A vivacious Valentine’s Day weekend

This weekend offers a heaping helping of events, from dance parties and drag shows to copious concerts and a cat-filled crafting session. There’s also a slew of Valentine’s Day events, a comedy show to benefit the Women’s Center of Greater Lansing and much more.

For Friday evening’s live music, we have a jazz quintet featuring acclaimed vibraphonist and drummer Chuck Redd at UrbanBeat at 7; ‘80s and ‘90s cover band Pinter Whitnick at Holt’s Summerlands Brewing Co. and a trio comprising percussive dancer Nic Gareiss, roots musician Jake Blount and hammered dulcimer player Simon Chrisman at East Lansing’s University Lutheran Church, both at 7:30; hip-hop artists Matt Corman and Ollie Joseph at Grewal Hall and Michigan State University jazz nonets with guest pianist Rick Roe at the Music Building’s Murray Hall, both at 8; and pop/funk/R&B band Love Effect at Mash Bar at 9:30. Saturday evening, we have metal bands Walking Down Main, Creeping Night, Decyphered and Set Fire to This at Mac’s Bar at 7; A Night at the Soul Lounge at the Avenue at 8; salsa group Orquesta Ritmo at the Green Door at 8:30; and country musician Cooper Johnson at Mash Bar at 9. Ending the weekend on Sunday is a recital by MSU tuba Professor Philip Sinder and friends at the Music Building’s Cook Recital Hall at 3 p.m., the Capital Area Blues Society’s “Blues from Beal Street” celebration at the Green Door at 4 p.m., folk-rock band the Aimcriers at the Avenue at 7:30 p.m. and Mac’s Bar’s weekly Harmony Sundays DJ show at 9 p.m.

Art displays on view this weekend include the MSUFCU Student Art Exhibit at the credit union’s Headquarters Building 1, which is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; “Light Through the Darkness”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; a collection of work by members of the Lansing Women Artists Collective at the Okemos Library, which is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday; and “Farmland: Food, Justice and Sovereignty,” “Freedom in the Automation Age,” “Seeing in 360 Degrees: The Zaha Hadid Design Collection” and a new exhibition, the late painter Nabil Kanso’s “Echoes of War,” at the MSU Broad Art Museum, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

If you’d like to get creative yourself, Fowlerville’s Cat Connection will offer a combined greeting-card-making craft and rescue cat snuggle time 2 p.m. Saturday.

It’s a great weekend to be a theater fan in the Lansing area, with performances of “A Case for the Existence of God” 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Williamston Theatre; “First Date” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 2 p.m. Sunday at Riverwalk Theatre; “MJ” the musical 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Wharton Center; and “9 to 5” the musical 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at MSU’s Fairchild Theatre.

Events for the kids include the weekly story time and parkour workshop 10 a.m. Friday at AL!VE health park in Charlotte; a night out in nature 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at Harris Nature Center, featuring nature activities, opportunities to explore the trails and a pizza dinner; and a potato derby at noon Saturday at Grand Ledge Area District Library, in which pre-registered participants will race their decorated potato “vehicles” against other competitors — though everyone will receive a ribbon.

Valentine’s Day is on Friday, but local celebrations will continue through Saturday for those who can’t get enough of the holiday. This includes a Valentine’s party 5 to 11 p.m. Friday at Lansing’s VFW Post 701, featuring basket and 50/50 raffles, live music by Once Removed, a fundraiser bake sale and bar food for purchase; audio theater troupe Audio Air Force’s annual showcase of short love-themed plays written by its members 7 p.m. Friday at East Lansing’s Hannah Community Center; a themed TGIF dance party 8 p.m. Friday at Bath’s Eagle Eye Banquet Center, with an optional Texas waltz dance lesson at 7:15 p.m.; the LCC Jazz Band’s “Sway with Me” concerts, featuring accompaniment by local dance company Happendance, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Dart Auditorium; a Valentine’s story time with themed crafts 11 a.m. Saturday at Charlotte Community Library; a singles’ Valentine’s party 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday at UrbanBeat, beginning with love-themed games to break the ice, followed by a performance by pianist Ann Bell; and Tease A Gogo’s “Va-Va Voom Valentine’s” drag and burlesque show 8 p.m. Friday at the Studio at 414 in downtown Lansing.

There are also a couple of events for those who flat-out detest the holiday, including an anti-Valentine’s Day party for MSU students 7 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Broad Art Museum, featuring card-making crafts and sweet treats, and an anti-Valentine’s Day game night 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Keys to Manifestation.

This month’s fish supper at Wacousta-DeWitt Masonic Lodge in Eagle, running 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, will be served sit-down style in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Carryout will still be available.

Visit Foster Community Center 7 p.m. Friday for Lansing Parks and Recreation’s weekly travelogue presentation, in which Susan Aten will discuss the culture and varied landscapes of Iceland.

The Dark Art of Michigan will host another open drag and burlesque show 10 p.m. Saturday at the Avenue, with sign-ups beginning at 9 p.m.

The Ten Pound Fiddle’s biweekly contra and square dance begins 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Central United Methodist Church with a dance lesson, followed by the main event from 7 to 10 p.m. The caller will be River Abel, and the live band will be Banjo Tramps.

The Women’s Center of Greater Lansing will host  a fundraiser dinner and comedy show 6 p.m. Saturday at Grewal Hall, featuring performances by Michigan comedians Johnny Mocny, Nicole Melnyk, Nardos Osterhart, Pat Sievert and Emily Clark.

UrbanBeat and DJ Whitney Who invite the local LGBTQ+ community and allies to celebrate gay Valentine’s Day with a Chappell Roan dance party 9 p.m. to midnight Saturday at UrbanBeat. The playlist will include Roan’s hits as well as songs by other pop queens.

Finally, the Lansing Poetry Club’s February Copper Chimney Lounge Poetry Series event, beginning 4 p.m. Sunday at University United Methodist Church in East Lansing, will feature writer, artist, educator, lecturer, energy worker and herbalist Natasha Elle Thomas. Her performance will be followed by an open mic, which attendees can register for at the door.

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.)