•Art in the Arbor
May 14-15
4936 Brownsboro Road • 425-6943
Free; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Sat.), 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Sun.)
A Louisville tradition since 1968, the Art in the Arbor Festival once again brings a host of attractions to help ease your post-Derby hangover. From live music to a wine garden, plus intriguing live demonstrations, the Plant & Pussy Willow Market, children’s crafts, food court, charity raffle and more, there is something for pretty much everyone. Most importantly, however, there is the annually juried art show, bringing together more than 100 artists across a variety of media, including jewelry, fired glass, pottery, stained glass, metal sculpture, paintings and more. Bring the family, enjoy the live demonstrations, have some food, and get the summer kicked off. Hey, Derby is over — and Art in the Arbor isn’t anything like the Infield. In a good way. —Kevin Gibson
•WonderFest
May 14-15
Crowne Plaza Hotel
830 Phillips Lane
$22/day ($7 kids 4-12); 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
This year’s WonderFest, now in its 22nd year, features two of the original “Star Wars” model-makers from Industrial Light and Magic, a Bond girl, comic artists and hundreds of sci-fi hobbyists. Believe it or not, WonderFest is locally produced and is the country’s largest sci-fi hobby show. Who knew Louisville had a nerdy side? Bond girl Martine Beswick (“From Russia With Love,” “Thunderball”) will be on hand, as will the “First Lady of Classic Fantasy and Horror,” Caroline Munro. Special-effects masters Lorne Peterson and Pat McClung will also be there to tell their tales about what it’s like working with George Lucas, and there’ll be more than 500 models from around the world on display. Prepare to get your geek on. —Sara Havens
•Louisville Chorus’ Hope for the Children
Saturday, May 14
Beargrass Christian Church
4100 Shelbyville Road • 968-6300
Donations accepted; 3 p.m.
Annual charity benefit for Crusade for Children. Presented by the Louisville Chorus and Beargrass Christian Church Choir.
•Bernheim Arboretum Book Signing
Saturday, May 14
Heine Bros. Coffee
119 Chenoweth Lane
Free; 9 a.m.-noon
Authors Sharon Receveur and Tavia Cathcart will sign copies of their new book, “Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest,” on Saturday. The first comprehensive book on Bernheim’s history and landscape is a beautiful, colorful coffee table book with over 500 images provided by Cathcart and other photographers, as well as Bernheim’s archives.
•KlezmerFest 2011
Sunday, May 15
Iroquois Amphitheater
1080 Amphitheater Road • 368-5865
$15 adv., $18 doors, $10 students; 1 p.m.
Sundays are not busy days in Jewish culture, generally. So what better day is there to enjoy an afternoon full of klezmer, the Eastern European-rooted music popular among both Jewish and gentile fans of folkloric dancing? This year’s line-up brings together headliner Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys from New York, Iowa’s Java Jews, regional favorites The Cincinnati Klezmer Project, and locals the River City Klezmer Band, Lost Tribe, cantors David Lipp and Sharon Hordes, and Rabbi Gaylia Rooks. Those familiar with Eastern Kentucky might not be as familiar with Klezmer Mountain, but that clever name does indicate that Klezmer and bluegrass music have more in common than the casual listener might suspect. Oh, and it is a Sunday, so tailgating begins at 11 a.m. —Peter Berkowitz
•Vandaveer
Sunday, May 15
Uncle Slayton’s
1017 E. Broadway • 657-9555
$10 adv., $12 door; 7:30 p.m.
D.C. folkies Vandaveer often come around to Kentucky, where singer-songwriter/lead instrumentalist Mark Charles Heidinger gets back to his roots. He and singer Rose Guerin will hit the stage in support of Dig Down Deep, which was released last month. The new record is another step forward for their uniquely poetic vision: Though many acts exploring the bounds of dream-pop and Americana embrace hazy layers of atmosphere, Vandaveer marries Heidinger’s songs to very precise arrangements. That doesn’t mean stiff chamber pieces, though: They can work the full range of dynamics up through anthemic overdubs. Heidinger recently shared with LEO that it’s an ongoing challenge to translate their maturing style with such a small onstage contingent. Louisville’s Cheyenne Marie Mize was a multi-instrumental third member on their recent European tour. But look for “The Nature of Our Kind” as just one example of how Vandaveer manages just fine as a duo. Ferraby Lionhart opens. —T.E. Lyons
•’Pirates of Penzance” (In Outer Space!)’
May 15-16
New Albany High School
1020 Vincennes St.
812-981-7648
$10; 7:30 p.m.
Gilbert and Sullivan’s famous operetta with lonely space pirates sprouting light sabers reset on idyllic planet of Penzance. It’s populated by lovely maidens and major general (who looks like Marvin Martian). Pre- and post-shows by il Troubadore Klingon Music Project.
•Poetry Reading
Sunday, May 15
The Bard’s Town
1801 Bardstown Road • 749-5275
www.thebardstown.com
Free; 5 p.m.
Featuring poets Ellen Birkett Morris, Sheri Wright and April Fallon.