LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) -- Here are some fun ideas from Little Rock Family.
Wednesday 20
The Great War Memorial Balloon Race at War Memorial Park, June 22-24 (Friday-Sunday)
Marvel at 25 hot air balloons anchored around War Memorial Park. The highlight of every day will be the evening balloon "glow," when the balloons light up and put on a colorful show. Visitors will also enjoy snacks from food trucks, live Jazz music, carnival games for kids and more.
Tethered balloon rides will be available for $20 per person; fly-away rides are $200 per person. FREE admission.
Race to Remember at Two Rivers Park, Saturday, June 23, 6-8 p.m.
Mamie's Poppy Plates hosts its first 5K walk/run to benefit Arkansas families who experience the loss of a newborn. The non-profit organization provides keepsakes in the form of customized plates that include birthdates, names and even footprints and handprints. You can also honor the memory of your child or someone else's by participating in the biodegradable balloon release at the start of the race. Food and beverages, live music, door prizes as well activities for children of all ages-including face painting and bounce houses-will be a part of the night's events.
Registration $30, children under 12 $5.
Mount Magazine Butterfly Festival XVI at Mount Magazine in Paris, June 22-23 (Friday-Saturday)
Road trip to Mount Magazine for a weekend that celebrates the park's butterfly and wildflower diversity. Enjoy butterfly programs, crafts and scavenger hunts for kids of all ages, guided walks and the ever-popular Bug Bonanza Pavilion. In the Pavilion, visitors will find a live arthropod zoo featuring spiders, scorpions, and insects.
Families are also invited to help paint two butterfly and moth-themed backdrops for a concert featuring Ozark-band Still on the Hill, who will perform a high-energy show just for kids from 3:30-4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Food vendors will be on hand to supply burgers, barbeque sandwiches, homemade fried pies, funnel cakes, shaved ice and more.
Saturday 23
Mr. & Miss Poolside Cutie Contest at Splash Zone in Jacksonville, Saturday, June 23, 8:30-11 a.m.
Bathing babies ham it up in this poolside contest for girls ages 12 months to 5 years and boys ages 12 months to 3 years. Certificates will be awarded to each child.
$15 per participant; $1 admission
Summer Solstice Celebration at Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park, Saturday, June 23 4-8:30 p.m.
Celebrate the arrival of summer with an array of outdoor activities for the whole family: Try your hand at using primitive style weapons; learn a game played by some American Indian tribes; create and take home a pinch pot, arrowhead necklace and other native style crafts.
At 6 p.m., the resident archeologist will provide a presentation on the alignment of the mounds with the summer solstice sunset. Following at 7 p.m., there will be a special guided sunset tour of the prehistoric mound site.
$4, children ages 6-12 $3, children under 6 free
Breakfast with Giraffes at the Little Rock Zoo, Saturday, June 23, 8-9:30 a.m.
In the Cafe Africa, families will nosh on a breakfast buffet and listen to a fun keeper chat all about giraffes. Reservations required.
$21.95, children $16.95; members: $16.95, children $12.95
Plantation Agriculture Museum State Park's Anniversary, Saturday, June 23, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Families enjoy old-timey games, crafts, free Dutch-oven desserts and homemade ice cream in celebration of the museum's opening anniversary! The museum, which preserves agricultural history, first opened its doors in June 1989 after its final 3-year restoration period.
Free Admission.
Faulkner County SPCA 80's Night at Los Amigos Mexican Restaurant in Conway, Saturday, June 23, 8 p.m.
Parent's Night Out! Dust off your 80's outfits and tease your hair to new heights and rock to hits from Michael Jackson, Madonna, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi. Party-goers will play 80's trivia throughout the night, display their strange skills in a talent show, belt out karaoke and compete in a costume contest. The event is sponsored by the Arkansas Modified Dolls and will benefit the Faulkner County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.