Week of September 17-23

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.

There's no better time to say 'i love bg' than this week as Bowling Green celebrates its Bicentennial. An entertaining living history event, The Pioneer Cemetery Lantern Tour, offers a glance at some of BG's formative residents. The docent-led walking tour will be offered at 7, 8 and 9 p.m. this Thursday and introduces patrons to 10 notable inhabitants of the city's first cemetery.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students/ seniors, and free for children 12 and under. Purchase tickets and gather at NAPA Auto Parts about 15 minutes before your desired tour. Visit the link below to learn more.

Several events are planned as part of the city's Bicentennial Celebration including Friday afternoon's City Hall Open House. This event from 4 to 6 p.m. is open to the public and features food and drink in addition to announcing the student writing contest winners. Then on Saturday, head to Circus Square Park from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the Bowling Green Bicentennial Festival featuring Blue Light Special, children's inflatables, a large bungee trampoline, face painting, balloon animals, food vendors, and so much more. Call 270-393-3642 or visit www.bgky.org for more information.

What do a microphone, an underwater camera, a pair of ballet slippers, and a skateboard have in common? They are all ordinary objects people have used to do extraordinary things and are part of the fascinating new exhibit, "Instruments of American Excellence," at the Kentucky Museum. The first exhibit of its kind, this growing collection includes hundreds of items that successful Americans used on their path to extraordinary achievements, and thus, shaped American history.

Visitors of the exhibit will see items such as retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's personal copy of the United States Constitution, the hammer used by former President Jimmy Carter on Habitat for Humanity missions, and a skateboard donated by Tony Hawk. Also on display will be one of Thomas Kincaide's paintbrushes, Neil deGrasse Tyson's first telescope, and a fiddle from Charlie Daniels.

The permanent exhibit debuts this Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. with a ribbon cutting and free tours. Regular Museum hours are Monday- Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit the link below to learn more or call 270-745-2592.

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

All phone numbers are area code 270 unless otherwise noted.

Ongoing - Oct. 20 WKU Alumni Exhibition, SKyPAC Main Gallery, featuring George Vitorovich, Faye McClellan, Heath Seymour and Todd McCutcheon, Regular gallery hours: 11am-6pm Mon-F, panel discussion 9/22 5pm, 904-1880, theskypac.com

Ongoing - Oct. 21 Chaney's Corn Maze, Chaney's Dairy Barn, open daily, $7 includes scoop of ice cream, 4 & U free, 843-5567, chaneysdairybarn.com

Ongoing - Oct. 28 September 11, 2001: A Global Moment Exhibit, National Corvette Museum, 8am- 5pm, includes rare & important artifacts from the World Trade Center, 781-7973, corvettemuseum.org

17 Orchestra Kentucky Opening Night at SKyPAC, featuring Kentucky Capriccio by Neil Sedaka, VIP Series, SKyPAC, 7:30pm, 846-2426, orchestrakentucky.com

18, 20, 23 'Finding Your Way Around the Autumn Sky', WKU Hardin Planetarium, 7pm, free admission, no late entrance, contact Richard Gelderman, 745-4044

18 Author Dianna Love, New York Times Bestseller, Warren Co. Library Bob Kirby Branch, 6pm, 782-0252, warrenpl.org

18 Beaver Tuesday Night Drags Fun Racing, Beech Bend Raceway, gates open at 6 pm, 781-7634, beechbend.com

20 Pioneer Cemetery Lantern Tour, Living History event commemorating BG Bicentennial, 45-minute walking tours begin at 7, 8, and 9pm, rain date 9/21, $10 adults, $5 seniors/ students, 12 & under free, 745-7317, visitbgky.com/civilwar

20 The Stray Birds Concert, The Warehouse at Mt. Victor, 8pm, 904-6677, thewarehouseatmtvictor.com

20 Far Away Places Speaker Series, Beyond the Ties of Blood: A Novel (about Chile), Barnes & Noble, 7pm, free and open to the community, 745-6121, wku.edu/library

21 "Instruments of American Excellence" Exhibit Ribbon Cutting, Kentucky Museum, 1pm, 745-2592, wku.edu/iae

21 Bowling Green Bicentennial Celebration, City Hall Open House, 4-6pm, food & drink, open to the public, 393-3642, bgky.org

21 Lindsey Lou & The Flatbellys Concert, The Warehouse at Mt. Victor, Alternative Country Singer/ Songwriter, 8pm, 904-6677, thewarehouseatmtvictor.com

