Good morning.
Labor Day weekend is here, and apparently summer has no plans to leave quietly.
The forecast is calling for triple-digit heat through the holiday weekend, so this is a good one for early starts, water, air conditioning and plans that happen after the sun starts going down.
We found plenty worth leaving the house for, including a Fort Chaffee story that goes back more than 50 years, a Special Olympics fundraiser Saturday morning, free Terri Clark Saturday night and Rick Ross just across the state line Sunday.
And if your goal is simply to squeeze one more waterpark trip or $2 round of mini golf out of summer, we have you covered there too.
WEEKEND AT A GLANCE
TONIGHT: Young Thug + NAV at Walmart AMP
FRIDAY: A remarkable Fort Chaffee story and the start of PBR Thunder Days if you're up for a drive
SATURDAY: Special Olympics Car Show & Fire Truck Pull, Halloween Weekend at Parrot Island, a train ride out of Van Buren and free Terri Clark in Roland
SUNDAY: Rick Ross in Pocola, another Parrot Island day and plenty of ways to stretch out the long weekend
LABOR DAY: Last call for Creekmore mini golf, Parrot Island and Pirate Weekend at the Arkansas Renaissance Festival
TONIGHT
Thursday, Sept. 3 | 8 PM | Walmart AMP, Rogers
After some date confusion earlier in the week, this one is officially on for tonight.
Young Thug's New Generation Tour stops at Walmart AMP with NAV. Tickets were still available when we made our final check Wednesday night.
If Rogers is a little farther than you normally venture on a Thursday, at least tomorrow starts a long weekend.
FRIDAY
Vietnamese refugees arrive at the Fort Chaffee processing center. Photo courtesy of the Army Nurse Corps Photograph Collection, Army Medical Department Center of History & Heritage, via DVIDS. Public domain.
FROM SAIGON TO FORT CHAFFEE
Friday, Sept. 4 | 6 to 8 PM | Chaffee Crossing Media Center | $5 donation at the door
There are events you go to because you need something to do Friday night. This one is worth knowing about because the story happened here.
Doug Nguyen came through Fort Chaffee as a child during Operation New Arrivals and later grew up in Fort Smith.
Friday night, he'll return to that history for From Saigon to Fort Chaffee: Untold Stories from Operation New Arrivals, sharing his firsthand story alongside a film by Natalie Vuong.
Fort Chaffee played an important role in the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees after the fall of Saigon. This is a chance to hear a piece of that history from someone whose own life crossed through this place.
Chaffee Crossing Media Center, 7801 Ellis St., Fort Smith
SATURDAY
HALLOWEEN WEEKEND AT PARROT ISLAND
Saturday & Sunday | 11 AM to 6 PM | Parrot Island Waterpark
Apparently Halloween doesn't have to wait for cooler weather.
Parrot Island is turning the park spooky Saturday and Sunday with Halloween decorations, costume contests and seasonal fun around the waterpark.
Platinum Season Pass holders also get Friend Frenzy Saturday through Labor Day, which lets them bring a friend free during the promotion.
With temperatures expected to climb well into the triple digits this weekend, this may be one of the more practical family outings on the list.
CARS, A FIRE TRUCK AND A GOOD CAUSE
Saturday, Sept. 5 | 7300 S. Zero St., Fort Smith
Saturday morning's Fort Smith Car Show & Fire Truck Pull benefits Special Olympics Arkansas Area 4.
The car show starts early, with check-in beginning at 7 AM. Then teams take on the fire truck pull, with team check-in at 9 AM and the first pull scheduled for 9:30 AM.
If you want to put a vehicle in the show, registration is $25 in advance or $35 the day of the event. Fire truck pull teams are made up of 10 people and cost $300 per team.
Even if you're just going to watch, earlier is going to be better with Saturday's forecast.
QUICK HITS
Saturday | 8 PM | Cherokee Casino & Hotel Roland | Free | 21+
Here's a pretty easy Saturday night decision for country fans: Terri Clark is playing Lee Creek Tavern in Roland, and admission is free.
