Father's Day weekend events lead the way in the area, along with the South Bend Symphony

It's Father's Day weekend, and two iconic local traditions for the third weekend in June take their turn in the spotlight: The Leeper Park Art Fair in South Bend and the Elkhart Jazz Festival. But wait … there's more, so much so that, this week, The Tribune highlights six events instead of five: The South Bend Symphony comes to bat for the second summer in a row at Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium, while three area theaters provide drama and comedy — sometimes at the same time.

For more events happening this weekend in and near South Bend, visit The Tribune's calendar page.

For outdoor happenings, see Joseph Dits' Outdoors Adventures column's roundup of activities. And Mary Shown writes about the debut of a new event, Third Thursdays in the Mish, in Market Basket.

Here's this week's lineup of highlighted events in and around South Bend:

‘The Thin Place’ talks with the dead at Canterbury

MICHIGAN CITY — “The Thin Place” continues through June 18 at Canterbury Summer Theatre, 807 Franklin St.

Written by Lucas Hnath, the play centers on Linda, who communicates, professionally, with the dead, who are still here, just in a different part of here, in the “thin place.”

She can make those who believe hear them, offering them peace and closure and meaning.

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Hilda, a keen listener and observer who’s grappling with loss, takes a great interest in Linda’s abilities. She befriends the veteran medium, seeking answers that lie across the fragile boundary between this world and the other one.

Performances are at 2 p.m. June 16, 7:30 p.m. June 17 and 6:30 p.m. June 18. All times CDT.

Tickets are $20-$10.

For more information, call 219-874-4269 or visit canterburytheatre.org.

Elkhart Jazz Festival runs June 16 to 19. Bruce Hornsby headlines June 18.

ELKHART — The 34th annual Elkhart Jazz Festival takes place June 16 to 19 in downtown Elkhart at various outdoor and indoor venues.

The festival begins with a free concert at 7 p.m. June 16 by Truth in Jazz Big Band at The Lerner Theatre, 410 S. Main St.

The festival’s headliners are The Queen’s Cartoonists and Gunhild Carling at 6 p.m. June 17 The Lerner and Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers at 8 p.m. June 18 at The Lerner.

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Other festival performers include the Andy Brown Trio, Couch, Jazmin Ghent, Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, Nia Quintet, After Ours, local high school jazz bands, Dave Bennett, Kris Brownlee, Paul Decker, Emily Cavanagh, Craig Gildner and Lena Seikaly, among many others.

June 19 starts at 10:30 a.m. with River Oaks Community Church on the main outdoor stage, followed by more music from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including a free concert by the United States Air Force Shades of Blue Jazz Ensemble at 3 p.m. at The Lerner.

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The festival began in 1988 and annually showcases more than 100 performers while drawing visitors from around the country.

Sold individually, day passes are $25 for June 17, $35 for June 18 and $15 for June 19.

Tickets for The Queen’s Cartoonists and Gunhild Carling are $35-$15.

Tickets for Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers are $79-$39.

Festival passes also include free admission to Wellfield Botanic Gardens throughout the weekend.

For more information about tickets, call 574-293-4469 or visit elkhartjazzfestival.com or The Lerner’s box office.

For more information about the festival, call 574-218-6477.

South Bend Symphony performs ‘American Anthems’ at Four Winds

SOUTH BEND — The South Bend Symphony Orchestra performs at 8 p.m. June 17 at Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium, 501 W. South St.

Titled “Symphony Under the Stars: American Anthems” and led by SBSO Music Director Alastair Willis, the program features a variety of patriotic numbers and tributes to the armed forces as well as popular songs from Broadway and film.

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The concert concludes with fireworks.

Tickets are $49-$19.

For more information, call 574-232-6343 or 574-235-9988 or visit southbendsymphony.org or southbendcubs.com.

Acting Ensemble produces ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’

MISHAWAKA — “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” opens June 17 and continues through June 26 at The Acting Ensemble, 602 E. Mishawaka Ave.

Written by Edward Albee, the 1962 play takes place in the home of George, an associate professor of history, and his wife, Martha, the daughter of the president of the university where George teaches.

After a faculty party, Martha invites a younger couple, Nick, a biology professor, and his wife, Honey, home for a drink.

George and Martha’s antagonistic, passive-aggressive relationship escalates throughout the evening as the two couples consume more and more alcohol and engage in cruel “games.”

Stylistically, the play’s especially innovative because Albee seamlessly integrates Absurdism with the conventions of American Realism popularized by playwrights such as Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller; thus the characters in Albee’s play are simultaneously realistic and absurd.

Directed by Mark Allen Carter, the production features Melissa Domiano, Kevin Egelsky, Tracy Huddlestun and Tiemen Godwaldt.

Performances are at 7:30 p.m. June 17-18 and 23-25 and at 2 p.m. June 19 and 26.

Tickets are $17-$14.

For more information, call 574-217-8873, visit actingensemble.com, email info@actingensemble.com.

Dunes Summer Theatre presents ‘God of Carnage’

MICHIGAN CITY — “God of Carnage” opens June 17 and continues through July 3 at Dunes Summer Theatre, 288 Shady Oak Drive.

Written by Yasmina Reza and translated by Christopher Hampton, the comedy features a meeting between parents of two 11-year-old boys after an argument leaves one boy injured. As the evening goes on, the parents’ polite sophistication devolves into rancorous childishness, with unexpectedly hilarious results.

The production comes with a warning to audiences that topics of sexism, racial prejudice and homophobia are presented.

Directed by Susan Padveen, associate professor and interim chair of the theater department at Columbia College Chicago, and starring Daniel Shtivelberg, Christie Coran, Mandy Walsh and Glenn Thompson.

Performances are at 7 p.m. CDT Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. CDT Sundays.

Tickets are $25-$12.50.

For more information, call 219-879-7509 or visit dunesarts.org.

Leeper Park Art Fair takes place June 18 and 19

SOUTH BEND — The St. Joe Valley Watercolor Society’s 55th annual Leeper Park Art Fair takes place June 18 and 19 at Leeper Park, 907 Riverside Drive.

The event features more than 80 artists from across the U.S., food trucks, disc jockey Jim Renner, and free parking and shuttle service from Century Center, 120 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Media categories include clay, digital art, fiber, glass, jewelry, mixed media, photography, printmaking and drawing, oil and acrylic, sculpture, watercolor and wood.

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Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 18 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 19.

Awards announced at 11 a.m. June 19.

Admission is free.

For more information, visit leeperparkartfair.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Father's Day weekend events return, along with the South Bend Symphony