An original play, "We Built This City," will be presented at 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday at the Empire Arts Center in downtown Grand Forks.
The play, presented by the local Performing for Change company, is meant to stimulate conversation and activism through art, on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
"We Built This City" is based on "real and powerful stories of people with disabilities who have been marginalized and discriminated against in society, yet are strongly advocating for their rights and are engaged in driving social change in their communities," said Carla Tice, the play's director.
The goal of Performing for Change is to build "a community where people are treated with respect, feel included and are treated fairly," she said.
The event is sponsored by the LISTEN Center, Self-Advocacy Solutions North Dakota and Minnesota, and the UND theater department.
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Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for children and $25 for a family.
For more information, call the LISTEN Center at (701) 746-7840 or (701) 732-4554.
The Great Puppet Build starts Saturday and continues on the weekends through April at the Exchange Club Warming House near Lake Agassiz Elementary School in Grand Forks.
Everyone is invited to help create a two-stories-tall "Mother Earth Puppet" which will be the centerpiece for the World Peace Pageant at the second annual Greenway Takeover on Sept. 15 in Grand Forks.
"Bring the kids and the grandparents," said Kathy Coudle-King, executive director of the Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre, which is organizing the project.
Groups, such as Scout troops, 4-H and service clubs, and youth and church groups are welcome to participate, she said.
"The large scale puppet will take many hands to build," said Coudle-King. "We will be using recycled materials and papier-mache to create her."
Puppet-building activities, for anyone age 5 and older and of all ability levels, run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.
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"Be part of the largest theatrical event in Grand Forks' history," Coudle-King said.
The school is at 3702 Sixth Ave. N.
For more information, visit the theater's website, www.ggftc.com , or send an email to info@ggfct.com .
The 32nd Annual Gardening Saturday is set for 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. April 14 at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. It is sponsored by the Grand Forks Horticulture Society, Grand Forks Master Gardeners and the NDSU Extension Service.
You can choose from 15 classes that cover a wide range of topics including edible medicinal flowers and weeds, home landscaping, growing fruits, backyard beekeeping, the basics of hops production, top-rated vegetable production and much more.
John Ball, a forestry specialist at South Dakota State University, will be the keynote speaker at the event which also features informational exhibits, free catalogs, and a silent auction.
Cost is $55, which includes lunch and refreshments.
For more information or to register, visit www.gardeningsaturday.info or call (701) 780-8229.