She's close enough that we're counting this as River Valley, not Worth the Drive.
Saturday | 11 AM to 2 PM | Old Frisco Depot, Van Buren
The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad heads out of downtown Van Buren Saturday for its excursion through the Boston Mountains.
If you've been meaning to do this one, check current fares and seat availability before heading downtown.
Saturday | 8:30 AM | Ben Geren Regional Park
For the people who see a triple-digit forecast and think, "I should probably run 13 miles."
The Medal Madness races start at 8:30 Saturday morning at Ben Geren, with 5K, 10K and half-marathon options. Registration starts at $30 plus the signup fee, with discounts for ages 15 and younger.
Registration is handled online, so take care of that before race morning.
SUNDAY + LABOR DAY
RICK ROSS IN POCOLA
Sunday, Sept. 6 | 8 PM | Choctaw Casino & Resort-Pocola
One of the biggest names playing anywhere around the River Valley this weekend is only a few minutes across the Oklahoma line.
Rick Ross takes the CenterStage at Choctaw Sunday night. Doors open at 7 PM and the show starts at 8 PM.
Tickets were still available during our final Wednesday night check with no official low-inventory warning posted.
Guests under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Creekmore Park Mini Golf closes for the season after Labor Day, which means this is the last weekend to squeeze in a round.
And it is still only $2 per round, cash only.
Saturday: Noon to 7 PM
Sunday: 1 to 5 PM
Labor Day: Noon to 6 PM
With the weekend heat, the later part of those hours looks a lot more appealing than noon.
FOUNDING SPONSOR
Sweet Home River Valley is proudly supported by Rebecca Collins with Mike & Mika Realty Group.
Buying or selling around the River Valley?
“Let me show you how my team does it different.”
WORTH THE DRIVE
PBR THUNDER DAYS
Friday through Sunday | Thunder Ridge Nature Arena, Ridgedale, Missouri
If you're willing to make a bigger trip out of the holiday weekend, PBR Thunder Days has three days of team competition at Thunder Ridge.
Friday: Chris Janson performs from 6:20 to 7:35 PM, followed by PBR Teams action at 7:45 PM.
Saturday: Bull riding starts at 6:45 PM, with Miranda Lambert scheduled immediately after the event.
Sunday: PBR action starts at 2:15 PM.
Tickets are still on sale.
THE OUTSIDERS
Through Sunday | Walton Arts Center, Fayetteville
If you'd prefer to spend a couple of hours inside an air-conditioned theater, the national tour of The Outsiders finishes its Fayetteville run this weekend.
Walton Arts Center was still showing ticket options for the remaining Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances when we checked Wednesday night.
We mentioned this one earlier in the week, but with the forecast looking the way it does, an indoor Broadway afternoon has gained some points.
Saturday through Labor Day | 10 AM to 6 PM | Mount Vernon
The Arkansas Renaissance Festival moves into Pirate Weekend for the three-day holiday weekend.
Expect the usual festival mix of costumes, performers, food, vendors and medieval-fantasy wandering, this time with a pirate theme.
Kids 5 and younger are free. Tickets are required for everyone else.
One warning from us rather than the festival: this is an outdoor event, and it is going to be hot. Plan accordingly.
GOOD TO KNOW
Fort Smith city offices, Solid Waste administrative offices and the landfill will be closed Monday, Sept. 7 for Labor Day.
If your residential trash is normally collected Monday, your pickup moves to Wednesday, Sept. 9.
That is the kind of thing that is considerably more useful to know before you roll the cart to the curb.
The City's corrected notice says F-35 night flying operations continue through Friday, Sept. 4.
So if you hear or spot fighter aircraft around Fort Smith after dark tonight or Friday, that's why.
THE FULL CALENDAR
Looking for more?
We picked the highlights. The full Sweet Home River Valley calendar has everything we've found happening around Fort Smith and the River Valley.