5 things to do this weekend
May 26—1. Get an early start on the weekend with a wildflower walk from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at the Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center, 201 W. Riviera Drive. Jessie Ballard, a Missouri Department of Conservation naturalist, will lead participants in a mile-long walk along the trails of Shoal Creek to discover native wildflowers. Participants should wear comfortable walking shoes and should dress for the weather. The program is free; registration is required at mdc.mo.gov.
2. If you're interested in some native plants of your own, the Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center will host a native plant sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Drop by any time to purchase native plants from vendors including Missouri Wildflower Nursery, of Jefferson City, and Ozark Soul Native Plants, of Thornfield, Missouri.
3. "Bug" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. daily through Saturday at Dream Theatre, 124 S. Main St. in Joplin. Set in a seedy motel room, "Bug" follows lonely cocktail waitress Agnes as she hides from her ex-con, ex-husband Jerry Goss. The play deals with the issues of love, paranoia, conspiracy theories and Agnes' slow descent into insanity; it is for mature audiences only. Tickets are $15; reserve yours at showtix4u.com/event-details/64262.
4. Head into the Memorial Day weekend by honoring veterans buried at Peace Church Cemetery during a public ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday. The ceremony, hosted by the Peace Church Cemetery board and American Legion Post 13, will include the placement of American flags on veterans' headstones, a 21-gun salute and the playing of taps. Veterans buried at the cemetery were involved in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II and the Korean War. The cemetery is located on the east side of Peace Church Road, halfway between Zora Street and Fountain Road.
5. This is the final weekend to see "The Light Fantastic," a special exhibit at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. The works of 27 artists from the 19th century to today are displayed alongside one another as a meditation on light, featured in painting, sculpture, printmaking and photography. Some artworks in the exhibition contain flashing light effects; signs will indicate where those artworks are located. Admission is free and open to the public.
