Week of May 9-15

Welcome to our weekly "What's Happening" email, designed to provide you with a glance at opportunities for an unbridled good time in the Bowling Green area.

Visitors and residents have a unique opportunity to see historic treasures that helped shape America this Friday and Saturday as The Library of Congress brings its "Gateway to Knowledge" Rolling Exhibition to town. Traveling in a specially fitted 18-wheel truck, the exhibition launched from Washington D.C. last fall and will make a stop in south central Kentucky during its national tour. It will be free and open to the public.

The trailer expands to three times its road width and features facsimiles of such treasures as the first document to use the word "America", the 1455 Gutenberg Bible, the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence , the 1962 drawings for the comic book that introduced Spider-Man to the world, and Walt Whitman's poem "Leaves of Grass." For more information, visit the link below or call 270-781-4882 x. 203.

In the mood for a free, festival atmosphere this weekend? Appreciate live music and local artwork? Enjoy shopping for unique items where the kids will be entertained too? Then Downtown Fountain Square is the place for you this weekend as May's Second Saturdays Street Fair takes place! In addition to vendor booths and merchant sidewalk sales, kid's activities include carriage rides, face painting, balloon twisting, and inflatables.

May is Historic Preservation Month, so be sure to stop by the preservation booth for historic district walking tour brochures, wood window repair demonstrations, information about listing your property on the National Register, and items for sale from the Landmark Association. Visit the Second Saturdays Facebook page by following the link below or call 270-782-0222 to learn more

To view the complete calendar of upcoming events, click here and visit our Events section.

All phone numbers are area code 270 unless otherwise noted.

Ongoing - May 14 Visiting Artist Exhibition, WKU Ivan Wilson FAC Corridor Gallery, 745-3944, www.wku.edu/pcal

Ongoing - May 14 Spring Graduating Seniors Art Exhibition, Kentucky Museum, 745-3944, wku.edu/library/kylm

Ongoing - May 31 Jared Daugherty & Jared Weaver Gallery Exhibition, Capitol Arts Center galleries, 9 am-5 pm, www.capitolarts.com, 782-2787

Ongoing - June 19 American Muscle Cars, National Corvette Museum, M-Sun 8am- 5pm, 781-7973, corvettemuseum.org

9-June 24 "The Artist Within" Exhibition, VSA ArtsACCESS Gallery, M-F 8:30 am-4:30 pm, 781-0872

9 HS Baseball-Warren East vs. Logan Co., Bowling Green Ballpark, Ryan Gates, rgates@bghotrods.com

10 HS Baseball-Bowling Green vs. Henderson, Bowling Green Ballpark, Ryan Gates, rgates@bghotrods.com

10 Beaver Tuesday Night Drag/Oval Fun Racing, Beech Bend Raceway, gates open at 6 pm, 781-7634, www.beechbend.com

11 Performer of the Semester Recital, WKU Fine Arts Center Recital Hall, 11:30 am, free, 745-3751

12 Author Terri Blackstock, Christ Episcopal Church, 6:00pm, (270) 781-4882

12-14 C4/ZR-1 Gathering, National Corvette Museum, 781-7973, www.corvettemuseum.org

13 TS Performance All Diesel Drags, Beech Bend Raceway, gates open at 5 pm, 781-7634, www.beechbend.com

13-15 WKU Baseball vs. South Alabama, 6 pm Fri, 3 pm Sat, 1 pm Sun, 1-800-5-BIG RED (244733), www.wkusports.com

13 BG Hot Rods v. South Bend, 7:05 pm, 901-2121, www.bghotrods.com

13 WKU Graduate Commencement Exercises, Diddle Arena, 7 pm, 745-5432, www.wku.edu/registrar

13-14 Band & Choral Festival, Beech Bend Park, IGA Stage, 781-7634, beechbend.com

14 WKU Undergraduate Commencement Exercises, Diddle Arena, 10 am, 2 & 6 pm, 745- 5432, www.wku.edu

14 O'Reilly Saturday Night Fun Racing with SS/S Combo, Beech Bend Raceway, gates open at 5 pm, 781-7634, www.beechbend.com

14 Victorian Antique & Garden Festival, Riverview at Hobson Grove, 9 am- 4 pm, 843-5565, www.bgky.org/riverview

14 West KY Flat Shod Sale, WKU Brown Ag Expo Center, 745-3976, www.wku.edu/agexpocenter

14 BG Hot Rods v. South Bend, 7:05 pm, Holley Parade & Fireworks, 901-2121, www.bghotrods.com

14-15 Softball USGF Tournament, Buchanon Park, all day, bpettyasa@aol.com

14-15 Riverview Invitational 2011, The Golf Course at Riverview, Bowling Green Parks & Rec., 393-3877

15 Southern KY Team Penning Assn., WKU Brown Ag Expo Center, 745-3976, www.wku.edu/agexpocenter

15 NHRA Drag Racing with Jr. Drag Challenge & SS/S Combo, Beech Bend Raceway, gates open at 5 pm, 781-7634, www.beechbend.com

15 BG Hot Rods v. South Bend, 2:05 pm, 901-2121, www.bghotrods.com

May 19 Beech Bend Park's Splash Lagoon Opening Day

May 19-22 Southern Hospitality, Fountain Square Players, Phoenix Theatre

May 20 Ned Van Go Concert, Capitol Arts Center

May 20-21 All-American Soap Box Derby, Phil Moore Park Soap Box Derby Track

May 21 Olde Stone Run for PRIDE, The Club at Olde Stone

May 21 Spring Antiques & Garden Market, Shaker Museum at South Union

May 21-22 KY Guild of Artists & Craftsmen Spring Fair, Sloan Convention Center

May 26-28 Corvette Forum Cruise-In, National Corvette Museum

May 27-29 25th Annual NHRA SPORTSnational Open, Beech Bend Raceway

May 28 Free Gospel Music Concert, Capitol Arts Center

May 28-29 American Bluegrass Series, Ballance MotoX

It's National Travel & Tourism Week! Head out to a local attraction to learn just how important tourism is to our community. Thank a tour guide, restaurant server, front desk attendant, ticket-taker, or other tourism business employee for all their great dedication to making Bowing Green a super friendly tourist destination!