Hot Springs Hot Spots Magazine - June 2015

hot springs

JUNE 2015

THE ULTIMATE ISSUE pg 20 INTO THE LIGHT pg 10

JAHNA’s pg 6 RYAN SAUDERS pg 8 HSHotSpots.com

TINKERFEST PG 32 THE ODD COUPLE PG 29 #hshotspots

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Lunch Wed-Fri 11am - 2pm

Dinner Tues-Thurs 5pm-9pm Fri-Sat 5pm - 10pm

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1803 Airport Road

Hot Springs, Arkansas (501) 767-0200

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1542 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901 • (501) 620-4150 Hot Springs’ “MuSt See” Rated Number One for the 19th Season!

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501-623-6200 for reservations & showtimes

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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

HOT SPRINGS HOT SPOTS CREATIVE/ART Marisa Rodgers EDITORS Josh Williams J. L. James PHOTOGRAPHY Jeremy Rodgers Amanda Shelley Ledbetter CONTRIBUTORS Grace Brown James Overstreet Jeremy Mackey Denise White Parkinson SALES Josh Williams

June is the first real month of summer, and like always, we want to help you keep active. This issue, we have one sure-fire way to do that, if you’re man or woman enough to handle it. Ultimate is a sport only decades old that’s quickly rising in popularity, and one group in Hot Springs is busting balls to get you to pay attention to it. We take a look at Hot Springs’ longest running community theater as they do a little gender flopping with the “Odd Couple,” we profile a couple women who put their heart and soul into art classes at Emergent Arts and Mid-America lets your kiddos pull apart electronics and appliances so they don’t do it in your kitchen. Speaking of kitchen, fine Italian dining is done properly at Jahna’s, which is now open for lunch. We introduce you to a Spa City family who wants you to take a hike, literally. We have two artists, one musical, one an author and film maker, who’ve been through the dark, and through their craft, have come in to the light.

In other news, turns out 2015 was designated as the International Year of Light and the International Year of Soils by the 68th session of the U.N. General Asssembly. WTF? Here’s something that matters: the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling this month over the constitutionality of the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. Although the state Supreme Court denied a second round of oral arguments and you may see a rant in this spot next issue, for now we’re placing our faith in our justice system and choosing to be optimistic. We’ll see how far it gets us.

We’d like to thank our several contributiors this month, you’re awesome, keep it up. We’d liike to hear from more of you, your feedback, your stories, your photos, your criticisms. Facebook us or something.

Enjoy your June, and as always, stay classy, Hot Springs (always wanted to do that).

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EATS JAHNA’S

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SERVING A NEW FOODGASMIC LUNCH MENU & DINNER FAVORITES

MUS I C RYAN SAUDERS

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LOCAL ARTIST TURNS PERSONAL PAIN INTO AUDIENCE’s PLEASURE

ART S INTO THE LIGHT

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NEW DOCUMENTARY CELEBRATES STRENGTH OVER ADVERSITY

G IVI NG EMERGENT ARTS

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WHERE COMMUNITY AND CREATIVITY COME TO LIGHT

32 D O N’T M I S S ALBUM REVIEWS

FE AT U RED

20 NOT JUST FOR HIPPIES 26 TAKE A HIKE

A QUICKLY QUICKLY GROWING SPORT EVERYONE CAN DO RESURRECTING AN OLD-TIME REMEDY with EXERCISE & NATURE

29 THE ODD COUPLE 32 TINKERFEST

A CLASSIC NEIL SIMON COMEDY WITH AN INTERSTING TWIST DISCOVER THE COMPLEX INNERWORKINGS OF EVERYDAY MACHINES

9 10 LIVE SHOW LISTINGS 16 restaurant LISTINGS 33 TOP 5 REASONS TO SEE 35 CALENDAR OF EVENTS

THE MAGICAL ADVENTURES OF BILL CLINTON JUNE

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EATS

Jahna’s

Afternoon delight, Italian-Style: Jahna’s Italian Restaurant serves a new foodgasmic lunch menu and dinner favorites

Photography by Jeremy Rodgers

Story by Josh Williams

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We all love that little early post-meridian escapade. That secret rendezvous with someone special can turn a crappy day into a great one, especially when that blissful encounter is with an Italian stallion.

Who doesn’t love spaghetti and meatballs or chicken Florentine or lasagna, particularly at about high noon?

Nobody. And now, Jahna’s Italian Restaurant, owned by Rodney and Kristi Ferguson, caters to your pasta-filled pipe dreams and your manicotti-infused musings even on your lunch break.

For those of you who haven’t been to Jahna’s, I strongly suggest you visit. I’m ashamed to say I hadn’t been a customer until recently; I feel like I’ve been missing out on a guarded secret. The minute I walked in, I felt the love emanating from the heart of this establishment.

The warm “hellos,” the sweet sounds of Sinatra and the intoxicating aroma of fresh basil and roasted tomatoes

took me to a place that’s usually reserved for members of the opposite sex.

As I sat down at the elegant yet unpretentious place setting, I was immediately greeted with menus and a glass of ice water. I perused the surprisingly varied lunch menu which contained everything from chicken parmesan and bleu cheese mushroom burgers to calzones stuffed with sausage, onions, peppers and a blend of parmesan and ricotta, Italian cold cut sandwiches, salad entrées and pastas. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the variety of wraps available, accompanied by refreshing side dishes like potato salad, pasta salad and fresh seasonal fruit.

I decided on the sausage calzone with a side salad of fresh greens, red onions and tomatoes accentuated with a light, Italian style vinaigrette. The perfectly baked crust was crispy, buttery and delicious. My

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friend Mike deftly chose the chicken parmesan sandwich, which was about as big as his head, and my co-editor J.L. James raised his intelligence quotient a couple points by ordering the spaghetti and meatballs, which according to him were “freaking delicious” and “the best meatballs I’ve ever had, seriously.” During the meal, we never went without, the wait staff tending to us closely.

It’s obvious that the Ferguson family, the proprietors of the fine establishment, truly cares about their customers. Even their quick-witted and wellmannered 9-year-old son Cody threw his hat in the ring with the rest of the family, making sure we were comfortable. The kid’s got more candor than most adults I’ve met. The phrase “When you’re here, you’re family” is misleadingly attached to some dull chain restaurant that shall remain nameless.

The entrees aren’t the only thing on the menu that come with diversification. Specialty beverage offerings change daily; cantaloupe water, fresh-squeezed strawberry lemonade and cranberry limeade are as refreshing as they sound. Jahna’s offers an array of decadent desserts too. You can experience the traditional cannoli, or you can saturate your palate with a mixture of succulent cheesecakes, which include espresso, cookies and cream and margarita style. I recommend the latter. It’s made with

cream cheese, sour cream, fresh lime juice and zest and a salted animal cracker crust then garnished with a glaze of Cuervo Gold, Galliano and Cointreau. I’m not religious, but I equate it to being slapped in the face by some sweaty, polyester suit-wearing TV evangelist — halleluiah!

