Movie in the Park: Despicable Me
Thursday, June 22 | 400 Block, Wausau
The 400 Block might be best known for its Concerts on the Square series, but there’s plenty else going on down there, including this Movie in the Park series. The Parks Department has six movies lined up, all family-oriented, for kids and their parents to enjoy. This Thursday is Despicable Me, featuring those adorable minions everyone loves. The movie centers on the adventures of Gru, a former supervillain now acting as a secret agent, with his crew of minions in tow. The rest of the series runs on various Thursdays through August, five more times this summer. Bring a blanket, chairs and your own snacks to enjoy during the film. 7 pm. Check out the Wausau and Marathon County Parks Department Facebook page for more info.
Chalkfest
Sat.-Sun. June 24-25 | 400 Block, downtown Wausau
When the City Pages offices were downtown, it was almost a required ritual to take a lunch-time walk to the 400 Block to check out the transformation of the space into a concrete gallery. Some of the pieces artists downtown create are truly incredible. (And it only lasts for a few days because they come along and spray it off – otherwise, the chalkdust gets everywhere.) Chalkfest is not only still going strong, but it’s the event’s 20th anniversary! Now you have no excuse to make your way downtown to check out the amazing creations our local talent pulls off. Interestingly, on the artists’ side, the event already sold out. But for passersby, it’s fun to come down and watch the works as they’re being created. The children’s chalk area requires no registration, so your children can still get in on the fun. Wausauevents.org.
Alex and Oscar of Dig Deep
Sunday, June 25 | Sawmill Brewing Company, Merrill
Dig Deep is one of those bands that defy expectations. If you only saw them, you’d swear you were looking at a heavy metal band setting up to play (though the mandolins and banjos would make you think twice. But Dig Deep is one of the top-growing bluegrass bands in the area, and here Alex and Oscar are bringing some of that magic to the Sawmill Brewing Company. And what better reason to check out Sawmill, with its own crafted beers as well as plenty of others from around the state? Considering the sawmill is a former DNR ranger station, it seems the perfect setting for this bluegrass act on a lazy Sunday afternoon. 1 pm. sawmillbrewing.net
Eddie 9V with Al Holliday
Saturday, June 24 | Lamplight Sessions, Mosinee
It already seems like the Mosinee music venue has been around for years, but Lamplight Sessions is coming up on its one-year anniversary! Lamplight kicked things off last year by bringing Daniel Donato, one of the top country guitarists out of Nashville (he’s all over music YouTube). And for the venue’s first anniversary, they’re bringing in Eddie 9V. Think a vintage 60s funk/motown/R&B sound mixed with copious amounts of horns and background singers. Eddie 9V sounds like something you’d hear out of Motown with a funk tinge. Opening for Eddie V9 is Al Holliday, for which I could almost give the same description, but with a bluesier tone. Both of these acts will be well worth checking out. Tickets were listed as few remaining so get your tickets soon if you plan on going. 7 pm. $38. Lamplightsessions.com.
Mama Said String Band
Saturday, June 24 | Rib Mountain Amphitheater, Rib Mountain
This Louisville-based band has won numerous awards, and it’s easy to see why. The four-piece adds a touch of style and panache to their bluegrass tunes, with expert fiddle and counterpoints and harmonies that elevate the genre to another level. It’s also perhaps the first time I’ve seen a bass player lead the group out front on vocals. Mama Said String Band is almost as if you took musicians with the skills of a classical quartet and handed them a fiddle, a standup bass, a banjo and an acoustic guitar to see what they would come up with. Watching them while chilling out high atop Rib Mountain ought to make for a relaxing evening. 6 pm. Free, but state park pass required (or a long walk!). More info on the Friends of Rib Mountain Facebook page.
Heathers: The Musical
Thursday-Saturday, June 22-24 | Grand Theater, Wausau
Heathers is one of those films that really knocks your socks off the first time you see it — and it especially did so when it debuted in 1988. Critics weren’t terribly harsh on the film about a high school student Veronica (played by Winona Ryder) who tires of the cliche of her three fellow high schoolers, all named Heather, and their bullying. After meeting rebellious outsider JD (Christian Slater) she plots revenge on the Heathers and their jock boyfriends. Critics liked it but also were put off by how dark it was – but today it enjoys a 93% on the Rotten Tomatoes website. The Wausau Community Theater will bring the movie to life in this musical version of the film, which debuted nearly 10 years ago. 6:30 pm Thursday; 7:30 pm Friday; 2 pm and 7:30 pm Saturday. Tickets at grandtheater.org
