Celebrate the River at Weber Center for the Performing Arts
Weber Center for the Performing Arts will host “Celebrate the River!” — an open house with displays and events — over the Independence Day holiday, July 2 through 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The open house is free and open to the public and offers a beautiful air-conditioned lobby and restrooms.
Lobby displays will highlight some of the agencies and organizations that manage and protect our most valuable resource in the Coulee Region. These include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Mississippi Valley Conservancy, and the Brice Prairie Conservation Association.
The nature film Riverscapes — filmed entirely on the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge — will show continuously in the Lyche Theatre. With nature’s own soundtrack and soothing piano interludes, Riverscapes is a reflective documentary of nature’s beauty in our own backyard.
At 11:00 a.m. on Friday, July 3, JoAnn Funk will present “The Pearl Button Boom,” a fascinating story of greed, fashion, American ingenuity, ecology and murder. Buttons are made today from plastic, but pre-1900 buttons were made almost exclusively from European oyster shells. In a quirky twist of fate, from the late 1800s to early 1930s, most of the world’s pearl buttons were made from mussels harvested from the Mississippi River and its tributaries. This presentation is free and open to the public.
At 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, Shawn Giblin of the Wisconsin DNR will present “How Water Quality Shapes the Ecology of the Mississippi River: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are, and Where We Need to Be.” This presentation is free and open to the public.
At 2:00 p.m. on July 2, 3 and 4, acclaimed singer and storyteller Steven Marking will present a live performance of “Our Mighty Mississippi.” This sensory feast of song, stories, high-definition film and photos captures life on the Mississippi River. Experience the great migration, commercial and recreational activities, and history of “Our Mighty Mississippi.” Tickets for this show are $7 ($5 with a Riverfest button). Tickets are available online at www.webercenterfortheperformingarts.org or by calling 608-784-9292. (Buttons must be presented at the box office for discounted price.) The Weber Center for the Performing Arts is at 428 Front Street South in La Crosse, a short walk from the Riverfest grounds.
Weber Center for the Performing Arts is a collaborative venue supporting the missions of La Crosse Community Theatre and Viterbo University. It serves as a performance and administrative center for La Crosse Community Theatre providing opportunities for creativity and personal growth. It serves as a performance and learning center expanding and advancing Viterbo’s regional and national arts reputation. It provides a beautiful community asset for events through cooperation and sustainability
Additional Info:
Riverscapes (showing continuously throughout the three days)
See and hear the sights and sounds of our local national treasure, the Upper Mississippi Wildlife and Fish Refuge. Experience, in stunning high-definition, the great migration of tundra swans, ducks, geese, and eagles. See and hear the penetrating call of Sand Hill cranes and watch as baby wood ducks and mergansers escape their nest boxes at less than one day old, leaping to the water 12 feet below. See a mink catch their scent and try in vain to access the nest box, and travel the backwaters of the Mississippi and Black rivers in all seasons to see the giant lotus and other beautiful flora and fauna that make their homes on our unique river, the Upper Mississippi. DVDs are available at Deaf Ear Record Exchange, 112 4th Street South, in La Crosse.
Our Mighty Mississippi
Acclaimed baritone singer and storyteller Steven Marking presents a sensory feast of song, stories, film and photos capturing life on the Mississippi River. Some of this spectacular video is shot from the top deck of the Queen of the Mississippi, where Steven will be presenting this show eight times this season.
Born and reared on the backwaters of the Upper Mississippi, Steven has an innate knowledge of the twists and turns of the river and its ever-changing character. A consummate videographer and photographer, Steven captures images that are both entertaining and breathtaking. From the great migration in fall to baby wood ducks leaping from their nest to boaters and fishermen in their favorite spots, Steven presents the breadth and expanse of our mighty river in stunning high definition.
In this truly unique and joyful show, Steven’s river images create a perfect setting for his favorite river songs. From “Ol’ Man River” to “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “Moon River” to “Proud Mary,” Steven’s soaring voice will captivate and inspire you. He is a charismatic entertainer and storyteller whose passion for all aspects of the Mighty Mississippi shine in this show.
More information on Our Mighty Mississippi can be found at Stevenmarking.com – Rivers Shows. DVD’s are available at Deaf Ear Record Exchange, 112 4th Street South, in La Crosse.
Mississippi Valley Conservancy is a regional, non-profit land trust based in La Crosse that has permanently conserved more than 16,200 acres of bluff lands, prairies, wetlands, and streams in southwestern Wisconsin since its founding in 1997. MVC works with private landowners and local communities on voluntary conservation projects in nine counties along or near the Mississippi River: Buffalo, Trempealeau, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Vernon, Crawford, Richland and Grant counties. The conservancy uses voluntary tools such as conservation easements, land acquisitions, and a landowner registry program to protect lands for their ecology, scenic beauty, outdoor recreation potential, and prime agricultural soils. MVC works hard to restore native natural communities by removing invasive species and conducting prescribed burns. Additionally, the conservancy provides hand-on learning experiences in the outdoors for thousands of young people and works to foster a conservation ethic.
FAST FACTS
WHO: Weber Center for the Performing Arts
WHAT: “Celebrate the River” open house and events
WHERE: Weber Center for the Performing Arts, 428 Front Street South, downtown La Crosse
WHEN: July 2, 3 and 4; open house and displays 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; “Our Mighty Mississippi” daily at 2 p.m.; “The Pearl Button Bloom” Friday, July 3, 11 a.m.; “How Water Quality Shapes the Ecology of the Mississippi River” Saturday, July 4, 11 a.m.
TICKETS TO “OUR MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI”: $7 ($5 with Riverfest button)
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