Monkhouse will be rocking South Main just like they rock Sticky Fingers.

Monkhouse will be rocking South Main just like they rock Sticky Fingers.

Two coming events at the Garden are worth adjusting your schedules, if need be, so we thought we’d get the word out extra early.

Mark your calendars for Thursday evening, Sept. 19, the night of the fifth annual Sculpture Party and Fall Fest at The Bernice Garden at 1401 S. Main St. in the ever-changing SoMa district downtown.

From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Garden will be filled with friends, fun, fine art and music – all free and open to the public. The party celebrates the 2013 sculptures, the Arkansas artists who created them, the neighborhood itself and the strong, eclectic feeling of community it has developed.

Guests can groove to the sounds of Ryk St. Vincent and the Package while oohing over the sculptures and the natural beauty of the garden. No worries about coming alone – everyone finds a friend at the garden.

The artists who will unveil their sculptures at the party are Danny Campbell of Pine Bluff (“Garden Series”); David Carpenter of Little Rock (“Home: the View from Here”); Stephen Driver of Ozark (“Fish Stela”); Mia Hall and David Clemons of Little Rock (“The Fruit of Their Labor”); Kerrick Hartman of Stuttgart (“Burden Bearers”); and John Van Horn and Erika Droke of North Little Rock (“Sealed with a Wish”).

The other, in case you haven’t heard by now, is that the 2013 Arkansas Cornbread Festival competitors will be housed right here in the heart of the garden! What a perfect match, because we sure love cornbread and family fun!

You can read all the details about the festival, download competitor and vendor applications – and order tickets in coming weeks – over at ArkansasCornbreadFestival.com and keep up with daily news on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. But we thought we’d give you a taste here, too.

Saturday, Nov. 2, is the big day with five hours of fun from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. But you’d best come early if you want to vote on cornbread – the competition will be from 11-1.

Our fun celebrity panel of judges will be entertaining on their own, and if you’re early you’ll get to see them tasting (from a respectful distance, of course). All judges will have their own blue and red ribbons to award, apart from the general competition.

Speaking of competitors, the first three professional entrants are all downtowners, with the first two from South Main! In order of entry receipt, they are:

The Root

SouthOnMain

 

and

Ashley's

 

Is your mouth watering yet? Better grab a cloth napkin, because many more will be coming soon.

To whet your musical appetite, how about the full list of sounds you’ll hear from the stage just down Main by the offices of Oxford American?

This year’s exciting musical lineup, courtesy of OA, is :

Monkhouse, 11-11:45 a.m.

Rosen Music Little Big Band, 12-12:45 p.m.

Greg Spradlin and The Libras, 1-1:45 p.m.,

Gerald Johnson Quartet, 2-2:45 p.m. and

Bluesboy Jag and the Juke Joint Zombies, 3-3:45 p.m.

To tide you over, here’s a Cosmo the Cornbread Man coloring page – you can see he loves music, too. Print him out and color to your heart’s desire, but children’s works only are welcome for display on Facebook and at the Festival.

You can drop them off at The Bernice Garden Farmers’ Market or post them directly on the ACBF Facebook page.

See you soon in the garden.

Please print out Cosmo for your kiddies to color – you can drop them off at The Bernice Garden Farmers' Market and look for them on the Arkansas Cornbread Festival Facebook page – and at the festival itself!

Please print out Cosmo for your kiddies to color – you can drop them off at The Bernice Garden Farmers’ Market and look for them on the Arkansas Cornbread Festival Facebook page – and at the festival itself!