Week of April 15-21

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

Bowling Green is hosting the 15th Annual Southern Kentucky Book Fest this weekend! This festival was designated a Kentucky Travel Industry Association Top 10 Spring Festival! There's a little something for everyone this year. The book fest is divided into two-day sessions, with the Kentucky Writers Conference and Children's Day on Friday and the main book fest on Saturday. The book fest draws readers and authors alike and is presented by the WKU Libraries, Barnes & Noble Booksellers and the Warren County Public Library.

The featured headlining author this year is Henry Winkler, but you might know him as the Fonz from the hit tv series "Happy Days." Also visiting is author Mary McDonough, who will be offering a special breakfast and workshop Saturday morning. To find a complete schedule of events with information about meeting the authors, children's day events and the writers conference, please call 270-745-4502 or visit the website below.

Bowling Green's Civil War history is unique--from starting out the war as the Confederate capital of Kentucky and ending after Union troops pushed out the rebel forces, several places in Bowling Green have colorful stories about their local involvement in the war. As part of the Civil War Sesquicentennial celebration, several events are taking place across the city this weekend. These living history events will be fun and educational for the whole family.

Special events include a Union bombardment reenactment at the Historic Railpark & Train Museum, period skits, Civil War era kids' games and activities, an artisan and crafts showcase, walking tours of Civil War architecture downtown, a Military Ball, the Pioneer Cemetery Lantern Tour, a period service at the Presbyterian Church and more! Visit the website below for more information and a complete list of events.

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

All phone numbers are area code 270 unless otherwise noted.

Ongoing- April 19 VSA National Juried Exhibition: Sustaining/Creating, Capitol Arts Center Houchens Gallery, call for hours, 904-5015, theskypac.com

Ongoing- April 30 History of the Capitol Exhibit, Capitol Arts Mezzanine Gallery, community artists look back at the history of the Capitol Arts Center, 782-2787, call for hours, theskypac.com

Ongoing -April 30 Squirrely Scavenger Hunt, Lost River Cave, free, details at Wildflower Gifts, 393-0077, lostrivercave.com

Ongoing- May 5 "Moneyville," National Corvette Museum, interactive exhibition, 781-7973, corvettemuseum.org

Ongoing- May 12 "Curiosity: Drilling into Mars' Past," WKU Hardin Planetarium, Tues/Thurs 7pm, Sun 2pm, use new digital technology to move through the solar system from the Mars rover, 745-4044, wku.edu/hardinplanetarium

April 16 Lily Pulitzer Pink Daisy Fashion Show, 440 Main Restaurant, 11:30am, $25 fundraiser for Symphony at WKU, enjoy lunch and see the latest styles in time for Derby, 745-7681, bgwso.org

April 18 DREAMGIRLS, Broadway Series, SKyPAC, 7:30 pm, 904-1880, theskypac.com

April 18 Bass and Piano Jazz Combo, FAC Recital Hall, 7:30pm, free, 745-3751, wku.edu/music

April 18 Death at the Doo-Wop, Chaney's Dairy Barn, murder mystery party & dinner, 7-9pm, $35.95/person includes dinner, dessert, beverage and show, reservations required, 843-5567, chaneysdairybarn.com

April 19 Crawfish Boil, 440/Micki's on Main, 793-0450, 440main.com

April 19 Concert Band and Wind Ensemble, Van Meter Hall, 7:30pm, $5 admission, 745-3751, wku.edu/music

April 19 Game Plan for the Outdoors Spring Expo, Hillvue Heights Church, 5pm, speaker Jimmy Houston, vendors, prizes, live and silent auctions, 804-1460, gameplan4theoutdoors.com

April 19 Oval Track Racing, Beech Bend Raceway, 6pm, 781-7634, beechbend.com

April 19-20 South Union Seminar, South Union Shaker Village, reservations required, $80 members/$90 non-members, Fri 6pm-9pm/Sat am-3pm, "To Make a Faithful Record: Researching the Lives of Individual Believers," dinner at Shaker Tavern on Fri with a candlelit interpretation after and a seminar Sat, special tours, 542-4167, shakermuseum.com

April 19-21 Greenwood Border Battle Softball Tournament, Buchanon Park, old complex, Penny Reece, 842-3627

