Arts

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Submit Your Proposals for Hot Springs Poetry Festival

July 8, 2026

The Hot Springs Poetry Festival returns November 1–8, bringing a week of free literary arts programming to Hot Springs. Organizers are accepting submissions, proposals, and applications from poets, workshop leaders, volunteers, vendors, sponsors, and community partners. Founded in 2025, the Hot Springs Poetry Fest is a literary arts initiative dedicated to elevating Arkansas arts and artists while celebrating the unique literary legacy and traditions of the Natural State. The festival

Raise the Glass – Bacchus Bash

July 8, 2026

Join Friends of Hot Springs National Park in celebration of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine and the arts, by raising your glass to help ‘raise the glass’ for the Maurice Bathhouse. Eight Bacchus heads adorn the walls of the historic 3rd-floor Roycroft den under the large stained-glass ceiling. The Friends will host the first-ever Raise the Glass Bacchus Bash on Thursday, August 20, from 6:30 to 9 PM at The Vapors Live, 315

11-Year-Old Photographer: A Look into the Mind

July 6, 2026

By Cora Fisher I am Cora Fisher. I am eleven years old, and though I have wanted to for many years, I have just started photography last December. I have been interested for as long as I can remember. I would mess with my mother’s camera and take pictures of my parents, making them pose and create funny expressions. I have now turned that dream into reality. The very first thing that made

Spa City’s Filmmaker Lisa Cole Wins Special Award at Bentonville Film Festival

July 2, 2026

(l-r) Lisa Cole (Writer, Director, Producer), Harley Grey (star), Emmy Perry (co-star), Barbara Lettieri (Producer). Submitted photo. Writer-director Lisa Cole announces that Filthy, her short film, has won the Special Jury Award at the 12th Bentonville Film Festival following its world premiere. The film stars Emmy Award winner Loretta Devine and is Executive Produced by Caren Spruch of Planned Parenthood and Ivana de Maria of Dalia Empower. Filthy follows 13-year-old Cass as she transforms her

The Garland County Library’s Summer Reading Program has expanded to include amazing prizes for adults, too. This year’s theme is “Unearth a Story.”

July 2, 2026

Adult prizes for those 18+ include a backyard fire pit, Nintendo Switch 2, Superior Bathhouse Brewery Gift Card, mini espresso machine, Hot Springs National Park gift basket, photography session, Samsung Galaxy tablet, and many more awesome rewards. The prize drawing is August 3, 2026, and the program ends on July 31st, so you’ll want to get started asap. How it works: Every 10 days, readers can pick up a small prize and a

About the Cover . . .

June 3, 2026

“Moku Playland” Photo of Kate Zunick Courtesy of Hot Springs Sister City Kate Zunick relaxes in one of the most beloved features of the Moku Playland exhibit — a giant wooden “hot springs” tub filled with hundreds of smooth wooden balls inspired by the bubbling thermal waters of Hot Springs. Hidden somewhere among the balls is a special surprise: a uniquely shaped “chicken” ball that children and families love trying to spot during their

A One-of-a-Kind Wooden Play Experience Arrives in Downtown Hot Springs

June 3, 2026

Moku Playland Pop-Up Opens June 1 with Interactive, Screen-Free Fun for Families Families and visitors to downtown Hot Springs will have the opportunity to experience a unique style of hands-on play this summer as Moku Playland opens June 1 for a special month-long pop-up at 831 Central Avenue. Open Thursday-Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Moku Playland is an interactive wooden play experience featuring handcrafted play structures, imaginative activity

Downtown Heats Up as Bridge Street LIVE Takes the Stage

June 3, 2026

Fans get with it as a member of the Manhattan band joins the crowd for fun in an earlier Bridge Street LIVE performance. — Courtesy Visit Hot Springs Hot times in the downtown this June when Hot Springs’ tremendously popular series of free public Bridge Street LIVE concerts returns for the sixth year. The concerts, which are held each Thursday evening in June in the Bridge Street Entertainment District —

Stranger in a Strange Land

June 3, 2026

By David Malcolm Rose When I moved to Arkansas, well over 50 years ago, my knowledge of the South was primarily derived from watching the Andy Griffith show. There were some differences between the show and reality, but for me, the transition was fairly easy. At that time, Southern culture was, even in urban areas, rural culture, and I was brought up country. Once clearing the language barrier, it was relatively smooth sailing. It delighted me

Ain’t Misbehavin’ Premieres at The Rep in Little Rock

June 3, 2026

Tickets on sale now for the Arkansas Repertory Theatre’s production of the Fats Waller musical show, Ain’t Misbehavin’.  Tickets are now on sale for Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Fat Waller Musical Show, and the second production in The Rep’s 2026 Golden SummerStage season. The production will run June 16 – 28.  Performances will be held at 601 Main Street, Little Rock, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.; Fridays at 8:00 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.; and Sundays at 3:00 p.m. Tickets

Natural Portraits for Pets with Personality

June 3, 2026

Max is ready for his close-up shot. Pawsome Pictures offers high-quality pet photography in Hot Springs and the surrounding areas. Photographer and owner, Peter Bean, is excited to capture lasting memories of your pet, no matter the species. All animals are welcome, whether they run, crawl, fly, gallop, or slither. Specializing in dogs, cats, and exotic species such as reptiles, scorpions, and spiders, Pawsome Pictures strives to capture natural images in picturesque surroundings,

Haiku Writing Group Updates Club Name

May 31, 2026

HAPPY HAIKU MEMBERS INVITE YOU TO JOIN THEM.  Pictured at a recent meeting are a few members of The Haiku Society of Hot Springs.Back row: Robert Carter, Bill Sayles, Charles B. Hunt, and Howard Lee Kilby. Front row: Maxine Dickerson, Judy Corwin. “Let’s hope Henry Martyn Robert (1837-1923) will not be rolling over in his grave. He originated the Robert’s Rules of Order. But if he is, I hope he will have

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