Live Entertainment
Looking for a night out on the town? You can find it at the River Market. The downtown area is the best place to find live entertainment and local music in the city.
- Ernie Biggs (307 President Clinton Ave, 501-372-4782) - Ernie Biggs is a fun dueling piano bar. The crowd is encouraged to participate in the performances and sing along with the entertainment. It's the perfect place to relax and have a good time. You can also visit Willie D's Dueling Piano Bar (322 President Clinton Ave, 501-224-9550) for more dueling piano fun.
- Juanita's Cantina Ballroom (1300 S. Main St, 501-372-1228) - Juanita's isn't in the River Market, but Main Street isn't that far away. It is the best place to hear great local talent. They book all sorts of different talent so check the website to see who is going to be playing when you're going to visit.
- Sticky Fingerz Rock 'n Roll Chicken Shack (107 S. Commerce St, 501-372-7790) - Sticky Fingerz has become well known for it's live music offerings. You can find mostly rock bands here although they sometimes shake it up with something different.
- The Underground Pub (500 President Clinton Ave, 501-707-2537) - The Undergroud offers live music here on some nights and karoke on others. It's a British themed bar with fish and chips, pool tables and dart boards. It's a fun place to hang out! The Flying Saucer (323 President Clinton Ave, 501-224-9550) is also in the area and offers darts and pool tables and an impressive list of over 100 beers on tap!
Most of the places above offer great food and drink in the River Market area. However, here are some restaurants where the food is the focus instead of the fun and music.
- Boscos(500 President Clinton Ave., Suite 105, 501-907-1881) Boscos is the restaurant for beer lovers. Beside the beer, they offer a menu of items you wouldn't find in a typical bar like seafood, steaks, pastas and sandwiches. The prices range from $12-20 for entrees.
- Gusano's Pizzeria (313 President Clinton Ave, 501-374-1441) - Gusano's Chicago Style pizza is unlike any other pizza in Little Rock! Their thin crust is pretty good too. If there's a game playing, you can normally watch it here.
- Sonny Williams Steakroom (500 President Clinton Ave., Suite 100, 501-324-2999) - If you're looking for a good steak in the River Market, this is the place to go but be prepared to pay for it. Steaks range from about $30 to $60. Sonny Williams also has a piano bar so you can add some class to your evening out.
The Alltel Arena is located near the River Market and the Riverfront Amphitheater and Robinson Memorial Auditorium are located in the Rivermarket District. Most concerts and special events are held in one of these places. After the show, a lot of people head out on the town for some more fun. It's just a short drive over the bridge from Alltel.
In the Daytime
In the daylight hours, there is also plenty of activity. Most of the restaurants are open in the day and are perfect for families to stop at on the way to the Museum of Discovery, the Old State House, Riverfront Park, the Clinton Presidential Library, to visit the Peabody ducks or other downtown attractions.
You can also shop. There are many quaint speciality shops in the River Market District. Shops that specialize in art, clothing, instruments and almost everything else line the streets.
Last, but certainly not least, is the actual River Market. It's been used in the Winter to display holiday lights, host an ice skating rink and a merry-go-round. In the Spring it's an open air market where farmers from all around the state can sell fresh vegetables. I make at least one trip a week to this area in the Spring.
Transportation
Getting around downtown and the River Market is easy! Little Rock has three replica vintage trolleys operating on the 2.5-mile route. The River Rail route includes Alltel Arena, the Statehouse Convention Center, the River Market itself, both state houses, the historic Argenta neighborhood, numerous restaurants and hotels, the Historic Arkansas Museum, the Museum of Discovery, the main branch of the Central Arkansas Library System, two Chambers of Commerce, courthouses, the Robinson Auditorium Concert Hall, the Riverfront Amphitheater and more. Hotels that can be reached on the River Rail include the DoubleTree Hotel, the Capital Hotel, the Peabody Hotel (home of the ducks) and the Courtyard By Marriott.
River Rail Day Passes are $2 each and are available at the Capital Hotel, the Central Arkansas Library Main Branch (100 Rock Street), the Courtyard By Marriott, the Historic Arkansas Museum (200 East Third Street) and the River Cities Travel Center (310 East Capitol Avenue).