April 19-May 5 Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, Phoenix Theater, Thurs 7 pm, Fri/Sat 8 pm, Sun 3 pm, 781-6233, ptkbg.org

April 20 Anything but Classical 2 & In the Bag, SKyPAC, cockatils and a sit-down catered dinner, dancing on the SKyPAC, music by Orchestra Kentucky and the Rewinders, live and silent auctions, $100/person with limited seating, 842-2426, orchestrakentucky.com

April 20 5th Annual Spring Classic Swap Meet & Flea Market, Beech Bend Raceway, 8am-5pm, 781-7634, beechbend.com

April 20 WKU Football Spring Game, Houchens L.T. Smith Stadium, 2pm, 1-800-BIG RED

April 20 Test & Tune Drag Racing, Beech Bend Raceway, 781-7634, beechbend.com

April 20 BGWC Humane Society 5K Fundraising Walk, Warren Co. Reg. Airport, register 8:30am, begins at 10am, 783-9404, bgwchs.org

April 20 Mom Prom, Jaycee Pavilion at Lampkin Park, 7-11pm, tickets $20/teen & $25/adult in advance, $35 at the door, for women and teen girls only, 535-7974, facebook.com/bgmomprom

April 20 Breakfast with Mary McDonough: Body Branding, Getting Comfortable with the Skin You're In, Knicely Conference Center, 8am, $15, tickets availavle at the Warren County Public Library, 745-4502, warrenpl.org

April 20 March of Dimes Walk, Phil Moore Park, 10am, (800) 670-3339, marchofdimes.com/kentucky/

April 20 Mini Corvette Challenge, National Corvette Museum, 782-0820, jaforkids.com

April 20 Pioneer Cemetery Lantern Tour, Living History event, part of Civil War commemoration, 45-minute walking tours begin at 7, 8, and 9pm, $10 adults, $5 seniors/ students, 12 & under free, 745-7317, visitbgky.com/civilwar

April 20-21 Menopause the Musical, Capitol Arts Center, Sat. 3pm/8pm, Sun. 2pm, $45-60 tickets, 904-1880, theskypac.com, menopausethemusical.com

April 21 WKU Choirs Spring Finale, Van Meter Hall, 5pm, $5 general admission and $3 students, 745-3751, wku.edu/music

April 21 Jacksonian Days, downtown Scottsville, scottsvilleky.info

April 21 IU Jacobs School of Music Virtuosi, WKU FAC Recital Hall, 5pm, featuring performers ages 12-18, free, wku.edu/music

April 21 NHRA Drag Racing, Beech Bend Raceway, 781-7634, beechbend.com

April 22-24 Bowling Green Hot Rods vs. Fort Wayne TinCaps, BG BallPark

April 22 Broadway in Love, Orchestra Kentucky, SKyPAC

April 23 Pecha Kucha Night, Kentucky Museum

April 23 STOMP, SKyPAC

April 25-27 NCM Bash, National Corvette Museum

April 25-29 Evening of Dance, Russell H. Milller Theatre

April 25- May 5 14th Annual Herb Festival, Wild Bird & Nature Store

April 26 10th Annual Mayhem, Circus Square Park

April 26-28 Campers Appreciation Nature Fest Weekend, Barren River Lake State Resort Park

April 27 Color Blaze 5K Run, Phil Moore Park

April 27 Earth Day Event, Lost River Cave

April 28 Southern Kentucky Team Penning Association Show, WKU Ag Expo Center

April 28-30 Bowling Green Hot Rods vs. Peoria Chiefs, BG BallPark

May 1 Victorian Skills for Young Ladies and Gentlemen Workshop: Felt Flower Bouquet, Riverview at Hobson Grove

May 2 Little Texas with Lyndsey Highlander, Capitol Arts Center

May 4 Spring Clean Up, Boyce Community Center, 270-842-6667

May 4 Justin Townes Earle with Ben Knight, The Warehouse at Mt. Victor

May 4-5 Spring Classic Youth Soccer Tournament, Lover's Lane Soccer Complex

For your convenience, a bulletin board of events and a full brochure rack are located on the front porch of the Visitors Bureau if you need information when the main office is closed.