Year. This year is the Year of the Pig!

To celebrate this, here is a photo of Sandy Scott’s River Market Pig.  It is located in Riverfront Park adjacent to the River Market pavilions.

River Market Pig was one of the initial six sculptures installed in the River Market area and dedicated in November 2004 on the Sunday prior to the opening of the Clinton Library.

 

Little Rock Look Back: 57th Mayor Martin Borchert

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On January 16, 1916, future Little Rock Mayor Martin Borchert was born in Stuttgart.  After graduating high school he moved to Little Rock.  During World War II, he served as a bomber.  He started work at ACME Brick and spent 21 years there before engaging in other business interests.  Among these businesses were Martin Borchert Co., ASCO Hardware, Detection Systems Inc. and Component Systems Inc.  In 2005 he was inducted into the Arkansas Construction Hall of Fame.

Mayor Borchert was elected to the Little Rock City Board of Directors in 1964 and served from January 1965 through December 1968. He chose not to seek a second term.  In 1967 and 1968 he served as Mayor of Little Rock. During this time, he laid out the vision for what has become Riverfront Park along the Arkansas River.

Other civic achievements included being a member of the Board of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, being on the Governor’s Citizens Advisory Committee, a member of the Pulaski County Quorum Court, vice chairman of the Arkansas Planning Commission, and being on the Little Rock Air Force Base Community Council. In 1967 he served on the President’s National Advisory Council to the Small Business Administration.

Mayor Borchert served on the Little Rock Water Commission, including a tenure as chairman. In 1985, he was chairman of the Metropolitan Transit Policy Board and as chairman oversaw the transfer of the Central Arkansas Transit system to the Central Arkansas Transit Authority. One of the achievements of which he was very proud of was that he was one of the very first in Arkansas to receive an Adopt the Highway road.

Mayor Borchert was married for 57 years to Rosemary “Biddy” Branch Borchert.  They had two children, a son, John “Topper” Borchert and a daughter, Leslie Borchert Wilson.  He died on May 11, 2007.

18 Cultural Events of 2018 – Dedication of Margaret Clark Adventure Park with three sculptures

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GLEE

In September, Little Rock’s Parks and Recreation Department dedicated its newest play area with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Margaret Clark Adventure Park.

This unique play experience is designed specifically for pre-school aged children. It is located in Riverfront Park just to the west of the Marriott Hotel Conference Center and is adjacent to the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden and the Jack Fleischauer Garden.

The Margaret Clark Adventure Park features areas for climbing, walking on balance beams, going through tunnels, exploring nature, and has a stage for children to put on shows. The area was designed and installed by Little Rock Parks and Recreation staff.

Visitors to the Margaret Clark Adventure Park will be greeted by the twin sheep Bliss and Glee, both sculptures by Giuseppe Palumbo atop stone pylons on either side of the entrance. In the center of the entrance is Tim Cherry’s Roundbottom Hippoptomus, an interactive sculpture which also serves as a bench.

The play area is named in honor of Margaret Clark in appreciation of her longtime commitment to children and her interest in Riverfront Park. The wetlands park adjacent to the eastern edge of Riverfront Park is named in memory of her late husband William E. Clark. The couple have donated sculptures that are placed in Riverfront Park and in front of nearby Robinson Center Performance Hall.

Isabel and John Ed Anthony contributed funds for the purchase of the Tim Cherry sculpture. Members of the Junior League of Little Rock and Friends of Riverfest, Inc., contributed funds for the two Giuseppe Palumbo sculptures.