May 24: “Virginia Insight” Public Radio Program, 3 p.m., WMRA, 90.7 FM: Dr. Robert N. Roberts, a professor of political science at JMU, is part of a roundtable discussion, “An Update on Virginia Politics.”

May 26: John C. Wells Planetarium Shows, 2:30 p.m. (“Legends of the Night Sky: Orion”) and 3:30 p.m. (“Universe”) Saturdays, Miller Hall [view map]: The planetarium offers shows for the public, with seating beginning 10 minutes before show time on a first come, first seated basis; a five-minute full-dome show about the transit of Venus will be shown before the start of each of the Saturday matinee shows; on June 5, beginning at 6:04 p.m., Venus will transit the solar disk; this will be the last opportunity in our lifetime to observe the event that established the absolute size scale of the solar system and the distance between the Earth and the sun; each show is followed by a 25-minute “star talk” that provides visitors with updates about the night sky, including constellations, planets and any comets that might be visible; for more information, including program descriptions, check http://www.jmu.edu/planetarium/index.shtml; free.

May 27: Summer Concert Series, 7 p.m., Duke Sculpture Garden near the Music Building [view map] (Rain location: Memorial Hall Auditorium): Mr. Jefferson's Bones, a trombone quartet, performs; audience members are welcome to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating and picnic meals; sponsored by JMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts; for information, call (540) 568-6987; free.

May 28: Memorial Day. University closed.

May 29: JMU Lifelong Learning Institute Brown-Bag Lunch Series, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Gilkerson Activity Center, Westover Park, 305 S. Dogwood Drive, Harrisonburg: Mary Kay Adams, executive director and principal flutist of the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival 2012, slated for June 10-17, shares information about featured artists, repertoire, the commissioned work and events; the institute offers diverse and interesting noncredit classes, trips, social events and brown-bag learning lunches for adults; there are no exams or grades in the courses, just a sharing with others in the interest of learning; for more information, including costs, visit http://www.jmu.edu/socwork/lli or call (540) 568-2923.

June 2: “Transit of Venus” Talk, 3 p.m., John C. Wells Planetarium, Miller Hall: On June 5, beginning at 6:04 p.m., Venus will transit the solar disk; this will be the last opportunity in our lifetime to observe the event that established the absolute size scale of the solar system and the distance between the Earth and the sun; the talk focuses on the meaning and scientific importance of the transit of Venus; for information, check http://www.jmu.edu/planetarium/index.shtml; free.

June 3: Summer Concert Series, 7 p.m., Memorial Hall Auditorium: [view map] The Harrisonburg Harmonizers, a barbershop chorus, perform; audience members are welcome to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating and picnic meals; sponsored by JMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts; for information, call (540) 568-6987; free.

June 5: “Transit of Venus” Observing Party, 6-8:30 p.m., Astronomy Park in the meadow behind the Physics/Chemistry Building: Beginning at 6:04 p.m., Venus will transit the solar disk; this will be the last opportunity in our lifetime to observe the event that established the absolute size scale of the solar system and the distance between the Earth and the sun; solar telescopes and sun-safe viewing glasses will be available; viewers are welcome to bring picnic suppers; for information, check http://www.jmu.edu/planetarium/index.shtml; free.

June 10: Summer Concert Series, 7 p.m., Duke Sculpture Garden near the Music Building [view map] (Rain location: Memorial Hall Auditorium): The big-band jazz group Just Jazzin' performs; audience members are welcome to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating and picnic meals; sponsored by JMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts; for information, call (540) 568-6987; free.

June 12: Storytime in the Understory, 11 a.m.-noon, Stage Garden, Edith J. Carrier Arboretum [view map]: Children will develop an understanding of the importance of nature from children’s literature selections; bring a picnic blanket or lawn chairs and a brown-bag picnic lunch for after storytime; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

June 14-24: JMU Children's Playshop, "Pinkalicious the Musical," 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday, Studio Theatre, Forbes Center for the Performing Arts: [view map] Pinkalicious can't stop eating cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor's office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe - a dream come true for this pink-loving enthusiast. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out a way out of this pink predicament. "Pinkalicious the Musical" is about learning the power of self-control and the importance of moderation. Book by Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann, music by John Gregor, lyrics by John Gregor, Elizabeth Kann and Victoria Kann; for tickets, check http://www.jmu.edu/jmuarts/.

June 17: Summer Concert Series, 7 p.m., Duke Sculpture Garden near the Music Building [view map] (Rain location: Memorial Hall Auditorium): The Harrisonburg-Rockingham Concert Band, a wind and percussion band, performs; audience members are welcome to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating and picnic meals; sponsored by JMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts; for information, call (540) 568-6987; free.