As the meal was winding down, the Fergusons came to check on us yet again — did I mention how great the service was? They said their decision to open for lunch was inspired by their loyal customer base. “We just kept getting so many requests to open for lunch that we decided to do it,” Rodney beamed as he prebussed our table. “These first couple weeks have just been phenomenal — much better than we anticipated.

Everyone has been really excited and we couldn’t have asked for better results so far.”

With the exception of the cannoli shells, used in their popular dessert, everything at Jahna’s is made fresh, even the bread, using local suppliers where it’s possible. “We like to do things fresh, farm to table,” Kristi said after setting a slice of margarita cheesecake on the table. “We work with Blooming Wands Farm in Bismarck.

After seeing the response we know we have to add more options, particularly vegetarian and gluten-free choices.”

Rodney said that before they decided to become restaurateurs they owned and operated a

chicken farm, and before that did specialty tile and wood floors, but running a restaurant had always been a dream of his. Rodney graduated from the University of AlaskaFairbanks with a degree in business, so it’s no surprise that the family who has been in the restaurant business for a whole six months seems like they’ve been in it forever.

Their hard work is no surprise, they’ve been doing it their whole lives. “We don’t deserve all the credit,” Kristi said.

“Our head chef Jose Ruiz knows what he’s doing. He came with the restaurant when we purchased it, and we’re so glad he did.”

My lunch party didn’t want to leave, but alas, we had work to do. I wanted to stay and try the fivecourse dinner that included mussel, clam and shrimp pescatora, farfalle with smoked salmon, and fillet mignon with Alaskan king crab. There aren’t many places you can go today to get lunch for about $10 lunch that tastes like a $40 lunch, but this place tucked away on Hwy 70 West gets the job done. We will definitely be regulars from here on out. You should become one too.

Jahna’s Italian Restaurant is open for lunch at 11 Wednesday through Friday and open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Be sure to check them out on Facebook, for more information call 501-767-0200, or better yet, go eat lunch at 1803 Airport Rd.

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MUSIC

RYAN SAUDERS

From a driving beat to a subtle base line to an incendiary lead riff to an introspective lyric, music touches everyone in a completely different way. It can move us, break our hear ts, and inspire us, all simultaneously. Music is multi-cultural and, paradoxically, a common language. Hot Springs has a long history steeped in the ar ts. That history combined with a growing movement for downtown revitalization is creating a unique and flourishing music scene. Ryan Sauders is a newcomer to that music scene but not a newcomer to the stage.

When I first met Sauders he was searching for a small surfboard but decided on buying a kayak.

Like everything he does in life, he jumped in with both feet, and before long we were paddling whitewater together. It was at a kayaking festival that I first heard him play the guitar around a campfire. His passion for

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Local artist combines demons of the past with musical versatility to turn personal pain into the Audience’s pleasure music was evident. After hearing a few of his original songs, I immediately became a fan. The next time I caught Sauders playing music, he was playing the djembe and other small percussion instruments with his father-in-law Billy Herrel’s band, “Billy’s Front Porch Pickers.” Sauders said he “couldn’t keep up on the guitar,” but his father-in-law, a lifetime musician and owner of Billy’s House of Guitars in Glenwood, let him play a few original tunes while the band was on a break. Tragically, Herrel died less than 24 hours before his son-in-law’s first show as a solo musician.

“In a way,” Sauders recalled with a distant, reflective stare, “it felt like he was handing over the reins to me.

He taught me how to talk to the audience and keep things moving while on stage. He also taught me how to take a cover song, add a twist, blend genres and create something that is fun and unexpected.”

Sauders took these lessons to hear t and then stepped it up a notch. His cover of “Clint Eastwood” by The Gorillaz mixed with “Handlebars” by Flobots is a prime example. Using a cahone, a small shaker, his guitar and a loop pedal, Sauders weaves together a unique version of the songs, displaying his musical versatility.

Before taking the stage, instead of sitting at the bar nonchalantly sipping a beer, you’ll find Sauders pacing. Dealing with his nerves is par t of his process. But he transforms when he takes the stage.

The once geeky, socially awkward and hyper active HVAC technician becomes exactly who he wants to be, a musician telling his story, beautifully, ar tfully and unapologetically. Sauders’ story, unfor tunately, isn’t unusual. He had loving parents who, while dealing with their own demons, separated.

hot springs Photography by Jeremy Rodgers

ALBUMS ON REVIEW

Story by Jeremy Mackey

Sauders star ted down a path of selfmedication and self-destruction, eventually landing him in jail and rehab. He wrote most of the songs that will appear on his soon-to-be-released debut album during what he calls that “dark time.” One track with the working title, “Vaudeville/Self-por trait,” which Sauders wrote after the death of his mother, has a haunting, somber tone. “If there were a video for this song it would be a really dark and gritty carnival side show,” Sauders said. He imagines his mom’s younger years as this circus, wild and fast. He eludes to the pain he felt when she had to leave and how it affected him. Becoming lost in the lyrics and his mom’s story as we talk, it’s evident that his yesteryears are still as haunting as the melody of the song. But he doesn’t dwell in the past. In fact he is hopeful for the future.

In his song, “Hollow Shell,” he relays some advice from his grandfather. His consciousness in songwriting is what sets Sauders apar t from other songwriters.

Sauders’ music isn’t just influenced by his past, however, and even before the release of his first album in late August, he’s already been planning a concept album. Second only to music, is his obsession with comic books. Something else he picked up from Herell along the way. The vision for his concept album includes a graphic novel accompaniment of a sci-fi telling of the biblical story of the fall of man. One of the songs for this album, “The Fall,” is borne of a dichotomy of inspirations. While it’s an obvious re-telling of the biblical fall, the track also contains under tones and allusions to his own story of failed relationships. In this deliberate nature of his song writing Sauders again finds his unique voice. Sauders’ goal for his music is simple: “I was in a situation where nothing else would help me and music was the one thing that helped pull me out and I have a desire to pay that forward. The hope is that one person, in a similar situation, can hear that someone in this shitty ass universe gets it and believes that I understand.”

You can catch up with Sauders this summer at various venues around Hot Springs. For show dates and other fun randomness, give Ryan Sauders Music a follow on Facebook and be on the lookout for his debut album expected late August.

