First Thursday: Tonight's the night

If you’ve never made it to First Thursday in Fayetteville before … tonight is the night! Tonight, yes, tonight, that is if you pick this up on the first day of publication.
OK, so it may be chilly, but what a perfect way to welcome November. The leaves are just beginning to turn, and although some pessimists mutter there will be no peak this year — it’s been too dry, too cold, too short of an autumn — I have that familiar feeling that this happens every year: the belief there will be no raging hills of nature’s flaming colors. It will happen, and perhaps you can experience the northern valley of the Ozark Mountains from the terrace of the Fayetteville Town Center on the eve of Nov. 4.
Fear not the chill, however, for this month First Thursday has booked the Mockingbird room in the Town Center. If the weather is a pleasant autumn eve, there may be booths set out on the sidewalks, since the outdoor art walk last month was a huge success.
On your way up to the square, stop by the Little Bread Company, 116 N. Block Ave., and get a souvenir. University of Arkansas students and faculty are hosting a fundraiser and offering a hand-sculpted bowl filled with homemade soup for only $15. Eat the soup, clean up the bowl and mark another gift off the holiday to-buy list.
Be sure to also stop by Fayetteville Underground, located in 1 E. Square Plaza, as they will be hosting another basement art extravaganza featuring new artists.
Also at the Town Center this Thursday, the keepsake book, the gift you’ve been waiting for that your grandfather, brother, niece, second cousin, good acquaintance or neighbor will love — “Northwest Arkansas Memories” — will be revealed. Historical institutions and members of the community have helped build a photo album for the family of Northwest Arkansas. Spurred by the sesquicentennial of the Northwest Arkansas Times, this classic, hard-covered collection invites all ages to look a little closer at our community. In our case, luckily, that’s a very good thing!

Wakarusa
If you’ve never been to a musical festival, it’s time to start planning for that too. If you have been to Wakarusa, well then I’ve already gotten your intrigue.
Advance tickets for the reserved campsites go on sale Friday, Nov. 5 at noon. One site costs $549, not including admission, with parking for two vehicles and up to eight people, electricity, water and access to structured bathrooms and showers.
Now if you have been to a musical festival, you’re already calling up your buddies to see if they’ve got $70 to drop on their part of the payment. It’s well worth it, but don’t dawdle because these are usually gone in a day or two. All other camping sites, VIP passes and admission are not on sale until Dec. 3.
The event will be June 2-5 at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark. The lineup has yet to be announced, but it’s certain to rock. Hit up www.wakarusa.com for the logistics.

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