Fundraisers, a film festival and further weekend fun

The schedule of events in Greater Lansing this weekend is packed, from numerous fundraising events, concerts, theater productions and film screenings to horse shows, art workshops, kids’ activities and much, much more.

For Friday evening’s live music, we have Frog and Koop of blues-rock band Frog & the Beeftones at Harrison Roadhouse at 6; singer-songwriter Two-Faced Wilson at Mash Bar in East Lansing and cellist Suren Bagratuni performing Bach’s six cello suites at Michigan State University’s Alumni Memorial Chapel, both at 7; jazz manouche group Djangophonique at UrbanBeat, Main Street Dueling Pianos at Lansing Brewing Co. and Americana trio the Springtails’ CD release concert at University United Methodist Church, all at 7:30; cover band North of Five at the Peanut Barrel at 8; cover band the Corzo Effect at the Green Door at 8:30; and cover band Geech at Mash Bar at 10. On Saturday, the MSU College of Music will host the Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Regional Competition from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Billman Music Pavilion. The performances are free and open to the public. Later in the day, we have the Renaissance Singers performing English madrigals at Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Lansing at 4; Singers on the Grand performing hits from the ‘50s through ‘80s at the Grand Ledge Opera House at 6:30; ska-punk band Mustard Plug with alt-rock band Rodeo Boys and punk bands Singing Lungs and Foxgrave at Grewal Hall at 224 at 7; emo and pop-punk cover band PTxD at Mac’s Bar and the MSU College of Music’s Jazz Spectacular Finale Concert at the Fairchild Theatre, both at 8; Frog & the Beeftones at the Green Door at 8:30; and singer-songwriter Craig Hendershott at REO Town Pub at 9. Ending the weekend on Sunday is an additional Singers on the Grand show at 3 p.m., Red Cedar Spirits’ weekly Sunday Jazz show at 6 p.m., the MSU Chamber Choir at the Alumni Memorial Chapel at 7 p.m. and School of Rock East Lansing’s Adult Band performing music from the ‘60s and ‘90s at the Avenue at 7:30 p.m.

Art displays on view include the annual Ingham Student Art Exhibit at the Lansing Art Gallery, which is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; an exhibition by engineer and retired physics teacher Jack Hetherington at the Haslett Library’s Bookend Gallery, which is open noon to 4 p.m. Friday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday; “Seeing in 360 Degrees: The Zaha Hadid Design Collection,” “DOOMSCROLLING,”  the 2024 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition and the 2024 Art, Art History, and Design Faculty Triennial at the MSU Broad Art Museum, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday; and “Realm of Daydreams - The Wonders of Fantasy Art” at the Art Williamston gallery, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

If you’d like to make some art of your own, local artist Ryan Holmes will host his monthly crafting and artmaking meetup 6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday at Lansing Shuffle, and Dear Ollie & Co. in downtown Lansing will hold a brush lettering workshop 9 a.m. Saturday.

Three theater productions wrap up this weekend: “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” at the Wharton Center's Cobb Great Hall, with final performances 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday; the MSU Department of Theatre’s “Spring Awakening” at the Wharton Center's Pasant Theatre, with final performances 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and Lansing Community College’s “My Emperor’s New Clothes” at Dart Auditorium, with final performances 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Additionally, Riverwalk Theatre’s “Moonglow” and Williamston Theatre’s “Bright Half Life” begin this weekend, both with performances 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Events for the kids include an animal-themed Sparking Science program 10 a.m. Friday at Impression 5 Science Center; a story time and parkour workshop 10 a.m. Friday at AL!VE health park in Charlotte; Charlotte Community Library’s “Minecraft” Club 4 p.m. Friday; a Fiddle Scouts concert with the Ukulele Kings 11 a.m. Saturday at University United Methodist Church; a Space Explorers-themed workshop 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Impression 5; and a Lansing Symphony Orchestra Family Series concert with pianist Patrick Johnson 1 p.m. Sunday at the Delta Township District Library.

Clayworks Pottery will hold a pottery show and sale 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at Faith Church, across from the Eastwood Towne Center.

The East Lansing Public Library will hold its annual Books, Bites & Bids fundraiser 5:30 to 8 p.m. Friday. Hosted by WKAR’s Jody Knol, it will feature a silent auction, family activities, a photo booth, music, food, drinks and a chance to meet the library’s new director, Kevin King.

Bring your furry friends to Harris Nature Center 8 p.m. Friday for a guided dog walk through the nighttime woods. Dogs should be on a 6-foot, non-retractable leash. The nature center will also host a smartphone nature photography workshop 1 p.m. Sunday.

The inaugural Spring Trail Trot begins 9 a.m. Saturday at Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg. The 5-mile run will be chip-timed, with a 10-minute start window. Participants will receive three-finger running gloves and finisher pint glasses.

The Hunter Park GardenHouse will offer a class on urban chicken care 10 a.m. Saturday. Attendees will learn the basics of chicken husbandry and the value of raising livestock in an urban setting.

Vintage Pride 45+, the Salus Center’s peer-led support group for LGBTQ+ adults ages 45 and older, will hold a screening and discussion of the documentary “Casa Susanna” 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Delta Township District Library. The screening will be followed by a group meal at Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen.

The Ishi Odamtten Foundation, a nonprofit that supports impoverished populations in both Ghana and Michigan, will host a fundraising dinner 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Prairie Creek Golf Course & Banquet Center in DeWitt. Proceeds will go toward the construction of an orphanage in Ghana and donations of food and other items to shelters in Michigan.

Stand-up comedian, actor and writer Ron Funches will headline Progress Michigan’s annual Stand Up for Progress fundraiser 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Venue by Eleven 11 Events in the Lansing Mall. Chicago-based stand-up comedian Vik Pandya will also perform at the event.

The Spartan Spring Warm-Up Horse Show runs 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the MSU Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education, and another horse show, hosted by the Lower Michigan Horse Association, runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Ingham County Fairgrounds.

A fundraiser for the annual Mighty Uke Day Festival runs 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday at UrbanBeat, featuring live performances, group strums, an open mic, a silent auction and more.

The Copper Chimney Lounge Poetry Series will host Laura Reece Hogan and Ryan Apple, two poets whose work explores “the intersections of human experience, the physical universe and the divine,” 4 p.m. Sunday at University United Methodist Church. An open mic will follow the featured readings. 

MSU creative writing Professor Tim Conrad will visit Hooked bookstore 5 p.m. Sunday to celebrate the release of his new collection of short stories, "The Machine We Trust." The event will include live readings from the book.

The MSU Science Festival continues with a host of events this weekend, including an astronomy night at the MSU Observatory 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, an Earth Bash at the MSU Recycling Center noon to 4 p.m. Saturday and more than 100 hands-on activities, talks and demonstrations at the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. To view a full schedule of events, visit the website.

Finally, the Capital City Film Festival offers plenty of film screenings, workshops and concerts at locations around Lansing this weekend. More information on all the events can be found on the festival's website.

Whatever you choose to do, I wish you the best of weekends.

(Have an event? Be sure to list it free at lansingcitypulse.com/calendar. Think it’s worth at least a short story? Send a news release to nicole@lansingcitypulse.com for consideration.)