The Piano Lesson
Theater
April 7-24
Written more than 35 years ago, August Wilson’s classic work on financial hardship and the comfort material possessions can provide is still painfully relevant today, with the wealth gap growing and fears of recession looming. The Pulitzer Prize-winning story probes the Charles family’s difficult decision to sell their beloved piano to stave off poverty during the Great Depression. The sale of this treasured heirloom demands that the family confront their own ghosts, as well as those of their ancestors who owned the piano before them. A Public Fit co-produces with the College of Southern Nevada and has enlisted the talents of actor Ranney Lawrence (known professionally as Ranney). An accomplished Wilsonian, Ranney is intimately familiar with Wilson’s Pittsburgh Cycle and brings a seasoned touch to an already emotionally stirring story. 2p and 7p, $40, CSN’s Backstage Theatre, apublicfit.org
Concert 4kids
Concert
April 13
Orchestral concerts can be moving and enlightening experiences for adults, but for kids … maybe not so much. Well, fret no more (get it?)! The Henderson Symphony Orchestra comes to the rescue with Music 4Kids, a program allowing littles ones to touch instruments, sit in for live (and shorter) orchestral performances, and meet the musicians. This year they’re presenting Gregory Smith’s "Orchestra Games," formatted to introduce kids to each instrument. 10:30a, free, Dollar Loan Center, hendersonsymphonynv.org
Hey Maker Market
Craft Fair
April 15
Shopping 100-percent local and handmade isn’t just cool as hell; it’s also good community karma. Check both those boxes at the next Hey Maker Market, taking place at the Fergusons Downtown. Besides shopping, there will also food, music, live painting demonstrations, and a Family Zone where littles can create their own forever fridge art. 11a-4p, free, Fergusons Downtown, fergusonsdowntown.com
626 Night Market
Food Festival
April 22-23
Las Vegas’ food festival scene continues its post-lockdown boom with a growing slate of events, including 626 Night Market. Already an established favorite among Californians (the name comes from the San Gabriel Valley’s area code), the 626 is gracing Southern Nevada with its curated selection of food, alcohol, and merchandise vendors focused on local small businesses. For entertainment while you nosh, there’ll be live music, too. 1-10p, free, The Palms Casino Resort, 626nightmarket.com/vegas
Home + History Las Vegas Tour
Architectural Tour
April 27-30
I know what you’re thinking: Tours are for tourists. Mostly, yes, but not this one. Locals are welcome — and indeed the intended audience — for the Home + History Las Vegas weekend of tours. Work off the remnants of our unseasonably cool winter with a bevy of walking and bike-riding tours scouting Vegas’ most iconic vintage homes, businesses, and neighborhoods. Options are plentiful and depend on your interests, but the ones I have my eye on are the Walk + Talk around Freemont Street’s motels; Bike + Talk through the illustrious Pinto/Palomino and Scotch 80s neighborhoods; and Sip + Talk at the Mob Museum while learning about Vegas’ (often illicit) nightlife scene during the Great Depression. Times vary, $10-150, homeandhistorylv.com