MELISSA CARPER ARKANSAS BOUND

Melissa Carper, who has spent most of her musical career playing stand-up bass for a slew of notable string bands, has added a new instrument to her repertoire, the claw hammer banjo, and released her first-ever solo album, “Arkansas Bound.” Carper plays bass and claw hammer banjo on half of the 11-track release, with Joe Sundell filling the banjo role on the other half. With “Arkansas Bound,” the current bassist of The Carper Family, The Camptown Ladies and Sad Daddy establishes herself as front person.

“Arkansas Bound,” both the album and the title track, is a title inspired by Carper’s longing to return to Eureka Springs, Ark. after a six-year hiatus in Austin, Texas. The title track, an upbeat and yet, bluesy, ditty both

ZAC BROWN BAND JEKylL & HYDE

So, Zac Brown Band released their fourth album recently, and oddly enough I didn’t hate it. Country music has successfully stayed off of my playlist since I went to college, but I have to say “Jekyll + Hyde” is pretty good.

We’ve seen several artists transition from the country music scene and enter in new genres, and it seems like this new album has more of a rockin’ flare than any other albums released by the band.

embodies the tone of the album and reveals a bit about Carper’s personal life and feelings. The second and third tracks respectively, “Bedtime in Texas” and “Don’t Let the Aliens Take Him Away,” are country-blues songs with a gospel feel. Carper shows off her vocal range in these songs, revealing her childhood church singing experience.

From melancholy to joy to her ironic humor, Carper’s words and music grab hold of the listener, forcing him or her to empathize. The lyrics of “Christian Girlfriend” and “Sally, Sally” delve into relationship issues but without the melodrama and pretense found in most pop love songs.

Carper returns to album’s theme in the tenth track, “Getting Arkansas Plates,” a folky tune full of sanguine nostalgia that also pokes a little fun at The Natural State.

Most of the album are country-blues ballads, but the bluegrassy folk tunes come in at just the right time so that the tempos are never redundant. Carper wrote nine of the 11 tracks featured on the release, covering Jimmie Rodgers “Gambling Bar Room Blues” and her bandmate Gina Gallina’s “He Gimme the Cash” to round out the track list. “Arkansas Bound” is an independent production funded in part by Kickstarter. It’s a must for anyone who enjoys traditional folk, country or acoustic blues. Carper’s vocal and instrumental talents are phenomena to behold. On a one to 10, it’s a solid nine, and in the J.L. James book of music snobbery, nines don’t come easy. — Review by J. L. James

They stay true to their country roots and open with some mad banjo skills, but the song really lost me.

“Beautiful Drug” is the opening track, and sorry-not sorry the lyrics are generic. Don’t get me wrong, I really liked the music, but the lyrics just repeated every love song already on the radio, and quite frankly it’s getting kinda old. However, the band really experiments stylistically in “Mango Tree.” I felt like I was listening to a Bublé album. I particularly enjoyed the fact that Sara Bareilles is featured in this track.

The rock vibe that comes off in “Junkyard” is hands-down awesome! Seriously, this will be part of my daily commute playlist. The seven minute track features sweet vocals and even better guitar riffs.

I was surprised with this album; it’s a creation all its own. It mixes tracks that vary in style while creating an overall pleasing album. Just when I thought I had escaped my interest in country music, it pulls me back in. I encourage anyone who doesn’t listen to country music give this album a listen, it isn’t your typical country music album. Definetly something to check out.. — Review by Grace Brown

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VENUES

LIVE SHOW LISTINGS FRI 6/5 SAT 6/6

FRI 6/12

AMASA HINES (AR) Indie OIL BOOM (TX) Rock ADVANCE CASSETTE (TX) Alternative GHOST BONES (AR) Psych GG EARTH (LA) Psych TINDERBOX CIRCUS SIDESHOW (KY) Classic Carnival FOUL PLAY CABARET (AR) Burlesque SAD DADDY (AR) Southern Soul FOUL PLAY CABARET (AR) Burlesque JOSH POWELL AND THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY (IN) Folk Rock BLOODLESS COOTIES (AR) Trash JOHN PUGH of !!! (AR) Indie MYA’S MADAMS DRAG SHOW (AR) Drag JAMES AND THE ULTRASOUNDS (TN) Rock TEN HIGH (AR) Psych/Garage/Blues

EVERY THURS

JEFF HARTZELL (AR) Rock/Country

SAT 6/13 700 CENTRAL AVE.

FRI 6/19 SAT 6/20

THURS 6/25

FRI 6/26 SAT 6/27

4330 CENTRAL AVE.

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FRI SAT FRI SAT SAT FRI SAT

6/5 JEFF HARTZELL (AR) Rock/Country 6/6 DELTA DONNIE (AR) Blues 6/12 RYAN SAUDERS (AR) Alternative 6/13 Eric Ward (AR) Classic Rock 6/19 Derek Herndon (AR) Country 6/26 Blane Howard (AR) Country 6/27 Hooker Red (AR) Rock

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711 CENTRAL AVE.

FRI SAT SUN FRI SAT FRI SAT FRI SAT

6/5 6/6 6/7 6/12 6/13 6/19 6/20 6/26 6/27

ERIC WARD (AR) Classic Rock RIVER CITY OVERDRIVE (AR) Rock/Blues KENNY TILLERY & COURTNEY OVERACKER (AR) Folk DAN CLANTON (AR) Folk/Americana RYAN SAUDERS (AR) Alternative JUSTIN WALKER (AR) Country JAWBONE & JOLENE (AR) Blues/Roots TIGHTROPE (AR) Blues CHRISTINE DEMEO (AR) Singer-Songwriter

FRI/SAT 6/5-6 PROFESSOR TELE (AR) Blues/Rock

305 MALVERN AVE.

336 CENTRAL AVE.

FRI/SAT THURS FRI/SAT FRI/SAT FRI/SAT

6/12-13 KYNDRYD SPYRYTS (AR) Rock 6/18 MIKE MAYBERRY & THE SLOW HANDS (AR) Country/Rock 6/19-20 MIKE MAYBERRY & THE SLOW HANDS (AR) Country/Rock 6/26-27 KYNDRYD SPYRYTS (AR) Rock 7/3-4 LOOSE CANNON (AR) Rock

EVERY SUN EverY Mon EverY TUES EverY WED EverY THURS EverY FRI/SAT

LARRY AND JACQUE (AR) Rock JOHN CALVIN BREWER (AR) Classic Rock/Blues PROFESSOR TELE (AR) Blues/Rock Blues Jam (AR) Blues JAZZ NIGHT (AR) Jazz OHIO CLUB PLAYERS (AR) Rock, Blues #hshotspots

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arts INTO THE LIGHT

Photo (above) by Amanda Shelley Ledbetter, (right) by Anne Quinn

Story by Denise White Parkinson

Author and documentary film maker Sallie Culbreth’s passion is returning the voice to victims of sexual assault. Along with her daughter, Anne Quinn, they created the non-profit organization Committed to Freedom in the early 90s to assist in the rehabilitation and coping process that occurs after someone is sexually assaulted. Presently, Culbreth’s preparations for the Hot Springs premiere of her new documentary, “When I Told,” are underway. The film airs Thursday, June 25. The event, hosted by philanthropist Dorothy Morris, introduces the organization’s expanded mission.

