Week of April 2-8

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.

After an early spring has put us in the mood for baseball for weeks now, it's finally here- the return of the Bowling Green Hot Rods! South Central Kentucky is ready for outdoor entertainment and family fun to return to the BG Ballpark, and the Hot Rods are ready to get cracking with a three-day opening stretch against the South Bend Silver Hawks. They will celebrate Opening Night Thursday with post-game Fireworks presented by Citizens First.

Fireworks will illuminate the downtown sky after every Saturday home game this season. Thrifty Thursdays, Faith & Family Nights, All-You-Can-Eat Tuesdays, Scout Sleepover Nights, Education Days, and many more fueled by fun promotions are in store again this summer.

Don't miss the future stars of Major League Baseball right here in Bowling Green! For more promotion details and the full schedule, follow the link below or call 270-901-2121.

Photo courtesy of Indie Images

Year after year, thousands of riders from across the Commonwealth of Kentucky and our neighboring states have joined together to ride in the Great Teddy Bear Run benefiting the Barren River Child Advocacy Center. It's quite a sight to see hundreds (some years more than a thousand!) shiny motorcycles, decked out with lots of blue ribbons, blue balloons and Teddy Bears.

BG Police Department's finest lead the parade along the 16-mile route through Bowling Green ending at the Harley-Davidson store on Cumberland Trace. Riders then enjoy a great lunch provided by Wha Bah! Steakhouse and music by Scooter Davis and the Beaver 96.7 FM.

April is Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month, so this annual event raises community awareness, funds and resources to help BRACAC's mission and services to victims of child sexual abuse. Last year, 803 teddy bears and stuffed animals were collected at the Run! Call 270-783-4357 or visit the link below 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. (Sam Bush Photo by David Clister)

Ongoing - Mar. 30 Side by Side Art Exhibit, Kentucky Museum, featuring works by VSA Kentucky, 745-2592, vsartsky.org

Ongoing - Mar. 31 US Bank Celebration of the Arts, Kentucky Museum, M-Sat 9am- 4pm, 745-2592, wku.edu/museum

Ongoing - Apr. 10 Jennifer Anderson Engram Exhibit, WKU Ivan Wilson FAC 2D Corridor Gallery, wku.edu/art

Ongoing - April 15 It's A Nano World Exhibit, National Corvette Museum, 8am-5pm, 781-7973, corvettemuseum.org

Ongoing - April 18 Erin Carlyle & Leslie Nichols Exhibit, Capitol Arts Center Houchens Gallery, M-F 9am-5pm, 782-2787

Ongoing - April 30 "A House Divided: Civil War Money" Exhibit, Historic Railpark & Train Museum, 745-7317, historicrailpark.com

3 Bryan Anderson Keynote Address, WKU DUC Auditorium, motivational speaker, author, veteran, 5pm, free and open to the public, 270-745-5837, wku.edu

3 Bowling Green Farmers Market Opening Day, Tues, Thur, Sat 6am- 3pm through October, Hobby Lobby parking lot on Scottsville Road, 270-777-3360, bgfarmersmarket.com

3 Family Recreation: It's More Than Just Fun and Games, keynote speaker: Dr. Ramon B. Zabriskie, Gary A. Ransdell Hall Auditorium, 7pm, free, 270-745-5959

3, 5 Spring Break Farm Tours, Chaney's Dairy Barn, 1pm, families & individuals, $7 per person includes scoop of ice cream, reservations requested, 843-5567, chaneysdairybarn.com

5 Casting Crowns, WKU E.A. Diddle Arena, 7pm, www.ticketmaster.com

5 WKU Far Away Places Series, "Ernest Hemingway and Spain: Or How a Land Can Attract a Man" , Barnes & Noble, 7pm, free and open to the public, 270-745-6121, wku.edu/library

6 Songwriter's Round Benefit Concert, Chaney's Dairy Barn, 6-8pm, featuring Nashville songwriters Bill DiLuigi and Les Kerr, 700 West songwriter Dan Modlin, & Nashville recording artist Amber Hayes, free, donations for Center for Courageous Kids appreciated, 270-843-5567

6-7 WKU Softball vs. Troy, WKU Softball Field, 5 & 7pm Friday, 1pm Saturday, 1-800-5-BIG RED, wkusports.com

6-7 KY ASA Invitational Northern Qualifier Softball Tournament, Buchanon Park, bpettyasa@aol.com

7 Test & Tune Drag Racing, Beech Bend Raceway, Noon-5pm, 270-781-7634, www.beechbend.com

7 Block & Bridle Little North American, WKU Brown Ag Expo Center, 270-745-3976, www.wku.edu/expo

7 Trombone Studio Recital, Lee Blakeman with accompanist Deanna Catlett, WKU Choral Rehearsal Hall, 1pm, free, 270-745-3751, www.wku.edu/music

7 Ballance MotoX Open Practice Day, gates open 8am, open riding 10am- 4pm, 270-792-7223, ballancemotox.com

7 Soap Box Derby Clinic, Phil Moore Park, Soap Box Derby Track, 8:30am, free and open to the public, 270-535-2191, bgkiwanis.org/soapbox

8 Easter Brunch, 440 Main Restaurant, reservations from 11am- 2pm, 270-793-0450, main440.com

April 10 Blues Brothers Review, SKyPAC

April 12 Arbor Day Celebration, Kereiakes Park

April 12 WKU Far Away Places Series, "Big Game Parks of South Africa," Barnes & Noble

April 12-17 Stop Kiss, WKU Gordon Wilson Lab Theatre

April 13-15 ChallengerFest 3, Hilton Garden Inn & Beech Bend Raceway

April 14 Second Saturdays Street Fair, Fountain Square Park

April 16 Camelot, Orchestra Kentucky VIP Series, SKyPAC

April 18 Young Frankenstein, Broadway Series, SKyPAC

April 19 Great Gatsby Gala and Murder Mystery, Historic Railpark and Train Museum

April 19 WKU Kentucky Live Speaker Series, Travel Writer Gary West, Barnes & Noble

April 20 WKU Earth Day Festival, DUC Centennial Mall

April 20-21 SOKY Book Fest, Knicely Conference Center

April 20-21 South Union Seminar, South Union Shaker Village

April 21 Mike Super Magic & Illusion, Family Fun Series, SKyPAC

April 21 Derby Garden Festival, Riverview at Hobson Grove

April 21-22 Earth Day Weekend Race, Ballance Moto X

The Bowling Green Area Convention & Visitors Bureau will be closed Friday, April 6, for the Easter holiday. Please visit our front porch racks and display area for brochures with maps, coupons, event information, and more, or visit our tourism information kiosk inside the National Corvette Museum for personal assistance!