Imax movie, sandhill cranes, Broadway's Frankie Valli show on this weekend's Chattanooga-area entertainment calendar

Jan. 13—A history fair, a sandhill crane festival and a fandom convention are among the events in the Chattanooga area over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend. Next week, fans of 1960s-era crooner Frankie Valli, known for his powerful falsetto, and Emmy-winning actress Betty White, known for her quick wit, will have reasons to get out of the house.

Meanwhile, these events have been canceled or postponed:

— Rapper Wale's show at The Signal has been moved from Jan. 13 to March 10.

— The Arts Center in Athens, Tenn., has moved the meet-and-greet with artist Jody Harris from Jan. 14 to Jan. 21.

— Erlanger's Dinner of Distinction has been postponed from Jan. 14 to March 4.

— Lookout Wild Film Festival has been rescheduled from Jan. 14-16 to Feb. 4-6.

— Chattanooga Symphony & Opera's "Mozart & Haydn" Chamber Series concert at New City Fellowship on Jan. 15 has been canceled.

— A concert by Street Fighting Band, a Rolling Stones tribute, scheduled for Jan. 15 at the Gem Theatre in Calhoun, Ga., has been canceled.

— "Speak Like a King," a tribute to Martin Luther King Jr. by Chattanooga Prep School theater students, scheduled Jan. 17 at Hunter Museum of American Art, has been canceled. (See a separate story on Page B1 for details on Martin Luther King Jr. events still on the calendar.)

MUSIC

— Edgewood Baptist Church, 3604 Ringgold Road, hosts gospel trio Avenue at 6 p.m. Saturday. edgewoodbaptchurch.com

— Songbirds, 35 Station St., has two shows early next week. Monday features the Read Southall Band, a group of Oklahoma musicians whose rock sound borrows elements from country and grunge. Camden Smith opens at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12. Tuesday, singer/songwriter Martin Sexton performs at 7 p.m. Tickets are $30. songbirdsfoundation.org

OUT & ABOUT

— The Garden Club at Crabtree Farms, a community for beginner or experienced gardeners, holds its first meeting 6-8 p.m. Thursday at 1000 E. 30th St. Monthly meetings continue through October. Participants may attend one or all, with pay-as-you-go pricing. The January meeting will focus on planning (not planting) a vegetable garden. Cost is $35. crabtreefarms.org

— Chattacon, a fandom convention that focuses on science fiction and fantasy, returns for its 47th edition Friday evening through Sunday afternoon at the DoubleTree Hilton, 407 Chestnut St. Events include gaming, a masquerade ball, panels and workshops with guest artists and literary figures. Badges cost $60 for adults, $55 for children 8-12 (free for younger guests). chattacon.org

— History Fair: The Soddy, Daisy and Montlake Historical Association sponsors this annual event 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at Soddy-Daisy High School, 618 Sequoyah Access Road. More than 80 tables will be set up with photos and artifacts detailing the history of the area. An indoor yard sale, silent auction and bake sale will raise funds for the organization. A $3 admission donation is requested. soddydaisymuseum.com

— Got Bluebirds?: Master gardeners of Hamilton County will explain how to attract bluebirds to your yard in this free Zoom program 10 a.m.-noon Saturday. The presenters are master gardeners and members of the Tri-State Bluebird Society, which was formed in 2021 to encourage bluebird conservation in the area. mghc.org

— Bradley Bandstand, the annual fundraising gala of the Museum Center at Five Points, 200 E. Inman St., Cleveland, Tenn., starts at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. "Dancing Through the Decades" is the theme. The gala includes cocktails, dinner, live auction and dancing. Tickets are $175 for individuals $1,500 for a table for eight (with bonus bottles of champagne). museumcenter.org

— Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival, presented by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, is 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Birchwood. The 31st annual event showcases the more than 20,000 sandhill cranes that stop at the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge during their winter migration. Related events will be held at the Cherokee Removal Memorial Park (artifacts, interpreters, hiking trail) and the Birchwood Community Center (breakfast, vendors, raptor programs, children's activities). Visitors should park at the community center, 5623 Highway 60, to ride the free shuttle to the refuge; only handicapped-accessible parking is available on site. Admission is free. tn.gov/twra

— Athletic Championships, national competitions for all-star cheer teams from the region and beyond, are scheduled Saturday and Sunday at the Chattanooga Convention Center, 1 Carter Plaza. One-day spectator admission is $20 adults, $15 children; $35 and $25 for two days. tv.varsity.com/events

— Point Park, 110 Point Park Road, Lookout Mountain, will waive its entrance fee Monday in observance of the M.L. King holiday. Part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, the historic site will be open 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., and rangers will lead programs at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. about "The Battle Above the Clouds." nps.gov/chch

— Girls Inc. of Chattanooga will receive a portion of sales from dine-in and takeout orders 10:30 a.m-8 p.m. Wednesday at Buddy's bar-b-q locations at 568 Northgate Mall Drive in Hixson and 619 Camp Jordan Parkway in East Ridge. bit.ly/buddy-give-back

ART

— Photographic Society of Chattanooga will host an opening reception for its winter show 6-8:30 p.m. Friday at the Gallery at Blackwell, 71 Eastgate Loop. The show continues through April 8. exhibitions@chattanoogaphoto.org

THEATER

— "Tuesdays With Morrie" will be presented this weekend as Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga returns to the stage after a pandemic pause of almost two years. The autobiographical story of author Mitch Albom and his former college professor Morrie Schwartz is the first of two plays based on inspirational books. Shows will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. "Tiny Beautiful Things" will follow Jan. 21-23. Tickets are $20-$25. barkinglegs.org

— "Jersey Boys," the story of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, is the next offering in Broadway at Memorial Auditorium, a series of six marquee touring productions. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. Tickets are $38-$83. tivolichattanooga.com

FILM

— "Australia's Great Wild North 3D" opens Friday at the Tennessee Aquarium's Imax Theater, 201 Chestnut St. This Wild Pacific Media film explores rain forests, sandstone mountains, wetlands and deserts of the 548,000-square-mile wilderness of the mainland continent's Northern Territory, along with such native animals as the dinosaur-like saltwater crocodiles, aka "salties." Tickets are $8. tnaqua.org/imax

— "Betty White: A Celebration" will be screened at area movie theaters on Monday, which would have been the 100th birthday of the actress and animal advocate, who died Dec. 31. Afternoon and evening screenings of the star-studded tribute are scheduled at Regal Hamilton Place 8, AMC Chattanooga 18, AMC Northgate 14, AMC Majestic 12, AMC Walnut Square 12 in Dalton, Ga., and AMC Bradley Square 12 and UEC Theatres 14, both in the Cleveland, Tenn., area. Ticket prices vary. (Read more about White in Sunday's Life section.) fathomevents.com

COMEDY

— The Comedy Catch, 29 Station St., hosts a special engagement by Etta May this weekend. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday ($17-$19), 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Friday and Saturday ($20-$25). Next week, shows include an Open Mic Night for emerging talents at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday ($5) and a Ones To Watch showcase at 7:30 p.m. Thursday ($10). thecomedycatch.com

— Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St., welcomes comedian and social-media savant Trey Kennedy on his Are You For Real? tour at 7 p.m. Wednesday. For a preview, check out his YouTube video "If Variants Were People," in which he imagines a conversation between the Centers for Disease Control and various COVID-19 infectors. Tickets are $39-$59 ($150 for VIP passes, which include a meet-and-greet). tivolichattanooga.com

Contact Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6281.