Make the most of the weekend ahead

A random weekend in March could become one to remember with the plethora of events slated for the coming days, from a basketball game between Michigan State University and the University of Michigan and the return of the Mort’s Fest music festival to a big-name comedy show, a bowl-a-thon, a horse expo and a screening of a beloved mid-aughts comedy, plus much more.

For Friday evening’s live music, we have R&B/jazz/blues band Spoonful with guest vocalist Gina Garner at UrbanBeat at 7; Americana/folk/rock ensemble Badass Women Band at East Lansing’s University Lutheran Church, a recital by Louisiana State University violin Professor Lin He and piano Professor Michael Gurt at MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams and rock band Velocity Shift at Holt’s Summerlands Brewing Co., all at 7:30; singer-songwriter Brady Corcoran at the Peanut Barrel and metal bands Tyrant, Anvil Crawler, Nulldriver and Finality at Mac’s Bar, both at 8; and singer-songwriter Aaron Johnson at East Lansing’s Dublin Square at 9. Saturday evening, we have pop/funk/R&B band Love Effect at the Irish Pub at 8 and singer-songwriter Mason Slusher at Dublin Square at 9. Ending the weekend on Sunday is Mort’s Fest, which Lawrence Cosentino previewed in this week’s cover story, at Moriarty’s Pub beginning at 2 p.m.; a recital by members of the American Guild of Organists’ Lansing chapter at Our Savior Lutheran Church at 3 p.m.; and pop-punk/emo bands OK Koala, Motion Sick, Clipboards and No Problemo at the Avenue at 6 p.m.

If you’d like to make some music of your own, Elderly Instruments will host an open old-time jam session 5 p.m. Friday. Fiddlers, banjoists, guitarists, mandolinists and other musicians interested in playing old-time tunes are welcome, as are those who just want to listen along.

Art displays on view this weekend include work in a variety of media by members of the Mid-Michigan Art Guild at Bestsellers Books & Coffee Co. in Mason, which is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; a collective exhibit focusing on patterns found in nature 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,”“Echoes of War” and the 2025 Master of Fine Arts Exhibition at the MSU Broad Art Museum, which is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Owosso’s Lebowsky Center for Performing Arts wraps up its production of  “Into the Woods” this weekend, with final performances 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Additionally, “A Case for the Existence of God” continues 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Williamston Theatre.

The annual Michigan Horse Expo runs 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at MSU’s Pavilion for Agriculture and Livestock Education.

Charlotte Community Library will offer a tissue-paper snail craft for kids in first through third grade 4:15 p.m. Friday.

For those celebrating Lent, both VFW Post 701 in west Lansing and St. Martha Catholic Church in Okemos will offer fish fries Friday evening. The former runs from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., and the latter runs from 5 to 7 p.m.

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

At Lansing Parks and Recreation’s weekly Travelogue presentation, beginning 7 p.m. Friday at Foster Community Center, attendees are invited to take a trip through Egyptian history with hostess Kay Meints.

Actor, writer, producer and comedian David Koechner, best known for his roles as Todd Packer on “The Office” and Champ Kind in the “Anchorman” movies, will be the featured performer at Pure Options’ stand-up comedy show 8 p.m. Friday at Grewal Hall. Lansing comedian Dave Wellfare will open the show.

The Capital City Film Festival will host a screening of the 2004 comedy “Napoleon Dynamite” 8 p.m. Friday at the Avenue.

Parents can shop for well-priced secondhand children’s items at Delta Township’s parent-to-parent sale, running 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Drolett Community Center. Early-bird admission will be available beginning at 9 a.m. for $2.

Christian maternity shelter Hannah’s House will host its annual bowl-a-thon fundraiser 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday at Pins & Pints in East Lansing. Tickets are $25 per person or $90 for teams of four to six and include bowling shoes, pizza and soda. Children under 5 bowl free but must be registered.

Visit Keys to Manifestation 3 to 8 p.m. Saturday for its March Madness psychic fair, offering professional psychic readings, workshops, special discounts on merchandise and more.

Local cat rescue Cat Connection will host a game of ‘90s trivia 7 p.m. Saturday at its cat lounge at 621 S. Grand Ave. in Fowlerville. Attendees will be able to cuddle with the cats before and after trivia.

Pole fitness studio Vertical Vixens will host a game-show-themed pole dance event 7 p.m. Saturday at UrbanBeat. The audience will answer questions about erotic and risqué subjects, with each correct answer unlocking another performance. The evening will end with a dance party led by DJ ClubKid.

Hordes of green-clad runners will descend upon the Lansing River Trail for the annual Time to Paddy 5K, 10K and half-marathon races, kicking off 8 a.m. Sunday at Burchard Park.

Finally, the MSU men’s basketball team will play its final regular-season game against the University of Michigan noon Sunday at the Breslin Center.

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.)