The documentary follows five survivors, two men and three women, through their retelling of the trauma they experienced and their courageous decision to come forward.

She said she hopes this documentary serves as a tool to reach out to victims and show them “there is life beyond sexual trauma” and to help them “shake the feeling of isolation.”

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Upcoming premier of new documentary celebrates wholeness, strength over adversity

After experiencing sexual abuse from her grandfather at a young age, Culbreth began the long road towards acceptance and recovery. “I had been working on my own recovery for a while,” Culbreth recalled. “I didn’t tell anyone in my family – only my husband, Tim.” She was 31years old, and they had been married a decade. Tim shared his wife’s journey to overcome what her own grandfather had done, not only to her, but also to other children.

Operating as a Baptist minister and choir director, her grandfather had for years traveled the rural South organizing children’s choirs. It made for an effective disguise.

Culbreth decided one day to visit the scene of crimes committed decades earlier. She drove to the small frame house in Arkadelphia where years before, her grandmother, herself a battered wife, turned a blind eye to a little girl in peril. She found the house on a dead-end street near a bend of the Caddo River. It was abandoned; the

powerful tornado of 1997 had struck, opening the house to the elements. Culbreth learned it was the only one on that street that got hit.

On subsequent trips to the house, Culbreth journeyed with friends and family. They found the formerly locked door wrenched from its frame, the dark room exposed to sunlight. On each visit she saw the house becoming more obliterated. On the fourth and final visit, Culbreth’s parents accompanied her.

Her book, Despising the Shame, describes the moment she was able to leave the past and walk away: “The house was gone. The shell had been leveled – bulldozed into a mound of broken boards… All that remained was a pile of rubble. Someone else’s rubble.”

With empowerment came a sense of responsibility, so Culbreth embarked on a full-time mission: to create a series of programs and strategies for overcoming childhood

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sexual trauma and abuse. After obtaining her master’s in mental health counseling and researching existing therapies, she discovered programs were lacking — especially for male survivors of abuse.

She encountered a lack of synergy in available programs: “When I went to clergy for help, I was told ‘Just pray harder and have faith’ – and when I went to therapists, they discounted the spiritual aspects of my life. One approach was too simplistic, the other was dismissive.”

Culbreth’s research led her and her daughter to establish the organization Committed to Freedom, a nonprofit dedicated to holistic empowerment and providing spiritual tools for survivors of abuse, exploitation, and sexual trauma.

“We have been training young people in Hot Springs to have strategies available if they are in danger of sexual trauma,” she explained, noting sobering statistics: “one in three women and one in five men have experienced some form of sexual assault or trauma.”

Culbreth’s daughter, Anne Quinn, serves as the organization’s director. As a teen, Anne confided to her mother that she was molested by a neighbor boy as a young child. “The tools that helped save my life, helped save my daughter’s life,” explained Culbreth. “When you de-fuse the self-destruct button, it changes everything.”

As the Culbreth family prepares for a joyous homecoming — son Daniel is concluding his second deployment to Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter pilot — another long-awaited milestone nears. After decades of traveling the world conducting seminars, Culbreth is re-focusing the mission as an online network of downloadable self-help workbooks and services. The website, www.committedtofreedom.org, is re-launching as STAARR: Sexual Trauma and Abuse Recovery Resources.

Seats must be reserved, and can be done so by visiting www.information@committedtofreedom. org by June 20. The organization will be gladly accepting donations at this time. Culbreth hopes that by airing her documentary others who have suffered through similar experiences will see they are not alone and gain the courage to come forward.

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GIVING

EMergent Arts Where community and creativity join forces and come to light

Photography by Amanda Shelley Ledbetter

Story by Josh Williams

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There’s a place in Hot Springs that emphasizes creativity before creation, exploration before execution.

A place where every person is capable of having a creative experience as a participant, observer or supporter. A place where they believe all people have a creative story to tell and that each individual is just as important as the next, that physical and mental factors do not inhibit an individual from reaching his or her full potential. A place where they believe creative experience is an essential contribution to a person as a whole. That place has a new home at 341-A Whittington Avenue.

In the building that was once part of the historic Dryden Pottery Studio and formerly the Terry Dairy Ice Cream factory, lies an organization that embodies the spirit of our unique and great community.

Emergent Arts is a local non-profit organization that “fosters creativity among emerging artists of all ages in Garland county and surrounding areas.” The two lovely women behind this pertinent institution are Erin Holliday and Jeri Hillis. There aren’t two individuals more qualified to be at the helm of this program, either.

In 2001 Holliday obtained her bachelor of fine arts in sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute and has been involved in the non-profit sector since 2005. “I love sculpture,” Holliday said, “I love the visual medium. It’s very portable and accessible.”

Hillis earned her bachelor of fine arts from Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass. in 1985.

Hampshire is an alternative school where students are graded through narrative evaluations rather than letter grades, and where students create self-directed academic concentrations instead of traditional majors; Hillis basically created her own degree, similar to attending Juilliard. Ken Burns, the notable documentarian, was a member of the inaugural graduating class at Hampshire College. Hillis’s true love is print making, but it’s expensive to maintain, so she started creating ceramic art and she spent years in St. Croix making hand painted ceramic tiles for kitchens and bathrooms.

It would be tough to find anyone who would enjoy managing Emergent Ar ts more than Holliday and Hillis. “I really do love watching the kids learn,”

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Hillis said. “They sparkle when they realize they have made something beautiful, and everyone can see the progress they made from star t to finish, their peers, their parents, everybody.”

“We are the vehicles that allow people to find their creative selves,” Holliday said. “Whether you’re a kid or an adult that hasn’t blossomed until now, we will give you the attention that you need; we are able to give more than a typical public school. Students from 3 to 83 have joined our programs, and that’s the way it should be.”

As a community, Hot Springs has supported Emergent Arts since its inception. The Drydens of Dryden’s Pottery have been particularly helpful.

“They’ve been a huge supporter,” Hillis said.

“This building, the renovation, being available in general.”

“They are very casual and conducive to the needs of the artists,” Holliday said. “They’ve been very helpful along the way.” Hillis and Holliday couldn’t say enough kind words about the Dryden family.

What Emergent Arts does is strengthen the community. No one is turned away, ever, from this program. “We play an important role in our community because creative learning in this world is so imperative for our continued evolution,” Hillis said. “This isn’t a video game.”