June 18-21 and June 25-28: JMU Summer Art Program, morning sessions are 9 a.m.-noon, afternoon sessions are 1-4 p.m. Monday-Thursday, The Studio Center, 106 Grace St. [view map]: Students ages 6 to 17 work with certified art teachers as they learn to see art, create art, understand art and make informed judgments about works of art; each week ends with an exhibit/reception on Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m.; sponsored by the JMU Art Education Center in partnership with the JMU Institute for Visual Studies and School of Theatre and Dance; for information, including fees, contact Valerie L. Smith, coordinator, at smithvl@jmu.edu.

June 20: Arboretum Brown-Bag Lunch Lecture Series, noon-1 p.m., Edith J. Carrier Arboretum pavilion (rain location: Frances Plecker Education Center) [view map]: Anna Mae Detwiler demonstrates flower arranging using fresh and dried flowers; bring your own lunch; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

June 22: JMU Lifelong Learning Institute Trip, 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m., bus departs from Blue Ridge Hall [view map]: Visit the Virginia Museum of Natural History and King’s Grant Retirement Community; for more information, including costs, visit http://www.jmu.edu/socwork/lli or call (540) 568-2923.

June 23: Solstice Under the Stars, 6:30-10 p.m., Edith J. Carrier Arboretum [view map]: Reserve a picnic or plated dinner for two, enjoyed on a (carried in) blanket, lawn chairs or (provided) linen-covered table; make it a wild and wonderful Solstice celebration with dancing on the arboretum lawn to live music and fine wines; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum.

June 24: Summer Concert Series, 7 p.m., Memorial Hall Auditorium: [view map] The Ovation Singers, a multi-genre mixed chorus, performs; audience members are welcome to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating and picnic meals; sponsored by JMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts; for information, call (540) 568-6987; free.

June 27: Arboretum Brown-Bag Lunch Lecture Series, noon-1 p.m., Edith J. Carrier Arboretum pavilion (rain location: Frances Plecker Education Center) [view map]: Bart McDowell of Bartlett Trees presents “Pruning Like a Pro,” talking about the why, how and when on pruning shrubs and small trees; bring your own lunch; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

July 1: Summer Concert Series, 7 p.m., Duke Sculpture Garden near the Music Building [view map] (Rain location: Memorial Hall Auditorium): The 29th Army Band performs; audience members are welcome to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating and picnic meals; sponsored by JMU's College of Visual and Performing Arts; for information, call (540) 568-6987; free.

July 4: Independence Day. University closed.

July 10: Storytime in the Understory, 11 a.m.-noon, Stage Garden, Edith J. Carrier Arboretum [view map]: Children will develop an understanding of the importance of nature from children’s literature selections; bring a picnic blanket or lawn chairs and a brown-bag picnic lunch for after storytime; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

July 11: Arboretum Brown-Bag Lunch Lecture Series, noon-1 p.m., Edith J. Carrier Arboretum pavilion (rain location: Frances Plecker Education Center) [view map]: Charles Williams of Valley Water Gardens gives tips for designing successful container gardens; bring your own lunch; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

July 18: Arboretum Brown-Bag Lunch Lecture Series, noon-1 p.m., Edith J. Carrier Arboretum pavilion (rain location: Frances Plecker Education Center) [view map]: Clair Mellinger discusses banding of owls; bring your own lunch; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

July 19-29: JMU Children's Playshop, "The Velveteen Rabbit," 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday, Studio Theatre, Forbes Center for the Performing Arts: [view map] This timeless family classic is a heartwarming story about friendship and devotion. A loveable toy bunny learns about the world and with courage and strength strives one day to triumph and become "real." The Velveteen Rabbit spends his days in the nursery with oversized toys that are brought to life, including a toy boat, a great lion and a stuffed horse. His other favorite companions include two larger-than-life forest rabbits that just can't stop hopping. Adapted by William Buck from the book by Margery Williams; for tickets, check http://www.jmu.edu/jmuarts/.

Aug 1: Arboretum Brown-Bag Lunch Lecture Series, noon-1 p.m., Edith J. Carrier Arboretum pavilion (rain location: Frances Plecker Education Center) [view map]: Lisa Bauer, arboretum grounds manager, leads an heirloom tomato tasting with a variety of tomatoes; bring your own lunch; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

Aug. 6-10: Children's Poetry Camp, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday, Memorial Hall: With the theme “Words Light the Way,” the eighth annual poetry camp inspires children to explore all the ways they can be creative with words; $50 fee includes lunch and a snack each day; scholarships are available; sponsored by the Furious Flower Poetry Center; for information and registration, check the center’s website at http://www.jmu.edu/furiousflower.

