Things to Do in Little Rock This Weekend (Aug 28–30)
The last full weekend of August, so make it count. Friday and Saturday are for going out. Sunday is for slowing down.
Friday: Downtown
The last Friday of the month brings a fuller-than-usual calendar downtown. The three main music rooms - Stickyz, the Rev Room, and The Hall - all typically book their strongest local draws on a late-summer Friday because the crowd is guaranteed.
If music is not the plan, the Loony Bin Comedy Club runs Friday shows, and weekends usually mean a headliner staying through Sunday.
Dinner first: the River Market corridor has the shortest walk from table to stage. Book 6:15 rather than 7 and you will be seated immediately.
Saturday Morning: Get Out Early
Late August is prime trail season before the heat breaks. The Pinnacle Mountain lots fill by 8:30 rather than the usual 9.
- Pinnacle West Summit - 1.4 miles round trip, at the trailhead by 7 a.m. or skip it.
• Arkansas River Trail from Two Rivers Park - flat, long, and rarely crowded on the western sections.
• Lake Maumelle - the paddling and fishing option. Ramps get busy by 9.
Saturday Midday: Market and Shade
The Little Rock Farmers Market at the River Market Pavilions runs through the morning. Late August is the tail of peach season and the peak of tomatoes, okra, and peppers.
From noon to about 5, plan indoors. The Museum of Discovery, the Clinton Presidential Center, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in MacArthur Park, and the Old State House Museum are all downtown and all air-conditioned.
Saturday Night: Go Out Properly
A late-August Saturday is the best night of the season for the brewery-then-show combination. Lost Forty on Byrd Street to a River Market show is under ten minutes. Argenta in North Little Rock is the quieter alternative with easier parking and a late kitchen at Four Quarter Bar.
Sunday: SoMa, Slowly
Bernice Garden Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., then lunch on Main Street. Sunday is the right day for a two-hour lunch and nothing else.
If you want a second act, the Big Dam Bridge at sunset is fifteen minutes away and free.
Looking Ahead to Labor Day
Labor Day falls on Monday, September 7 this year - a full week out. Most museums stay open on the holiday, state park programming runs, and the river is the main event. Our full Labor Day weekend guide lands next Thursday.
Weather Watch
Late August: highs in the low 90s, evening lows in the low 70s, and a real chance of afternoon storms. The good news is that the humidity typically breaks slightly by the end of the month, which makes evenings usable again.
Live Listings
Everything on the Current Events feed refreshes at 3 a.m. daily from eight Little Rock sources, so it reflects what is actually on sale today rather than what was announced last week.