“We are starting to become a society of viewers instead of participants,” Holliday added. “A lot of development happens in our class; cognitive skills, motor skills, language skills, et cetera. We have

some special needs kids that require heavy one-onone attention. Being able to find your sense of self and translate that to a page or a stage is extremely important. We promote team-building. This is a place where the gap between the parents and kids can be bridged. We find the artist part of their brains and help find the process that leads to discovery.”

The citizens of Hot Springs and its visitors should take a minute to stop in and say “hello” to these hard-working, intelligent women. Hell, why not contribute monetarily? They are helping our community become stronger and stronger every day. That’s what community is all about. Below is a list of the activities and programs that will be offered at Emergent Arts over the next few months. If you don’t have anything to do this summer, and I know you don’t, you should join them.

You’ll be glad you did. For more information call 501655-0836 or visit www.emergentarts.org Annual Emergent Arts Ice Cream Social Saturday, August 22, 2:00 - 6 p.m.

This “Back to School” event celebrates the anniversary of the opening of Emergent Arts at 341 Whittington Avenue. Paying homage to this history and celebrating the future of Emergent Arts, this event features handmade ceramic bowls that are for sale and will include an ice cream sundae. Fall 2015 class schedules will be available. Come and tour our studio, meet the teaching artists, and share some ice cream!

Fall 2015 Classes begin September 1 Hot Springs Farmer’s Market Emergent Arts will be providing creative activities for the Farmer’s Market each month during the monthly Youth Market (from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. the last Saturday of each month). In addition to the activity, Emergent Arts will have information on hand about upcoming programming. Emergent Arts is a local community art center that provides art experiences for all ages and abilities. More information can be found at www. emergentarts.org Home School Friday Emergent Arts is continuing Home School Fridays throughout the summer. Home School Friday workshops take place from 10 to 11:30 one Friday a month. Ages 5-14 are invited to participate and a new activity is presented each month. During the summer months all students are invited to participate. Visit www. emergentarts.org/home-school-fridays/ for updates on schedule and activities.

Words & Wine: Guided Creative Writing Sessions will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. every Tuesday in July, These sessions are for adults 21 and older to come and write in a casual group setting led by local poet Kai Coggin. For more information please visit www. emergentarts.org.

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ULTIMATE

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Ultimate: one of the fastest growing sports and anyone can do it Story by J. L. James

The word “Frisbee,” often spawns images of tie-dye and hemp necklaces, but the times, well, they are a’changin’. The men and women of Hot Springs Ultimate have chosen cleats and jerseys over patchouli and dreadlocks and are working their asses off the spread the sport of ultimate. Their first annual invitational, Spa Town Throwdown, was a tremendous success last year.

This summer, they’ve stepped up their game with Hot Springs’ first ever summer league.

To go ahead and get this out of the way: the sport is “ultimate,” not “ultimate Frisbee;” “Frisbee” is the trademarked brand of a company that manufactures flying discs. Ultimate regulation play consists of two teams of seven each. The playing field is a 75-yard neutral area and two 25-yard scoring zones, similar to the end zones in American football. Players move the disc by passing it to each other and score by completing a pass to a teammate in the scoring zone. The player who has possession of the disc cannot move with the disc. Play is continuous. Defensive players can defend both the passer and receiver, but ultimate is a noncontact sport; fouls result in the opposite team gaining possession. It is the responsibility of the offense to complete the passes; incompletions and interceptions

Photography by Jeremy Rodgers

result in change of possession. “It’s played a lot like soccer,” Jordan Bennett of Hot Springs Ultimate said.

“But you score like football.”

Bennett first discovered ultimate about eight years ago in Kimery Park. Bennett said he grew to love the sport quickly. At first Bennett could convince only a few people to join him, so they had to improvise. “We played on the soccer fields at Kimery,” Benett said, “and we would score by throwing the disc into the goal.” As the group of athletes increased and they were able to facilitate proper game play, a field at Crossgate church became the new venue. Bennett said most people he invited to play would return week after week. “It’s a sport that anyone can play,” he said. “It doesn’t take much equipment, just a disc. Most people just don’t know about it, but when they finally try it they get hooked.”

The ultimate pickup games eventually moved to 2 p.m. every Sunday at Lakeside High School’s football field where they remain even now.

In late 2013 Bennett teamed with Justin Worrell to found Hot Springs Ultimate as an organization.

Worrell first played ultimate at one of the pickup games Bennett organized. “I was hooked right away,” Worrell said. “I enjoyed the cardio aspect and really enjoyed

throwing the Frisbee, but even better was the community.

Everyone was so welcoming.”

Bennett recalled that Worrell immediately “had a lot of passion.” Worrell and Bennett fed on each other’s excitement, brainstorming through ideas to introduce the sport to more people. Worrell suggested using social media to invite teams from other parts of the state to play in a weekend tournament.

A total of five other teams accepted the invitation, and last September, ultimate squads from Little Rock, Arkadelphia, Arkansas State University, and of course, Hot Springs came to play in the Spa Town Throwdown. “We wanted to get the word out to more areas of the state,” Bennett said. “It was a huge success.”

Riding that momentum into 2015, they’ve successfully organized an ultimate summer league consisting of six teams, each boasting an average of 12 players. Worrell said that Hot Springs Ultimate owes its success primarily to the people who come out each week and play in pickup games and secondarily to his and Bennett’s working relationship. “Jordan is the backbone,” he said. “I’m kind of an idea guy and promotion guy, but Jordan makes it happen. We really complement each other.”

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ULTIMATE

The summer league games are scheduled for 6 p.m. every Friday between May 29 and July 10 at Hot Springs Baptist church located at 144 Weston Rd., just off of Hwy. 270 West. Each week will feature three games. The teams scheduled for the late game will use a light-up disc to help both the players and the audience keep track of gameplay. “It’s eight weeks of ultimate,” Bennett said, his voice betraying his excitement. The final two weeks of play will be dedicated to a playoff to determine an overall champion.

Hot Springs Ultimate said the summer league will be full of excitement for the audience, and they’re stoked to crown an overall champion; but, the hear t of the organization lies in the pickup games they play every Sunday. The charm of the pickup games is in the community, the fact that anyone is welcome to play.

Bennett and Worrell ensure that teams are balanced so the games are competitive. Rather than picking teams the playground way, with captains trying to load up their respective sides with as many athletes as possible, Bennett chooses one of the experienced players and they split the teams with a competitive game in mind.

From high school and college students to plumbers to business owners, Hot Springs Ultimate teams are a diverse group who come together to enjoy each other’s company through friendly competition. “Ultimate draws people who played sports in high school and miss that competition,” Worrell said. “But also college-aged people and kids and families come out to play.’

“Camaraderie is a big thing,” said Daniel Brewster, 20, junior exercise science major said at University of Central Arkansas. “It’s not an exclusive thing.

