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Whatever your taste in music or the arts, it’s likely you’ll discover something entertaining, interesting or just plain fun at this year’s Jump, Jive and JamFest in downtown Texarkana.

The two-day extravaganza of arts-enriched activities and music on Friday, May 16, and Saturday, May 17, is a festival that considers and welcomes just about all tastes.

Whether it’s slam poetry, traditional African drumming, popular local bands, improvisational theater, Segways, pottery, guitar competition, a diva jam, the annual burger cookoff, or established musical stars, this year’s festival packs the action into those two days.

Here’s a look at the lineup of activities.

On Friday, the festival starts off for the youngest among us. It’s Student Day at JJJ from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., geared toward eighth-grade students to college and university folks.

The ABC’s of photography, daytime concerts, Texarkana Blues Society members, stage makeup, a photography contest, wood turning, painting, Paul Green’s School of Rock All-Stars and chalk on the walk—they’re just some of the personalities and activities on tap for area youth on Friday.

College students are welcome to come individually, and school groups should sign up to attend. Students will have a choice of sessions they can attend throughout the day.

“It’s structured fun. We want them to get the most out of the day,” said Nita Fran Hutcheson, the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council’s director of marketing and development.

On Friday night, there’s the JJJ Kick-Off Party and BBQ featuring a show by the Wild Magnolias. It starts at 6 p.m. in the ArtSpark.

“What we traditionally do is a barbecue picnic. And you just come and have barbecue and then you get kind of a smorgasbord of the different artists and the different things that are going to happen the next day,” said Hutcheson.

It’s also a night of something new and mysterious.

“This year TexRep is going to do a mystery. It’s a murder mystery. It’s a secret. That’s what the fun part is,” Hutcheson said.

Saturday, of course, is the big, all-day lineup of arts and music.

New this year is ice carving. Hutcheson calls it a “great chainsaw massacre.” Also, the Segways return but will have a longer drive time and course for interested riders to navigate on these futuristic wheels.

Rhythmweb is also new with Eric Stuer and his many percussion instruments from all over the world coming to Texarkana.

“These are dozens of drums that the kids will learn to play on. So they actually can get to try it out. If you’ve always wanted to be a drummer, well you get to,” said Hutcheson.

Returning favorites include Bugs and Balloons, Ghanaian drummer Zinse Agginie and Gladys Keeton, who returns with her international dance troupe. “They will be teaching different kinds of dancing as well as demonstration,” Hutcheson said.

Speed theater will be conducted with hal evans. That starts Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Perot Theatre.

“They will start Saturday morning and actually create an entire play between start and finish. They will be writing it, staging it, costuming it, and performing it,” said Hutcheson.

A little earlier in the morning, a Character/Critter breakfast will give youngsters age 4 to 8 a chance to have breakfast downtown and meet a cool critter.

Clayton Scott returns with slam poetry, and Kay Thomas will teach how to make sculpture from water bottles, plastic bags, lids and coat hangers.

The Front and Center Stage near the Regional Arts Center will showcase student talent from the area, such as the Faith, Love and Hope Stompers, jazz and steel drum bands from Texas Middle School and the Arkansas High School Redline.

And at the ArtSpark on Saturday, more talented locals will be showcased: College Hill Mimes; the Texarkana, Texas, Independent School District Honor Choir; Trice Elementary Dancers; and the Texarkana Dance Academy.

Meanwhile, the jAVA hUT will serve as an unplugged coffee house all day where JJJ performers will stop by and people can get up and perform on the open mic, play games, or just relax with a beverage of choice. Paul Green’s School of Rock All-Stars are scheduled to stop by and visit. A Guitar Hero competition will also be held for aspiring rock stars.

Later, the JJJ parade will cruise around the festival square at 4 p.m. That will end the daytime fun with gates reopening at 6 p.m.

“It’s fun, it’s a memory,” said Hutcheson.