<NERD STUFF>
Aug. 11-12
Animecon III
Anime buffs! If there are only two days this year that you’ll be out of your house, they may have to be this weekend at the Louisville Free Public Library. Animecon III is a convergence of all things Japanese, crammed efficiently into a two-day festival. The convention offers a wide range of activities, including kendo demonstrations and a Samurai sword ceremony presented by kendo clubs from Louisville and the University of Kentucky. Graham Shelby will host Japanese storytelling and an anime costume party. Japanese language instructor Yumi Nagaki will host a session on Japanese language and a tea ceremony. For the aspiring animator, Metro Parks’ Marty Edlin will return to host two anime art workshops. There will also be a giant “Manga-Mobile” (manga is another term for Japanese comic books) full of books for your perusal. The event is free, though registration is required at 9:30 a.m. each day. —Nathan Thacher
Louisville Free Public Library
301 York St.
574-1620
Free, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
<CHURCH PICNIC!>
Aug. 11-12
St. Joseph Orphan’s Picnic
Who could pass up a chance to gamble and drink on hallowed ground? … for a worthy cause, of course. The 156th annual St. Joseph Orphan’s Picnic will bring swarms of people of all ages out to the Children’s Home in Crescent Hill, as it has for so many generations, for two days full of food, drink and entertainment. Events kick off on Friday night with a free concert by The Epics, and while you listen, you can engage in some “adult gaming” (i.e. bingo and blackjack) from 5-10 p.m. If you still have any energy left, you can come back the very next day when the picnic begins, as thousands of Louisvillians convene to raise funds for St. Joseph’s many programs. The services provided by St. Joseph’s help hundreds of abused or neglected children in the region, so when you’re tossing one back or pushing in all your chips on a soft 17, rest easy in knowing it’s all going to a great cause. —Nathan Thacher
St. Joseph Children’s Home
2823 Frankfort Ave.
893-0241
Free; 5-10 p.m. (Fri.), noon-midnight (Sat.)
<FESTIVAL>
Aug. 12
World on the Square
Years ago, the town of Corydon, Ind., was drawn into controversy after an elected official made a racially insensitive remark and then the Klan came to town. Those were tough times, but cooler heads turned their attention to problem-solving, and thus was born World on the Square. It returns Saturday, with food, entertainment and children’s activities. Claudia Crump, a retired IUS professor who’s traveled extensively, asked students to research games from Asia, Africa, Europe and the United States, and on Saturday, children play these fun, educational games all day. An international buffet will be set up inside Corydon United Methodist Church. And there’s music: Scottish piper David Stewart, 4 p.m.; The Mystic Rhythms, an African female percussion group, 4:15; Semillita Latina, a Hispanic children’s dance group, 5 p.m.; Arciris Latinos, a young adult Hispanic dance group, 6 p.m.; and Guilderoy Byrne and the McClanahan dance troupe, Celtic artists, to close things out. If you can’t get on a plane, this festival is a nice alternative. —Cary Stemle
Downtown Corydon
1-888-738-2137
www.worldonthesquare.org
Free; 4-8 p.m.
<FILM>
Saturday, Aug. 12
‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’
I know a lot of people prefer to see movies at home, but I think it’s ridiculous, especially when you’re talking about the greats. Take Sergio Leone’s “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” one of the grandest and meanest of all the Italian master’s Westerns. Watching this at home, distracted by your pets and your tiny TV, is like trying to put a great white shark in an aquarium. It becomes frail and pathetic. See it in a theater, and you see the glory of movies.
On Saturday, Baxter Avenue Theaters will be showing it as part of their “Midnight at the Baxter” series. Don’t miss it. —Alan Abbott
Baxter Avenue Theatres
1250 Bardstown Road
459-2288
$7.50; midnight
<BENEFIT>
Aug. 12-13
Locust Grove Book Sale
For anyone who likes to read historical non-fiction — and I know you’re out there — there’s quite an event for you this weekend. The Historic Locust Grove, along with bookseller and appraiser Charles Bartman, is hosting a book sale this weekend. The best part is, it’s free to get in and browse, and part of the proceeds from the sale will go to fund educational and preservation programs at Locust Grove. And Bartman will be on hand to appraise up to three books per person for free.
