Loretta Lynn to perform in Stranahan Theater

4/14/2011

Country legend Loretta Lynn performs at 7:30 Thursday night in Toledo's Stranahan Theater, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd. Also in concert will be Joey+Rory. Tickets are $49.50, $59.50, and $69 from the Stranahan box office, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd.; ticketmaster.com; Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 800-745-3000. Information: 419-381-8851.

● Despite what the calendar might say, spring in Toledo officially begins at 3:37 p.m. Thursday. That's when a ceremonial first pitch will open the Toledo Mud Hens' 2011 home season at Fifth Third Field, 406 Washington St., against Columbus in a doubleheader. Standing-room only tickets are $10. Tickets for an opening-day bash, which includes the games and an all-you-can-eat buffet, are $30. The Hens will play one more home game -- at 7 p.m. tomorrow -- before hitting the road for three games in Columbus. Information: 419-725-4367.

● The Metroparks of the Toledo Area are again sponsoring a Springtime Geocache Egg Hunt from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. Participants will use GPS units to scour Oak Openings Preserve in Swanton for clues. Those who answer all the questions get to go home with a springtime treat. A few GPS units are available for loan. Those needing GPS instructions should arrive at the Buehner Center porch in Oak Openings by 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $3 per person for those age 5 and older; toddlers 4 and younger are free. Reservations are required; 419-407-9700.

● The Toledo Zoo is hosting its annual Party for the Planet Saturday to celebrate Earth Day. A major recycling effort is scheduled, and acceptable articles include aluminum cans; shoes and clothing; small appliances, such as microwave and toaster ovens, blenders, and vacuum cleaners; batteries; pharmaceuticals; items containing mercury; televisions; computers and other electronics, and cell phones. Free document shredding will be available.

The zoo also will hold animal demonstrations and conservation-themed activities. Visitors will be able to watch shark, penguin, and snake feeds, vulture and polar bear enrichment sessions, and cheetah and raptor talks, led by zookeepers. Recyclables can be dropped off without paying admission to the zoo; the other events are included in the admission price. The zoo is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the main entrance is on the Anthony Wayne Trail, four miles south of downtown Toledo. A full schedule of events is available on the zoo's Web site, toledozoo.org/events/planet.html.

● Hungarian musicians Balazs Nagy and Katalin Benn will present a series of concerts in Toledo and the area. They will perform Hungarian folk, Medieval, and Renaissance music on the hurdy gurdy, a mechanized wheeled violin of Medieval European origin. At 3 p.m. Sunday, they'll appear at the Hungarian Club of Greater Toledo, 224 Paine Ave., sharing the stage with Cleveland's Csardas Dance Company. A social hour begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15; call Mike Csizek at 419-508-7019. At 7 p.m. Tuesday, they will perform a free concert in Owens Community College's Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 30335 Oregon Rd., Perrysburg, sharing the stage with Toledo's Echoes of Poland dance ensemble. Information: 567-661-7801. Their final performance will take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Town Hall of Bluffton, Ohio. The concert is free, but donations will be requested; information: Wendy Chappel-Dick at 419-358-0273.