Aug. 14: Storytime in the Understory, 11 a.m.-noon, Stage Garden, Edith J. Carrier Arboretum [view map]: Children will develop an understanding of the importance of nature from children’s literature selections; bring a picnic blanket or lawn chairs and a brown-bag picnic lunch for after storytime; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

Aug. 31: Blue Moon Summer Carriage Rides, 7-10 p.m., Edith J. Carrier Arboretum [view map]: Enjoy being drawn through the woodlands of the arboretum by beautiful Belgium or Percheron teams of horses and an experienced coachman on a warm summer night in a romantic convertible carriage under the light of a summertime Blue Moon; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum

Sept. 11: Storytime in the Understory, 11 a.m.-noon, Stage Garden, Edith J. Carrier Arboretum [view map]: Children will develop an understanding of the importance of nature from children’s literature selections; bring a picnic blanket or lawn chairs and a brown-bag picnic lunch for after storytime; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

Oct. 5-7: Family Weekend, for information, check http://www.jmu.edu/parents/Family_Weekend.shtml.

Oct. 26-28: Homecoming

Nov. 21–23: Thanksgiving Holiday. University closed.

Dec. 21: University closes at noon.

Dec. 24–31: Winter Holiday. University closed.

Through May 31: Art in the Arboretum Exhibition, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday, Frances Plecker Education Center, Edith J. Carrier Arboretum [view map]: Photographer Frank Ceravalo exhibits his landscape and floral works, which are mostly photographed in Virginia, West Virginia and western Maryland with a few scenes from Yellowstone to Alaska and from Europe to Japan; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum.

Through Oct. 15: Walk-Up Plant Sale, Frances Plecker Education Center, Edith J. Carrier Arboretum [view map]: Beginning in mid-April and projected to continue until the first hard frost in the region which will be about mid-October, shop from a selection of currently in bloom natives, exotics and cultivars of perennials, shrubs and trees; for information, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum; free.

Through Oct. 15: Private Greenhouse Shopping by Appointment, Beginning in mid-April and projected to continue until the first hard frost in the region which will be about mid-October, shop from the entire greenhouse inventory of natives, exotics and cultivars of perennials, shrubs and trees; by advance appointment only, with $50 minimum purchase required; for information or to schedule and appointment, contact the arboretum at (540) 568-3194 or visit http://www.jmu.edu/arboretum.

Through Dec. 12: 5th Annual Area Youth Art Exhibition, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, Memorial Hall first- and second-floor hallways [view map]: Over 100 works of two- and three-dimensional art created by students from Harrisonburg City Public Schools, Eastern Mennonite School, Redeemer Classical School and Woodland Montessori School fill the hallways of Memorial Hall; area art teachers select some of their students’ best work for this open exhibition, which includes a wide range of media, including paintings, drawings, collage, sculpture, photography and mixed media; sponsored by JMU’s College of Education; free.

Prism Gallery, open during normal building hours, Lower Level, Festival Conference and Student Center [view map]: The gallery is dedicated to exhibiting works dealing with diversity; free.

Skyline Museum, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Friday (closed Nov. 14, Nov. 21–25 and Dec. 19–Jan. 20), Lower Level, Festival Conference and Student Center [view map]: The museum houses rotating exhibits drawn from the Madison Art Collection; free.

Edith J. Carrier Arboretum, open daily dawn to dusk, off University Boulevard [view map]: Contains a wide variety of trees and plants native to Virginia; call 568-3194 for tours; free.

JMU Meteorite Collection, open daily, first and second-floor hallways, Physics and Chemistry Building [view map]: Features fragments of meteoroids that survived passage through the atmosphere to fall to the earth’s surface as masses of metal or stone; includes specimens from Diablo Canyon, Ariz., the Sahara Desert and the Central European Strewn Field; free.

JMU Mineral Museum, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Monday–Friday, Room 6139, Memorial Hall [view map]: The Department of Geology and Environmental Science opens its collection of over 550 crystals and gemstones from around the world to the public; for information, call 568-6130; free.

The Madison Art Collection, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday–Friday, Room 1000, Festival Conference and Student Center [view map]: The collection consists of over 3,000 objects from cultures from all over the world, from the Neolithic period through the 20th century; all of the objects have been given to JMU by community members and university faculty; for information, call (540) 568-6934; free. 

Spring and Fall Outdoor Concert Series, Edith J. Carrier Arboretum Amphitheater [view map]: Watch arboretum Web site, www.jmu.edu/arboretum for time and dates.

JMU Libraries and Educational Technologies’ Special Collections, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Thursday and by appointment, Room 207, Carrier Library [view map]: Features manuscripts, rare books and periodicals, oral histories and other resources for study, including many acquisitions focusing on the Central Shenandoah Valley; for information, call (540) 568-3612 or send email to library-special@jmu.edu; free.

John C. Wells Planetarium Shows, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. Saturdays, Miller Hall [view map]: TThe planetarium offers full-dome shows and special events for the public; groups can schedule visits by calling (540) 568-4071; check the planetarium's website at http://www.jmu.edu/planetarium/index.shtml for the latest information; free.

Last updated: 05/16/12