Want to get out this weekend? Here are 10 interesting events to check out

Calling all Potterheads and movie soundtrack lovers! You can kill two birds with one stone by going to a screening of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" at the Ohio Theatre with live accompaniment by the Columbus Symphony.

If you'd rather get out and commune with nature, there's the "Blooms & Butterflies" exhibition at Franklin Park Conservatory, where you can walk among hundreds of the colorful, fluttering insects. You also can take a guided tour and learn how maple syrup is made during Maple Syrup Days at Dawes Arboretum.

If live entertainment is your jam, you can catch a folk concert, enjoy a revival tribute to The Band or attend "The BackWall: Art Uncuffed," featuring music, stories and spoken word performances.

There's plenty more to do this weekend and early next week, and you can read all about what's coming up below. To get these ideas in your inbox every week, sign up for the Life in the 614 newsletter.

Art exhibit shows strength of 'softness'

Paintings and digital artworks dedicated to Black, Indigenous, femme, queer and trans people are on view in “I Am Also Soft,” which runs through April 20 at All People Arts, 1865 Parsons Ave. Featuring eight artists, the exhibit is so titled, curator Christina Navarro says, because “I am tired of the narrative that we are expected to be strong and empowered all the time. I want to see more images of us resting, being loved and existing in our softness. Yes, I am resilient, angry, strong and empowered ... but I am also soft." Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays, 9-11 a.m. Thursdays, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free. (allpeoplearts.com)

Performance art to examine justice system

Healing Broken Circles (HBC), which provides opportunities to heal, learn and thrive for people touched by the justice system, will present "The BackWall: Art Uncuffed" at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Beeler Gallery, 60 Cleveland Ave. The BackWall, HBC's performance collective, will feature music, stories and spoken word by artists impacted by incarceration as part of its effort "to deepen the conversation around criminal justice through the lens of the arts while nurturing a supportive community and creating productions of artistic excellence." The event will be hosted by Coach Poo, with appearances by Draye Mitchell, Tripp Fontane, Zerious Business, Blakk Sun, Luv Baski, and Brianna Rhodes. Admission is free. (healingbrokencircles.org)

Obit writer to share storytelling humor

If you've ever wanted to write your life story, but didn't know where to begin, Wall Street Journal reporter James R. Hagerty can help. Hagerty, who has written more than 900 obituaries, will present his new book, "Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer's Guide to Telling Your Story," at 7 p.m. Thursday at Book Loft of German Village, 631 S. 3rd St. The humorous book ("If obituaries can’t be fun, what’s the point of dying?" is Hagerty's motto) was named one of 10 noteworthy books published in December by the Washington Post. The event is free. (facebook.com/bookloftcolumbus/)

Symphony to play Pops with 'Potter'

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" will hold audiences spellbound as the teen wizard zooms across the screen in high definition at the Ohio Theatre, 39 E. State St., at 8 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Accompanied by live music by the Columbus Symphony as part of its Pops series, the 2009 film starring Daniel Radcliffe follows Harry, now in year six at Hogwarts, as he becomes increasingly obsessed with a mysterious potions book. Tickets start at $65.50. (capa.com)

Butterflies to flutter by at Franklin Park

Stroll among hundreds of newly emerged butterflies at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, 1777 E. Broad St., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, opening day of the “Blooms & Butterflies” exhibition. The dazzling display, on view through May 29, features exotic butterflies flying freely in the tropical Pacific Island Water Garden Biome, where visitors can observe (but don’t touch!) them basking on plants and sipping nectar. Costumed garden fairies also will be on hand and kids are welcome to wear their own fairy costumes. The exhibit is included with admission, which costs $22 for ages 13-59; $19 for ages 60 and older; $15 for ages 3-12; and $3 for SNAP, EBT, WIC and Medicaid recipients and Access members with ID and proof of participation. (fpconservatory.org)

Folk music brewing at coffeehouse concert

An evening of soulful Americana music is in store during the next monthly coffeehouse concert at the Columbus Mennonite Church, 35 Oakland Park Ave., on Saturday. Sponsored by the Columbus Folk Music Society (CFMS), the event will begin at 6 p.m. with an informal folk music jam, followed by an open mic with folk musicians at 7 p.m. and an audience sing-along at 7:45 p.m. Headliners Daniel Dye and the Miller Road Band will take the stage at 8 p.m. A $15 donation (or $10 for CFMS members) at the door is suggested. (614-263-3851 or BillCohen@columbus.rr.com)

Black Civil War troops to be saluted

Join the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, 300 W. Broad St., for "Legacies of Black Veterans" in honor of the 200,000 soldiers of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) at 2 p.m. Sunday. Authors, scholars and descendants will discuss the troops' critical contributions to the Union’s victory in the Civil War and share lesser-known pieces of history. The event, which also will feature musical performances and a poetry reading from the works of Paul Laurence Dunbar, is free but registration is required. (614-362-2800, nationalvmm.org)

Arboretum plans Maple Syrup Trail tours

Visitors can enjoy the sweet experience of learning about the history and process of maple sugaring by taking a guided walking tour this weekend at The Dawes Arboretum, 7770 Jacksontown Road, Newark. Held from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, tours of the Maple Syrup Trail will allow guests to see how syrup is tapped, then lead to the arboretum's log cabin for a look inside. The tour is included in arboretum admission and will last about 45 minutes, with a new tour beginning every 15 minutes. Admission is first-come, first-served. (dawesarb.org/tickets)

OSU Theatre ponders life, death in 'Everybody'

Ohio State University’s Department of Theatre, Film and Media Arts will stage Pulitzer Prize nominee Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ allegorical drama “Everybody” about friendship, love, mind, life and understanding. The unusual play offers a contemporary take on the 15th-century morality play “Everyman.” To symbolize the randomness of death, five of the actors are assigned a role each performance through a lottery. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. March 1-4 and March 7-9 at the Drake Performance and Events Center’s River Den, 1849 Cannon Drive. Tickets are $15 to $20. (614-292-2295, theatreandfilm.osu.edu)

Chest Fever to revive The Band's music

Fresh off successful 2022 tours re-creating two of The Band's albums —"The Last Waltz" (1978) and "Rock of Ages" (1972) — San Diego-based Chest Fever will come to the Summit Music Hall, 2210 Summit St., at 8 p.m. March 1. Doors open at 7 p.m. The five-member group, billed as "The Official Revival of The Band," will take roots rock even further back in time with material from The Band's 1968 debut, "Music from Big Pink," which features the song from which Chest Fever took its name. Expect other classics from The Band’s discography as well. General admission tickets are $20. (thesummitcolumbus.com)

bpaschal@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Entertainment and events happening in Columbus this weekend and beyond