Fort Smith to enjoy Spaghetti Dinner, Grape Escapes, and more

The coming weeks will offer a diverse sampling of events in the Fort Smith area, including Clayton Conversations, Immaculate Conception's annual Spaghetti Dinner, the inaugural presentation of the U.S. Marshal Museum's speaker series, Grape Escapes, and Junior League's Reach Out & Run 5K/10K.

Clayton Conversations: A Century of Law
The Clayton House in Fort Smith will welcome the Thomas Brady Pryor family for its February installment of Clayton Conversations on Feb. 22.

Author, historian, and retired attorney Thomas Pryor, III will kick off the organization's new "Family History Share Series." Pryor will show and discuss slides reaching back to the early life of his grandfather, Thomas Brady Pryor, born in 1869, and continue through the generations of his family that practiced law and settled in Fort Smith.

Refreshments and tours will be offered at 1 p.m., with the program to follow at 1:30 p.m.
Admission is free for members of the Fort Smith Heritage Foundation. Non-members are asked to make a $10 donation towards the preservation and programs of the Clayton House. Space is limited and reservations are encouraged. To RSVP or for more information, call 783-3000.

Immaculate Conception Spaghetti Dinner
Immaculate Conception will continue its long-running pasta tradition as it hosts its 45th annual Spaghetti Dinner on Feb. 22. A large volunteer effort, organizers spend days prepping and cooking for the large meal, which is open to the public.

The spaghetti dinner will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at Immaculate Conception Msgr. Galvin Parish Center, located at 22 N. 13th St. in Fort Smith. Diners can eat at the center or order meals to-go. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets are available at the door, from IC students, or by calling 783-6798.

Winthrop P. Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture Series welcomes U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia will headline the U.S. Marshals Museum's inaugural Winthrop Paul Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture Series presentation on Feb. 26.

Scalia is the Supreme Court's longest serving justice. He will serve as the first presenter in a three year series that will welcome leaders from the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the government to Fort Smith to speak about the U.S. Marshals’ rich history. He will be introduced by U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, and former director of the U.S. Marshals Service under President George H.W. Bush.

The presentation will be held at the Fort Smith Convention Center, beginning at 1:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required. For more information, email [email protected].

Grape Escapes
Guests will have the chance to sample more than 375 wine varieties at the 13th annual Grape Escapes on March 6. Presented by BOST, "A Vine Affair" will include a full night of fine food and wine, live music, prize packages and more.

BOST's signature fundraiser will be held at the Holiday Inn City Center in Fort Smith. The evening will get underway at 6 p.m. In addition to sampling wines, guests will enjoy delectable hors d'oeuvres and desserts from more than a dozen local restaurants and caterers. Entertainment will be provided by The Don Bailey Jazz Combo and Fort Smith native, vocalist Jonathan Karrant.

Tickets are $100 per person. All proceeds benefit BOST, which serves more than 1,000 individuals with mental, physical and developmental disabilities in 34 Arkansas countie. For more information, call 478-5554.

Reach Out & Run 5K/10K
Junior League of Fort Smith invites the community to "Reach Out &Run" at its annual 5K/10K event on March 7.

The race will be held at Fort Chaffee beginning at 8 a.m., with race day registration beginning at 6:30 am. Both the 5K and 10K will be chip-timed.

Registration is $25 per runner. All participants who register by February 28 will receive a t-shirt. Teams of four or more runners will receive a discounted registration rate of $20.00 per runner. Registration is available online or by printing out a paper form.

Proceeds from the fundraiser benefit Junior League of Fort Smith, which provides assistance to support its mission of helping area kids who are aging out of the foster care system. For more information, call 783-3930.