January 2023
NWA MLK Council
Recommitment Banquet
14 6:30 p.m. -- The 27th annual Recommitment Banquet, sponsored by the Northwest Arkansas Martin Luther King Jr. Council, will be at the Fayetteville Public Library. The group will present scholarships and recognize the 2023 Salute to Greatness honorees. Cornel West will be the evening's featured speaker. Tickets are $50, $75 or $125, and sponsorships are available.
Recipients of the 2023 Salute to Greatness Awards are:
• Dr. John L Colbert -- Lifetime Achievement Award;
• Helena Gadison -- Ernestine White-Gibson Individual Achievement Award;
• Mike Day -- Rodney Momon Youth Award;
• John Newman -- Rev. J.A. Hawkins Posthumous Award;
• Squire Jehagen Outreach Center -- Organization of Year Award.
Information: (479) 409-1139 or [email protected]
Season Leaks!
Arkansas Public Theatre
20 6 p.m. -- Arkansas Public Theatre leaders will announce the 2022-23 season at the annual Season Leaks! in Rogers. Organizers say theater members and sponsors will receive a coupon code for free admission. Food and drinks will be provided. Information: (479) 631-8988 or arkansaspublictheatre.org.
Frozen Toes 5K/15K
Kessler Mountain Regional Park
21 8 a.m. -- The city of Fayetteville's annual cold weather trail running race -- the Frozen Toes 5K and 15K -- will be run at Kessler Mountain Regional Park. Organizers say the race "is perfect for runners looking to transition from a 5K or 10K to a longer distance or for those who want to try their first trail running race. The single-track trails of Kessler Mountain are technical in most areas, but the views are worth every step of the course. Take a break from the pavement and give trail running in the Natural State a try."
Registration is $35 for 15K runners and $30 for 5K runners. Both groups will get custom event socks, finisher medals, hot soup, cold beer and more.
Information: [email protected] or app.regwiz.io/register/frozentoes/945.
5K Tutu Run and 1/4 Marathon
Western Arkansas Ballet
21 9 a.m. -- The annual Tutu Run 5K and Quarter Marathon to benefit Western Arkansas Ballet will be held along the Greg Smith River Trail in downtown Fort Smith. Entrants can run or walk a 5K or quarter marathon. The event is chip-timed, and each participant will receive a finisher's medal.
Pre-registration for the 5K is $25 or$35 day of race; Quarter Marathon is $35 pre-registration, $45 day of race. Registration and packet pick up will be 10- a.m.-6 p.m. Jan. 20 at True Grit Running Company or 7:30-8:30 a.m. Jan. 21 at the Riverfront Parks Building.
Registration: runsignup.com/Race/AR/FortSmith/WesternArkansasBalletTutuRun.
Information: (479) 785-0152 or waballet.org.
February 2023
Moonlight Masquerade
Junior League of Northwest Arkansas
3 7 p.m. -- The Junior League of Northwest Arkansas' 11th annual Moonlight Masquerade will be at Heroncrest Event Center in Springdale.
Organizers say: "Our annual gala is held to UNMASK domestic violence with the goal to educate the public on what domestic violence is and that it does not discriminate within any demographic.
"Just as the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas empowers the women within our league, we want to empower the public and domestic violence survivors to take a stand.
"We will be going down south to the streets of New Orleans for our Mardi Gras themed masquerade."
Individual tickets for the cocktail-attire event -- with masks highly recommended -- are $150, with tables for 10 available for $1,250. Sponsorships are available.
Information: juniorleaguenwa.org or [email protected]
Frost Fest
NWA nonprofits
4 2 p.m. early access, 3 p.m. general admission -- Frost Fest outdoor beer festival returns this year to the Washington County Fairgrounds in Fayetteville.
Organizers say: "Presented by Fossil Cove Brewing Company, Frost Fest highlights craft breweries, creators and makers while supporting nonprofits in the Northwest Arkansas area."
A percentage of ticket sales for the event will benefit Barley, Hops & Water; Apple Seeds Inc.; Arkansas Brewers Guild; Arkansas Climbers Coalition; Ozark Highlands Trail Association; and Ozark Off-Road Cyclists.
Frost Fest guests will receive a tasting glass for beer sampling and access to the festival that includes more than 40 breweries, vendors, live music, artists and food trucks. "The musical lineup will include Fayetteville singer, yodeler, and songwriter Nick Shoulders & OK Crawdad, as well as the local punk group, The Phlegms, and local rock band, Vintage Pistol."
The event is ticketed, and guests must be 21 years old and present a valid ID for entry. Tickets can be purchased online at fossilcovebrewing.com/frost-fest prior to the event. Ticket options include early access for $100, general admission for $70 before Jan. 1 or $80 after and designated driver admission for $30.
Early access tickets provide access into the festival grounds one hour before the event opens, giving early access with fewer crowds, shorter lines and the chance to sample popular breweries that will likely run out.
"This is going to be an epic year for Frost Fest," said Andrew Blann, Fossil Cove Brewing marketing director. "We are excited to bring this celebration of craft beer back to Fayetteville after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. We have great live music planned for this year, and we've got a lot of fantastic breweries from around the country ready to share their beers with our community."
All In Casino Night
Teen Action & Support Center
4 6-10 p.m. -- The annual All in Casino Night to benefit the Teen Action and Support Center will be held at the Embassy Suites in Rogers. Organizers say the evening will offer casino games including poker, blackjack, craps, roulette and slot machines; heavy hors d'oeuvres served station-style; live and silent auctions; two drink tickets with general admission or unlimited with VIP tickets; and cash bar. Participants will have the opportunity to redeem winnings for a chance to win raffle prizes.
Tickets for the cocktail attire event are $100 for general admission and $150 for VIP.
Information: tascnwa.org.
Deadline to submit additional February information is Jan. 15. Send event information to Carin Schoppmeyer at [email protected]
Runners set out Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, during the annual Frozen Toes 5K/15K race at Kessler Mountain Regional Park in Fayetteville. The race features single-track trail running though the trails on Kessler Mountain and is sponsored by the city of Fayetteville?s Parks and Recreation Department. Visit nwaonline.com/220123Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
John L Colbert, superintendent of Fayetteville Public Schools, reads ?Green Eggs and Ham? by Dr. Seuss Wednesday, March 2, 2022, to a group of students at Washington Elementary School as a part of an observance of Read Across America Day. The event was only the second such assembly in the school since the pandemic began in 2020. Visit nwaonline.com/220303Daily/ for today's photo gallery. (NWA Democrat-Gazette/Andy Shupe)
One of Arkansas Public Theatre’s biggest musicals in 2022 was “The Music Man,” on stage in September. Find out what’s on the community theatre company’s schedule for 2023-24 at the Season Leaks! reveal Jan. 20 at the Victory Theatre in downtown Rogers. (Courtesy Photo/APT)