WEEKEND TEN: Best things to do this weekend in Arkansas

The Moscow Ballet presents the Great Russian Nutcracker
The Moscow Ballet presents the Great Russian Nutcracker

1 EXTRAVAGANZA

It's a magical journey through Russia and the Land of Peace and Harmony as the Moscow Ballet presents the Great Russian Nutcracker, 7 p.m. today at Robinson Center Performance Hall, West Markham Street and Broadway. Tickets are $28-$68 plus fees. Call (800) 745-3000 or visit ticketmaster.com. See story, Page 4E.

photo

The Polar Express

photo

Democrat-Gazette file photo

Rick Kelly, of Jacksonville, carries a television he just purchased out of the Best Buy in North Little Rock in this file photo. He was out shopping with his wife Sara (left) and children Austin (behind Sara) 5, and Kara, 3, taking advantages of after Christmas Day sales.

2 EASY DOES IT

Get outside in the fresh air and unwind a bit before the holiday at Queen Wilhelmina State Park 10 a.m.-7 p.m. through Saturday. Christmas in the Park features special family oriented programs and activities. Admission is free. Call (479) 394-2863 or visit queenwilhelmina.com.

3 ENCHANTMENT I

Now in its 20th season, Pine Bluff's Enchanted Land of Lights and Legends boasts 1.2 miles of lights in downtown Pine Bluff's Jefferson County Regional Park. The drive-through display is open 6-9 p.m. daily until Dec. 31. Admission is free; donations are accepted. Call (870) 536-7600 or visit pinebluffcvb.org.

4 ENCHANTMENT II

The city of Sherwood hosts a mile-long drive-through illuminated show with the Enchanted Forest Trail of Lights, 6-9:30 p.m. daily through Dec. 30. Admission is free but food pantry donations are accepted. Call (501) 835-8909 or visit cityofsherwood.net.

5 EXPRESS

The drive-in movie makes a comeback at Reels and Wheels, a Hot Springs homage to an old tradition. A screening of The Polar Express starts at 6 p.m. Friday at Hot Springs Memorial Field Airport, 525 Airport Road, Hot Springs. Admission is free. Call (501) 321-2027 or visit hotsprings.org.

6 ENTERTAINMENT I

Take in a stage show:

• It's the final weekend for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre's production of A Christmas Story, with shows at 7 p.m. today, 8̶ ̶p̶.̶m̶.̶ ̶F̶r̶i̶d̶a̶y̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶S̶a̶t̶u̶r̶d̶a̶y̶,̶ ̶2̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶7̶ ̶p̶.̶m̶.̶ ̶S̶u̶n̶d̶a̶y̶ ̶ 7 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Sunday* (yes, Christmas Day) at the Rep, Sixth and Main streets, Little Rock. Tickets are $40 and $50, $25 for students. Call (501) 378-0405 or visit therep.org/attend.

• A newlywed wife and a husband who's been moonlighting as a department-store Santa to buy her a fur coat for Christmas while telling her he's been working late at the office kick off a series of farcical mistaken marital identities in Sorry! Wrong Chimney! by Jack Sharkey and Leo W. Sears, Tuesday-Sunday through Dec. 31 at Murry's Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Col. Glenn Road, Little Rock. Doors and buffet open approximately 90 minutes before curtain: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. (No shows Christmas Eve or Christmas Day; New Year's Eve show will include dinner and breakfast buffets, party favors and champagne at midnight.) Tickets are $31-$35, $23 for children 15 and younger; show only, $25 and $15. Call (501) 562-3131 or visit murrysdp.com.

7 ENTERTAINMENT II

Take in a picture show. After a series of Wednesday openings, area theaters are playing could-be-blockbusters Assassin's Creed, Passengers, Sing and Why Him, in addition to recent releases Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Manchester by the Sea and Collateral Beauty. See Friday's Style section for more details and reviews.

8 EAT

Take in a Christmas buffet: There's a fairly short list of restaurants, hotels and other eateries that are offering Christmas Day meals. Check it out in today's Transitions column on Page 8E.

9 ENLIGHTENMENT

Take in a religious service: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are prime time for church services, and though Hanukkah, which starts at sundown Saturday, is not a major religious holiday, Jews will be celebrating for eight days. It's also the season of Kwanzaa and the Winter Solstice. Attend services at your house of worship, and in the interests of peace on Earth and goodwill toward men, think about attending a celebration or service at houses where folks of other religions worship. (Saturday's Religion pages could give you a head start.)

10 EXCHANGE

The Christmas shopping season used to start the day after Thanksgiving. Now it starts the day after Christmas. Sunday's paper will undoubtedly be full of advertising inserts chock-a-block with post-Christmas sale details. Go help those merchants clear their shelves of leftover Christmas candy, ugly sweaters, misfit toys, wrapping paper and stray electronics items, and/or exchange the ugly sweaters, misfit toys and stray electronics you got for Christmas but don't want. (They won't take back half-eaten Christmas candy or used wrapping paper, so don't try it.) Remember to use caution when entering busy retail intersections like West Markham Street and University Avenue and West Markham and Bowman Road in Little Rock and McCain Boulevard and U.S. 67/167 in North Little Rock. And in general, be careful out there.

Weekend on 12/22/2016

*CORRECTION: "A Christmas Story" is showing at the Rep at 7 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Sunday. This calendar had incorrect times.

Upcoming Events