Friday/Saturday To-Do: Maumelle Family Fest
Blue-eyed soulman Josef Hedinger
MAUMELLE FAMILY FEST
10 a.m., Lake Willastein. $7 adv./$10 d.o.s.
Butch Stone has mellowed in his middle years. The legendary music biz mover and shaker has traded managing over-sexed long-hairs and ne’er-do-wells (Black Oak Arkansas and Roger Clinton) for wholesome young folks (a blue-eyed soulman and a Nashville girl group), and swapped booking behemoth touring bands like the Eagles for kid-friendly festivals with draws like “the state’s largest petting zoo.” Which is not at all to say he’s grown less savvy. The line-up he’s assembled for the Maumelle Family Fest reads like the recipe for crack for kids, a saccharine combination of all their dreams, gathered within a few acres and two days (the festival kicks off Friday night, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.). Here’s what’s on the bill: pony rides, carnival rides, games, magic shows, Jamal the Clown, a fishing contest, a boat show, presentations from the Air Force and Army, an Elvis impersonator, people dressed up like Storm Troopers from “Star Wars,” a screening of “The Wizard of Oz” (with concert sound, on Friday) and lots of music, including Josef Hedinger, the blue-eyed soulman, and Parker Branch, the Nashville girl-group. The fun goes on a full 12 hours on Saturday. Visit www.maumellefamilyfest.com for ticket locations.
