FUN
Piccolo Zoppé’s Winter Circus returns to downtown North Little Rock for three weeks, Saturday-Dec. 8, under a big top in the parking lot at Bishop Lindsey Avenue and Magnolia Street (behind Rock Region Metro’s streetcar barn). Performances are at 4 p.m. Saturday; 7 p.m. Nov. 27, 29, 30, and Dec. 6 and 7; 2 and 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8; 6 p.m. Nov. 25-27 and Dec. 1-5; 4 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 7; and 5:30 p.m. Dec. 1 and 8. Sponsor is North Little Rock Tourism. Tickets are $15-$100; visit secure.piccolozoppe.com.
Northern Lights Festival
North Little Rock Tourism holds its 2024 Northern Lights Holiday Festival, 3-7 p.m. Saturday in Argenta Plaza, 510 Main St., in North Little Rock’s Argenta Arts District. The festival features a holiday market; light displays; photos with Santa (Black Santa ARK LLC); live music by Bad Habit; a special guest DJ; and a 38-foot Christmas tree. Food trucks and nearby Flyway Brewing will have food and drinks available for purchase. Admission is free. Visit tinyurl.com/py2hckw2 or facebook.com/events/511875371332672.
The William F. Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock hosts “Dinovember Library Night” on Thursday. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
Library ‘Dinovember’
The William F. Laman Public Library, 2801 Orange St., North Little Rock, hosts “Dinovember Library Night,” 4-6:30 p.m. Thursday, part of the North Little Rock Public Library System’s “Dinovember,” a monthlong celebration of all things dinosaur. On the agenda:
◼️ Teens Dinovember Trivia at 4 p.m. Teens can test their prehistoric knowledge in a trivia competition all about dinosaurs.
◼️ Dino Exploration Stations for youngsters and tweens at 5 p.m. offer information to young patrons about the incredible world of dinosaurs.
◼️ Dino Cookie Decorating for all ages in the library’s Makerspace at 5 p.m. Guests can decorate (and eat) dinosaur-themed cookies.
Admission is free. Call (501) 758-1720 or visit programs.nlrlibrary.org/events?r=days&n=365&term=Dinovember.
North Little Rock Tourism holds its 2024 Northern Lights Holiday Festival Saturday Nov. 23 in Argenta Plaza. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette/Reynardo Marks)
‘Bright the Night’
The Downtown Little Rock Partnership flips the switch to turn on the lights on the 32-foot tree in Capitol Plaza, Capitol Avenue and Main Street, 6 p.m. Monday. Festivities get underway at 5:30. Participants include Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, the Saint Mark Sanctuary Choir, Santa Claus “and friends.” Attendees can snack on complimentary cookies from Community Bakery, with Hiland Dairy Hot Chocolate (“using Big Bad Breakfast’s secret recipe”) or coffee as they sing carols and snap a selfie with Santa. Vendors will be selling additional food and drink items. Activities for youngsters include a trackless train, a bouncy house and a “snow” machine. The installation will be up through early January. Find a few more details at the Facebook event page, facebook.com/events/432101352984151.
A touring company brings “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical” to Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway, Sunday. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
THEATER
Rudolph on tour
Audiences are invited to help Santa save Christmas with the help of “the most famous reindeer of all” and his friends from the 1964 stop-motion animated television special (including Hermey the Elf, Yukon Cornelius and Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster) as a touring company brings “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical” to Reynolds Performance Hall at the University of Central Arkansas, 201 Donaghey Ave., Conway, at 4 p.m. Sunday. The show is adapted by Robert Penola from the story by Robert L. May and the song by Johnny Marks with music and lyrics by Marks. Tickets are $30-$50, and $10 for children and students. Call (501) 450-3265 or (866) 810-0012 or visit uca.edu/publicappearances.
‘Miracle’ on Monroe Ave.
The Foundation of Arts stages “Miracle on 34th Street” (adapted by Mountain Community Theater from the novel by Valentine Davies and the 20th Century Fox movie), 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday at the Forum Theater, 115 E. Monroe Ave., Jonesboro. Tickets are $22-$24, $20-$22 for children 3-12, senior citizens 65 or older, military and Arkansas State University students, faculty and staff. (Wear a Santa hat, buy one, get one free for the Thursday show; Saturday’s performance is “Pay What You Can.” Sponsor is Hytrol. Call (870) 935-2726 or visit foajonesboro.org.
