RICKY SKAGGS: He'll play a gospel concert at Immanuel Baptist Church at 6 p.m. April 15. 376-3071.

Here comes the Judge
Actor Judge Reinhold, whose wife, Amy, is from Little Rock, is the guest of honor at the Ozark Foothills Filmfest’s climactic weekend in Heber Springs. Reinhold will appear at a banquet Saturday, April 16, at Eden Isle’s Red Apple Inn, beginning at 5 p.m., then will join filmgoers in Heber Springs at the Gem Theater for an 8 p.m. showing of “Beverly Hills Cop,” in which he co-starred.
Tickets for the banquet are $40 per person and $75 per couple, and the price includes the movie. Call the filmfest office at 870-251-1189, Eden Isle at 501-362-3111 or visit www.ozarkfoothillsfilmfest.org.
See “Film” in this edition’s calendar for other festival events.
Tap the beer
Foam Fest, the beer buffet and live music event benefiting the Arkansas Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, is back again on Friday, April 15, at the River Market Pavilion. More than 75 beers and wines will be available for sampling. Kegs will be tapped from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the live music will be provided by Max Taylor and the Blue Katz, Satchel Boogie, Big Man and the Wheels and Lost in Translation. Tickets are $20 for drinkers, or $10 for teetotalers/designated drivers (with all-you-can-drink water and soda available for them). All attendees must be age 21 or over. Advance tickets for $15 can be purchased by calling 664-7242.
Hear a political star
Noted Massachusetts political kingpin and author William M. Bulger, who dominated politics for years in what is considered the most political state in the union, will speak at the University of Central Arkansas on Monday, April 18, at 1 p.m. in Reynolds Performance Hall. Bulger, who moved from the Massachusetts state senate to serving as president of the University of Massachusetts for eight years, has been featured on “60 Minutes,” “Meet the Press,” and numerous other nationally televised programs. The lecture at UCA is free and open to the public.
Get a rush
The Aerospace Education Center will make up its free “Adrenaline Rush Day” that was originally scheduled on Easter weekend, featuring an inflatable rock climbing wall and money tornado machine, skydivers and helicopter rides from noon to 3 p.m. The center’s IMAX theater is featuring “Adrenaline Rush: The Science of Risk.”
The tornado money machine will be loaded with prizes including passes to the Little Rock Climbing Center, Arkansas Twister game passes, free skydiving passes from Central Arkansas Parachuting Center, a free helicopter ride and free passes to the IMAX Theater.
The Aerospace Education Center is located at 3301 East Roosevelt Road near the Little Rock National Airport.
Voices for screen songs
The River City Men’s Chorus takes fans on a journey from Verdi to Sondheim with the program “From Stage to Screen,” and wraps up its season at 3 p.m. Sunday at Trinity United Methodist Church.
The show is free. Trinity UMC is at Evergreen and Mississippi streets.
Fine eats in Chenal
The Cook’s Tour, an annual benefit for the Arkansas Cancer Research Center at UAMS, will be held at various Chenal Valley homes Friday, April 15, and Sunday, April 17. A patron’s party in honor of medical anthropologist Debbie Erwin, Ph. D. with a full buffet will be held from 7-10 p.m. Friday at 38 Chenal Circle. Tickets are $100.
On Sunday from 1-4 p.m., four golf course homes in Germay Court will play host to four of Little Rock’s finest chefs: Evette Brady of 1620 Restaurant, Peter Brave of Brave New Restaurant, Michael Selig of Vermillion Bistro and Mark Abernathy of Loca Luna and Bene Vita. Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the homes on the day of the event. For tickets or more information on either of the events, call 296-1504, ext. 1637, or 539-3868.
Hopping in Hot Springs
Hot Springs will have concerts, a festival and the end of Oaklawn Park’s season, including the running of the Arkansas Derby, over the next five days.
Country crooner Vince Gill performs at the Summit Arena on Thursday, April 14. The multi-grammy-award-winning country star is the headline attraction for the Hot SpringFest celebration. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $35 for the lower level, $30 for the upper level, and are available through Ticketmaster (975-7575 in Little Rock, 321-1919 in Hot Springs) or at the arena box office.
Prince of Peace Lutheran Church will be holding an old-time music festival Thursday through Saturday, April 14-16, with “Whoa Down!” featuring an introductory banjo workshop at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, contra dancing at 7 p.m. Friday, and dulcimer, claw-hammer banjo and fiddle workshops from 9 a.m.-noon and 1-4 p.m. Saturday. Saturday concerts feature banjo/dulcimer player Scott Odena at 4 p.m. and fiddler/banjoist Dan Levenson at 7 p.m. The classes are $50, the dance is $5 and the concerts are $8. Call 501-282-1418 or visit www.whoadown.com.
Dove Award-winning gospel music group Point of Grace, which includes three Ouachita Baptist University alumnae, will play Horner Hall in the Civic and Convention Center on Monday, April 18, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 through Ticketmaster or the Summit Arena box office. The group’s latest release is “I Choose You.”
The Arkansas Derby, a 1-and-1/8th mile race for 3-year-old thoroughbreds, will be run Saturday at 5:15 p.m. at Oaklawn Park. The race is part of an 11-race card beginning at noon and is the capper to Oaklawn’s annual “Racing Festival of the South.” Last year’s winner, Smarty Jones, went on to win the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. Gates open at 10 a.m., and admission is $2. Call 1-800-625-5296.
Hardy celebrates
The Northeast Arkansas community of Hardy will be celebrating with arts and crafts, food, music and more at the Old Hardy Town 23rd Annual Spring Festival on Saturday and Sunday, April 16-17. The festival is free and open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The event draws thousands annually to the tiny town (population 600), with more than 130 craft vendors. The children’s entertainment includes moonwalking, a petting zoo and face painting. It all happens on Main Street and in the Hardy Gym Community Center. Hardy is on U.S. Highway 63, a two-and-a-half hour drive from Little Rock. Call 870-856-3571 or visit www.oldhardytown.com.

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