FUN

The 84th Arkansas State Fair begins Friday with concerts, fair food, livestock competitions, rides and unique attractions through Oct. 20 at the State Fairgrounds, 2600 Howard St., Little Rock. The gates open daily at 11 a.m. Of particular note on the opening weekend: the Bank OZK concert series, at 7 p.m. on the first three nights at Barton Coliseum: Heavy Metal on Friday with Stephen Pearcy of Ratt with Quiet Riot and Vixen; R&B on Saturday with Dru Hill and Ginuwine; and Country on Sunday with Chase Rice and Ella Langley. ArkansasStateFair.com.

The North Little Rock Airshow, Fridays from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the North Little Rock Regional Airport, 8200 Remount Road, North Little Rock, features flight displays, static aircraft displays, a car show and much more a free children's zone as well as paid options for rides in helicopters, monster trucks and Lamborghinis. nlrairshow.com.

The Museum of Discovery, 500 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock, continues its evening of spooky science and hands-on activities for adults 21 and older with “Science After Dark: The Nightmare at the Museum: The Sequel” from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday with scary experiments, beer, wine, vodka cocktails and pizza. museumofdiscovery.org.

DANCE

Ballet Arkansas blends classical and contemporary styles in “a captivating story of passion, betrayal and desire” in the world premiere of a new ballet based on Georges Bizet’s opera “Carmen,” Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m in the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts Theater, 501 E. Ninth St., Little Rock. balletarkansas.org/tickets.

MUSIC

The Arkansas Chamber Singers perform the Arkansas premiere of 18th-century composer Marianna Martines' “Dixit Dominus” with members of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and new conductor Lorissa Mason for its 45th season Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the St. James United Methodist Church, 321 Pleasant Valley Drive, Little Rock. The program also includes works by Martines' contemporaries Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Entry is free. ar-chambersingers.org.

The Little Rock Winds and conductor Israel Getzov open their 2024-25 season Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Little Rock's Second Presbyterian Church, 600 Pleasant Valley Drive, with a selection of Getzov's favorite concert band pieces from the band during its nine years The conductor of this band performed as a wind orchestra. lrwinds.org/tickets.

THEATER

Celebrity Attractions brings the national tour of “Dear Evan Hansen” to the Robinson Center Performance Hall in Little Rock, 426 W. Markham St., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 1 p.m . (501) 244-8800; CelebrityAttractions.com or Ticketmaster.com.

Argenta Contemporary Theater, 405 Main St., North Little Rock, is staging Lerner & Loewe's “My Fair Lady,” with final previews today at 7:30 p.m. and full performances Friday and Oct. 15-19 at 7: 2:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:00 p.m. Sunday. Leading a 20-strong cast, Karen Q. Clark plays Cockney flower seller Eliza Doolittle and Greta Robinson as Henry Higgins, the linguist who “recreates” her. argentacontemporarytheatre.org.

The 24 Hour Plays – six original short works by six authors with six directors and 24 actors, conceived, written, rehearsed and performed within 24 hours, come to the stage at the Arkansas Repertory Theater, 601 Main St., on Monday at 7 p.m. Little Rock. therep.org/24hour/tickets.

A brutal murder interrupts a honeymoon cruise on the Nile and everyone aboard the riverboat is a suspect in Agatha Christie's “Murder on the Nile,” on stage through Nov. 9 at Murry's Dinner Playhouse, 6323 Colonel Glenn Road, Little Rock . Performances take place Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (Wednesday matinees at 12:30 p.m., October 23 and 30 only) and Sundays at 12:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. The buffet opens 90 minutes before the start. (501) 562-3131 or visit murrysdp.com.

EXHIBITIONS

“Two Minutes to Midnight and the Architecture of Armageddon,” photographic essays on the Cold War by Jeanine Michna-Bales and Adam Reynolds, on display through Jan. 5 at the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History, 503 E. Ninth St., Little Felsen . (501)-376-4602; littlerock.gov/macarthur.

And “Commanding the Screen: The American Presidency in Film and Television” continues to offer a look at footage from more than 30 films and television shows depicting fictional and real U.S. presidents through March 23 at the Clinton Presidential Center, 1200 President will be Clinton Ave., Little Rock. clintonpresidentialcenter.org/exhibits.