Ninety percent of the books for sale are non-fiction hardcover that will be sold for $2, while soft covers will be sold for $1. Topics range from military and Native American history to art and science. There will also be special tables with slightly higher priced books as well as a silent auction of special collectible books. On Sunday, from 2 to 4:30 p.m., there will be a closeout on all regular-priced books, $10 for a whole bag. Bargain. —Michael Lichvar
Locust Grove
561 Blankenbaker Lane
897-9845
Free; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
<ART>
‘Saturate’
Aug. 12-13
The second in a series of theme-based, multimedia art events produced by The Ground Floor, “Saturate” will offer a mix of more than 60 visual artists with performing artists and live musicians. Media such as video, photography, painting, sculpture and installation will be on display, with the event based on the theme “water.” More than 600 people attended last month’s event, titled “Inhale,” many of them dressed to fit the theme, and the promoters say they hope for a similar turnout for “Saturate.” As always, costumes are encouraged. And a portion of art sales will be donated to Kentucky Waterways Alliance, which is dedicated to protecting and restoring Kentucky’s water and watersheds. The event will be open both Saturday and Sunday (visual artists only on Sunday). —Kevin Gibson
St. Francis Building
233 W. Broadway
802-1158
$10; 7 p.m.-1 a.m. (Sat.), 11 a.m.-4 p.m. (Sun.)
<THEATER>
Aug. 12, 17-19
‘Without a Net’
Where can you find a highly entertaining combination of theater, comedy and music?
The Rudyard Kipling, of course.
For three nights, the Rud is offering “Live without a Net” presented by Light and Sound. The show features four one-act plays, two of which were written by local playwrights Adam Watson and John Hetzel, local musicians and comedians.
Although we’re not completely sure what to expect, it is safe to assume you can count on some laughs and some good times. Sure, it’s not your normal Saturday night boozing away at your favorite local hangout (unless the Rud is your favorite local hangout), but anything that offers a break from the norm is definitely worth checking out. —Stephanie Salmons
The Rudyard Kipling
422 W. Oak St.
636-1311
$7 (Thu. show donations); 7:30 p.m.
<ART>
Through Aug. 31
Lionheart Gallery group exhibit
Mary Scott Blake, Jeanette Hardy and Sandra Charles are all local artists who work in a variety of media with different subject matters and styles. Blake’s pastel drawings are composed of impressionistic still-lifes, while Hardy prefers abstract watercolor paintings. Batik, which uses wax and dye to create the image, is the domain of Charles and is what forms her representational figures. All three artists’ work is now on display at Lionheart. —Jo Anne Triplett
Lionheart Gallery
313 S. Fourth St., Hyatt Regency Hotel
568-3030
www.lionheartartgallery.com
Free; 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (Mon.-Fri.), 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (Sat.)
<ART>
Through Sept. 6
‘She Speaks: Forgotten Goddesses’ by Penny Sisto
Penny Sisto is a master storyteller whose “words” are made of fiber and thread. Her 20 embroidered, appliquéd and beaded quilts, hosted by the Cathedral Heritage Foundation at the Cathedral of the Assumption, show lushly rendered goddesses from around the world.
It has taken her a lifetime of experiences to quilt like this. “My granny taught me to sew and quilt by the light of a kerosene lamp,” she said in her artist statement, “the nuns taught me to embroider, and the Maasai (of East Africa) taught me to crochet and revel in color.”
Another of Sisto’s quilts is right around the corner in the “Life InSight: The Human Experience” exhibition at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, on view through Nov. 4. —Jo Anne Triplett
Undercroft of the Cathedral of the Assumption
433 S. Fifth St.
583-3100
www.cathedralheritage.org
Free; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily