This weekend’s roundup includes a theatre festival, an art sale, a swing band, a chamber orchestra, improv comedy and much more.
Friday
Union Duke + The Stratified at Grimross Brewery. Union Duke is a Toronto folk quintet with an explosive live show. Bridging soulful indie rock with bluegrass and country, the group belts out soaring harmonies with three, four, and even five voices. The songs are irresistible, the perfect fit for the heat wave of the dance hall or the cool breeze of the park. 8 p.m. $15-$20.
Digital Circus + YORKS + Dizzy + Heat $heets at The Capital. Four Fredericton bands take the stage on Friday night at the Capital. Support your music ya’ll! Doors at 9 p.m. Show at 10. $6.
Theatre St. Thomas presents the Acts of Kindness Festival at the Black Box Theatre. An evening of readings held in conjunction with Fredericton Homeless Shelters Inc. Four original one-act plays from local playwrights will be brought to life by a team of 19 talented actors and directors, with 100% of the proceeds from the festival going directly towards the continued operation of multiple shelters within our beautiful city. 7:30 p.m. By Donation.
Art is Artist: Group Art Sale at The Picaroons Roundhouse. You’re invited to join a group of Fredericton artists in celebrating locally created works of art. Each artist will be showcasing one piece in their traditional medium along with 4-6 pieces in a medium they have never tried before. Art is Artist is about erasing boundaries, opening the artist and the viewer up to new and exciting possibilities. Featuring works by: Debb Ferris Bates, Laura Forrester, Penny Heather, Jim Middleton, Dawn Mockler, Brittany Schuler, Sarah Sarty, Angel Terry, Alison Veino and Erin Wood. March 22 (6-11 p.m.) and March 23 (10 a.m.–11 p.m.)
70th Anniversary of the Red ’N’ Black Revue in the Student Union Building Ballroom. UNB Student Union Campus Events and the UNB Associated Alumni are co-hosting a magical dinner-theatre performance for the entire UNB community! It all began in March 1948 as a class project. Seventy years later, the Red ‘n Black Revue is widely regarded as one of UNB’s historic treasures. Walk down memory lane as we showcase 70 years of Red ‘n Black Revue while embracing our university’s diverse cultural mosaic. We bring together locally-inspired food with song, dance, music, and poetry from students, staff, and alumni. Enjoy a phenomenal three-course New Brunswick-inspired dinner served right to your table during the performance. 6:30 p.m. $30.
World Water Day at UNB Art Centre. It is estimated that by 2050, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. The UNB Art Centre celebrates World Water Day with a look at the lifecycle of plastic and how plastic pollution affects our water systems. This year, the UNB Art Centre teams up with the students of ArtZone, UNB Green, UNB Sustainability and STU Sustainability to bring the World Water Day theme to a variety of locations across the two campuses. Running through Friday, May 3, the East Gallery in Memorial Hall will be the site of the central display Cascade: Our Plastic, Our Planet, Our Choice which features a waterfall made of plastic collected locally from members of the community. Satellite locations will include the Harriet Irving Library, the SUB at UNB and Sir James Dunn Hall at STU. Each location will display creations made out of plastic by students, along with text panels providing educational information about plastics and their effects on the environment. As part of the opening of Cascade: Our Plastic, Our Planet, Our Choice the UNB Art Centre presents Pallmer, featuring cellist Emily Kennedy and violist Mark Kleyn. Pallmer have been commissioned to create a musical complement to the plastic waterfall and will perform their new work at the opening on March 22.
Saturday
Alex Bailey Swing Band at The Muse. The Alex Bailey Swing Band are happy to be playing for the first time at the Tipsy Muse Cafe. There will be space to dance! 7:30 p.m. $10
HGP Presents: Space Squad (An Improv Show) at Wilser’s Room. Shields up! Thursters to max! Phasers to stun! We’re picking up an incoming show on the scanners… And it looks like a weird one. Hot Garbage Players are boldly going where they have not yet dared to go before… Space! Join us as we launch into an unknown galaxy of hostile forces, alien intrigue, and lots of science stuff that definitely all checks out. Will our crew of explorers manage to navigate their way through this new theme? Find out next time on… SPACE SQUAD. Doors at 7 p.m. Show at 7:30. $7.
Tortoise Hare & Millionaire + Matt Steele & The Corvette Sunset + The Backstays at The Capital. It’s a night of blues and rock and roll at The Capital with She Said Feck recording artists Tortoise Hare & Millionaire, the Halifax band Matt Steele & The Corvette Sunset and Saint John’s The Backstays. 9 p.m. $8.
NBCCD Spring Open House. Guided tours, led by students and faculty, will showcase all of our studio facilities and feature live demonstrations. We are available to answer all of your questions and give insight into our Certificate and Diploma programs. You can even experience real materials and techniques in fun hands-on activities. If you decide you would like to join us as a student next year, we will help you apply on the spot. 10-3 p.m.
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra at The Playhouse. The Manitoba Chamber Orchestra has toured widely, commissions often, embraces a diverse repertoire, and collaborates regularly with the world’s leading soloists, from James Ehnes to Marc-André Hamelin. Boasting a roster of some of the finest orchestral musicians in Canada, the orchestra has received praise everywhere it goes. Their Playhouse concert features Haydn’s Symphony No.45 and Mozart’s Symphony No.29, as well as a premiere of a violin concerto by JUNO award winner Vivian Fung whose music is celebrated for integrating non-Western folk music, Tibetan chant, and Brazilian rhythms. 7:30 p.m. $16-$32.
NBCCD presents Panel Discussion: Artists as Parents. We are going to talk about how artists navigate their lives as artists, parents, and partners. Panellists will speak from their lived experiences and share how parenthood affected their artistic practices. We’ll also explore their support systems and discuss their methods for finding balance between work and family life. Moderator: Brigitte Clavette. Panelists: Rachel MacGillivray, Matt Watkins and Jean Rooney. 2 p.m.
Sunday
Meet & Greet: City of Fredericton Poet Laureate at The Muse. This event will feature an open mic and poetry readings from the City of Fredericton’s poet laureates past and present, Ian LeTourneau and Jenna Lyn Albert. Join us at the Tipsy Muse for an afternoon of poetry and good company. This event is familyfriendly and free! 2 p.m.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Ice at the Grant Harvey Centre. With skaters from ages three to adult, the show will be full of a variety of group and solo numbers. Based around the traditional tale of Belle and her prince, the show will feature classic music from the movie and follow the same plot. 1 and 3 p.m.
Open Mic at Grimross Brewing. All welcome; music, poetry, storytelling and more. 2-5 p.m.
Sunday Music Spa at Charlotte Street Arts Centre. Sunday Music Spa is an ambient electronic music session open to all women, femme, and non-binary people. We hope to create a relaxed, non-judgmental atmosphere where people can learn about synthesizers and sound design, as well as feel comfortable to experiment and improvise. We especially encourage non-musicians to participate, but also welcome those who want to listen and share the space with us. A limited number of instruments will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. 3-5 p.m.
This Week in Fredericton was created with notes from the Fredericton Arts Alliance‘s weekly newsletter as well as Music Runs Through It‘s weekly Fredericton music update. We encourage you to visit both these valuable community resources for more detailed information on these and other events happening This Week in Fredericton.
