NWA to host Summer Celebrations, LPGA Tournament, and Western Days

June is all about summer celebrations, golf, and pre-rodeo festivities in NWA. Locals can party at the Summer Salsa, Summer Nights Gala, or Summer Solstice event, watch the pros at the annual Walmart LPGA Tournament, or get in the rodeo spirit at Western Day's.

• EOA Children's House Summer Salsa
The EOA (Economic Opportunity Agency) Children's House will host its 12th annual Summer Salsa on June 20.

Guests will dine on heavy hors d'oeuvres and festive beverages, while enjoying live music from local favorite Ultra Suede. The event will also feature a unique silent auction and salsa tasting competition. The Summer Salsa will be held at the Fayetteville Town Center from 7 to 11 p.m.

Tickets are $75 and can be purchased online. All proceeds benefit EOA Children's Home, who accomplishes its mission of “Stopping Child Abuse. Saving Lives,"  by providing a safe, secure place for children to overcome the devastating effects of abuse and neglect, regardless of social or economic background. 

To sponsor or for more information, call Megan at 927-1232, ext. 203.

• Summer Nights Gala
The 21st annual "Cancer Challenge" will celebrate a week-long series of events with its festive "Summer Nights Gala" on June 20.

The evening will include dinner and cocktails, as well as both live and silent auction events. Mark Ballas from ABC's hit show "Dancing with the Stars" will be the special guest. The popular Memphis Soul Revue will also perform.

The gala is one of many events on the 2014 Cancer Challenge schedule, which will also include a trap shoot, wine and cheese social, a golf and tennis tournament, and a 5k/10k run. All proceeds benefit The Cancer Challenge, which serves "to advocate and support world-class cancer care in Northwest Arkansas."

Summer Nights will be held at Horton Farms in Gravette from 6 to 11 p.m. Attire for the gala is summer casual. Gala tickets are $150 per person or $1,500 for a table of ten. Tickets include, dinner, cocktails and entertainment, and can be purchased online or by calling 273-3172.

• 2014 Light Nights Summer Solstice
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art invites families to celebrate the summer season  by attending its 2014 "Light Nights Summer Solstice" on  June 21. The event will center around James Turrell’s Skyspace installation, "The Way of Color" and will include sound and art with special musical performances created for the show.

The fun will begin at 6:30 p.m., as families participate in colorful bubble-making projects and explore art and science through unique projects and activities. At 8:30, the Astrological Society of Northwest Arkansas will break out telescopes for guests to stargaze above the Skyspace.

At dusk, guests will enjoy the Walton Art Center’s “The Way of Timbre,” a site-specific musical performance composed especially for the installation, and designed by renowned sound artist Steve Parker of Soundspace. Following the sunset show, Downtown Bentonville’s Notes at Night Series will welcome local band, The Airplanes at the amphitheater.

Admission is free and no registration is required. Cash bar and concession stand will be available. For more information, call Crystal Bridges at 657-2335.

• Walmart Northwest Arkansas LPGA Championship
Walmart and P&G will host the 2014 Northwest Arkansas LPGA Championship June 23-29 at Pinnacle Hills Country Club in Rogers. The national tournament will include a full week of golf play, drawing some of the biggest names in professional ladies golf, as well as concerts, kids activities, and community events.

Official play will be held over three days, with 144 of the world's top ranked women golfers competing in a 54-hole stroke event. Spectators may watch in person by purchasing tickets, or by viewing the nationally-televised tournament on The Golf Channel.

Several events will be open to the public including A Kid's Center, which will feature a nine-hole putt putt course and other family-friendly activities. Presented by DOVE, the center be open Wednesday through Sunday. A complete hours of operation listing for the Kid's Center and other community events is available online.

A special community concert featuring country music star Dierks Bentley will be held at the AMP in Rogers on June 28. The Walmart AMP will open at 6 p.m. with local group Backroad Anthem serving as the opening act. Bentley will follow. Proceeds from the concert will benefit area charities.

Week-long and one-day tournament passes may be purchased online. Children ages 17 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. Admission is also free to military personnel and veterans with valid I.D.

• Rodeo of the Ozarks Spring Carnival and Western Days
In anticipation of the Rodeo of the Ozarks in July, families are invited out for the organization's annual Spring Carnival and Western Days events, June 18-22.

The Spring Carnival will be held at Parsons Stadium in Springdale, offering families the chance to enjoy amusement rides, games and much more. Many local vendors will also be on-hand. Hours vary by day. A complete schedule is available online.

Western Days will be held in conjunction with the carnival on June 21 and will consist of a full evening of family-friendly activities including live music. Gates will open at 4 p.m. at Parsons Stadium. BBQ sampling will begin at 5 p.m. for only $5. Singers Alaska and Madi from Blake Shelton's team on NBC's "The Voice," will perform at 6 p.m., followed by local favorite Backroad Anthem at 8 p.m. Concert tickets are also $5.

A Western Days Street Dance will be held the following weekend, June 28, in downtown Springdale. Stagecoach rides and children's events will be open from 6 to 8 p.m. The Street Dance and live music will last from 8 to 11 p.m. Admission to the Street Dance is free, and guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs. Concessions will be available.