Entertainment guide

For week of Nov. 7-13; bands perform from 9 p.m. to close with no cover unless otherwise noted.

Brainerd

Blue Ox Bar

Baby Grand (rock) Thur

32-Below (rock) Fri-Sat

Magic Tom, Mon-Tues

Fair Warning, Tribute to Van Halen, and Magic Tom, Wed

Coco Moon

Heather Murphy (folk) Sat, 8-10 p.m.

Eagles Club

Whiskey Logic (country rock) Fri

Iron Rail Saloon

Eagle River (country rock) Thur-Sat

Bottom Feeders (variety) Wed

Breezy Point

Commander Bar

Wayo Dayo, Fri

Separate Ways, Sat

Prime Time Charlie's

Great Outdoors (rock) Fri-Sat

Blues Train (blues) Sun, 8 p.m.-midnight

Crosslake

Moonlite Bay

Davis, Fri-Sat

The Exchange

Dirty Word, Sat

Garrison

The Blue Goose

High Noon (country) Fri-Sat

Lake Shore

Bar Harbor

Donny Vosen (variety) Fri-Sun

Little Falls

West Side Bar

J. Bobby Hamilton (country rock) Thur

Country Thunder (country) Fri-Sat

Radio Daze (country rock) Wed

Merrifield

The Cabin

Muddy Water (country) Sat

Performing arts

'Nutcracker Ballet'

Stroia Ballet Co. presents "The Nutcracker Ballet," 7 p.m. Friday, Little Falls High School auditorium, and 7 p.m. Nov. 15, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, Brainerd, $10 for adults, $7 for children, at Bridge of Harmony in Brainerd, at the door or call (320) 632-5531.

Pequot Lakes theater troupe

Greater Lakes Area Performing Arts presents "Lucky Stiff," 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Pequot Lakes High School, $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for students, (218) 568-9200.

Strings on stage

Great River Strings Ensemble in concert, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aitkin High School, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Holy Cross Catholic Church, Onamia, free.

Children's Theatre in Staples

Children's Theatre Co. of Minneapolis presents "Snowflake," 2 p.m. Sunday, Centennial Auditorium, Staples, $10 for adults, $7 for students, (218) 894-5416 or 800-213-6877.

Lakes Area Concert Association

Lakes Area Concert Association presents The Abaca String Band, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, Brainerd, open to season ticket holders only, 829-3379 or 828-7105; also Oldtyme in concert, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Sauk Centre High School, open to Lakes Area season ticket holders on a seats-available basis.

Contemporary Christian

Joel Hanson, former front man for contemporary Christian music group PFR, in concert, 3 p.m. Sunday, Charles Martin Auditorium, Little Falls, $10, available at area Christian bookstores or by calling 877-834-6999.

Grassroots Concerts

Claudia Schmidt in Grassroots Concerts series, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15, Nisswa Community Center, $10 at the gate, which opens at 6:30 p.m.; John Gorka, Dec. 6.

Little Falls stage season

Acoustic folk duo Latona's Thirst in house concert, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15, Pine Edge Inn, Little Falls, $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $3 for children, (320) 632-0960.

On stage at CLC

Central Lakes College presents "Going to See the Elephant," 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19-23 and 25-26 and 2 p.m. Nov. 24, Bob Dryden Theatre, Brainerd campus, $5 for public, free to CLC students, 855-8199 or 800-933-0346.

Folk dance demo

Central Lakes College Spanish Club will present an international folk dance demonstration, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 19, CLC gym, Brainerd, free.

Christian theater

"A Misfit Christmas," sponsored by St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School in Brainerd, 4 p.m. Nov. 24, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, Brainerd, $12 for adults and $6 for children under 12 at St. Francis of the Lakes Catholic School, Rafferty's Pizza in the Brainerd-Baxter Westgate Mall, Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce and at the door.

Country concerts

Sawyer Brown Band in concert, 6 and 8:30 p.m. Nov. 30, Grand Casino Mille Lacs convention center, $17 and $24, (651) 989-5151 or at the casino.

School concerts

Brainerd High School bands present "Indoor" Marching Band Concert, 7:30 p.m. today, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, Brainerd, $3 for adults and $1 for students.

Pillager School fall band and choir concerts at Pillager School, 6:30 p.m. Monday for junior high band, free; 7:30 p.m. Monday for senior high band, admission fee.

Brainerd High School Chamber and Sinfonia orchestras in concert, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, donations requested for Brainerd Area Soup Kitchen.

Central Lakes College Community, Jazz and Brass bands in concert, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, John Chalberg Theatre, Brainerd campus, $3 at the gate.

Crosby-Ironton Junior High School bands present Golden Oldies Night, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14, Woock Gym at school, free.

Little Falls High School Band, Ensemble and Jazz Band in concert, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19, free.

