First Thursday Fayetteville to kick off 2017 season this week

Courtesy photo

It’s time for some art, music, food, and fun on the Fayetteville square.

First Thursday Fayetteville, the city’s monthly outdoor family festival, is set to return for the 2017 season on Thursday, May 4.

This month’s event has a Rock, Paper, Scissors theme, and will include live music by the kids from School of Rock Fayetteville, a beer garden featuring local beer by Apple Blossom Brewing Co., food from local food trucks, and more.

Around the square, several local galleries will have art openings Thursday night. Fayetteville Underground will open a new show titled La Femme: A Treatise on Confluence featuring diverse artworks by female artists. Artists include Karen Ahuja, Morgan Bame, Cheri Bohn, Heather Chilson, Leah Cowden, Amy Eichler, Celestine Eichler, Carol Hart, Elizabeth James, Dolores Justus, Mikayla Hoffman, Lauri Matisse, Eloa Jane Perreira, Fatima Pollard, Rosie Rose and Joelle Storet. There will also be a pop up performance by Opera in Bloom. Here’s more info about the show.

The University of Arkansas’ sUgAR gallery will host a show titled Float to the Bottom, Sink to the Top. Artists include Maryamsadat Amirvaghefi, Maedah Asgharpour, Daniel Baskin, Parker Boales, Owen Buffington, Erin Gardner, Katrina Ratterman, Michael Pennekamp, Nick Cox, Lindsey Heiden, Alexis Kurtzman, Esther Nooner, Richard Peterson, Cassie Sanderson, Lauren Whitmore, Chris Choi, Cat DeHart, Lucas Knowles, Sam Mack, Thomas McBroom, Ziba Rajabi, Chris Rodgers, MaKayla Songer, Jody Thompson, and Chase Young.

Stage 18 will host a show featuring work by students from the Advanced Painting class at the University of Arkansas. Artists include Courtney Kiersznowski, Kellie Lehr, Elise Raborg, Joanna Reid, and Toby Vandiver. There will also be ceramics by Chase Travaille.

In the event of inclement weather, planned outdoor festivities will be moved inside the Fayetteville Town Center building. Free parking is available for event event in the Town Center parking deck.