International Day of Music

A daylong, free, multi-stage music fest is back at Orchestra Hall in downtown Minneapolis. It's not a full 24 hours like happened for eight years in the '00s, but this summer's event will feature 20 acts over 12 hours on four stages inside and outside the symphony hall. The diverse lineup includes Salsa Del Soul, VocalEssence Singers of This Age, soul siren Lady Midnight, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, KPop Cover Crew, Duniya Drum and Dance, a screening of the 2013 movie "Music for Mandela," Jennifer Grimm singing the music of Judy Garland, the Minnesota Orchestra outdoors and much more. (Noon-midnight Sat., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., free, minnesotaorchestra.org)

JON BREAM

Dances at the Lake Festival

Get a taste of flamenco, ballet and modern and contemporary dance from Africa and Asia at the Rose Garden near Lake Harriet. Dancers of all ages will give two days of free performances at the idyllic gardens against a backdrop of fountains and flowers. Modeled after a similar festival at Duluth's LakeWalk, the Minneapolis festival was founded by the Christopher Watson Dance Company. The company still performs, even as Ray Terrill Dance Group has taken over organizing the event. Other performers include Kinetic Evolutions, led by Sarah LaRose-Holland, Freshwater Dance Collective, Jennifer Mack's Open Door Project and Tiyumba African Drum and Dance Company. (7 p.m. Fri. & Sat., Rose Garden, Lyndale Park Gardens, 4124 Roseway Road, Mpls., free, dancesatthelakefestival.com)

SHEILA REGAN

The Mavericks

It's hard to believe that extraordinary lead singer Raul Malo could up his game, but he did with 2020's "En Espanol," the first Spanish-language album for the Miami-launched Mavericks. In concert last summer in Mankato, he enraptured on the Spanish ballads and on an orchestral treatment of Willie Nelson's "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground." Part Tex-Mex, part vintage rock, part country, part jazz, part Americana and fully exciting, the Mavericks are America's best dance band for baby boomers — indoors or outside. (8 p.m. Sat. Mystic Lake Casino Showroom, 2400 Mystic Lake Blvd. NW., Prior Lake, $29-$69, ticketmaster.com)

J.B.

Lutsong Music Festival

One of the most scenic getaways in Minnesota is hosting some of the best acoustic, folk, roots and neo-twang musicians from Minnesota and beyond for one weekend along the North Shore under the guidance of St. Paul guitar guru Molly Maher. Friday's lineup includes the Big Wu's Chris Castino backed by bluegrass band Chicken Wire Empire, plus Turn Turn Turn, Bump Blomberg and the promising-sounding Caribou Campfire Guitar Pull. Saturday features Erik Koskinen, Sarah Morris, Mary Bue, Dusty Heart, Fire Good and more. (4 p.m. Fri., 1 p.m. Sat., Lutsen Ski Resort, $45-$80, lutsongmusicfestival.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Lumieres Francaises

The name of the venue changed to MSP Film at the Main, but the annual mini-festival of French movies is back, from July 15-21. The fest pays tribute to actor Jean-Louis Trintignant, who died last month, with the classic "My Night at Maud's," but the other films are new, including Romain Duris in "Eiffel," a drama about the creator of the landmark tower, and Isabelle Huppert as a conflicted mayor in "Promises." (Showtimes vary, 115 SE. Main St., Mpls., $12, mspfilm.org.)

CHRIS HEWITT

Lowertown Blues Festival

The ninth annual event isn't being held in St. Paul's Lowertown but rather in the Midway area. As always, there's a tasty lineup, headlined by fiery blues force Shemekia Copeland, who addressed racial issues on 2020's "Uncivil War" and will drop "Done Come Too Far" in August. Also appearing are rising blues slinger Selwyn Birchwood and longtime Twin Cities bands Lamont Cranston and Crow. (2:30 p.m. Dual Citizen Brewing, 725 Raymond Av., St. Paul, free, $100 for VIP pit, lowertownbluesfestival.com)

J.B.

