Festival in Four Oaks Four Oaks will hold its annual Acorn Festival this weekend. Here’s the schedule: Friday — golf tournament, 11 a.m. at Reedy Creek; street dance, 7 p.m., Railroad Street. Saturday — parade, 10 a.m.; entertainment, rides, crafts and food, 11 a.m. till 6 p.m. Sunday — Mini Tractor Pull, with $7 admission, 1 p.m., 659 Tettersville Road.

1930s on display The Johnston County Heritage Center has a new exhibit about the 1930s, “A Few Good Things from a Great Depression.” The exhibit features examples of Johnston County progress in public works and business in spite of hard times. For instance, Smithfield landmarks that took shape as Depression-era projects include the Howell Theatre (a product of private enterprise) and the American Legion Hut, or “Log Cabin,” (a federal public-works project). Also, government-paid laborers built the rock walls that still surround public cemeteries in Smithfield, Selma, Clayton, Benson, Four Oaks and elsewhere. Other examples of community progress from the 1930s: the Town of Princeton’s “first garbage wagon and collectors,” Smithfield High School’s first organized band and “Opportunity Hall,” a new building at Smithfield’s African-American high school. The Heritage Center has several books written as personal memoirs about the 1930s. The books are for sale in the main hall and through the Web site, www.johnstonnc.com/heritage. The Heritage Center is open from 9 a.m. till 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday in the former First Citizens Bank building at the corner of Market and Third streets in downtown Smithfield. Admission is free. For more information, call 934-2836 or send an e-mail to heritagecenter@johnstonnc.com.

Civil War history A living-history program will be held Saturday, May 16, at Bentonville Battlefield State Historic Site in southeastern Johnston County. From 10 a.m. till 4 p.m., “living historians” in period costume will show how soldiers in the Civil War made meals, maintained their weapons and uniforms, trained for battle, withstood heat and cold, and much more. This free program will also feature musket demonstrations at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. and artillery firings at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. To find the battlefield, go three miles north of Newton Grove on U.S. 701 and then three miles east on State Road 1008. There are marked exits from both Interstate 95 and Interstate 40. For more information, call (910) 594-0789 or visit www.nchistoricsites.org/bentonvi/bentonvi.htm.

Music in Smithfield Mr. Mustard will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 15, at Orchard House Booksellers, 117 N. 3rd St., Smithfield. Admission is free; refreshments will be available. May 15 is “Third on Third” in downtown Smithfield, with carriage rides and art exhibits.

Blues in Clayton Blues musician “Cool John” Ferguson will headline this year’s Millstock Music & Arts Faire in downtown Clayton. Ferguson will perform from 4 till 6 p.m. June 6 on East Second Street behind the Flipside restaurant. Here’s the rest of the music schedule for the day: 10-11:30 a.m., Mister Mustard; noon-1:30 p.m., Dread34; and 2-3:30 p.m., Johnny Orr & South Station. The fair will feature a sidewalk chalk-art contest, and throughout the day, artists will have their works for sale.

Art on display Artwork by West Johnston High School students is on display through May 25 at Johnston Medical Center on North Bright Leaf Boulevard in Smithfield. The following students have works on display: Jake Hamilton, Will Hill, Ryan Honeycutt, Anaira Knight, Meagan Meadows, Ariel Nikos, Molly Rhodes, Layla Rivenbark, Jessica Sanchez, Andrea Torres and Rosalyn Villaescusa.

King’s Messengers The King’s Messengers will celebrate their 34th anniversary at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at Pike’s Crossroads Pentecostal Holiness Church. The Kellys of Hampton, Va., will also sing. Admission is free. A hot dog supper will precede the concert. The church is near the intersection of N.C. 581 and Princeton-Pikeville Road in Wayne County.

Fair seeks artists

The ninth annual Millstock Music & Arts Faire is seeking visual artists. The fair is open to artists working in paint, graphics, printmaking, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, glass, fiber, jewelry, woodwork, photography, mixed media, etc. The fair will take place from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m. June 6 in downtown Clayton. The booth fee for artists is $35, and the deadline to enter is May 27. For more information, call 320-8287 or send an e-mail to claytonvisualarts@rocketmail.com.

Eddie Miles in Selma

Eddie Miles is coming to Selma with his tribute to country legends and Elvis Presley. He will perform at 8 p.m. May 8 and 1:40 p.m. May 9 at The Rudy Theatre, 300 N. Raiford St., Selma. For reservations, call 202-9927.

American Music Jubilee

Here’s the remaining May schedule for the American Music Jubilee, the variety show in Selma: 7:40 p.m. May 16, 23 and 30; and 1:40 p.m. May 14 and 16. Shows are at The Rudy Theatre, 300 N. Raiford St., Selma. For reservations, call 202-9927.

Concert series

The Paul A. Johnston Auditorium at Johnston Community College has announced its 2009-10 concert schedule. The acts are listed below by series. Country, bluegrass — Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, Sept. 25, $25; Daily & Vincent, Feb. 12, $22.50; and Ronnie Milsap, March 20, $27.50. A season ticket to the country-bluegrass series is $60. Nostalgia series — “Satisfaction,” a Rolling Stones tribute, Oct. 24, $20; “Church Basement Ladies,” March 27, $27.50; and “Rock & Roll Heaven,” a tribute to Buddy Holly, Bobby Darin, Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, James Brown and Ray Charles, April 16, $22.50. A season ticket to the nostalgia series is $55. Family series — “Henry & Mudge,” Sept. 27, $10; “Freedom Train,” Jan. 16, $10; and “Charlotte’s Web,” March 6, $10. A season ticket to the family series is $25. Signature series — “Maestros Unleashed,” Oct. 9, $25; Frank Vignola, Feb. 13, $20; and “Musical Melange,” April 18, $10. A season ticket to the maestros series is $45. Renewals are on sale now for current season-ticket holders. New season-ticket sales start June 1, and single-ticket sales start Aug. 3. For more information, call the auditorium box office at 209-2099.

Band of Oz in Smithfield

The Band of Oz will perform from 5:30 till 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 19, at 128 N. 2nd St. in downtown Smithfield. Admission is free. Bring lawn chairs but no coolers or alcoholic beverages. Refreshments will be available. In case of rain, the concert will be at the Country Club of Johnston County.