Out on the Town

This Saturday, an estimated 15,000 people are expected to hit the streets of Lansing, East Lansing, Okemos and the neighboring burbs for the Greater Lansing Convention & Visitors Bureau’s 20th Annual Be A Tourist In Your Own Town. The community-awareness event will feature 70 attractions, including a look behind the scenes at The Coffee Barrel’s bean roasting facility, test driving a General Motors vehicle at the Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant and taking a trip through the bus wash at the CATA Maintenance Facility — which only proves that you can never be prepared for what kinds of things people will like. When Be a Tourist stared in 1994, there were 18 exhibits and the featured attraction was a scale model of Oldsmobile Park. This year you can be driven past the ballpark (now Cooley Law School Stadium) on a CATA bus, which is offering 50-cent fares with unlimited transfers on four of its routes, on your way to take a tour of the State Capitol, the Board of Water & Light John Dye Plant or Lansing Community College’s television studio. The goal is twofold: Familiarize Lansing-area residents with new or novel local activities and businesses, and then get them to introduce those attractions to other people, making them ambassadors of sort for the capital city. Just don’t complain there’s nothing to do. Passports that contain guides to all 70 stops can be purchased for $1 before Saturday at one of seven locations on the event’s website. To commemorate the 20th anniversary, 20 of the passports will contain “golden tickets,” worth a $20 Visa gift card. You won’t be able to do everything in one day. Some tips to help you maximize your experience: - Prioritize the one-day-only tours (BWL John Dye Plant, CATA Maintenance Facility). - Pick a theme. For example, if you choose food, you can attend a cooking demonstration (Le Chat Gourmet), take in a wine and cheese tasting (Bergdorf’s Winery) or tour a coffee roasting facility (The Coffee Barrel). Other themes could include outdoor sports, MSU campus attractions or historical tours. - Don’t lose your passport. You can continue to get stamped throughout June, even if the Be a Tourist specials no longer apply. Anyone who gets at least 10 stamps and turns their passport into the Greater Lansing Convention Center & Visitors Bureau by June 30 will be entered for a prize drawing. Be a Tourist in Your Own Town will take place at various locations throughout Greater Lansing. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. $1 per passport, 50-cent unlimited transfers for CATA rides on four routes. (517) 487-6800, lansing. org/batyot.

THURSDAY, MAY 29-SUNDAY, JUNE 1 >> ‘GODSPELL’ AT RIVERWALK THEATRE

The musical “Godspell” puts a modern-day spin on a series of parables based on the New Testament. The show, which debuted in 1971, features the song “Day by Day,” which crossed over onto the pop charts in 1972. This production is directed by John Delaney with music direction by John Dale Smith. (Continues Thursday, June 5-Sunday, June 8.) 7 p.m. Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $20/$18 seniors and students. 228 Museum Drive, Lansing. (517) 482-5700, riverwalktheatre.com.

FRIDAY, MAY 30-SATURDAY, MAY 31 >> DEFUNKT WORKSHOP AND BRIAN VANDER ARK AT THE BROAD

Designed to complement the Broad Art Museum’s “Postscript: Writing after Conceptual Art” exhibit, the Defunkt Workshop on Saturday is a funky trip back in time. Broad educators will help visitors write literature on typewriters and “spirit duplicators” while listening to funk music. Then on Saturday, the Broad will host a free concert as part of the Be a Tourist in Your own Town event. Michigan native and lead singer for the Verve Pipe, Brian Vander Ark, will perform at the Broad from 1-2:30 p.m. Broad Art Museum, 547 E. Circle Drive, MSU campus, East Lansing. (517) 884-3900, broadartmuseum.org.

