Best Bets: Shows abound next week

Sit back, and enjoy the show(s). Presentations galore dot the calendar throughout next week, and there should be something for everybody’s tastes — indoors and outdoors. After all, spring was almost here.

1. Matchbox’s Baba Yaga

Matchbox Children’s Theatre is ready to hit the stage again. The cast will open “Baba Yaga and the Black Sunflower” at 7 p.m. this Friday at the Paramount Theatre, 125 Fourth Ave. NE. What will the witch from this Eastern European tale do this time? There are plenty of opportunities to find out. The cast performs two more times: 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $7 and $5 for kids 14 and younger.

2. Over 200 youth expected at Junior Beef Classic

Barrow show: Meet your match. The Fifth Annual Minnesota Junior Spring Beef Classic show will hit the Mower County Fairgrounds this weekend. Registration started today, and the show runs Saturday and Sunday with various breed categories and showmanship divisions.

3. Ghost towns will come to life

Be prepared to take the day off on Tuesday because those who have to work will miss out on a big chunk of county history. Dustin Heckman will present a preview to the Mower County Historical Society’s anticipated exhibit: Ghost Towns of Mower County. The presentation starts at 10 a.m. and is part of the Social Concerns series at the Hormel Historic Home, 208 Fourth Ave. NW. The event is free, but please RSVP by calling 507-433-4243 by Monday.

4. Get close to Nature

Couldn’t take the day off? The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, 1304 21st St. NE, has you covered. Meet at the Nature Center parking lot by 6:30 p.m. Tuesday and carpool or caravan out of town, see Oxbow Park in Byron and learn about the “Sky Dance of the American Woodcock,” all for free. A short sight and sound walk will preclude the presentation on this majestic bird. Please RSVP by calling 507-437-7519.

5. Remember the forgotten war

Remember learning about the War of 1812? No? Heckman will be at it again next week, at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Riverland Community College in Austin, making sure those who forgot about this piece of history recognize its 200th anniversary. But what would a presentation with the help of the Mower County Historical Society be without a local tie? Yes, there is one. To attend this event, please RSVP by calling Peggy Young at 507-433-0602. Cost is $5.

 6. Vision 2020 ready for ‘Big Reveal’

Can’t get enough? Vision 2020 didn’t just fall by the wayside, people. Get ready to find out more about Austin’s future upgrades at the Big Reveal, 5 p.m. next Wednesday at the Hormel Historic Home.

Look to Reporter Matt Peterson’s column every Friday for more about upcoming events in Austin. For even more, check out the calendar on Page 4 every day in the print edition and the AustinDailyHerald.com homepage.

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