NWA kicks May off with a Construction Bash, Touch-a-Truck, and Heart Ball

Northwest Arkansas has something to offer everyone in May, with local events ranging from a Construction Bash and Touch-a-Truck festival, to the always elegant Heart Ball and the Taste of Opera season opener.

• Construction Bash
CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Northwest Arkansas will conclude its Playhouse Palooza Fundraiser with a Construction Bash on May 2. The event will feature delicious food, drinks, music, and a live and silent auction.

This year's uniquely designed playhouses include a cartoon-themed structure, a "lofty lodge," a Pigpen, and a Little Blue Bungalow. Designed and constructed by local businesses/sponsors, the one-of-a-kind play homes are every kid's dream come true. Bids can be placed on the houses by visiting the CASA station at the NWA Mall in Fayetteville.

The Construction Bash will be held at Pratt Place Barn in Fayetteville, beginning at  6 p.m. Tickets are $50. For more information, call 479-725-2213.

• Touch-a-Truck
Thousands will make their way out to the Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers on May 3 for the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas' 8th annual Touch-a-Truck event. The festival will features dozens of vehicles for kids and adults to explore, including construction equipment, safety vehicles, motorcycles, monster trucks, boats, tractors and more. Other entertainment will include local dance teams, Irish dancers, sports teams, mascots, costumed characters, fingernail painters, building projects, and a BB target practice range.

Food trucks will be on-hand serving up lunch, refreshments, ice cream and other tasty treats. A concession stand will also be available offering light refreshments and beverages. Families are invited to host children’s birthday parties during the event.

The festival will be held in the JCPenney parking lot in Pinnacle Hills from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds benefit Junior League of NWA and its mission of "promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers."

Tickets are just $5 each or $20 per family.  Guests can purchase their tickets online or at the event. In the event of rain or severe weather, Touch-a-Truck will be rescheduled for May 17. For more information, call 479-751-7054.

• Opera in the Ozarks: Taste of Opera
Opera in the Ozarks will celebrate the opening of its 64th season with "A Taste of Opera" on May 8. The dinner and concert will be held in the Magnolia Dining Room of Fayetteville's Pratt Place Inn from 6 to 8 p.m.

The evening will feature fabulous food, and entertainment, including singers from the Opera in the Ozarks company. The group will perform Broadway Musical classics, Neapolitan love songs and famous opera arias.

Tickets are $60 and may be purchased online. An encore performance and dinner will also be held May 29 at the Historic 1886 Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs. For more information, call 479-253-8595.

• Heart Ball
It will be a true celebration of heart as the Northwest Arkansas American Heart Association hosts its annual Heart Ball on May 10. The premier fundraising event will be held at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers and will include elegant dinner, drinks, auctions, and many opportunities for fun and fundraising.

This year's theme, "At the Heart of Cape Cod," inspired organizers to give the annual ball a makeover, with the usual black tie dress code giving way to a more relaxed, summer style of Hampton chic. Guests are encouraged to wear Cape Cod attire, including dinner jackets and seersucker suits for men, and understated gowns and cocktail dresses for the ladies.

Attendees will have the chance to bid on a number of high-end items and packages in both the live and silent auction events,  including a trip for four to the 2015 Rose Bowl Parade and game in Pasadena, California, valued at more than $6,000.

Tickets to the Boardwalk will also be available for purchase, giving couples the chance to stroll through the fun and games, and enjoy exclusive Cape Cod cocktails and treats.

Doors to the main event will open at 6 p.m. Seating for dinner will begin at 7:30 p.m., at the close of the Boardwalk and silent auction, followed by the program at 8 p.m. Entertainment will start at 9 p.m., with the ball concluding at 11 p.m.

Individual tickets are $200, but are very limited. For more information, call (479) 439-6800.

• Stroll Bentonville

The Bentonville Library Foundation and the Benton County Historical Society will present Stroll Bentonville on May 10. The "stroll" will include a walking tour of six historical homes in downtown Bentonville, with detailed explanations of the homes and the families that have occupied them.

Tours will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature the 1900 Wilks Home, and the 1925 Seamster House, among many others.

Tickets are $20 in advance and are on sale at the Benton County Historical Society and the Bentonville Convention and Visitor's Bureau. For more information, call 479-273-3561.