'Jesus Christ Superstar'

Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock — well, "rock" — musical got cool for a minute there when Brandon Victor Dixon drizzled sex appeal all over Judas in NBC's 2018 version. It was a good reminder that there are quite a few fine songs in the show and you'll be able to hear "I Don't Know How to Love Him," "Everything's Alright" and more, sung by actors 55 and older, in this new staging. (7 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 5 p.m. Sun., Caponi Art Park, 1220 Diffley Road, Eagan, $15 per person or $30 per carpool vehicle, theatre55.org.)

C.H.

DakhaBrakha

Since the war in Ukraine, this vital Ukrainian folk quartet has become increasingly popular in the United States. Wearing strikingly tall, furry folkloric headgear, these musicians deliver a distinctive sound they call "ethno-chaos." The instrumentation is an enthralling blend of cello, accordion, percussion, electric piano and didgeridoo, with otherworldly vocals and polyphonic harmonies. Leader Marko Halanevych will offer commentary and perspective on the situation in Ukraine, advocating for peace and solidarity, as he did in an April performance at the Dakota. (8 p.m. Dakota, 1010 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $65-$75, also livestreamed for $20, dakotacooks.com)

J.B.

'Lawrence of Arabia'

If you love movies, you've probably seen David Lean's glorious epic, but if you haven't seen it on the big screen in a while — or ever — you must take advantage of this rare chance to see it in stunning 70mm. Winner of seven Oscars, including best picture but somehow not including Peter O'Toole as the title character, it's romantic, thrilling and gorgeous. (1 p.m. Sun., Heights Theater, 3951 Central Av. NE., Columbia Heights, $15, heightstheater.com.)

C.H.

'The History of Religion'

Carlyle Brown is the writer and star of a play that asks very big questions such as: What makes life worth living? Inspired by the African tradition of storytelling, Brown gets an assist from the music of Victor Zupanc, Deevo and Tony Raymond in what's described as "a journey from mystery to revelation and back again." (7:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., Center for Performing Arts, 3754 Pleasant Av. S., Mpls., 612-339-4944 or illusiontheater.org)

C.H.

The Thalea String Quartet

Among North American chamber music groups, this one is a rising star, having found success at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and taken up residences at prestigious halls and universities. They'll be part of Brainerd's Lakes Area Music Festival later this month, but will first make a stop in Minneapolis for a free concert full of music by Gabriella Smith, Alex Vittal (his "Abbey Road Suite"), Daniel Bernard Roumain and Antonin Dvorak. (7:30 p.m. Sat.; Woman's Club of Minneapolis, 410 Oak Grove St., Mpls.; free; lakesareamusic.org)

ROB HUBBARD

Magical Mermaids

The mystical aquatic women of the sea will make an appearance at Sea Life Minnesota this summer. Watch and be amazed as the graceful swimmers navigate the waters of Rainbow Reef, swimming among tropical fish. Guests can meet the mermaids up close and in person and take photographs.(9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Thursdays & Fridays, Sundays & Mondays. Ends Aug. 5. $23.99-$31.99. Sea Life Minnesota, Mall of America, Bloomington. 952-883-0202. visitsealife.com.)

MELISSA WALKER

Longfellow Historic Coliseum Building Art Wrap

The Longfellow Coliseum Building at the corner of Lake Street and 27th Avenue S. opened in 1917 as a department store and has since led many lives. Most recently, it was vandalized during the uprising following George Floyd's murder. To revitalize and restore the building, imbuing it with hope and peace in the spirit of the social justice movement that has sprung up around the Twin Cities, a group of local graphic designers of color and members of the arts and culture development organization TruArt Speaks wrapped the building in 85,000 square feet of colorful visuals and poetic texts. The art wrap will remain on view through 2023.

ALICIA ELER

'Where the Crawdads Sing'

If you enjoyed the novel, it may be worth checking out how it's visualized in the too-faithful movie. Delia Owens' lovely writing about the flora and fauna of marshy North Carolina doesn't work so well on screen, where lead character Kya keeps describing the dragonflies and currents even though we can see them for ourselves. Daisy Edgar-Jones is fine as self-sufficient Kya but there's too much plot for a two-hour movie and the insistence that her happy ending has to include some dude is disappointing. (In area theaters.)

C.H.