We spread the teams out and go with a good energy.” He started playing ultimate with his church youth group when he was 13 years old. Brewster said he enjoys not only the athletic aspect of ultimate but also the creativity involved in the plays that develop on the field. But more important are the people he interacts with.

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hot springs

The group seems to have achieved a balance between competitiveness and sportsmanship, which is a point of pride for them. “We take it seriously enough to be competitive,” said Donnie Wrublesky, 37-year-old insurance agent at Senior Care USA, “but keep it fun enough where we don’t have fights or big arguments.”

He attended church with Bennett and about three years decided to come out and play. He’s been coming back ever since, though he confesses it was challenging at first. “I gotta admit,” Wrublesky said as he choked back a chuckle, “after that first game I felt like I’d been in a car wreck or something, didn’t get much sleep that night.”

Landon Trusty, owner of Trusty Member Insurance, and his wife, Erica Trusty, are members

of Hot Springs Cross-Fit, so they’re no strangers to physical challenges. Landon said he was attracted to ultimate because it demanded both cardiovascular endurance and coordination, and yet, it’s a skill that can be learned. “It’s not something you can just be good at,” Landon said. “It’s skills and fitness.”

Trusty brings his family to the field on Sunday.

“Sunday is family activity day anyway so it’s nice to have this to do,” he said. Erica and Landon put together a summer league team to represent their Cross-Fit organization. They said they’re looking forward to competing.

Erica and Landon’s daughter, Maddie Trusty a 7th grader at Lakeside, is new to the sport of ultimate.

She reflected on how different the sport is, why it’s

challenging to play a game with a disc rather than a ball.

“You think the Frisbee’s coming to you, but then it turns and you have to run and chase it,” Maddie said. “It’s hard to catch, hard to throw.”

“But it’s really fun,” Erica said.

“Oh yeah, it’s a lot of fun.”

More information about Hot Springs Ultimate and the sport itself is available at www.facebook.com/ HotSpringsUltimate or by just showing up at 2 on Sundays at Lakeside football field. Worrell said that if someone shows up once they’ll be back. “It can be intimidating if you’ve never played, but once you’re in you’re hooked. I played softball for three years and I had more fun in one summer playing ultimate.”

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SIGN-UP NOW THROUGH JULY 2!

Game Nights: Wed Night | Game Dates: July 15- August 26 • • • • • • •

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Call 501-318-0472 or email neighborsn@cityhs.net There will be a pre season coaches meeting to go over rules, regulations, and schedules.

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Each team will play 2 games per night Post season tournament will follow regular season play.

Prizes, T-Shirts, and trophies will be given out to regular season and post season winners and runner ups.

There will be 2 divisions of play: Recreation and Competitive Teams: $250 per team • (Please make all checks to the City of Hot Springs • Sport Recreation Department) Individual: $40 per player • (If an individual player doesn’t have enough to form a • team and would like to play, they may sign up as an • individual or with a group. Please call for more information.

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TAKE A HIKE

RESURRECTING an old-time Remedy that Combines Exercise & Nature in Hot Springs National Park Story by James Overstreet

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Photography by James Overstreet

hot springs

A good hard rain has fallen, illuminating all that is green in Arkansas. Living in the heart of downtown Hot Springs National Park, it’s not easy to forget just how brilliant this place truly is. The redbuds, dogwoods and wisteria have all bloomed, and the honeysuckle now looms itself among the dead oaks and ivy, where it will decorate the forests and the outskirts of downtown from now until the end of summer.

There is more nature and beauty to explore than you can shake your walking stick at throughout the entire Hot Springs National Park trail system. It’s often difficult for residents to find the time to go out and hike.

“Doctors used to prescribe trail hikes in the Hot Springs National Park to their patients and then they would do the hot baths afterwards,” says Ryan Johnston of Johnston Chiropractic. On certain trails you can still see heart markers that had been posted in the past specifically for those hiking to improve their health.

Ryan and his wife Tiana, along with their three young kids, have started their annual spring trail challenge.

Inspired not just by the surrounding beauty, but also by the health benefits afforded by hiking daily, they invite their patients and anyone else interested. I stumbled upon the Johnston’s after a hike down Dead Chief Trail with my dog.

They were playing with their kids down in the display spring at the foot of the Grand Promenade.

The display spring serves as a tiny reminder to how Hot Springs was when the springs were open to public outdoor use and when outdoor public bathing was a common sight along Hot Springs Creek and Bathhouse Row. Of course now there are no outdoor public bathing options, but perhaps someday with encouragement from the public

and city officials the federal government will be persuaded to provide a public bathing or water park area to the people of Hot Springs Arkansas.

As it is, Ryan and his wife Tiana are huge supporters of the park service and all of the services that they provide to the public. Hot Springs Reservation was established on April 20, 1832, to protect the geothermal spring water for public health and wellness. Then on June 16, 1880, Hot Springs Reservation was enlarged to include adjacent mountains for public use as parks. On August 25, 1916 Hot Springs Reservation was included in the National Park Service Organic Act. The name was changed to Hot Springs National Park on March 4, 1921.

In addition to bathing, spa treatments and water-based therapies, trails were built to accommodate hiking, horseback riding and carriage rides. Using the park roads and trails, a system of graduated exercises (Oertel Trails) was installed in 1914 to promote cardiopulmonary health and wellness and to complement the spa experience.

The Grand Promenade was later built behind Bathhouse Row to encourage walking, strolling and relaxation, and a campground was established at Gulpha Gorge to enjoy engaging with nature. Gymnasiums were included in the bathhouses to promote physical fitness with the use of exercise equipment to complement the era of physical culture — a predecessor of today’s health and wellness initiative.

Concerts on park grounds also connected the spa experience with the arts.

Encouraging healthy living and exercise on the trails is an easy concept to understand but it always helps to have someone motivate you. Johnston’s patients appreciate the company and camaraderie that comes with

experiencing the trails and the outdoors, but you don’t always have to experience Hot Springs National Park with another person, you can also experience it with man’s best friend. Many hikers will be accompanied by their dogs, which provides a great opportunity for exercise for both you and your trusty companion.

Another important component to the Johnston’s hike is geocaching. Hot Springs is loaded with places and opportunities for geocaching, and the Johnston’s have jumped in headfirst in establishing and participating in existing geocaching sites. In fact, they have also established their own throughout the city and the National Park. For proponents for healthy living and the programs provided by the National Park check out updates on Facebook at Johnston Chiropractic and also look up geocaching updates online at http://www.geocaching.com/geocache/GC51CMN_its-hot.

