May 11: Admission is free to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for National Gardens Day. University of Minnesota rose breeder Kathy Zuzek will talk about a winter-hardy rose shrub hybrid being released this spring. A name for the new pink bloom will be announced Friday, selected from about 3,000 suggestions. The rose is available for sale only at the arboretum. The day also features guided strolls and tram tours. Return Saturday or Sunday for the arboretum plant sale. Grounds open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. or sunset; Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, 3675 Arboretum Drive, Chaska; free Friday, May 11 (regular admission, $12); 952-443-1400.
The Wizard of Oz
May 11-12: Dorothy and friends dance their way down the Yellow Brick Road in this lively, kid-friendly production. Dance styles range from ballet to jazz, music from Tchaikovsky to Strauss. Burnsville Center for the Performing Arts, 12600 Nicollet Ave., Burnsville; $26-$12; 952-895-4680.
Mu Daiku
Through May 12: SteppingStone Theatre will pulse with the beat of Japanese drumming as it turns over its space to Mu Daiku's taiko ensemble. You'll hear a modern interpretation of the ancient tradition, which blends thunderous beats with movement inspired by martial arts. SteppingStone Theatre, 55 N. Victoria St., St. Paul; $14-$11; 651-225-9265.
Flowers, Bonsai and Carousel at Como Park
May 11-13: Mom might like to go to Como Park on Mother's Day weekend. The new indoor summer flower show features colors and blooms favored by the Impressionists - Van Gogh's sunflowers, Monet's nasturtiums and Cezanne's lavender. This weekend only, private bonsai growers will display their miniature trees and landscapes in pots. End the day with a spin on one of the 68 antique horses of Cafesjian's Carousel, which opened for the season this week. The parking shuttle starts Saturday. Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, 1225 Estabrook Drive, St. Paul; free; 651-487-8200.
Shepherd's Harvest Festival
May 12-13: Wool and sheep lovers will flock to Lake Elmo for the 15th annual Shepherd's Harvest Festival. It's also a great family event for anyone who appreciates handicrafts. Demonstrations of spinning, shearing, weaving and sheepherding will be presented. More than 100 vendors will sell their wares, from felt hats to knit cardigans. Admire sheep breeds in the barn, along with rabbits. Then head next door to see llamas compete in an obstacle course at the Llama Magic event. 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. May 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m May 13; Washington County Fairgrounds, County Road 15 and Minnesota 5, Lake Elmo; free.
It's About Time!
May 13: Kids can travel through time and culture at the monthly family day at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Stop by the studios to make a Yoruba-inspired crown or a time machine. Hear the trio Ladyslipper perform baroque music and modern jazz on harpsichord, voice and violin. Participate in a workshop with Voice of Culture, which brings black American flavor to traditional West African dance and drumming. Demonstrations of oil painting and pottery are planned, and a costumed guide will tell stories in the Tudor Room. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 2400 Third Ave. S.; free; 612-870-3131.
Poets in the Park Teen Poetry Slam
May 13: Young poets will flex their metaphors, rhythm and delivery at the annual slam, a spoken-word competition in which the audience scores participants. Slam master Cynthia French hosts. Also on the program is a performance by New Heist Crew. The Minneapolis group has break-danced in venues ranging from a hip-hop evening at the Guthrie to halftime at a Minnesota Lynx game. Slam open to ages 12-18; 1:30 p.m. registration, 2-4 p.m. slam; Theater in the Woods outdoor amphitheater, Caponi Art Park, 1220 Diffley Road, Eagan; $4 suggested donation; 651-454-9412.
Giggle, Giggle, Quack
Through May 13: Barnyard animals scheme and snicker in the second Doreen Cronin picture book adapted by Stages Theatre, following "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type" in 2010. In "Giggle, Giggle, Quack," Farmer Brown goes on vacation and leaves brother Bob written instructions for how to care for the farm. But a crafty duck with a French accent substitutes his own list of chores, and Bob follows them to the letter, including making anchovy pizza for the chickens. Stages Theatre, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins; $15-$12; 952-979-1111.
