Civic celebrations slated for West Memphis

Family friendly events planned in West Memphis

By JOHN RECH

news@theeveningtimes.com

Party, party, party … civic celebrations abound in West Memphis. Productions by the Advertising and Promotions Commission (A& P), the police and fire departments highlighted community outreach during late spring. The A& P celebrated with Thursday night performance to crowds that packed out the parking lot in its Blues Off Broadway at the Civic Center Parking lot with one more performance remaining. The Police aimed for students and scheduled an end of school bash at the civic center. The Fire Department reserved Tilden Rodgers Park for a Safety Day filled with family fun.

Next party up comes today and courtesy of the WMPD. Police slated its End of School Bash with the invitation “Let’s Party” to student, teachers and the community.

School Resource officers play a vital role in community outreach developing relationships with students in every school in the city. So, the invitation seemed rather natural. The bash was set to go off, today, Wednesday, May 25, from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Eugene Woods Civic Center, 228 Polk. Live music, food trucks, and bounce house highlight the scheduled fun.

“We will have a live band and are shooting for a carnival ride, snow cones and bounce houses for the kids that come out,” said Captain Ivora Hall to police commissioners.

Hall hinted at other celebrations in the offing during

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the May police commission meeting.

“We will have a daddy- daughter dance also at the civic center on June 16,” said Hall. “We’ll have a DJ their and catering. In October will have a formal black tie gala October 15 at the Radison.”

Next party up was scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, May 26, by the A& P Commision and produced by the city Convention and Visitors Bureau. With the final instalment of the month-long Thursday evening community concert series – Blues Off Broadway. Sing and dance along to musical artists Baunie & Soul and Johnie B. & Queen Iretta. Invite your friends and help spread the word! Lawn chairs welcome. No coolers. Food trucks deliver their favorite menus along with city concession sales of beer and wine coolers. Last week the crowd parking lot packed crowd sang out to oldies and broke down Wobble Baby with the electric slide.

Capping the scheduled civic celebrations comes the city fire department with a fun filled Safety Day set for Saturday June 4, at Tilden Rodgers Park, 823 North College Boulevard. The Saturday celebration was slated from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The family- oriented outing promised many family-fun features. Bounce houses, fire training, first aid demonstration, gun safety and gun locks all go from the city stage along with live music.

“It geared for kids,” said Training Division Chief Robert Mabe to fire commissioners this month. “They be a stay safe and stop the bleed program presentations from LeBonheur. We’ll provide demonstration and practice of CPR along with proper use of a fire extinguisher. We will perform a mock vehicle extrication with the Hospital Wing helicopter, weather permitting. It should be fantastic day with draws being the food, bounce houses a DJ and fun for everybody at a great location in the park.”

Photo by Jon Rech

Who needs the TikTok video craze of Wobble Baby when your neighbor dances the electric slide to it at Blues on Broadway? Spectators turned dancers at the community concert series last week. The free concert series culmination was set for tomorrow evening, Thursday, May 26, at the West Memphis Civic Center. The civic celebration continued with an out of school bash set by police and a safety day slated by the fire department.