Biking, beer and a boozy book fair

This weekend brings annual events like Lansing Beer Fest and Delhi Township’s Youth Fishing Derby, inaugural events like the Lansing Fiesta and an arts and culture bike ride through Lansing’s east side and many more fun activities, such as a Pride-themed book fair, a pottery sale, a cruise-in and a euchre tournament.

For Friday evening’s live music, we have 10-year-old singer-songwriter Anara Pearl and her father, Austin Kaufmann of indie-folk band the Dangling Participles, at Harrison Roadhouse at 6; singer-songwriter Gwen Doerfler and rock and pop cover group Atomic Annie at Lake Lansing Park South at 6:15; variety cover band Mix Pack at Lansing Brewing Co., singer-songwriter Aaron Johnson at Lansing Shuffle and blues musician Deacon Earl at Mash Bar, all at 7; singer-songwriter Darin Larner Jr. at the Peanut Barrel at 8; and R&B, jazz and hip-hop cover group the Corzo Effect at Mash Bar at 10. Saturday evening, we have metalcore bandsFinal Confession, the Harbor Divide, Hyporium, YaYo and Walking Down Main at Mac’s Bar at 7, the Corzo Effect at the Green Door at 8:30 and gloomy alt-rock band A Rueful Noise’s record release show with indie-rock band La La Delivery and punk band Pancho Villa’s Skull at the Avenue at 9. Ending the weekend on Sunday is Red Cedar Spirits’ weekly Sunday Jazz show at 6 p.m. and acoustic ‘90s cover band Moth Duster at the Avenue at 7:30 p.m.

Art displays on view this weekend include the Mid-Michigan Art Guild’s spring member show at the Neighborhood Empowerment Center, which is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; the Mid-Michigan Art Guild’s volunteer art show 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; the Mid-Michigan Art Guild’s 12-by-12 show at Framer’s Edge in Okemos, which is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday; a mixed-media exhibition by local artist Juanita Baldwin at the Haslett Library’s Bookend Gallery, which is open noon to 4 p.m. Friday and noon to 2 p.m. Saturday; “Foreign Bodies” and “The LGBTQ+ Artist in Michigan” at the Lansing Art Gallery, which is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; “Seeing in 360 Degrees: The Zaha Hadid Design Collection,” “DOOMSCROLLING” 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 “Figuring It All Out: An Artistic Study of the Human Figure” 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 get creative yourself, Dear Ollie & Co. in downtown Lansing will host a beginners’ journaling workshop 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Michigan State University Department of Theatre will kick off three weekends of free shows with “Digging up Dessa,” a play about a young girl working to bring the legacy of a 19th-century woman paleontologist to light, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday at the Summer Circle Theatre Courtyard. The Friday and Saturday shows will be followed by performances by improv troupe After School Special, and the Sunday show will be preceded by a performance by the Greater Lansing Ballet Co. 

Activities for the kids this weekend include Delhi Township’s free Youth Fishing Derby 8:45 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Valhalla Park; an introduction to beekeeping workshop with members of the Michigan Beekeepers Association 1 p.m. Saturday at Harris Nature Center; and Potter Park Zoo’s first Twilight Adventures event of the season, featuring a self-guided scavenger hunt, conservation education stations, games, s’mores and more, 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. 

Hooked will host a Pride-themed book fair 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, offering 10% off storewide, 20% off LGBTQ+ books, 50% off books attendees donate to the Lansing Area AIDS Network’s Little Rebel Library and discounted themed drinks.  

The weekly cruise-in at the Holt Farmers Market runs 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, also featuring a DJ and food for purchase from Two Guys Nomadic Grill.

Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing’s monthly euchre tournament begins 7 p.m. Friday, with an optional potluck at 6:30 p.m.

The annual Lansing Juneteenth Celebration kicks off with a free softball game in honor of old Negro baseball leagues 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Gier Park. Attendees can also shop from a variety of Juneteenth vendors beginning at 1 p.m.

The inaugural Eastside Read and Ride Tour begins 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Lansing Bike Co-op, guiding participants to 12 murals, five sculptures, four food businesses, three gardens, three artistic bus stops, two parks and an urban farm throughout the east side. Along the way, Chicago-based journalist David King will read excerpts from his book, “America on Two Wheels: Biking Coast to Coast in Search of Human Stories.”

The Charlotte Community Library will host a virtual visit with 2023-‘24 Great Michigan Read author Angeline Boulley 1 p.m. Saturday. Boulley, A member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, will speak about her accomplishments as an author and the Ojibwe community.

The annual Lansing Beer Fest, running 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday on Washington Avenue between South and Elm streets in REO Town, will feature more than 100 craft beers and ciders from more than 30 Michigan breweries, plus food trucks, live music, vendors and games like giant checkers and cornhole. 

Clayworks Pottery will host its summer pottery sale 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday at its studio in Grand Ledge.

The inaugural Lansing Fiesta runs 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and noon to midnight Saturday at Adado Riverfront Park, featuring live music by the Corzo Effect and Tejano bands La Corporacion and Tejano Sound, plus DJs, food vendors, a taco eating contest, a beer tent, cornhole and more. 

Celina and Mark Ruhala of Ruhala Performing Arts Center will give a presentation on creative expression through improvisational acting 9:30 a.m. Sunday at Unity Spiritual Center of Lansing.

Finally, Greater Lansing Area Drummers’ weekly drum circle runs 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Lake Lansing Park North. Participants of all ages and experience levels are welcome.

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.)