Welcome to a month of ‘Love and War’ and ‘Wine and Roses’

In addition to stormy weather, April will kick-off with Wine and Roses' 20th anniversary, the Fort Smith Chorale's "Of Love and War," the Kids and the Community Golf Tournament,  Miles for Mutts, and Chaffee Crossing's Spring Festival. Good luck working it all in.

• Wine and Roses
The Reynolds Cancer Support House will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its signature "Wine and Roses" event on April 5. The black tie optional benefit will include delicious food and drinks, as well as beautiful art and live music.

Guests will  dine on gourmet food, prepared by River City Deli Catering, and a number of specialty wines provided by In Good Spirits, while enjoying live music. Harpist Hollye Dickinson will perform in the early part of the evening, followed by jazz musician Jonathan Karant.

Local father and son pair Jim and Michael Hadley will serve as the guest auctioneers in the live wine auction, which will include a wide-array of big ticket bottles up for grabs. A drawing for a ladies Rolex watch, donated by Newton's Jewelers, will also be held. Pieces by a number of regional artists, including Peter Lipincott, Greg Palmer, and Lynn Snyder, will be on display in the silent art auction. Many of the artists will also be in attendance visiting with guests about their collections.

Wine and Roses will be held at the Reynolds Cancer Support House located at 3324 South M St. in Fort Smith beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $100 and can be purchased online or by emailing [email protected]. For more information, call 479-424-1812.

• Fort Smith Chorale presents "Of Love and War"
The Fort Smith Chorale will present its annual spring concert "Of Love and War" on April 10. The concert will be held at First Baptist Church of Fort Smith beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The concert will open with Franz Joseph Haydn's  thrilling "Mass in Time of War" in C Major. Balancing out the war theme will be romantic selections including "Flower of Beauty" by Clement, James Mulholland 's "Red, Red Rose", "Go Lovely Rose" by Eric Whitacre and several other pieces.

Individual tickets are $15 and can be purchased online or at the door. For more information, 479-242-SING.

• Kids and the Community Golf Classic
The Van Buren Kiwanis Club will host the 9th annual "Kids and the Community Golf Classic" on April 11 at Eagle Crest Golf Course in Alma.

The four-man scramble will kick off with special demos, presented by A to Z Golf, including chances to test out the newest drivers and irons on the market. A BBQ lunch will be served at noon, followed by tee time at 1 p.m. Four-time long-drive world qualifier "Downtown" Matt Brown will be also be on-hand at the tournament.

Prizes will be awarded to the first and second place winners of each flight. Special drawing and door prize giveaways will also be held. Cost is $75 per player or $300 per four-person team. Entry fee includes cart, green fees, and lunch.

Teams are encouraged to register by April 7. All proceeds support the Van Buren Kiwanis Club. For more information, contact Raymond Harvey at 479-883-3146.

• Miles for Mutts 5K-The Purrfect Race
The Sebastian County Humane Society will host the Miles for Mutts 5K at the site of the future U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith on April 12. The Purrfect Race will include a 5K and walk for participants of all ages.

Entry fee is $25 for individuals and $50 for families, with a limit of three participants. The first 350 registered participants will receive a t-shirt. Early check in will be held on Friday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Sweetbay located next to Creekmore Park. Race day check-in will begin at 7 a.m., with the race starting at 8 a.m.

Awards will be given to the male and female first, second and third-place finishers in the following divisions: 13 & under, 14-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, and 60 & over. For more information, call 479-783-4395.

• Chaffee Crossing Spring Festival
Chaffee Crossing will celebrate spring and "The King" with its annual Spring Festival and Elvis Haircut Day on April 12. This year's festival will include food, games, live music and much more.

The 6th annual Elvis Haircut Day festivities will be held at the Fort Chaffee Barbershop Museum. G.I. buzz cuts will be given, and an Elvis look-alike contest will be held. Elvis tribute artist Brent Gibbens will also perform.

The Spring Festival will be held in the Chaffee Crossing Historic District and will feature games, raffle prizes, poodle skirt and hula hoop contests, and a veteran art display. The Riverbenders Barbershop Quartet and country music artist Justin Edwards will perform. Helicopter rides will also be offered, with prices starting at $25.

New to this year's festival will be the beer garden, as well as a BBQ and Chili cook-off. Visitors can purchase plates to each cook-off for only $5.

Festivities will last from noon to 5 p.m. Admission to the festival is free and open to the public. Proceeds from food and beverage sales will benefit the Chaffee Crossing Historic District.

For more information, call 479-434-6774.