Friday, Oct. 02, 2009

What's going on this weekend?

Iron and wine

Greets, my Weekend Picks fans, to another round of nonstop, Tilt-A-Whirl fun on the first weekend in October.

Start it early from 5-8 p.m. Friday at the Joseph House Art Gallery, 828 Broadway. There will be wine, music and an exhibit. Remember, the art gets better the more you drink.

Next, get ready for next year’s SteamWorks Con by attending an informational meeting at 1 p.m. Saturday in Room 201 of the Columbus Georgia Convention and Trade Center downtown.

For the uninitiated, SteamWorks is a subsidiary of ImagiCon out of Birmingham, Ala. Steampunk is a subgenre of cyberpunk, a style of science fiction made popular by the likes of author William Gibson. Think “The Matrix” when you want an image of cyberpunk, “H.G. Wells” when you need something a little more steampunky.

Finally, get down to the Greater Columbus Fair before the thing shuts down for another year. It’s at the Columbus Civic Center, 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Saturday and 2 p.m.-12 a.m. Sunday. Get a funnel cake and win a stuffed bear for your steady sweetie while you still can.

-Alan Riquelmy

D-O-G and G-O-D

Use this weekend to party like an animal -- and then help your favorite animal see the light.

Barring any rain cancellations, the Uptown Concert Series resumes Friday with a performance by Big Woody and the Splinters. The free show is 7-10 p.m. on the 1100 block of Broadway. Don't worry if cloudy skies dampen your plans. The outdoor concerts are held for the next three Fridays in October.

Saturday, bust out your favorite pleather getup and check out Bikefest at the Shanty Shack, 4475 Warm Springs Road. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. and features raffles, food, entertainment and a bike wash from noon to 2 p.m. It's a fundraiser for Mark Tyron, a tree surgeon who suffered major injuries after a massive fall.

Finally, end the weekend by taking your favorite four-legged friend to get blessed.

Clergy from St. Anne Catholic Church, 2000 Kay Circle, will bless animals after the 10 a.m. Mass on Saturday.

On Sunday, St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 4026 Macon Road, will have a service at 2 p.m. St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 2100 Hilton Ave., has a service at 4 p.m. Sunday. Trinity Episcopal Church, 1130 First Ave., has a service at 4 p.m. Sunday. And, St. Nicholas Episcopal Church, 69 Mobley Road in Hamilton, Ga., will have a service at 5 p.m. Sunday.

-Sonya Sorich