Outlaw Music Festival

This should be titled WillieFest as Willie Nelson leads an ever-changing bill of kindred spirits. We're this annual trek's kickoff date, featuring the must-see heavenly duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Duluth's spirited bluegrassers Trampled by Turtles, gifted guitar picker Molly Tuttle and Particle Kid, the future folkie also known as Micah Nelson. As for Willie, he just turned 90, but he's still pickin' and grinnin' like the legend he is. He just dropped his 73^rd solo studio album, "I Don't Know a Thing About Love: The Songs of Harlan Howard." Definitely worth the drive to western Wisconsin. (4 p.m. Fri., Somerset Amphitheater, 495 Main St., Somerset, Wis., $39 and up, livenation.com)

JON BREAM

Twin Cities Jazz Festival

While downtown Minneapolis will be packed this weekend with Swifties paying big bucks to see Taylor, downtown St. Paul has a plethora of free musical attractions at the 25^th edition of this wonderful festival (and the final one organized by co-founder Steve Heckler). Once again, the lineup is strong and deep, with international stars and local favorites spread over 14 outdoor and indoor stages. Headlining on Friday is Cuban saxophonist/clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, a 14-time Grammy winner, with the Dizzy Gillespie Afro-Latin Experience. Topping Saturday's bill is Christian McBride, the monster jazz bassist and eight-time Grammy winner. The fest starts on Thursday in a handful of venues with the likes of Nur-D, Lucia Sarmiento and Jon Weber. (Thu.-Sat., Mears Park and elsewhere, St. Paul, free, twincitiesjazzfestival.com)

J.B.

Hippo Campus at Bayfront

They've packed Red Rocks in Denver and the Greek in Los Angeles, so it's high time the earnest and experimental pop/rockers fill the best amphitheater in their home state. Their headlining debut at Duluth's harbor-front venue follows an ultra-warm appearance there at the Water Is Life Festival in 2021 with Bon Iver, who is also returning Aug. 2. Come see why — less than a decade since they burst out of St. Paul's Conservatory for Performing Arts — Hippo Campus is now one of Minnesota's most in-demand touring acts. Their groovy homies Miloe and Papa Mbye open. (6:30 p.m. Sat., Bayfront Festival Park, 350 Harbor Drive, Duluth, all ages, $35, axs.com)

CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER

Santa Fe Klan

One of the biggest young pop stars to come out of Mexico in recent years is this rapper from the Santa Fe neighborhood of Guanajuato, aka Ángel Quezada, age 23. He's been making music since he was 12 and of late collaborated with such stateside stars as Snoop Dogg and Steve Aoki. The way he blends cumbia rhythms and reggaeton influences into hit songs such as "Tú y Tú" and "Así Soy" promises a lively live performance. Snow Tha Product and Tornillo open. (7:30 p.m. Sun., Target Center, 600 1^st Av. N., Mpls., $40-$120, axs.com)

C.R.

Minnesota Orchestra

In what's planned to be an annual tradition, the orchestra presents two Juneteenth concerts of music mostly by African American composers. Led by conductor André Raphel, works by Adolphus Hailstork, James P. Johnson and William Grant Still will be presented, as well as poetry from Grammy-winning spoken word artist Malcolm-Jamal Warner and a medley of songs from Jevetta Steele. And retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page will narrate Aaron Copland's "Lincoln Portrait." Friday's concert will be broadcast on TPT-2 and streamed on the orchestra's website. Saturday's is a relaxed one-hour family affair sans Warner and Steele. (8 p.m. Fri., 2 p.m. Sat., Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls., $12-$67, 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org)

ROB HUBBARD

'Roots: Vol. 1'

The city of Minneapolis asked a range of artists to help foster community healing after the death of George Floyd. For her offering, singer and actor Greta Oglesby put together a journey of African American music. In a concert this weekend, she sings field hollers and spirituals as well as standards from jazz, blues and gospel. Arranger and composer Sanford Moore serves as music director of the one-hour show, which has a special appearance by the Kingdom Life Ensemble. (2 p.m. Sat., 4 p.m. Sun., Capri Theater, 2027 W. Broadway, Mpls. $10-$25. thecapri.org)

ROHAN PRESTON

'Bull-Jean/We Wake'

The latest offering in Sharon Bridgforth's "Bull-Jean" series gathers formidable creative firepower. New York-based theater artist, singer and educator Daniel Alexander Jones teams with director and performer Aimee K. Bryant and Omi Osun Joni L. Jones, an educator and installation artist of Texas who also has been a longtime collaborator with Bridgforth, for this premiere. "Bull-Jean/We Wake" follows "Bull-Jean Stories," which premiered in January, and is part of a complex of offerings centered on excavating and celebrating untold same-sex love, history and resilience. This show features incantations, songs and poetry that taps into ancient longings. (June 22-July 2. 7 p.m. Tue.-Fri., 3 p.m. Sat. & Sun. Pillsbury House Theatre, 3501 Chicago Av. S., Mpls. $5-$30, pick-your-price. 612-825-0459, pillsburyhouseandtheatre.org)

R.P.

'Stories in Wood'

Swedish woodcraftsman and artist Claes Larsson, aka ClaesKamp, has a punk rock soul. He frequently employs deep texture in his wood works and finds that he's just as inspired by a Clash song and graffiti on a train as he is a well-made pot. He shows works alongside local artist Liesl Chatman, whose carvings reflect on lived experiences from the pandemic to the killing of George Floyd. (Through Oct. 29, American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Av. S., Mpls. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed., Fri.-Sun., 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thu., $6-$13, free for kids 5 and under. asimn.org or 612-871-4907)

ALICIA ELER

'Dance Around Minnesota'

DanceCo Performance Company invites young people to "Dance Around Minnesota," which travels to four different locations starting this week. Produced in partnership with Minneapolis Parks and Recreation, St. Paul Parks and Young Dance, the Minneapolis-based ensemble starts each event with a 45-minute workshop for children, followed by a performance. In the latter part of the event, audiences are invited to take part during the key moments, complete with dancing vegetables, trains and legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan. DanceCo brings a youth-focused dance program to the outdoors. (10 & 11:30 a.m. Sat., Springboard for the Arts, 262 W. University Av., St. Paul, future shows July 1, 8, 15 at various locations, dancecomn.com)

SHEILA REGAN

Grand Carnivale

Valleyfair's international festival highlights the cultures of China, Italy, Germany and Spain. The spectacle is a feast of color, crafts, games and international entertainment. A royal procession travels the grounds with ornate floats and jolly street performers. Special curated menus feature foods from around the world like sauerbraten sliders, bang bang chicken and panzerotti. There also are signature cocktails and mocktails. Channeling their inner royalty, kids can design their own Carnivale Crown and take challenges in "Mardi's QR Passport to Adventure." (Park hours on select dates June 24-July 9. $34.99-$60. One Valleyfair Drive, Shakopee, valleyfair.com)

MELISSA WALKER