Things to do in Fond du Lac this weekend include An Evening of Opera, Touch a Truck and Mutt Strut

FOND DU LAC – Enjoy An Evening of Opera at Thrasher, families can get a close look at big trucks or take part in the Sandi Paws Mutt Strut throughout the coming week.

Other events include the Symphonic Band’s Family Night concert and Kojo will play the Thirteen Thursdays concert at Thelma.

Here are your can’t-miss events.

Four musicians come together to present An Evening of Opera

An Evening of Opera will be presented at 7:30 p.m. July 19 at the Thrasher Opera House, 506 Mill St., Green Lake. A pre-concert talk begins at 7 p.m.

Favorite arias, duets and trios will be performed by soprano Vanessa Becerra, mezzo-soprano Ashley Dixon, tenor Carlos Santelli and pianist Laurann Gilley. The singers all have extensive performance credits with major and regional American opera companies, and Gilley has been a coach and pianist with the Ryan Opera Center at Lyric Opera of Chicago for the past 17 years.

The concert is presented by Green Lake Festival of Music and admission is free.

For more information, visit greenlakefestival.org.

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Families can get close-up look at large trucks

Fond du Lac Public Library will host a Touch a Truck event July 24. Get up close and personal with the large vehicles and the people who drive them from 10 a.m. to noon at Lakeside Park, 43 Harbor View Drive.

Starting at 11 a.m., the event will be sensory-friendly, so there will be no horn honking allowed. Families are encouraged to take noise-canceling headphones or other tools. Basic earplugs will be available.

Registration is not required for this free program. All ages are welcome.

For more information, visit fdlpl.org/summer2024.

Symphonic Band hosts Family Night concert July 24

The next Buttermilk Festival concert will feature the Fond du Lac Symphonic Band at 7:15 p.m. July 24. The Family Night – A Tribute to John Williams concert is free and held at Buttermilk Creek Park, 700 S. Park Ave.

The band is under the direction of Associate Conductor Jill Wagner and Nickole Kawleski, and family night will feature saxophone soloist Nickole Kawleski playing Schindler’s List, Superman March, The Olympics Centennial Celebration, and a medley from Jurassic Park. Eighth-grade students will play along on Midway March.

A kiddie parade, face-painting and a conducting contest will also be included. Concessions will be available to purchase. Take chairs or blankets for seating.

In case of rain, the concert will be held at Winnebago Lutheran Academy gymnasium.

WAMI award-winning Kojo to play Thirteen Thursdays concert

Kojo will headline the July 18 Thirteen Thursdays concert at Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, 51 Sheboygan St. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in front of the building.

Kojo members are from the islands of St. Lucia, Jamaica and from Milwaukee. The group has been nominated several times by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry Board and won several WAMIs for best Reggae and Ska and authentic group in Wisconsin.

Kojo has played in major night clubs and festivals in the Midwest including Summerfest, Bastile Days, Harborfest, Riverfest, Cajunfest and Chicago Lakefront, to name a few. They have opened for Jimmy Cliff, Third World, Yellow Man and Ziggy Marley’s Melody Makers among others and have released three CDs

Admission is free, although donations for Thelma will be accepted at the gate. Gates open at 6 p.m.

Carry-ins are not permitted. Food and drinks will be available to purchase.

For more information, visit thelmaarts.org.

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Mutt Strut 5K to benefit Sandi Paws Rescue

Sandi Paws Rescue will host its sixth annual Mutt Strut 5K July 20. The run/walk begins at 8 a.m. at Lakeside Park, Oven Island, 555 N. Park Ave.

Proceeds support the rescue’s mission of saving abused and abandoned dogs and cats.

Fond du Lac parks are dog-friendly, so four-legged running partners are welcome. Water dishes will be set up along the route. The rescue also has dogs that can run with you.

The event is timed and awards will follow the run/walk. Packet pick-up starts at 7 p.m. Register at runsignup.com.

Contact Mara Wegner at [email protected] or 920-996-7241.

This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Fond du Lac things to do include Touch a Truck and Mutt Strut