This is a listing of activities of interest to residents of Southeast Arkansas. Anyone who would like to submit entries for consideration may do so in writing to the Entertainment Calendar, P.O. Box 6469, Pine Bluff, Ark., 71611. Since all activities are subject to change, it would be wise to confirm the activity with the sponsoring organization.
February
17 — St. Joseph Catholic Church, 412 W. Sixth Ave., will hold its Lenten fish fry from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The church will host a Lenten fish fry for seven consecutive Fridays through March 30. The cost of a dinner is $11 for adults and $5.50 for children. The meal is all-you-can-eat and participants can dine in or carry out.
17-19 — The John McLinn Ross Players of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will present, as their annual play for young audiences, a lively stage adaptation of the award-winning children’s book “Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters.” Public performances will be held on the campus of UAPB in the Hathaway Howard Fine Arts Center. Show dates and times are: Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 18-19 at 3 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 and $5 for students with ID. Tickets are $6 for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to make reservations, call Alexis M. Skinner at 870-575-8428 or e-mail skinner@uapb.edu.
17-29 — Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Historical Museum, 201 E. Fourth Ave., will present “Persistence of the Spirit”, a traveling exhibit from the Arkansas Humanities Council, in which 300 years of African American life from territorial days through the slave era to the present are documented with rare photographs and artifacts. Museum hours for viewing will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum is free.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
18 — The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will mark the 25th anniversary of the Chancellor’s Benefit for the Arts beginning at 6:30 p.m. with a cocktail reception and silent auction at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
18 — The Altar and Rosary Society of St. Peter Catholic Church will host its 19th annual Mardi Gras Ball to honor this year’s king and queen from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. The event will be held in the St. Peter’s school gymnasium, 15th Avenue and State Street. The theme for the ball is “Midnight Masquerade XIX”. The tickets for the ball are $20 each and may be obtained by calling Mae Dean Ryles at 870-534-0725.
19 — The Pine Bluff Branch of the National Association of University Women’s (NAUW) International/Black History Day and Health Initiative program will be held at 3 p.m. in the Adair-Greenhouse (Home Economics) Building on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. The guest speaker will be Shirley L. Woodus, office/human resource manager for Thompson Hospitality at UAPB.
19 — The Jefferson County Democratic Women will host a Membership Tea from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in the Garden Room of the Holiday Inn Express at The Pines mall. A special guest at the event will be state Sen. Linda Pondexter Chesterfield, assistant president pro tempore, 2nd District. Details: Contact Becky Robinson at 870-766-4188 or Mary Whiteaker at 870-247-2880.
20 — Celebrating 25 years of entertaining families throughout North America, the Piccadilly Circus is coming to the Pine Bluff Convention Center at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are: Adults general admission — $30 in advance/$32 day of show; Adults VIP seats/chairs — $38 in advance/$42 day of show; Kids general admission — $11; and Kids VIP seats/chairs — $19 in advance/$21 day of show. Advance tickets may be purchased at the Piccadilly Circus website.
20 — The local annual Talent Hunt Competition for high school students in grades nine through 12 will be held at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater of Pine Bluff High School. This event is sponsored by the Tau Phi Graduate Chapter and Tau Sigma Undergraduate Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc.
25 — The Pine Bluff Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., will again present to the Pine Bluff community 35 of Pine Bluff’s outstanding and distinguished young men during its 25th Annual Red and White Delta Distinguished Gentlemen’s Banquet. The event will be held at 6 p.m. at the Pine Bluff Convention Center.
March
6 — Minding Your P’s and Q’s: Parliamentary Procedure for the 21st Century,” a session on conducting more efficient and effective meetings, will be held in the conference room of the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service, 500 Idaho St. Activities will get underway at 5:30 p.m., with an informal supper. The program will begin at 6 p.m. There is no admission fee, but preregistration is required. This can be completed by calling the Extension office at 870-534-1033 or e-mailing mkizer@uaex.edu. The deadline for registering is Feb. 27.