The Johnston’s have a grading system for the trails and they won’t overexert you if you are a beginner at hiking the National Park. It’s an enriching experience to join them and their family on a hike because you learn not just a lot about the Hot Springs National Park, but you are also able to revel in the bonding experience of being around family and friends in possibly one of the most beautiful outdoor settings in the country. Do yourself a favor and take a hike, whether it’s during the tail end of spring or in the heat of the summer, you won’t be sorry, just remember to take water and stay hydrated. For questions regarding special programming and National Park trail excursions contact Superintendent Josie Fernandez at 501-623-2824.

To join the Johnston’s on their annual trail challenge follow them on Facebook, contact them at (501) 762-3173 or visit www.johnstonchirohealth.com.

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A classic neil simon comedy WITH aN INTERESTING TWIST

Story by Grace Brown Photography by Amanda Shelley Ledbetter

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THE ODD COUPLE

The Hot Springs Pocket Community Theater (PCT) is bringing a dose of comedy to the Spa City this month with their version of Neil Simon’s popular Broadway production, “The Odd Couple.” Opening night is set for June 5, and the cast eagerly awaits their first performance. There will be six different showings with the finale on June 14. Ticket prices for general admission are $10, and $5 for students k-12.

The show is directed by Tami Pultz and stars Taylor Oxley and Denea Pettett in the leading roles of Olivia Madison, Oxley, and Florence Ungar, Pettett.

This is Tami Pultz’ premiere as a director, but she has worked with the theater for several years doing everything from lighting to working sets and props. Traditionally, the casting calls for middle aged men to play the leads, but Plutz has taken some ar tistic liber ties with her production; the cast underwent a bit of gender bending and got a lot

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younger. Pultz said she also chose to set the play in New York circa late 1970s, so there is a “groovy vibe that sets it apar t from other productions of the same play.” She feels like these alterations will add a unique flare to the finished product that audiences will enjoy.

The plot follows two women who move in with each other after one of the character’s impending divorce leads her down a suicidal spiral. As the play progresses fur ther the two characters begin to wear on each other’s respective nerves; chaos and comedy soon follow. With a PG rating, the show is sure to be a laugh for the entire family.

Taylor Oxley plays the role of Olivia Madison whose New York apar tment provides the setting for the entire play. Oxley has appeared in three different productions at the PCT and relishes the oppor tunity to spread her creative wings. “I really enjoy playing

this role because Olivia is very different from how I am outside of the theater. I always enjoy playing roles polar opposite to my personality. Its fun.”

This production’s cast is an array of new and old talent found at PCT. Actor Garrett Brenneman has been working with PCT for four years and stars as Jesus in the upcoming production. Brenneman will also be directing the theaters next production in August. New comer Denea Pettett is making her debut to PCT. She graduated with a theater degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is having no trouble immersing herself into the theater community in Hot Springs.

Pettett has a starring role in the upcoming production as the conservative Florence Ungar and found the costume has been a bit more challenging to muster up than she anticipated. “It is really hard to find clothes to Fit Flo. She is a modest housewife

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with expensive taste, so I can’t walk across the stage in a micro mini-skir t and go-go boots” said Pettette.

Overall, everyone down at PCT is excited to perform for a live audience. One thing the actors and the director are most enthusiastic about is the set. The set crew has put in several hard hours creating this one-of-a-kind set. “The refrigerator coming out of the wall is really a nice touch,” says Pettett.

Director Tami Pultz emphasizes that PCT is always looking for extra hands on deck. They love getting new actors, directors and people to work on the set. They also accept clothes donations for the costume shop. Anyone interested in attending the show may visit www.pockettheater.com or call Margaret Forsyth at (501) 623-8585. The first show is at 7:30 on June 5 for those who want to come out and suppor t Hot Springs’ longest running community theater.

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DON’t MISS!

TINKER FEST

Story by James Overstreet

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Mid-America Science Museum to Present 3rd Annual TinkerFest discover the complex inner workings of everday machines

Mid-America Science Museum is keeping the tradition of Tinkering alive and well with this year’s upcoming TinkerFest scheduled for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday June 20th The entire day will be composed of more than fifty Tinkering Stations in total, ranging from the invention of crazybots to miniature sailboats.

You might be asking at this point, what is Tinkering? Tinkering may be described as an attempt to repair or improve something, sometimes in a casual or even almost ar tistic way. The word was first used in the 1300s to describe tinsmiths who would travel around mending various household gadgets.

There will be fantastic oppor tunities for kids interested in mechanics as well. Pro-Turbine Inc., a local aerospace company, will be bringing out a six hundred pound airplane engine for interested par ties to take apar t and tinker with. There will also

be a bike take-apar t, scooter reassembly with Spa City Scoot’n Customization & Repair and younger kid friendly activities that include kite making, rockets, light painting, making paper circuits, fly tying, and more. For those interested more in technology there will also be robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, also referred to as drones, and other technological tinkering oppor tunities.

To see and experience real life examples of tinkering just come to Mid-America Science Museum and witness the brand new Tinkering Studio where our professional educators set out to foster experimentation in science and creativity. There are also three classic kinetic ar t sculptures, created by the eccentric English inventor Rowland Emmett, that reveal the basic standards of tinkering that were.

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TOP 5 REASONS to See Two Gentleman’s Flying Machine downstairs is an exceptional example of Emmett’s work and the largest of the three on display. It features a complex use of ropes, pulleys and gears.

During TinkerFest kids will have the oppor tunity to experiment by taking things apar t, exploring tools and materials, and creating their own individual ar t pieces while practicing science and technology. “Tinkering really helps to reveal how science is involved in nearly everything that we do, and TinkerFest celebrates these subtle nuances of science in an atmosphere of fun, creative experimentation, says Jim Miller, Director of Marketing at Mid-America Science Museum.

The philosophy of tinkering has enmeshed itself into every field of science. “It’s our mission in action,” said Diane LaFollette, Executive Director of Mid-America Science Museum. A direct form of fun hands-on science education, LaFollette and the entire staff at Mid-America are looking forward to seeing TinkerFest grow and become larger each year.

Thankfully there are no step-by-step instructions to be handed out during TinkerFest so the sky is literally the limit and there is no pressure or frustration that comes into play. Kids are essentially encouraged to fail or at least not get it right the first time. “By allowing children to fool around directly with phenomena, tools, and materials we’re allowing them to think with their hands and they are learning through doing,” said Shena Ball, Director of Education at MidAmerica Science Museum.

Mid-America would like to thank those that have sponsored this year’s 3rd Annual TinkerFest, Platinum Drywall Inc., Cynthia Rougeau at State Farm Insurance, the Arkansas School for Mathematics Science and Ar t, Relyance Bank, Rave Grafix, the Arkansas Discovery Network and Alliance Insurance.

