Immigrant songs

Some people have that cool "I'm an immigrant" thing going for them, and they speak a couple of languages and eat food with labels the rest of us can't read. Well, guess what? If you live in America, that means you're an immigrant, too. Time to stand up and say, "Hey! I'm a mongrel mix of multiple old countries and I'm darn proud of it!" So even if you don't speak the language of your great-great-great grandma, you can still get in touch with those multicultural roots, eat some unpronounceable dish, enjoy dancers in costumes, and spar over which nationality is really the best (although, let me just put that to rest right now -- it's the Irish).

The 52nd annual Pittsburgh Folk Festival is back ... again. Its mission? "Preserving and perpetuating the cultures of Western Pennsylvania." So ... like ... hunting and talkin' funny? Ahhh, not quite. "Providing educational, cultural and service activities in areas such as folk music and dance, arts and crafts, exhibits and demonstrations, and ethnic cuisine." Yes, that seems like a festival that could last 52 years.

All this goodness comes from Scotland, Slovakia, Chile, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Italy and other countries. Who knew Pittsburgh wasn't solely composed of Eastern Europeans?

For all of you who forgot Mother's Day (no, that lame bunch of carnations doesn't count), here's how to make up for it.

The festival is at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and starts Friday from 4 to 10 p.m. The festivities continue Saturday from noon to 10 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets at the door cost $10 for adults, $4 for kids; in advance, $8 for adults, $4 for kids. To purchase advance tickets or for performance schedule details, visit www.pghfolkfest.org.

-- Kate McCaffrey

For the kids

The Pittsburgh International Children's Festival is under way through this weekend. The 22nd annual Children's Festival, a co-presentation of Pittsburgh International Children's Theater and Citiparks, is in a new location in Oakland -- on the University of Pittsburgh campus grounds and Schenley Plaza.

This year's highlights include a world premiere by a local company -- Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre's production of Oscar Wilde's "The Happy Prince" -- and shows by children's performing groups from Mexico, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Israel, Portugal and the United States.

Eco-Discovery, a large-scale installation on the Cathedral lawn, re-creates a rain forest environment to teach kids about the importance of preserving endangered ecosystems.

Ticketed performances will be held at Charity Randall Theater, Bellefield Theater and Studio Theater on the University of Pittsburgh campus and at Synod Hall, next to St. Paul's Cathedral.

There also are many free events, including performances on the Target KidStage, a petting zoo, activity booths, the County Marbles Tournament and more.

Festival hours are 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for theater performances range from $8 for one show to $32 for six. For information: 412-321-5520 or www.pghkids.org.

-- Adrian McCoy

Young dancers

The promise of a future Romeo or Juliet will hang in the balance when the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School presents a series of showcases this weekend.

Now split into four performances at the PBT studios in the Strip District to accommodate the overflow crowds of previous years, Friday's program at 7 p.m. will feature the graduate students, many of whom have performed with the company, in a world premiere, "Ravelesque," by Robert Sund, "Tribute" by Frederick Franklin and "Feel of Fire" by Alan Obuzor.

The Saturday afternoon showcase at 1 p.m. will highlight the choreographic talents of the pre-professional students. Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., the pre-professional division will perform "Graduation Ball," the garden scene from "Le Corsaire" and "Summer" from "The Four Seasons," among others.

Tickets are $10, with free admission to the student choreography program on Saturday. For more information, call 412-454-9135.

-- Jane Vranish

Green thumb days

After an unusually chilly start to the week, the weather will be much kinder to the plants this weekend at the May Market.

It takes place at the Phipps Garden Center in Mellon Park with garden clubs offering a wide variety of plants and tools, plus the popular fondant strawberries and mushroom sandwiches.

There also will be such green items as eco-pots from recycled grain husks, eco-containers of edible flowers and herbs, strawberry bowls and lavender topiaries.

On Friday from noon to 4 p.m., Jessica Walliser and the PG's Doug Oster, co-hosts of the KDKA radio show "The Organic Gardeners," will talk gardening and answer your questions. On Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., there will be a talk by Joe Lamp'l of PBS's "GardenSMART."

Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Additional parking is available Saturday and Sunday at Ellis School. Call 412-441-4442 or go to www.phipps.conservatory.org.

Cornmeal jam

With a name that couldn't get any more down home, Cornmeal rides into Club Cafe tonight blending bluegrass, Americana and folk. The acoustic-electric quintet from Chicago -- taking its cue from such traditionalists as Old and in the Way, John Hartford, and New Grass Revival -- has become a fixture at jam-band and bluegrass festivals.

