August is when summer bears down so hard, not even a bear could stand it. But this blistering month offers survival in the form of nature's finest package: the ice-cold watermelon. Watermelon makes it possible to get on with this month's pirates and mosquitoes.
1 International Clown Week arrives — all in the same car.
MOBY HAPPY RETURNS
How to celebrate Moby-Dick author Herman Melville's birthday, 1819: Send a greeting — email Ishmael.
ROCKIES AND SMOKIES
Colorado admission day, 1876. Pot-friendly Colorado admits the law passed by a joint resolution.
OUTSIDE THE LINES
2 How to celebrate National Coloring Book Day: Color it red. Everybody knows that red Crayons taste the best.
DEALS ON WHEELS
Yards and Yards of Yard Sales through Aug. 2, Eureka Springs. Details at eurekaspringschamber.com. Call (479) 253-8737.
SHE SEED A SEED
3 National Watermelon Day and National Mustard Day: a drip and a squirt — either way, couldn't hurt.
SING OUT
Acapella Rising men's chorus show, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Center for Humanities and Arts, University of Arkansas Pulaski Technical College, North Little Rock. Details at acapellarising.com. Call (501) 791-7464.
PEROXIDE AND SEEK
4 Legally Blonde: The Musical, 2 p.m. at Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff. Details at asc701.org. Call (870) 536-3375.
THE WONDER THAT'S UNDER
5 National Underwear Day. Women of the Elizabethan era cinched themselves into corsets that squeezed extra tight thanks to being made with: (A) yew, the same springy wood from which Robin Hood made his bow; (B) recycled plastic mustard bottles, or (C) whalebone.
Answer at Aug. 25.
AVAST, AVASTWE'RE HAVIN' A BLAST
6 International Pirate Month.
Arr, I yam a pirate,
Ye best be a'feared,
I've grog in me mug,
Aye, and fleas in me beard;
I sail where I want,
And beware of me wrath;
I take what I want,
But I won't take a bath.
GRIN IS IN
7 National Smile Week shows off more choppers than a motorcycle rally in Mountain View.
(See Aug. 16.)
RED TAG
8 Bargains Galore on 64 — 160 miles of yard sales through Aug. 10 along U.S. 64 from Fort Smith all the way to Beebe. Details at bargainsgaloreon64.org.
PINK TAG
Hope Watermelon Festival with Watermelon Idol talent contest, Watermelon 5K run and watermelons through Aug. 10, Hope. Details at hopewatermelonfest.com. Call (870) 777-3640.
TOME SWEET TOME
9 Book Lovers Day — endorsed by celebrities Paige Davis, Leif Garrett and cover band Moby.
ALL THE GOOS FIT TO PRINT
10 National S'mores Day and gooey dessert-making, 6-6:30 p.m. at Like Fort Smith State Park near Mountainburg. Details at arkansas.com. Call (479) 369-2469.
MAKE A SQUISH
S'Mores are made of marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers, but where did marshmallows come from: (A) sliced-up cattail plants of the puffy kind that grow in marshes; (B) the mallow plant, or (C) Willy Wonka's Magic Marshmallow Factory.
Answer at Aug. 29.
WHOOZA GOOD BOY
Little Rock Arkansas Pet Expo, pet talent contest, microchipping, nail trims, through Aug. 11 at Conway Expo Center, Conway. Details at littlerockpetexpo.com. Call (800) 220-5520.
TAKE HEART
11 Romance Awareness Month.
"Love is all around, no need to waste it." — The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
NEEDLE ME THIS
12 How to celebrate Vinyl Record Day: Start from scratch.
ON THE OTHER HAND
13 Left-Handers Day. Notable left-handers include Bill Clinton, Queen Victoria, Keanu Reeves, and Wild West outlaw Billy the Kid.
"I don't run. I don't hide. I go where I want." — Paul Newman as Billy the Kid, The Left-Handed Gun (1958).
I GO PSYCHO
How to celebrate Alfred Hitchcock's birthday, 1899: like a master of suspense. Spend the day all wound up and wondering:
• When will anybody respond to your latest Facebook post?
• Is the chicken going to thaw in time for dinner?
• Does that whispering sound mean the house is haunted, or something worse — a leak.
BRAIN FREEZE TIMES THREES
14 National Creamsicle Day along with National Cherry Popsicle Day, Aug. 26, and National Grape Popsicle Day, Aug. 27, three reasons why not everybody has the same color of tongue.
REMEMBRANCE OF THINGS, PSST!