Normal admittance cost to the museum applies to those attending the event — $10 plus tax for adults and $8 plus tax for children. Members of Mid-America Science Museum get free admission to TinkerFest. There will also be food trucks, gelato from Superior Bathhouse and other fun surprises for individuals showing up that day. For more information on TinkerFest visit www.midamericamuseum.org or call 501-767-3461.

Story by Josh Williams

The Magical Adventures of Bill Clinton

If you want to laugh, if you want to be entertained, if want to go rock, flag and eagle all over everybody’s ass like Charlie Kelly, then you need to get down to the Central Theater and catch the latest variety show to grace one of the several stages in Hot Springs.

America will never be the same as Tim Smallwood brings his interpretation of Bill Clinton to life with a

5 # 4 # 3 # 2 # 1 #

magic and variety show that will leave you wanting more. Now, I know Bill worked his way out of some tight spots during his presidency, but he’s got some new tricks up his saxophone that will be on display from now until Labor Day, and you haven’t seen him like this.

Here’s a few reasons why you should pay Hot Springs’ favorite son a little visit:

Hometown Hero Ol’ Slick Willy is Hot Springs’ native son, and most of today’s youth don’t even know who he is. Tsk, tsk. How is it an ultra-cool, supremely intelligent Don Juan and one-time leader of the free world has his name go in one ear and out the other of contemporary youth? Where have we gone wrong? Wait, I know where we’ve gone wrong. That’s another story entirely. What kid doesn’t like magic anyway?

Abraham Lincoln’s Ghost Honest Abe actually followed Bill from the White House and makes an appearance on the stage. The bearded apparition actually does magic, like levitating a car, and helps Billy Boy come up with some fresh tricks of his own.

Audience participation Bill is getting back into the limelight, and he needs some help along the way. I mean, when you need to hire Secret Service agents, they need to audition, right? You can’t just hand someone a .357 and say “Go get ‘em!” Well, I guess you can, but come on, even ISIS has tryouts.

Vegas-Style Show Who doesn’t love Las Vegas? A show that has run in Vegas for years is obviously worth going to see.

Vegas shows usually have a pretty high production value, so a lot of stuff is there to witness. If there is one thing Vegas is not, its boring. I mean, if its good enough for Sin City, its good enough for us, right?

Live Entertainment We all know that live shows, whether they’re music or theatre or slam poetry, are one hell of a way to spend your evening. When you see someone up on a stage giving their heart to something, its pretty special. Also, anything can happen during live theatre, hence the name, the Magical Adventures of Bill Clinton. When anything, and I mean anything, can happen, that’s worth the small price of admission right there. We are the Land of Opportunity. Don’t miss this one.

#hshotspots

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TRENDING

WHAT’S HOT WHAT’S NOT

#LATERGRAM•ING

beverlydluxe Hmmmmm Sounds like I’m a good reader #lifeontheroad #HotSprings #hotspringshotspots

jeremy_rodgers_photography #hotspringshotspots #hotspringsnationalpark #arkansasbeauty

Hot Springs Boys & Girls Club Youth Boxing The non-profit works hard to keep an endangered spor t alive and youth focused on the future.

Texas under water American Pharoah And all this time, The Rebel Stakes and we thought it would Arkansas Derby winner be California. has a shot at the Ooh, sorry California.

Triple Crown. Let’s hope Seriously, Mother Nature, this pharoah doesn’t die can’t you spread in the stretch like a little aquatic wealth Yul Brynner. out west?

What, too soon?

Jermain Taylor Arkansas’ prodigal son proves that he can still beat up drug addicts, just not in the ring. Maybe we should wait until athletes die before we put them in the hall of fame, see how the whole “life” thing plays out.

The 20th Hot Springs Music Festival It’s like Riverfest.

Except with cellos and no river. Actually it only has music and “fest” in common with Riverfest.

Thank goodness.

4th of July Fireworks Seriously, touch ‘em and see.

FIFA reelects Sepp Blatter Just when soccer was catching on in the U.S., its governing body gets caught taking bribes like a southern judge and driving more slave labor than an American founding father.

Be social with us! jimmumbles #hotspringshotspots #hotspringsmusicfestival #shoot @apeironnphoto #cello #umbrella #cellist (Insta-throwback in honor of the Hot Springs Music Fest!)

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hshotspots.com

If you don’t agree with anything, want to share your favorite things about what’s going on around you in your hometown, or want to contribute your ideas to any of these or future installments (we have more fun in the works), find us online at

hshotspots.com. Be sure to tag us #hshotspots or #hotspringshotspots, so we can find you and just maybe you’ll find yourself back here! And, thank you for everything you do to make Hot Springs more awesome everyday!.

hot springs

JUNE

EVENT CALENDAR

Hot springs music 13 Summerfest Uptown 1-13 festival, season 20 13-14 The Muses Project

at the 100-700 blocks of Park Ave

at Various Locations

4-8 RAZORBACK RAMBLE at Hot Springs ORV Park, 2100 Millcreek Rd.

presents “Guys and Dolls”

The Muses Cultural Arts Center

22 Hot Springs Concert Band

Free Summer Concert Series at Whittington Park

25 Wynonna & The Big Noise in Concert

15-19 University of Arkansas

at Oaklawn’s Finish Line Theatre

at Hot Springs Convention Center

at Garvan Woodland Gardens

at Quapaw Baths & Spa, 413 Central

Theatre presents “The Odd Couple”

National Title Boxing Championship “Scotty McCreery” at Hot Springs Convention Center

5-7 Discover the Dinosaurs 5-7 & 12-14 The Pocket

at The Pocket Theatre, 170 Ravine St.

Summer Design Camp

17-20 Boys & Girls Club’S 2015

6 Magic Springs Concert Series 18-20 AR State H.O.G. RaLly “Joe Nichols” 19-20 & 26-27 The Magic of Scott Davis 7 Stardust Big Band 20 3rd Annual 8 Hot Springs Concert Band TINKERFEST Various Locations

at the Timberwood Amphitheater at The Arlington Hotel

Free Summer Concert Series

at Whittington Park

12 Magic Springs Concert Series

The Five Star Theatre, 701 Central Ave.

at Mid-America Science Museum

26 Arkansas Jazz Experience 27 Magic Springs Concert Series at the Timberwood Amphitheater

29th Season Hickory Hill Park Hickory Hill Park, 216 Bryant Rd.

28 Beat the Heat Party Jul 3 GALLERY WALK Jul 4 Spa Blast

at Oaklawn Racing and Gaming

at Downtown Hot Springs

at Oaklawn Racing & Gaming Infield

“Family Force Five”

Magic Springs Concert Series “Joan Jett & The Blackhearts”

Magic Springs Concert Series “The charlie daniels band”

at the Timberwood Amphitheater

at the Timberwood Amphitheater

at the Timberwood Amphitheater #hshotspots

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