21 WKU Volleyball, E.A. Diddle Arena, vs. Troy, 7pm, 1-800-5-BIG RED, wkusports.com

21-22 Bonus Ice Cream & a Moovie, "The Lorax", movies start at dusk, free, no outside drink or beverage, 843-5567, chaneysdairybarn.com

21-22 Holley Somernites Power Cruise, cruise-in to Somerset from multiple locations, participants gathering at Bruster's Friday evening, departing Saturday morning from Corvette Museum, 606-679-7753

21-22 WKU Parent's and Family Weekend, various activities and events around campus, 745-2459, wku.edu/pfw

21-23 USGF Girls Fast Pitch All Age Softball Tournament, Buchanon Park, bpettyasa@aol.com

22 Smithsonian Museum Day, National Corvette Museum, free admission when you register on Smithsonian website, 781-7973, corvettemuseum.com

22 Cruisin' for a Cure Walk to Cure Diabetes, Bowling Green Ballpark, fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 11am registration, 12:30pm walk, kids' activities, 502-485-9397, jdrf.org

22 Capitol Steps, SKyPAC, 7:30 pm, 904-1880, theskypac.com

22 Bowling Green Bicentennial Festival, Circus Square Park, 10am- 2pm, live music, inflatables, face painting, vendors, & more, 393-3642, bgky.org

22 West KY Flat Shod Sale, WKU Brown Ag Expo Center, 745-3976, wku.edu/expo

22 WKU Football V. Southern Mississippi, Houchens/Smith Stadium & Jimmy Feix Field, 6 pm, 800-5 BIG RED, wkusports.com

22 O'Reilly Saturday Night Fun Racing - O'Reilly Points End, Beech Bend Raceway, gates open at 5pm, 781-7634, beechbend.com

22 Mary Gauthier & Friends Concert, The Warehouse at Mt. Victor, 8pm, 904-6677, thewarehouseatmtvictor.com

22 Gatorland Classic Cross Country Meet, Phil Moore Park, 1200 runners, 842-3627, vecky5@insightbb.com

22 Dollar Day, Dinosaur World, residents of Allen, Barren, Edmonson, Hart, Metcalfe, Monroe & Warren counties receive $1 admission, 773-4345

22 WKU Volleyball, E.A. Diddle Arena, vs. South Alabama, 1pm, 1-800-5-BIG RED, wkusports.com

23 WKU Chorale Fall Concert, First Christian Church, 4pm, $5 general admission, $3 students, 745-3751, wku.edu/music

23 Faculty Chamber Recital, WKU Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall Rm 189, 7:30pm, Heidi Alvarez flute, Donald Speer piano, free & open to public, 745-3751, wku.edu/music

23 NHRA Drag Racing, Beech Bend Raceway, gates open at 10am, 781-7634, beechbend.com

23 An Evening with Elizabeth Cook, The Warehouse at Mt. Victor, 7pm, 904-6677, thewarehouseatmtvictor.com

September 25 Pecha Kucha Night Bowling Green, Kentucky Museum

September 27 The Intergalactic Nemesis: Book One Target Earth, SKyPAC

September 27-30 AMRA Harley Davidson Drag Finals, Beech Bend Raceway

September 27-30 "Perfect Wedding", Fountain Square Players, Phoenix Theater

September 28-30 Skeleton's Lair Scream Park, Cemetery Road to 48 Locketts Dream

September 28 Gordon Lightfoot, SKyPAC

September 28-29 Pumpkin Festival, Jackson's Orchard

September 28-29 Starry Nights Music + Arts Festival, Ballance Farms

September 29 Bowling Green International Festival, Circus Square Park

September 29-30 Warbird Alley, SKYMAC Stahl Field

September 30 "Nueva Musica para cuatro clarinets", WKU Fine Arts Center, Recital Hall Rm 189

September 30- October 6 Leachman Buick/KHSAA Girls and Boys Golf State Championships, Bowling Green Country Club

October 4-6 R8C/ Xperience Reunion, National Corvette Museum

October 5-7 13th Annual NMRA All Ford World Finals, Beech Bend Raceway

October 6 South Central Kentucky Heart Walk & 5k Run, Kereiakes Park

October 6-7 Pumpkin Pickin' Festival, Chaney's Dairy Barn

BG's Historic RailPark & Train Museum is competing for a share of a $2.5 million grant from Chase Community Giving! If awarded, the money would be used for a shed to protect its most valuable possesions: the railcars. Simply go to www.chasegiving.com and search for the "Friends of L & N Depot" in the list of charities to cast your allotted 2 votes before September 19!