Blog Lafayette

It is the weekend again and as usual there are plenty of things to do in the Lafayette area.

On Friday and Saturday the 25th and 26th there will be a Religious Arts Festival featuring two one-act plays by the Chancel Players of Lafayette. The first of the two plays will be “The Long Christmas Dinner” by Thornton Wilder. The action of the Long Christmas Dinner represents in accelerated motion 90 Christmas dinners in the Bayard home. It is a serious play lightened with humor of character. The second of the two plays will be “The Robe of the Galilean” by John McGreevey. It is based on scenes from The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas. This is a thrilling play of faith triumphant. It is about Marcellus, a Roman, who is seeking an answer to the riddle of Jesus’ life. The festival will start at 7:30 p.m. each evening at St. Thomas Aquinas Center, 535 W. State Street in West Lafayette. You can contact Camille A. Cripps by phone at 765-742-2693 for further information or send an email to them at chancelplayers@yahoo.com.

On Saturday morning, February 26, the Journal & Courier’s Scripps Regional Spelling Bee will take place. Only those students who have competed in and won their individual school bees are able to participate in the regional bee. Participating schools must be registered with Scripps. The registration will be at 8:30am and the spelling bee will take place at 9:00 am. The event will take place at the Sunnyside Middle School Auditorium at 2500 Cason Street in Lafayette. You can contact Kara Bishop at 765-420-5217 or by email at kbishop@journalandcourier.com for further information about this spelling bee.

Later that day the 21st Annual Spelling Bee for Literacy will also be held at the Sunnyside Middle School Auditorium. This will be a local spelling competition following a National Regional Spelling Bee. Teams of three (families, schoolmates, co-workers, etc.) will participate for fun. The event features Sameer Mishra as Pronouncer (2008 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion). Organize your team and sign up to win great prizes and have some fun. Pick up an entry form at he Lafayette Adult Resource Academy. The event will be held at 1:00 p.m. You can contact Sandra Wood at 765-476-2920 for further information or send an email to laraoffice@lara.lafayette.in.us.

Two more events will be held on Saturday. The Tippecanoe Storytellers Guild will have a storytelling event at the Tippecanoe County Public Library. The storytellers ask us, “What do you do with a favorite story? Read it. Return to it. And read it again. That’s why TCPL staff say stories are “the ultimate recyclable.” See the Tippecanoe Storytellers Guild perform favorite childhood tales. Bet you’ll say,”Tell it again!”" This event will be held at 3:00 p.m. at the Tippecanoe Co. Public Library on 627 South Street in Lafayette. For further information contact the library by phone at 765-429-0100 or visit their website at http://www.tcpl.lib.in.us/.

The last event to take place on Saturday will be one of my personal favorites, the “Wolf Park Howl Night”. The Howl Night features a lecture on wolf communication, the opportunity to see some of the staff enter the enclosure and interact with the wolves of our main pack, and the chance to howl with the wolves. This is truly a lot of fun for any of you who love nature and animals. The lecture starts at 7:30 p.m. at Wolf Park, 4004 E. 800 N. Battle Ground Indiana. For more information contact Wolf Park at 765-567-2265 or visit their website at http://www.wolfpark.org/.

On Sunday you can look forward to classical music at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. The theme is “Jeans and Classics”. Wear your best jeans to this laid-back Sunday concert. Enjoy light classical music in a casual afternoon setting. This will be a great family concert! The concert starts at 3:00 p.m. at the Long Center for the Performing Arts, 111 N. 6th Street, Lafayette. For more information contact Erica Pence at 765-742-6463, send them an email at operationsmanager@lafayettesymphony.org, or take the time to look at their website at http://www.lafayettesymphony.org/.

And lastly there is “The Very Hungry Caterpillar & Other Eric Carle Favorites”. This is a special event geared toward your little ones ages 3-8. Mermaid Theatre uses the magic of black light to capture the charm of the Very Hungry Caterpillar’s metamorphosis into a beautiful butterfly, Little Cloud’s travels through the sky, and the Mixed-Up Chameleon’s discovery of his own unique nature. The fun starts at 3:00 p.m. at the Loeb Playhouse, Purdue University in West Lafayette.
To get more information contact the Purdue Business Office at 765-494-3933 or email them at convocations@purdue.edu.

There are several events happening this weekend in Lafayette. What you go to see is up to your personal tastes. There are events to cover several different types of interests.

On Saturday, Feb 19, 2011, there will be an “L.S.O.’s Cushion Concert” at the Tippecanoe County Public Library, 627 South Street in Lafayette at 3:00 p.m. According to the press release for this event, “Families flock to this fun, free program with Lafayette Symphony Orchestra performers. Imagine a concert without a stage. Borrow a comfy cushion. Position yourself at eye-level with percussionist Charlie Hamrick. Watch him play Latin drums, congas, bongos, shakaraes, cabassas, and a rainstick. Hear a musical story. See and feel the joy of music appreciation!” Sounds like fun to me. If you need to contact someone about this event, call 765-429-0100 or go to the Tippecanoe Library website.