Where the Mountains Meet the Moon
Through May 20: An all-Asian cast stars in a new musical adaptation of Grace Lin's 2010 Newbery Honors book. Young Minli sets out on a quest to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask how she can improve her family's fortune. Puppets and Chinese opera-style masks bring to life a magical world of folk-tale characters, including a dragon, talking goldfish and greedy monkeys. This is the second collaboration between Rick Shiomi, artistic director at Mu Performing Arts, and Sandy Boren-Barrett, artistic director at Stages Theatre Company. Stages Theatre, 1111 Mainstreet, Hopkins; $15-$12; 952-979-1111.
Mark Twain's Mississippi
Through May 20: Young Sam Clemens leaves home to learn piloting on a Mississippi steamboat in 1857 and begins the most joyous time of his life, navigating his way from boy to man and from Samuel Clemens to Mark Twain. This new play comes from the pen of Tim Stolz, one of the scions of Old Log Theater founder Don Stolz, and also includes an acoustic score by Mark Kreitzer. Minnesota Centennial Showboat, Harriet Island, St. Paul; $28-$24; 651-227-1100.
Gale Woods Farm
Through late May: The first lambs of the season were born this week at Gale Woods Farm, a working, modern farm run by Three Rivers Park District. Visitors can hold baby chicks, pet lambs in the barn and hike to the pasture to see calves. The piglets will arrive in late May. During spring programs, staff will introduce the animals and explain sustainable, modern farming techniques. Stop by a classroom for farm crafts and cooking sessions, and bring a picnic to eat near the hay bales. The farm also sells fresh meat and eggs. Gale Woods Farm, 7210 County Road 110 W, Minnetrista; $5; 763-694-2001.
How People Make Things
Through June 3: Given that most everyday objects we use are manufactured overseas, "How People Make Things" will intrigue adults as well as kids. The hands-on touring exhibit developed by the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh was inspired by factory tour segments on "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Kids can operate a die-cut machine, turn the cranks of a milling machine to carve a block of wax, assemble the parts of a golf cart and use injection molding to create a plastic spoon from plastic pellets. They also can race a robotic arm to assemble a replica of Mr. Rogers' signature trolley. Minnesota Children's Museum, 10 W. Seventh St., St. Paul; $8.95; 651-225-6000.
Pippi Longstocking
Through June 10: Astrid Lindgren's tales of a spunky girl (whose full name, by the way, is Pippilotta Delicatessa Windowshade Mackrelmint Ephraim's Daughter Longstocking) have charmed generations, and her story has been a popular one on the stage of the Children's Theatre Company over the years. This year's iteration reunites Dean Holt and Reed Sigmund in the character roles of Bloom and Thunder, the hapless criminals in the first act, and Klang and Larsson, the equally hapless policemen in Act II. Set to Roberta Carlson's jaunty score, it's a recipe for family fun. Children's Theatre Company. 2300 Third Ave. S., Mpls.; $63.50-$10; 612-874-0400.
History / "Real Pirates" exhibit
Through Sept. 3: "Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah, From Slave Ship to Pirate Ship" tells the story of two treasure seekers separated by nearly three centuries. The first is pirate captain Samuel Bellamy, who seized a slave ship called the Whydah and plundered the Caribbean before sinking off Cape Cod in 1717. (The crew is portrayed by 17 local actors.) The second is Barry Clifford, the underwater explorer who discovered the wreck in 1984. The multimedia exhibit explores the history of 18th-century piracy and the science of underwater recovery expeditions. The exhibit, under the auspices of National Geographic, includes 200 artifacts, including the ship's bell, clothing, cannon and, of course, treasure. Science Museum of Minnesota, 120 W. Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul; $25 adults, $22 seniors and children, plus $3 fee for online and phone orders (Omnitheater, additional $6); 651-221-9444.
-- Compiled by Maja Beckstrom
