Comics, children’s classes and community sings

The Lansing area is jam-packed with events this weekend, from winter-themed parties and art exhibition openings to camps and workshops for kids and the Ten Pound Fiddle's annual Mid-Winter Singing Festival, plus a whole lot more. Buckle up and prepare for a busy — but hopefully fun-filled — few days.

For Friday evening’s live music, we have Frog and Koop of blues-rock band Frog & the Beeftones at Harrison Roadhouse at 6; ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll tribute group the Devil Elvis Show at Lansing Brewing Co. and the rescheduled first round of Q106’s Homegrown Throwdown battle of the bands contest at Grewal Hall at 224, both at 7; acoustic duo Deer & Elk at the Peanut Barrel and the Michigan State University Symphony Orchestra at the Wharton Center, both at 8; cover band Soulstice at the Green Door at 8:30; and hip-hop, R&B, jazz and soul cover group the Corzo Effect at East Lansing’s new Mash Bar at 10. Saturday evening, we have a slew of local hip-hop artists at Mac’s Bar beginning at 8; classic-rock cover band Medusa at the Green Door at 8:30; and the bimonthly A Night at the Soul Lounge at the Avenue at 9. Ending the weekend on Sunday is the Lansing Symphony Orchestra’s sold-out “Winterlude” concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 3 p.m.; Red Cedar Spirits’ weekly Sunday Jazz show at 6 p.m.; and Wilderhoney, a duo of members from folk and roots group the Wild Honey Collective, with solo musician Jack Straw at the Avenue at 7:30 p.m.

Sing your heart out with fellow music lovers at the Ten Pound Fiddle’s annual Mid-Winter Singing Festival, featuring a community sing 7:30 p.m. Friday, led by festival veterans Rachael Davis, Robert B. Jones and Frank Youngman; a children’s concert 11 a.m. Saturday with family roots group Lake Effect; and an additional community sing 12:30 p.m. Saturday, featuring songs from the “Rise Up Singing” and “Rise Again” songbooks. Lyric sheets will be provided at both community sings.

In addition, the Fiddle will host its biweekly Contra & Square Dance 7 p.m. Friday at Central United Methodist Church, with an optional dance lesson at 6:30 p.m.

The MSU Broad Art Museum will celebrate the opening of its two newest exhibitions, the 2024 Art, Art History, and Design Faculty Triennial and “DOOMSCROLLING,” at its Winter Opening Party 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. Attendees can explore the museum while enjoying food, music, crafts and more.

In addition, the MSU Residential College of Arts and Humanities’ LookOut! Gallery, located on the second floor of Snyder-Phillips Hall, will host the rescheduled opening reception for Sam Modder & Elijah Hamilton-Wray’s “Perspectives in Black: Emerging Visions” exhibition 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, and the Art Williamston gallery, located inside the Williamston Library, will host an opening reception for its new exhibition, “Realm of Daydreams - The Wonders of Fantasy Art,” 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Other art displays on view this weekend include “Space Between,” by Gerald Collins, at the Lansing Art Gallery, which is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; “Layers,” by Robert Park, at Struk Studio in north Lansing, which is open noon to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday; and the 17^th annual MSU Federal Credit Union Student Art Exhibit, a juried competition of work by artists from 17 mid-Michigan high schools, at the credit union’s Headquarters Building 2, which is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.

Alive Theatre’s production of “These Shining Lives” wraps up this weekend, with final performances 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday at Grace Bible Church in west Lansing. In addition, Peppermint Creek Theatre Co. begins its two-week run of “How to Defend Yourself” 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Stage One Performing Arts Center, and Williamston Theatre offers preview performances of its new show, “Maytag Virgin,” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. 

In this week’s issue, Chelsea Lake Roberts offered a look at the new “Scooby-Doo! Mansion Mayhem” exhibit at Impression 5 Science Center, which is open 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. There’s much more for kids to enjoy this weekend, including Impression 5’s weekly Sparking Science program 10 a.m. Friday for ages 2 to 4 and caregivers, which will focus on making edible art; the final session of REACH Studio Art Center’s four-week Storytime for Tots class 10 a.m. Friday; AL!VE health park’s weekly story time and parkour workshop 10 a.m. Friday; a daylong art camp 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at tinkrLAB in East Lansing; the first session of Jeff the Magician’s four-week magic class 10 a.m. Saturday at TinkrLAB; and a Pokémon Day 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Eaton Rapids Area District Library, featuring a Pokémon-themed scavenger hunt, crafts, giveaways and more.

Hooked bookstore will host a launch party 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday for local author Sarah Arthur’s new book, “Once a Queen,” the opening work in her young-adult fantasy series.

Lansing Roller Derby kicks off its 2024 season 4 p.m. Saturday at East Lansing’s Court One Training Center with a match between two of its adult teams and a Junior Roller Derby scrimmage. The Mayfair Bar in Haslett will host an afterparty beginning at 8:30 p.m.

Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing will host its monthly euchre tournament 7 p.m. Friday, with an optional potluck at 6:30 p.m.

Saturday also brings two winter-themed parties: the Lansing Winterfest Block Party, which runs 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and offers live ice sculpting, winter games, axe throwing, live music, s’mores and hot cocoa stations, vendors and more, and Lansing Brewing Co.’s Winter Warrior Patio Party, which runs 1 to 5 p.m. and features live fire and hoop performances, an imperial stout release, ice luge shots, DJ sets, a winter outfit contest and more.

Lansing Brewing Co. will also host a free power yoga class 11 am. Sunday, led by an instructor from East Lansing’s Salt Yoga.

Finally, Michigan State University will hold its triennial Comics Forum at the school’s Main Library this weekend, featuring a keynote speech by cartoonist Keith Knight 7 p.m. Friday, an additional keynote speech by comics scholar Rebecca Wanzo at noon Saturday, a series of academic panel discussions and an artist alley 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and a discussion between cartoonist and author Jose Alaniz and comics scholar Zack Kruse at A Novel Concept in downtown Lansing 6 p.m. Saturday.

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.)