Visual arts

AITKIN

Jaques Art Center

"Christmas Market" exhibit, through December, downtown.

Ripple River Gallery

"The Elements" exhibit by Northern Printmakers Alliance, through mid-November; workshop with bead artist Jo Wood, Nov. 16-17, (218) 678-2575.

BRAINERD

The Crossing Fine Arts Center

Brainerd Area Art Club annual show, through Dec. 15, with artists and writers public reception, 7-9 p.m. Nov. 16; children's art workshop, 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, 617 Laurel St., 833-0416.

Brainerd City Hall

Watercolor exhibit by Linda Axvig, through December.

Evelyn Matthies Porthole Gallery

"Retrospect of Work" exhibit by Jenny Rebecca Peterson, through November, 712 Washington St.

LITTLE FALLS

Family Medical Center Gallery

"Landscapes" exhibit by Laurie Field Mahling, through December, 811 S.E. Second St.

LAKES AREA

Mille Lacs Indian Museum

Minnesota Historical Society offers workshop on making Ojibwe moccasins, Saturday-Sunday, $25 plus supplies, call (320) 532-3632 for more information.

NY Mills Regional Cultural Center

Painting exhibit by Kathleen and Maureen Welter, through mid-November, downtown.

St. Cloud

Watercolor workshop with Janice Courtney Fitch, 6-9 p.m. each Monday through Dec. 9, St. Cloud State University, (320) 255-3081 for registration information.

Open house

Hunters Open House with works by guest Christian watercolor artist Sonja Vanguilder on display, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Lakes Area Gallery, 34267 County Road 3, Crosslake.

Out of town

MINNEAPOLIS

Guthrie Theater

725 Vineland

Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," Nov. 16-Dec. 29, $16-$46, 877-447-8243.

The Children's Theatre Co.

2400 Third Ave. S.

"The Wizard of Oz," Nov. 22-Jan. 11, $19-31 for adults, $14-$25 for children, (612) 874-0400.

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

2400 Third Ave. S.

"Up the Nile: Egypt in 19th Century Photographs," Nov. 16-April 13.

Historic Orpheum Theatre

Downtown

Mel Brooks' musical "The Producers," Nov. 12-Dec. 7, 800-859-SHOW for ticket information.

ST. PAUL

Xcel Energy Center

Downtown

Snoop Dogg with special guest Ashanti in concert, 7 p.m. Dec. 5, (651) 989-5151.

ST. CLOUD

Comedian Bill Cosby in concert, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Nov. 8, St. Cloud State University, $24-$32, (320) 255-2205.

Paramount Theater, downtown, offers "A Tribute to Lawrence Welk," 8 p.m. Nov. 16, $16 for adults, $13 for seniors; comedian Kevin Kling in "Tales of the Charred Underbelly of the Yule Log," 8 p.m. Nov. 21, $14 for adults, $11 for seniors, (320) 259-LINE.

Benedicta Arts Center, St. Joseph, Lorie Line & Her Pop Orchestra in "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" Christmas concert, 7 p.m. Nov. 17-19 and 3 p.m. Nov. 17, (320) 363-5777; Parsons Dance Co., 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16.

HINCKLEY

Collin Raye in concert, 4 and 7 p.m., Nov. 17, Grand Casino Hinckley, $21.95, (651) 989-5151; Wayne Newton, 7 and 9:30 p.m. Dec. 6, $38.

Special events

Speaker series

Richard Siebert, author of "Personal Wars," to speak as part of First Thursdays Speaker Series, 7 p.m. today, Brainerd Public Library.

Poets gather

Heartland Poets in monthly meeting, with "The Poetic Word" presentation by Helen Gangsei of Pequot Lakes, 6-10 p.m. Friday, Brainerd Public Library, free and open to public.

Craft show

Craft show and sale, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Lakes Area Senior Activity Center, 803 Kingwood St., Brainerd.

Book club

Walter Roers, author of "The Pact," to speak as part of First Library Book Club, 7 p.m. Nov. 14, Brainerd Public Library.

Teen Extreme Book Club

Teen Extreme Book Club to meet, 4-5 p.m. Nov. 14, Brainerd Public Library, for ages 12-18, "Stuck in Neutral" by Terry Trueman to be discussed.

Home tour

Heartland Symphony Orchestra annual Tour of Homes, Dec. 7, $20 including brunch, call Paulette Buck for more information at 828-8062.

Bluegrass jams

Bluegrass jams on first, third and fifth Thursdays of each month at Coco Moon in downtown Brainerd, starting at 6:30 p.m., and every Saturday at Lakes Music in Pequot Lakes, starting at 3 p.m., call Charlotte Curtis at (218) 692-4035 for more information.

String ensemble

St. Francis Music Center string ensemble meets 8-9:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the center in Little Falls, all skill levels, (320) 632-0637.