5 Events for Weekend Fun: Greek Food Festival, Dragon Boats and Wild River Country
If the weather's nice, you can find us lounging by the water features at Wild River Country, which opens for the season this weekend. Then again, we might be stuffing our faces with falafel at the Greek Food Festival, cheering on the dragon boat races at Burns Park or enjoying a ballet performance of Snow White. Here are our top five events for family fun this weekend!
1. International Greek Food Festival at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church: Little Rock’s International Greek Food Festival celebrates 30 years of serving up scrumptious Greek cuisine -- that’s a lot of baklava! The family-friendly festival will once again feature the Old World Market, stocked with imported gift items and specialty foods, such as falafel mix, Greek olive oil, and Pete’s Famous Salad Dressing. Families can also enjoy the Kid’s Area, complete with rides and games. Or, watch dance performances on the entertainment stage while you nosh on hummus, gyros and calamari. The church will also be open for tours. This year, the festival will benefit Arkansas Children’s Hospital, CARTI, Community Connections, Easter Seals Arkansas, Harmony Health Clinic, Wolfe Street Foundation and Youth Home, Inc. May 16-17, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; May 18, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. For info: GreekFoodFest.com. Food and game prices vary; admission FREE!
2. River Cities Dragon Boat Festival at Burns Park Victory Lake: Now in its second year, this fundraising festival for the Children’s Protection Center is making waves with its unique main event: dragon boat racing. Amateur teams of 25 rowers can sign up; a professional company supplies boats, paddles and life vests, and helps teams train the week before the competition. On race day, the community is invited to Victory Lake in Burns Park to cheer on the fleet. At 9 a.m., a Dragon Ceremony explains the culture and history of dragon boat racing. Watch races all day, and don’t miss the championships between 2-4 p.m. On land, visitors can enjoy an all-day festival with music, food trucks and more. Tykes can bounce around an obstacle course, play games like Baggo, request a balloon animal, enjoy face painting, and make a dragon craft or mask inspired by Chinese culture. The festival is free for spectators; proceeds from team fees benefit the Children’s Protection Center. May 17, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. For info: RiverCitiesDragonBoatFestival.com. Spectators FREE!
3. Arkansas Festival Ballet's Snow White at Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre: The Arkansas Festival Ballet presents its annual storybook performance. This year's ballet interprets the story of Snow White and her seven diminutive friends. Expect original choreography, lush costuming and set design and much more. Read our full article about the production here. $20, children and students $15. 7:30 p.m. May 16, 2 & 7:30 p.m. May 17, 2 p.m. May 18. For info: ArkansasDance.org.
4. Little Rock Film Festival Artisan Street Fair at CALS Ron Robinson Theater: Little Rock Film Festival will host its first ever Artisan Street Fair as part of the 2014 Film Festival. The outdoor fair will be located next to the CALS Ron Robinson Theater in downtown Little Rock and pay homage to our Southern roots by bringing together a collection of Little Rock's best vendors. Browse the finest artisanal food, vintage clothing, jewelry, crafts, home goods, drinks and much more. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. May 17. For info, click here. Admission FREE!
5. Take Steps for Chrohn's and Colitis at Clinton Presidential Center Lawn: This celebratory day for family, friends and the community will celebrate all of the efforts that have been put forth in raising funds for cures for digestive diseases. The walk and festival will be filled with live music, food, kids’ entertainment, educational materials and more. 2 p.m. May 17, walk begins at 3 p.m. For info, click here. Admission FREE!
Want more ideas for weekend family fun? Click here to search our full online calendar.