Embrace the heat

This weekend, Greater Lansing offers a variety of outdoor events, including a jazz festival, children’s movie screenings, a county fair, bike races and runs, a Mental Health Fun Day and more. If you prefer the comfort of air conditioning, there’s still plenty to do, including new art exhibitions, a high school playwright showcase, a mass garage sale and an author visit.

For Friday evening’s live music, we have Monte Pride at East Lansing’s Ann Street Plaza at 6; Global Village at Lake Lansing Park South and the Darin Larner Band at Lansing Brewing Co., both at 7; Sam Jesh & the Bees at Lansing Shuffle at 8; and Soulstice at The Green Door and Corduroy Pants, Across the Hall and Drive Safe at The Avenue, both at 9. Saturday evening, we have Darin Larner Jr. at the University Club of Michigan State University at 5:30, HWT at Horrocks Beer Garden at 6, a chamber music concert by members of the Mason Symphony Orchestra at The Peoples Church of East Lansing at 7 and From Big Sur at The Green Door at 9. Ending the weekend on Sunday is Adin Boyer at Lansing Shuffle at noon, plus the Lansing Concert Band Big Band at University Lutheran Church in East Lansing and Red Cedar Spirits’ weekly Sunday Jazz show, both at 6.

For even more live music, visit Turner Street in Old Town 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday for Michigan JazzFest, featuring performances by an array of Michigan jazz musicians and groups, plus dance troupes, East Lansing’s School of Rock and more. Additionally, there will be afterglow performances and open jams at UrbanBeat beginning at 11:30 p.m. each night. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the website.

The Williamston Library is hosting an opening reception for its new “Autumn Gothic” art exhibition 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday. Light refreshments will be provided. The gallery is open during regular library hours, which are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. East Lansing's Public Art Gallery, located within the Hannah Community Center, is also hosting an opening reception for its new exhibition, "Color Me Plaster," 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday. Light snacks will be provided. The gallery is open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday. Additionally, another new exhibit, En Plein Air’s “Alluring Nature,” is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Framer’s Edge in Okemos.

Additional art displays include “Shouldn’t You Be Working? 100 Years of Working from Home” and “As we dwell in the fold” at MSU’s Broad Art Museum, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday; “Let the Paintings Talk” 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 Brian Snyder’s “The Journey Continues: American Aboriginal Art” at the Lansing Art Gallery, which is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

If you’d like to make some art of your own, the Grand Ledge District Library is handing out spin-drum craft kits 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday while supplies last.

Riverwalk Theatre is hosting its annual Emerging Playwrights Festival 7 p.m. Saturday, where the five high school students who won the Emerging Playwrights Competition will produce their winning one-act scripts on the theater’s stage. Two of the scripts will be presented as full productions, and the other three will be presented as staged readings.

Additional theater performances this weekend include “Be Here Now” at the Williamston Theatre 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday and “Frozen Jr.” at East Lansing’s Hannah Community Center 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

 For the kids, Delta Township is holding a showing of “Minions: The Rise of Gru” 9:15 p.m. Friday at Mount Hope Park in Grand Ledge, and Potter Park Zoo is holding a showing of “The Lorax” 6 p.m. Saturday, starting with a presentation about the impact of palm oil on wildlife conservation. In addition, Charlotte Community Library is hosting a beaded-windchime-making workshop 4:15 p.m. Friday for 1^st through 3^rd graders.

Author Gary Flinn will visit Weston’s Kewpee Sandwich Shoppe 2 to 4 p.m. Friday to discuss his new book, “Kewpee Hamburgers: A Mity Nice History.” Copies of the book will be available for sale, and the restaurant will offer regular food service.

The Greater Lansing Area Garage Sale, running 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at The Barn in Haslett, offers an array of items for sale, such as tools, furniture, baby items and vintage items. Proceeds benefit It’s a Breast Thing, which supports breast cancer patients in mid-Michigan.

The Ingham County Fair opens at noon Friday and Saturday, offering rides, games, food vendors, livestock displays and more. County musician Tracy Byrd will perform 7 p.m. Friday, and there will be a motocross show 7 p.m. Saturday. To purchase tickets and view a full schedule of events, visit the website.

Get active with The Legend bike races and trail runs Friday and Saturday mornings at Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg. The 5-mile run begins 7:45 a.m. Friday, and the 10-mile and half-marathon runs begin 8 a.m. Friday. The 24-mile bike race begins 8 a.m. Saturday, the 16-mile bike race begins 8:30 a.m. Friday, and the 8-mile bike race begins 9 a.m. Saturday. All participants receive a custom finisher’s medal.

Looking Glass Brewing Co. is hosting a StreetFest 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, featuring live music, a cornhole tournament, a food tent and more than 20 special-release craft beers, ciders and seltzers. There’s also a team golf scramble at 10 a.m. at Prairie Creek Golf Course, which includes 18 holes of golf with a cart and free admission into the festival. Festival attendees must be 21 or older, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit Redeemer and St. Jude food pantries.

Finally, Positive Somebody, a nonprofit that works to spread awareness of the importance of positivity, is hosting its 2^nd annual Family Mental Health Fun Day 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 6) at Potter Park. The event is free to attend and will offer coping-skill activities, physical activities, nutrition education and a variety of resources from mental-health organizations, plus free raffles, a journal-decorating station, crafts, coloring, painting, yoga, music, sports, a free bookstore and lawn games.

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.)