If you are Purdue sports fan then you are in luck this weekend. Both the Purdue Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams will be playing in Mackey Arena this weekend. The men will be playing Saturday, Feb 19, 2011 vs. Ohio State. The Women will be playing Sunday, Feb 20, 2011 vs. Ohio State. Contact Purdue University for further information about these ball games or visit the Purdue Sports Website.

Also on Saturday, the Loeb Playhouse will host an event called “We The People“. The event description for the events states, “What does the Constitution say? Does your vote really count? Civic lessons have never been as much fun as they are in this hip, new musical revue by Theatreworks USA. Recommended for ages 9 and up.” The event is to be held at 3:00 p.m. at the Loeb Playhouse on the Purdue University campus in West Lafayette. For more information about this event, contact: Purdue Business Office at 765-494-3933, email them at convos@purdue.edu, or visit their website, www.convocations.org.

The last two events that I will mention will both take place Sunday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

The first is the “Religious Arts Festival: Singing for a Better World“, a concert to celebrate peace, justice, diversity and a healthier planet. Featuring local folk and acoustic groups. This event will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 333 Meridian Street in West Lafayette. For more information about this event you can call Kaye McSpadden at 765-743-3634 or email her at ReligiousArtsFestival@gmail.com.

The last event will be the “Treasures or Trinkets Appraisal Fair“. This appraisal fair will feature nine appraisal, antique and collectible experts who will offer verbal opinions on worth, rarity and condition. There will be no buying and selling at the event. The appraisal fair will be from Noon to 3:30 p.m. at Westminster Village, 27441 N. Salisbury Street in West Lafayette. To learn more, contact Dawn Walker at 765-464-5118.

As you can see, there is always something interesting to do in Lafayette Indiana. Go have some fun this weekend and see your favorite team win or go listen to some great music. The choice is yours. Have a great Lafayette weekend.

There is a lot of great stuff to do in Lafayette Indiana the last half of January. Here is just a sampling of the great stuff going on in our community. Enjoy!

Purdue Men’s Basketball

• vs Penn State on Jan 19, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. at Mackey Arena, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana.
• vs. Michigan State on Jan 22, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. at Mackey Arena, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana.
• vs. Minnesota on Jan 29, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. at Mackey Arena, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana.

Purdue Women’s Basketball

• vs Penn State on Jan 20, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at Mackey Arena, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana.
• vs. SIUE on Jan 27, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at Mackey Arena, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana.
• vs. Indiana on Jan 30, 2011 at 12:00 noon at Mackey Arena, Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana.

21st Annual Purdue Jazz Festival

• Jan 20, 2011 to Jan 23, 2011
• 3 big nights of music: Community Jazz Showcase/Local HS Jazz Bands & Purdue Jazz Band. Vanguard Jazz Orchestra/Legendary New York City Band. Michael Weiss (piano) and Dave Pietro (saxophone) with Purdue Jazz Band in Festival Finale.
• Thurs., & Sat.7:00pm, Fri., 8:00pm
• Location: Thurs.-Long Center All other times Loeb Playhouse, 111 N. 6th Street & Purdue University, Lafayette – West Lafayette, Indiana.
• Contact: Purdue Bands & Orchestra, 765-494-39333

Winter Wolves/Wolf Park Howl Night

• Jan 22, 2011
• Join us for a chilling day of fun featuring the wolves in their glorious winter coats! A day packed with fun activities such as games, updates on the wolves in the wild, and a few great surprises. A simple but amusing explanation of how animals adapt to their surroundings –why wolves don’t need winter coats. A lecture on wolf communication, the opportunity to see some of the staff enter the enclosure and interact with the wolves of our main pack, and the chance to howl with the wolves.
• Time: 1-5:00 p.m. and Howl Night/7:30 p.m.
• Location: Wolf Park, 4004 E. 800 N., Battle Ground, Indiana
• Phone: 765-567-2265

Wolf Park Howl Night

• Jan 29, 2011
• A lecture on wolf communication, the opportunity to see some of the staff enter the enclosure and interact with the wolves of our main pack, and the chance to howl with the wolves.
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Wolf Park, 4004 E. 800 N., Battle Ground, Indiana
• Contact: Wolf Park
• Phone: 765-567-2265

Rubberbandance Group/Loan Sharking

• Jan 29, 2011
• Blending hip-hop dance with classical ballet, Rubberbandance Group presents a hybrid of dance forms that explodes with stylish physicality and emotional depth. The group will perform Loan Sharking, a collection of works featuring a diverse soundtrack that includes music by Stravinsky, Vivaldi, and Dave Brubeck.
• Time: 8:00 p.m.
• Location: Loeb Playhouse, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
• Contact: Purdue Business Office
• Phone: 765-494-3933