Hello! Another week of fun, free stuff to do in Columbia. There are 30 events so far on the calendar, and, as usual, we are always adding more. Remember to check the Regularly Available page for more events. If you go to any of these (or other) events, share your experience in the comments below. And let everyone know about this free service!

Here are the highlights for this week:

Music

Tonight (Mon), at 9 pm, is Mojo’s Open Mic Night.

Tue, 8-11 pm, is the scheduled day for Columbia Jazz Jam at the Bridge, however, they took a break over the summer and it is unclear if the event will happen this month. Check their facebook page before heading over to find out if they will be playing.

Fri, 5-7 pm, is Mojo’s Happy Hour music with The Third Switch.

Sat, 2-5 pm, Open Mic at Cooper’s Landing.

Movies

Wed, 7 pm, Howard Zinn: You Can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train (2004) [NR] [1:18] is playing at 102 Tate Hall on the MU Campus.

Wed, 8 pm, see The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) [R] [1:39] in Wrench Auditorium, MU Memorial Union South.

Fri and Sat, at 7 and 9:30 pm each night, Maleficent (2014) [PG] [1:37] is playing in Wrench Auditorium, MU Memorial Union South. Note: Cost is $1.

Sat, two showings at 9 and 10 am of Walking With Dinosaurs (2013) [PG] [1:27] at Forum 8 Theater.

Art

Tue, 6-8 pm, is the reception for the One Read Art Exhibit: On the Water at Orr Street Studios. Along with the art, enjoy light refreshments and 1930’s-inspired music by Pack Matthews and Audra Sergel.

Fri, 1-2 pm artist talk and 5-7 pm reception. Check out the Installation art by Valerie Wedel. Both events are in Brown Hall in the middle of the Columbia College main campus block. For the talk, you will need to find street parking near the campus. For the reception, you can park in the lot just behind Brown Hall.

Sun, 2 pm, Access Arts Visiting Artist Lecture series with Leandra Spangler. Access Arts hosts an artist talk on the second Sunday of each month at 2 pm.

More

Thu (9/11), 7 pm, Mid-Missouri Peaceworks is hosting a 9/11 Commemoration & Peace Gathering at the Courthouse Plaza (8th and Walnut, downtown). Rain site: Missouri United Methodist Church.

Fri, 7-10 pm, MU has an International Welcome Party on the Brewer Courts in the Mizzou Rec Center. Embrace many cultures through all your senses with free food, crafts, activities, and performances.

Sat, 10-11 am, kids can build binoculars at Lowe’s Build & Grow Clinic. Register here to attend. Registered kids get priority for the kits, and if you did not get registered, you can check around 10:15 am to see if you can still get a kit.

Sat, 10:30 am, the Saturday Morning Science talk is How Clean is Clean: Challenges of Producing Good Drinking Water in Monsanto Auditorium, lower street level of the MU Bond Life Sciences Center. These community-friendly talks are interesting and generally for all ages. The talks generally last about an hour, and some people head out at the Q&A time following the talk. Tips: If you bring kids and they might get bored, have them bring quiet stuff to do—that is what our kids do! They have been attending since age 5. Also, show up early (from 10 am), to get donuts, bagels, coffee, and juice before the talk. No food is allowed in the auditorium, so allow time to eat/drink beforehand.

Sat, 10:30-11:30 am, and Sun, 10-11:30 am. The Home Depot has workshops Saturday—Installing Tile and Sunday—Fall Lawn Care. They regularly have workshops—check the calendar for more. They request registration to plan attendance, but so far it is not required. Register here. Also, they have DIY workshops the last weekend of every month. These are customer-driven topics, so if you are interested in a particular topic, call Tiffany at 573-814-1900, and let her know what you would like to learn.

Sat, 11 am and Sun, 12 pm, Barnes & Noble Storytime. Saturday is Where the Wild Things Are, and Sunday is Meet Spot: Night-Night, Spot. Storytimes last 30-45 minutes, and often include activities or character visit. B&N regularly holds storytimes for young children and they happen in the children’s book area. Check the calendar for more listings.

Sat, 2 and 3 pm, the Planetarium at Rock Bridge High School shows short astronomy films on the planetarium dome, followed by a star talk. These monthly public shows are a great way to learn about astronomy in a comfortable setting! The 2 pm show is Night Sky Wonders, which is friendly for preschoolers, and the 3 pm show is Magic Tree House Space Mission, which is geared toward kindergarten to second grade ages—note that the movies are good for older kids and adults, too. In order to ensure space for visitors, they request registration online. Register here, or if you do not get registered, you can stop in before start time and see if seats are still available. Donations are accepted, but not required, for the Planetarium.

The Big Muddy Speaker Series, which would normally be held on Tuesday, is cancelled again this month. The sponsors have been busy with river cleanups and other conservation activities. I will keep checking their schedule and hopefully they will be back next month.

Need directions or more information? Check the notes section of the calendar item.

Have a great week! Again, keep in touch: Share your experiences in the comments below, and tell everyone about FCMo!