MUSIC
Choral ‘Gloria’
The Fort Smith High School Choirs and a group of brass players join the University of Arkansas at Little Rock choirs to perform John Rutter’s “Gloria” at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Little Rock, 617 Louisiana St., Little Rock. Admission is free. Call (501) 916-3291.
‘Showman’ tribute
The Vienna Light Orchestra brings its “The Greatest Showman LIVE TRIBUTE” show, 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall, 426 W. Markham St. at Broadway. The orchestra backs singers from seven different countries for music from the film “The Greatest Showman” and other film music, including “Once Upon a December” from “Anastasia,” “Let it Go” from “Frozen” and music from the scores of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Phantom of the Opera.” Tickets are $39-$119. Visit Ticketmaster.com.
“Life’s A Puzzle” by Glenyce Feeney, “The Boy” by Tyler Arnold and “Misty Morning” by Glenda Josephson are part of the Studios at Tanglewood’s annual Holiday Open House & Sale, Friday and Saturday. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
ART
Open House & Sale
The Studios at Tanglewood, on the back side of the Tanglewood Shopping Center, Mississippi Street and Cantrell Road, Little Rock, hosts its annual Holiday Open House & Sale, 5-7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Artists displaying work include Catherine Rodgers, Tyler Arnold, Amber Manney, Leesa Renshaw, Laura Welshans and Jeff McKay; studios Co-Op Art, with Susie Henley, Scotty Shively, Patty Monoson, Herb Monoson, Glenda Josephson, Suzanne Brugner and Dee Schulten; and Creative Arts Studio, with Sage Arnold, Susan Goldner, Glenyce Feeney, Roy Crawford, and Linda Muldrow. Admission is free. Call (501) 920-6388 or email [email protected].
Hendrix College singers prepare for December’s Hendrix College Choir Candlelight Carol Services. (Special to the Democrat-Gazette)
ETC.
Candlelight Carol
Reservations open Monday for the Hendrix College Choir Candlelight Carol Services, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5-7 and 4 p.m. Dec. 8 in Greene Chapel at the college, 1600 Washington Ave., Conway. (Admission is free but reservations are required because of limited seating capacity.) The Dec. 6 and 7 services will also be streamed live. Visit hendrix.edu/candlelight.
The choir then takes things on the road, with services at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at Central United Methodist Church, 6 W. Dickson St., Fayetteville, and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at the First United Methodist Church, 801 S. Main St., Jonesboro. Admission is free and no reservations are required.
The service shares many features with the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols celebrated each Christmas Eve since 1918 at King’s College in Cambridge, England, including Scripture lessons, carols and other musical works — including this year the world premiere of “O Magnum Mysterium” by Shavon Lloyd. Presenter is the Methodist Foundation for Arkansas.
Living Treasure
Jan. 10 is the deadline to nominate a a master craftsman or folk artist for the Arkansas Arts Council’s next Arkansas Living Treasure. The title honors Arkansans who are masters of traditional arts or crafts that include, but are not limited to, traditional folk dancing, bladesmithing, knifemaking, weaving, canoe carving, pottery, sewing, stone or wood carving and quilting. It comes with a $5,000 cash award and a spring 2025 recognition reception.
An independent panel of practicing craft and folk artists and professionals review the nominations and select the recipient based on the following criteria: quality of work, overall significance of the body of work, community outreach and total contribution to the field of traditional crafts and/or folk arts. For more information or to make a nomination, visit arkansasarts.org, call (501) 324-9348 or email [email protected].
TICKETS
‘Sesame Street Live!’
Tickets — $31.50-$71.50 — go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for “Sesame Street Live! Say Hello,” a new interactive production, onstage at 6 p.m. April 15 at Little Rock’s Robinson Center Performance Hall. Visit sesamestreetlive.com.
‘Back to the Future‘
Tickets — $34 -$114 — go on sale Friday for the touring production of the “Back to the Future” musical (adapted for the stage by the 1985 movie’s creators, Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, with original music by Alan and Glen Ballard and hit songs from the film), 7:30 p.m. March 12 and 14, 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. March 13, 2 and 7:30 p.m. March 15 and 1 and 6:30 p.m. March 16 at Robinson Center Performance Hall. Call (501) 244-8800 or visit CelebrityAttractions.com or Ticketmaster.com.
