Boreal Garden and Arts Fest
The Alaska Botanical Garden will usher in a new event focused on horticulture and garden art this weekend. The festival will include garden art shows, craft and plant vendors, workshops and presentations, live music, food and family fun. It's also a good chance to look over the gardens as they begin to kick into high gear. It all happens from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, June 28 and 29. For more information, visit alaskabg.org or call 770-3692.
'The Lightning Bug'
Homeless Actors of Mat-Su, otherwise known as HAMS, have taken up temporary quarters in the Alaska Club next to the police station in Wasilla -- just before the Fred Meyer intersection if you're northbound on the Parks Highway. The show of the hour is a sci-fi farce, "The Lightning Bug," in which a humble shoeshine girl is all that stands between the evil Dr. Kasady and the destruction of the world. Performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday, June 27, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 28. Tickets are $10 and $12 and can be purchased online at akhams.org or by calling 907-376-4252 or 841-4119.
First chord
The new Carol Ann Walsh Treadwell Memorial Organ will be formally blessed and inaugurated at 7:15 p.m. Sunday, June 29, at Holy Family Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. Join organist Gavin Duncan and the cathedral choirs as they debut the new instrument for the public. The concert is free, though donations will be accepted to help support the cathedral's music program.
Art Mart
The Anchorage Museum's traditional summer showcase of Alaska arts and crafts opens on July 2. All presenters are juried into the show, previously known as the Art Potpourri. Prints, photos, jewelry, ceramics and fiber art are among the items featured. A different roster will be featured each weekend, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday through Aug. 1. The lineup for this first weekend, July 2-4, will include ivory carver Rik Seeganna, Jian Liu's silk embroidery and the author/illustrator team of Katherine Adams and Beth Taylor. The event is included with museum admission and museum members get a 10 percent discount on purchases.
Mike Dunham
mdunham@adn.com