THURSDAY, MAY 29 >> ‘A TASTE OF ART AND LIGHT’ SPRING FUNDRAISER

“A Taste of Art and Light” is the Arts Council of Greater Lansing’s 8th annual spring fundraiser. There will be art, live music, appetizers by farm-to-table bistro Red Haven, desserts and wine. The event will raise money for the work done by the Arts Council, which helps art-related work through the mid-Michigan area. The event will be at an 1873 vintage home in Old Town. 310 Beaver St., Lansing. 5-8 p.m. $65 in advance/$75 at door. lansingarts.org.

SUNDAY, JUNE 1 >> CABS BLUES BRAWL

It’s a battle of the bands, tuned down to G. The Capital Area Blues Society’s annual competition this Sunday will determine mid-Michigan’s most soulful solo/duo and bluesy band. The two winning acts will solidify their spots to compete at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis next January. You can come find out if anyone has the chops to go all the way or if they’ll just be singing the blues. 3-8 p.m. Green Door Blues Bar & Grill, 2005 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. $10. (517) 482-6376, greendoorlive.com.

THURSDAY, MAY 29-SUNDAY, JUNE 1 >> 2014 HBA PARADE OF HOMES

Since 1957, the Home Builders Association of Greater Lansing has held an annual showcase highlighting its latest projects. This year’s event will feature 21 newly built homes and two remodeled homes from DeWitt to Holt, and from Haslett to Grand Ledge. Attendees can tour the homes to see the latest in design and decoration trends, such as high-tech home automation. The homebuilders will also be on-site to answer any questions. Proceeds go to local charities. Continues Thursday, June 5-Sunday, June 8. 6-9 p.m. Thursday-Friday; 1-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday $10/$25 families. (517) 323-3254, hbalansing.com.

SUNDAY JUNE 1 >> DOWNTOWN ARTQUEST

Ready, set, GPS. The Lansing Art Gallery will host a mobile scavenger hunt starting Sunday that will extend throughout the summer. Hunters will search for nine pieces of art in downtown Lansing, all created by Michigan artists. At each location there will be a history or location fact about the artwork to lead to the next location. Interested participants can sign up online at lansingartgallery.org/downtown-artquest between Sunday and Aug. 31.

SATURDAY, MAY 31-SUNDAY JUNE 1 >> ‘A SILVER CELEBRATION’ LANSINGOUT GAY MEN’S CHORUS

LanSINGout Gay Men’s Chorus celebrates its 25th anniversary with “A Silver Celebration” concert presentation. This not-for-profit community chorus presents a positive image of the gay community to the public and gives the members a creative way to raise awareness of LGBT issues and money for AIDS-related charities. The two-day event will include a capella songs and silent auctions. 7 p.m. Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday. Molly Grove chapel of the First Presbyterian Church, 510 W. Ottawa St., Lansing. $12-20. lansingout.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4>> LANSING SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FREE POPS

The Lansing Symphony will be doling out free love next week at the second LSO Summer Pops Concert, featuring “Music of the ‘60s.” Ray Charles, Neil Diamond and the Four Seasons will join a host of Motown artists and some Golden Oldie one-hit-wonders at the Lou Adado Riverfront Park in downtown Lansing. The LSO received a grant from the City of Lansing to host the event for a second year. The concert serves as the first of the Lansing Parks and Recreation’s “Free Concerts in the Park” series that continues through the summer. The concert is free, but a $30 upgrade gives you reserved seating, dinner and access to a cash bar. The concert will feature professional guest singers Ron Bohmer (“Book of Mormon”), Andrew Samonsky (“South Pacific”) and Derrick Baskin (the upcoming “Annie” film). John Varineau, the associate conductor of the Grand Rapids Symphony, will be the guest conductor. WLMI radio personality Tim Barron will emcee the event. The set list will include “La Bamba,” “Respect,” and a pair of songs from the definitive ’60s musical, “Hair.” Dancing is encouraged, but unlike Woodstock, clothing is mandatory. 6 p.m. VIP tent/7 p.m. concert. FREE/$30 for VIP. (517) 487-5001, lansingsymphony.org.