Cornmeal is out touring with its third album, "Feet First," having just won New Groove of Year at the Jammy Awards. The show is at 10:30 p.m. Admission is $10. Call 1-866-468-3401.

-- Scott Mervis

PSO Chamber

Many know Pittsburgh Symphony timpanist Timothy Adams from his uncanny ability to play the kettledrums with flair and vivacity.

Apparently that creative spirit has other outlets, too, even beyond his mastery of other percussion instruments and jazz. He also composes, and will solo in the premiere of his percussion piece, "Kyoto," with the Pittsburgh Symphony Chamber Orchestra at 8 p.m. today at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland and at 8 p.m. Saturday at Upper St. Clair High School Theatre.

Also on the program, conducted by Andres Cardenes, is Piazzolla's "Four Seasons in Buenos Aires" and Mozart's "Sinfonia Concertante." Tickets are $15-$30; call 412-392-4900.

-- Andrew Druckenbrod

Books for Babies

The Beginning With Books Center for Early Literacy reminds us that a child who has been read and talked to from a young age is better prepared to learn to read, has a vocabulary of 20,000 words by age 6 and scores highest on reading, math and general knowledge tests.

With that, the group unveils its Ninth Annual Best Books for Babies list with a series of readings on Saturday morning at Borders Book Stores.

From 10:30 to noon, children's books will be read at the Borders Eastside (Sally Wiggin, WTAE-TV anchor), South Hills (Michelle Wright, WTAE-TV anchor), Pittsburgh Mills (Agnes Berenato, coach of the Pitt women's basketball team), Monroeville (Rebecca O'Donnell, children's author) and Northway Mall (Jeff Verszyla, KDKA-TV chief meteorologist).

There will also be light refreshments, activities courtesy of Citiparks Roving Art Cart and a chance to chat with early literacy experts. To learn more, call 412-361-8560 or go to www.beginningwithbooks.org.

Great Space music

This year's Choral Festival at Shadyside Presbyterian Church features Rossini's "Stabat Mater." Rossini wrote the magnificent and justly famous setting of the Marian hymn "Stabat mater dolorosa (The sorrowful Mother stood)" in the 1830s after he voluntarily quit writing operas. He didn't compose many sacred works, but this extraordinary one makes up for that, and its operatic nature shows he still had a thing for the theater.

The Shadyside Chancel Choir and Choral Society will be led by conductor Curt Scheib, with organist J. Christopher Pardini, at 4 p.m. Sunday. It is part of the church's Music in a Great Space concert series. Tickets are $10 ($5 for seniors, students free); call 412-682-4300.

-- Druckenbrod

• "Rabbit Hole," a Pulitzer Prize-winning play at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, takes theatergoers down the topsy-turvy rabbit hole of grief when a couple confront the greatest loss possible. Post-Gazette theater critic Christopher Rawson says David Lindsay-Abaire's drama is a personal play, resisting noisy emotion or melodrama. It ends its run at the O'Reilly Theater Sunday. For tickets: www.ppt.org or the box office.

• The Mary Onettes, a Swedish synth-rock band that draws comparisons to the Cure and Morrissey, plays Garfield Artworks on Saturday at 8 p.m. The four-piece was briefly signed to Sony/BMG but then dropped in 2005 after one EP. Rather than quitting, the band went back into the studio and came up with a debut record that has a buzz building for the tour. Opening are The Sexes, Life in Bed, and The Silent Years (from Michigan). Admission is $8 advance; $10 at the door. Call 412-361-2262.

• Pensacola's Jim White, affectionately described as "outer-space alt-country," returns to town with "Transnormal Skiperoo," a new record with the band Ollabelle and also featuring Tucker Martine and Laura Veirs, local Georgia legend Don Chambers & Goat, bluegrass duo Jeff & Vida and percussionist Mauro Refosco. White, who has accumulated many a tale as a fashion model, New York taxi driver, drifter, pro surfer, photographer and filmmaker, will regale audiences with those stories and songs from albums like "Wrong Eyed Jesus." It's at Club Cafe Friday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 to $17. Call 1-866-468-3401.

• The Meatmen -- a goofball hardcore band from Michigan that gave us "One Down, Three To Go" after the murder of John Lennon -- is back in action and ready to raise hell at the 31st Street Pub on Friday. The band is still led by founder Tesco Vee, who has never taken himself or anything else seriously. B.G.A and Silver-Tongued Devil open the show at 10 p.m. Call 412-391-8334.