THURSDAY 9/17
The 2nd annual El Dorado Film Festival, which this year received submissions from 14 different countries, will be held at the South Arkansas Arts Center Sept. 17-19, $45. Comedian and hypnotist Doug T is at the Loony Bin at 7:30 p.m., $7 (and at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, $10). The United Way Campaign Kick-Off Concert at Dickey-Stephens Park will feature Barrett Baber and Backroad Anthem, 6 p.m., $15. Burn Halo plays at Juanita’s with Heartist and Courage My Love, 7 p.m., $10. Guitarist Stevie Coyle performs at The Joint as part of its Argenta Arts Acoustic Music Series, 7:30 p.m., $20. The Vondoliers play at White Water at 8:30 p.m., $5.
FRIDAY 9/18
Mark Christ, community outreach director for the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program, will give a lecture, “An eagle on his button and a musket on his shoulder: Black Regiments in Civil War Arkansas,” at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center, 11:30 a.m. Amasa Hines, Mulehead, the Good Time Ramblers and Jeff Coleman will play a special show at the River Market pavilions in honor of Little Rock native and cancer survivor Jakob Mueller, 6 p.m. Tickets are $20; all proceeds go to the Ronald McDonald House of Arkansas. Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre presents its production of “Puss in Boots” at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday (through Oct. 4), $10-$12.50. Comedian Randy Liedtke performs at Juanita’s, 7 p.m., $12. Bonnie Montgomery plays with Doug Strahan at the White Water Tavern, 9:30 p.m., $7.
SATURDAY 9/19
Little Rock Baconfest comes to the Arkansas State Fairgrounds, with bacon-themed cooking contests, live music, a 5K and more, 11 a.m., $5 adv., $10 day of. The Hot Springs Blues and BBQ Festival is at Oaklawn, with headliners Los Lonely Boys and Keb’ Mo’, 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, $20 adv., $30 day of. Bryan Adams plays at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, 7:30 p.m., $30-$295.
SUNDAY 9/20
U.K. indie rock band The Dreaming Spires headlines an all-ages Last Chance Records showcase at White Water that also features Little Rock’s Adam Faucett and Winnipeg’s Scott Nolan, 7 p.m., free. Neo-soul singer-songwriter Bilal, who has worked with Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, Common and countless other rappers and R&B singers, performs at Juanita’s at 7 p.m., $20 adv., $30 day of.