15 What Will Be Your Legacy Month. Everybody leaves a legacy of some kind, and as Shakespeare said: "No legacy is so rich as honesty."
I hope to be remembered
For things that I achieved,
For things I said exactly right,
And wisdom I perceived.
But chances are, the day I'm gone,
They'll tally up the score,
And find I didn't leave much
But my socks still on the floor.
HARLEY PARLEY
16 Mountains, Music and Motorcycles bike rally, dancing and beard contest through Aug. 18, Mountain View. Details at mountainmusicmotorcycles.com. Call (870) 269-8068.
CHAMPION CHARLIE
17 Charlie Wilson, 7 p.m. at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (501) 975-9000.
SNAKES ALIVE
Hooray for Herps Weekend through Aug. 18 at Pinnacle Mountain State Park near Little Rock. Details at arkansas.com. Call (501) 868-5806.
COONSKIN CHAP
Davy Crockett's birthday, 1786. Davy Crockett movie actor Fess Parker was born Aug. 16, 1924. Both wore coonskin caps, but Parker probably wore his more often and longer, as he went on to play a coonskin cap-wearing Dan'l Boone on television.
RIBBONS AND VOWS
18 Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Bridal Show, 12:30 - 5 p.m. at Statehouse Convention Center, Little Rock. Details at arkansasbridalcommunity.com. Call (501) 378-3807.
RESIDENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL
19 Former president from Arkansas Bill Clinton's birthday, 1946.
SKEETER, SKEETER,BUMPKIN EATER
20 World Mosquito Day hits a bump.
ON SCREEN AND OFF
21 Day after World Mosquito Day still itches.
OFF SCREEN AND ON
22 Filmland screenings and discussions with moviemakers through Aug. 25 at Ron Robinson Theater, Little Rock. Details at arkansascionemasociety.com.
NIT-PICK PICNIC
23 VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Is today your birthday? If so, no cake for you unless you tidy up your room. Virgos like things neat and clean, and spic-and-span. Fine and dandy, then, so do Sean Connery, 89 on Aug. 25, and Cameron Diaz, 47 on Aug. 30.
NEVER WANTED NOTHING MORE
Chris Stapleton, 7 p.m. at Verizon Arena, North Little Rock. Details at verizonarena.com. Call (501) 975-9000.
PARTY LIKE IT'S "1979"
Smashing Pumpkins and Noel Gallagher, 7 p.m. at Walmart AMP, Rogers. Details at waltonartscenter.org. Call (479) 443-5600.
WINNER BY A WHISKER
24 National Catfish Month, and fisherman's guide to disgustingly sure-fire catfish baits:
• Stinky chicken livers.
• Icky nightcrawlers.
• Celebrity Tweets.
BRIEFS STATEMENT
25 Tight-laced quiz answer: (C) whalebone, part of a whale's jaw. Moby-Dick escaped being made into fashions, but the Vineyard Vines pink whale wasn't so lucky.
PUP, PUP AND AWAY
26 National Dog Day, and how smart puppies keep cool in the sweltering midst of these Dog Days of Summer:
• Airedales air off.
• Shelties shelter.
• Chow-chows chill-chill.
RIPE ENTERTAINMENT
27 A Bad Year for Tomatoes through Sept. 21 at Murry's Dinner Playhouse, Little Rock. Details at murrysdp.com. Call (501) 562-3131.
EYES HAVE IT
28 National Eye Exam Month is better on Aug. 28 or Aug. 29? Aug. 28 or Aug. 30? Aug. 30 or Aug. 31?
STUCK ON A STICK
29 All-puffed-up quiz answer: (B) mallow as far back as ancient Egypt. Mellow pharaohs swallowed pillow-soft marshmallows made of mallow. But today's marshmallows are made of not much but sugar and air.
LIVE COVERAGE
30 Frankenstein Day arises from the birthday of Frankenstein author Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, 1797
YOU? BLUE? PHOO!
31 Hot Springs Blues Festival with Charlotte Taylor and Gypsy Rain, the Steve Hester Band, downtown Hot Springs. Details at spacityblues.org.
SLOW COOKER
32 August is so hot —
33 It seems like —
34 The longest month of all, and —
35 This proves it.
Coming next month: September! Write to Ron Wolfe at
by Aug. 15 to suggest September calendar entries or how to celebrate Sept. 5 as Cheese Pizza Day, such as: with loads of extra toppings, or just settle for a salad. All entries require a web address and/ or phone number that is answered during business hours.
Style on 07/30/2019