Hey, there’s still time to throw your name in our online hat to win 4 tickets to a great kids show (The Gruffalo) at the Walton Arts Center plus dinner at Jose’s Mexican Restaurant. But you’ve got to enter by 6 p.m. Wednesday (today!), so CLICK HERE TO GET THE DETAILS or send us an e-mail at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com. Good luck! We’ll announce the winner on Thursday.

ENTER TO WIN: Take your little one to watch the award-winning picture book, The Gruffalo, come to life on stage at the Walton Arts Center on Monday, October 6 at 6:30 p.m. We’ve got four tickets for one winner, and all you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post by clicking below on the word “comment.” Or you can send us an e-mail at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com with the word “giveaway” in the subject line or message. (As always, you can increase your odds of winning by copying your friends on the e-mail.)

To round out your evening, we’re including dinner at a Dickson Street landmark, Jose’s Mexican restaurant, just steps away from Walton Arts Center. You can fill the kids’ tummies with tacos and cheese dip before or after the show, and the adults will love Jose’s legendary salsa, which is made fresh every day. (We mamas love any restaurant that’s kid-friendly, and we’re even more impressed with Jose’s because they showcase the taco-inspired artwork done by their youngest patrons. Click here to see local kids’ taco-related artwork displayed on the Jose’s website! What a great idea.)

Now, back to the show. The Gruffalo is geared toward kids ages 4 to 10. The story centers around the lead character Mouse as she wanders through the forest. Along the way she meets a sly fox, a cunning owl and a sneaky snake. Though she’s small in size, Mouse uses her creativity to scare off enemies by inventing tales of a fantastical creature called the Gruffalo. Her plan works perfectly until she comes face to face with the creature she imagined. Mouse’s encounter with a real Gruffalo is surprising, but she soon learns that what might be scary to imagine can be wonderful in real life. Filled with songs, laughs and scary fun, the show was called “irresistibly charming” in the New York Times review.

As an added bonus, this production kicks off “Pajama Night” at the Walton Arts Center. So any kids who arrive in their pj’s or with their favorite stuffed animal will receive a special treat!

Click here to visit the Walton Arts Center website for more ticket info or call 479-443-5600.

Two NWA couples have snagged Motherlode’s Great Date Giveaway goodies - dinner at Bordinos Italian Restaurant and tickets to see the Robert Cray Band at the Walton Arts Center on Sept. 18. The Motherlode mamas extend hearty congratulations to Jacqueline Presley and Angela Hopkins — and their respective great dates!

Robert Cray (pictured right) has won five Grammys and has been nominated 13 times. He is perhaps the most commercially successful blues musician in the last decade, with several charted hits. He has 16 records and has collaborated with musicians including B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Tina Turner. He has been called a “Blues artist for today” because his sound is clean and modern and caters to today’s musical tastes. Some of his hits include “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” and “Forecast.” Next February, he’s going on tour with Eric Clapton.

(An aside: Cray was the bass player for Otis Day and the Knights in the movie “Animal House.”)

And what can we say about Bordinos? The Italian food is fabulous and the ambiance is just right for a Great Date! Congrats again, ladies, and we can’t wait to chat with you and give you all the delicious details!

If you didn’t win the tickets but would still love to see the show, click here to get ticket info on the Walton Arts Center’s website. And don’t worry… there will be more chances to win future Great Date giveaways, so click back here often.

OK, mamas. You have until 6 p.m. today (Thursday, Sept. 11) to throw your name in the hat for our super cool, must-have Great Date Giveaway!

This Great Date will get you tickets to an amazing show at the Walton Arts Center – the Robert Cray Band, performing on September 18th. Here’s what you need to know about Robert Cray (pictured right). He has won five Grammys and has been nominated an amazing 13 times! He is perhaps the most commercially successful blues musician in the last decade, with several charted hits. He has 16 records and has collaborated with musicians including B.B. King, Eric Clapton and Tina Turner. He has been called a “Blues artist for today” because his sound is clean and modern and caters to today’s musical tastes. Some of his hits include “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” and “Forecast.” Next February, he’s going on tour with Eric Clapton.

Oh, and one other very cool tidbit about Robert Cray: He was the bass player for Otis Day and the Knights in the movie “Animal House.” (I love that movie.)

Of course, you’ll need to have an amazing dinner to go with your amazing concert, so we’re including dinner at Bordinos Italian Restaurant, just steps away from the Walton Arts Center.

HERE’S HOW YOU ENTER: As always, all you need to do to enter one of our online drawings is post a comment below by clicking on the word “comment” in the lower right-hand corner of this post or send us an e-mail at mamas@nwaMotherlode.com. If you copy your friends on the e-mail to let them know about the website, we’ll throw your name into the hat again for every friend you tell. Easy as that. And don’t worry about spam because we don’t sell info of any kind.

Tell us why you really want a Great Date, and we may post your witty or heartfelt answer on the website in the coming weeks. We’ve got two pairs of tickets, so we’ll draw two winners out of our online hat. Good luck, and we’ll announce the winners on Friday!