While you can’t leave house for entertainment, here’s how Arlington brings it to you

While the coronavirus has forced many folks in Arlington to stay home, there are a lot more entertainment options than Netflix. So, after you’ve binge-watched “Tiger King” (or even before), there’s no need to find yourself bored.

From concerts to Esports to trying a new recipe in the kitchen, there’s plenty to keep folks occupied as they put down the TV clicker. Here are some of the virtual entertainment options around Arlington.

Levitt Living Room Series

Gathering under the stars at Levitt Pavilion isn’t an option right now, but that doesn’t mean a good concert can’t still be enjoyed, thanks to the Levitt Living Room Series. Live-streaming concerts will be presented every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at facebook.com/levittpavilionarlington.

“We had made the decision to postpone our summer concert series start until June. 19. When we did that, we said, ‘We still need to be bringing music to people now.’ So, we decided to do the living room series,” Levitt Pavilion Communications Director Cathy O’Neal said.

Artists for the new virtual series will be announced as they are confirmed on the Levitt’s website, mobile app, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Taylor Young is already set for Tuesday, April 28. Young, formerly of The O’s, is the front man for The Taylor Young Band, which will be the opening act for the Levitt’s annual benefit concert featuring Styx on Oct. 10.

Sara Hickman is scheduled for May 5. Hickman is a longtime fan favorite, and her performance will coincide with North Texas Giving Day, a regional event to help nonprofit organizations that are impacted by the pandemic.

“We need it more than ever — both the free music and the financial support,” O’Neal said.

Also, since the signature buckets for donations can’t be passed around at the online concerts, organizers hope that those enjoying the music will make donations online.

The Levitt Pavilion’s current plan is for its summer concert season to open on June 19 with the bluesy music of Michael Lee, a Fort Worth artist who competed on “The Voice.” Summer concerts will continue through July 19.

For more information, visit levittpavilionarlington.org.

River Legacy Parks

Since folks can’t come to the River Legacy Science Center, the center is bringing activities to them via social media.

Each Monday through Friday at 2 p.m., the center is sharing glimpses of the wonders of nature with families through a story, an activity, or a fun fact.

▪ Mondays is storytime, where everyone can read a book together.

▪ Tuesdays and Thursdays offer audience interaction with Facebook Live videos.

▪ Wednesdays feature sharing of a nature-related craft or experience.

▪ Fridays, the center shows fun new facts about an animal or the environment.

“Because we are the largest provider of environmental education in all of North Texas, we feel like that importance and the necessity of connecting people with nature has not lessened one bit with the coronavirus, so what we’re doing is increasing our public programming online,” said Becky Nussbaum Gerro, the center’s Director of Development.

“People are looking for good news. People are looking for things that make you feel better. Certainly nature, animals, the beautiful wildflowers, all of that makes you feel better.”

Visit www.facebook.com/riverlegacyparks.

Katie’s Quarantine Kitchen

There’s something about self-quarantine and eating that seem to go together.

In this month’s edition of Arlington Eats, host Andrew Tanielian takes viewers inside Katie’s Quarantine Kitchen. Most months, the program showcases one of the city’s many restaurants or food businesses. But as the world practices social distancing, this month’s episode features a new kind of food — home cooking.

Katie Seelye trained at the Culinary Institute of America and now serves as the hospitality manager at First Baptist Church in downtown Arlington.

“My ultimate desire in doing this was just to help people feel comfortable in their own kitchen,” she said.

Seelye said the idea for the broadcast came from the realization that, while she loves being a part of the team at her church and feeding the community, she’d be home more. So, to still help her fellow citizens, she went to social media.

The videos have since become so popular they have been featured in national news broadcasts.

“It kind of went a little nuts,” Seelye said. “I love cooking. It’s a stress reliever for me, sometimes.”

Viewers can find MyArlingtonTV programs on the following cable systems: Spectrum Channel 16 and AT&T U-Verse channel 99, and streaming capabilities at www.arlingtontx.gov. All episodes are also available on the City’s YouTube channel, Facebook page and Twitter account.

Library expands digital footprint

Virtual services are nothing new to the Arlington Public Library, albeit they are doing even more these days, offering virtual events and entertainment for all ages.

“We’re featuring new content, created by our staff in the past weeks, and the digital resources we already offered,” Library Public Information Officer Allison Denny said.

Library virtual options include digital storytime, disabilities playgroup, free online music and art lessons, and making cloth masks.

“We’re offering interactive events and workshops for adults through Zoom and other platforms,” Denny said.

As far as digital entertainment, the library has offered a huge range of free content for years, including free ebooks, digital audiobooks, digital magazines, and more available to library card holders. For a limited time, they are also offering some new formats, such as streaming videos, and are able to provide some resources without a library card.

Visit www.Arlingtonlibrary.org.

Esports online gaming

The Arlington Esports Stadium has had to make some obvious adjustments with physical access not available. It has shifted to online gaming tournaments and events, many of which are on a daily/weekly basis.

“These events have competitors playing over online gaming servers, all while our broadcast team is producing streams for viewers at home to watch,” Esports Stadium President Jonathon Oudthone said.

Visit www.esportsstadium.gg.

UT Arlington

Not being able to go to class also means not being able to go to the entertainment venues around campus. But students and the public can still enjoy some events taking place at the university.

For students, the Division of Student Affairs is offering several virtual event opportunities, including remote service projects, the Spring 2020 National Recreation Movement, and a virtual job fair live from 1-4 p.m. on April 29-30. For more information, visit www.uta.edu/student-affairs/events.

For the public, the UTA Planetarium each week posts a “Weekly Night Sky” video to its YouTube channel and other social media platforms. The videos are of current events of the sky, including visible constellations, moon phases, comets and more.

Viewers can also leave questions in the comments for the Planetarium staff to answer. Find the UTA Planetarium under @UTAPlanetarium on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Arlington Parks and Rec

While parks and recreation is normally associated with being outdoors, the City of Arlington has brought it indoors.

Through social media (facebook.com/ArlingtonParks/), folks can participate in a range of activities weekdays at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. These include virtual education experiences, crafts, tips, workouts, inspiration and more.

Examples include:

▪ Workout videos.

▪ Do-it-yourself videos, such as chalk art; 3D Google animals; making your own binoculars, sock bunnies, Play Dough, and more.

▪ Outdoor activities, such as a virtual walk through the Southwest Nature Preserve, Backyard Bingo, an A-Z scavenger hunt, a moon obstruction journal, and more.

▪ Indoor activities, including an I Spy Puzzle, Workout Bingo, and more.

This story was originally published April 27, 2020 at 6:00 AM.