SATURDAY, JUNE 26– LECTURE
KARST PRESENTATION
GAYS MILLS—Here in the Driftless, water really does flow uphill. That's thanks to the region's karst geography. The earth below us is a maze of underground caverns, tunnels, and fissures that can move water in some surprising ways. In this presentation and field trip, Kelvin Rodolfo, a geology professor emeritus from the University of Illinois in Chicago, and current Viroqua area resident, will explain the features and functions of karst geology. He'll then lead the group to some sites to see this odd and beautiful natural phenomenon. Cosponsored by the Crawford Stewardship Project and the Gays Mills Library. Bring a bag lunch. 10 AM (presentation followed by field trip), Gays Mills Community Building, 212 Main St., free, 608-735-4277, www.crawfordstewardshipproject.org

FRIDAY, JUNE 4 – MUSIC
COUNTRY IN THE COUNTRY
LONE ROCK—June is bookended by two longstanding country music festivals. But they couldn't be much more different. Country in the Country features local and regional acts, while the star-studded Star Spangled Celebration brings in Nashville's latest and greatest (see below). For this event, look for a lineup of 25 bands, all from southwestern Wisconsin, that cover the range of country music, from genuine roots music to alt-country and everything in between. Through June 6. Gates 4 PM, Kaul Park (9 miles north of Lone Rock on Hwy 130), $10, $15 weekend pass, 606-647-6655, www.countryinthecountry.net

SATURDAY, JUNE 5 – COMMUNITY
ROCK AND GEM SHOW
VIROQUA—Like any stripe of collector, rock hounds bring an obsessive devotion to their passion that's refreshing in this day of Google dilettantism. The Viroqua Rock and Gem Show is one of the best regional opportunities to catch the fervor. Dozens of dealers and collectors converge to swap stories and share coveted gems, minerals, and fossils. Rip your kids away from the Wii and bring them along for the ride. Through June 6. Junior High School Gymnasium, 10 AM–5 PM Saturday, 10 AM–4 PM Sunday, 100 Blackhawk Court, 608-637-7700, www.garysrockshop.blogspot.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 5 – COMMUNITY
DOWNTOWN HOEDOWN
VIROQUA—Here's a new, multifaceted event for the downtown Viroqua crowd. The affair includes ribbon-cutting ceremonies at all new downtown stores, a scavenger-hunt-like punch-card game that involves visiting stores and purchasing raffle tickets, and a grand drawing at the end of the day to award door prizes donated by downtown businesses. It sounds complicated, but the intent is as simple as it is worthy: to raise money for Alzheimer's Association and awareness of this difficult and tragic disease. 10 AM–1 PM, various locations, downtown Viroqua, 608-553-1048

SATURDAY, JUNE 5 – MUSIC
BLAME SALLY
ONTARIO—The four Bay Area friends and female vocalists in Blame Sally had thriving solo careers when they launched the band 10 years ago. The project that was supposed to be strictly for fun has since grown into a highly respected and well-traveled act. Described as a folk version of U2, Blame Sally tends to defy definition. In part that's because Monica Pasqual, Jeri Jones, Renee Harcourt, and Pamela Delgado each contribute a unique and fairly complete component of the overall sound. Blending acoustic and electric instruments with a singer/songwriter sensibility, the band creates a unique, layered and highly listenable sound. All proceeds from the concert go to helping Haiti rebuild. 4–8 PM, Echo Valley Farm, E14604 County Rd. F, donation, 608-337-4871, www.BlameSally.com, www.echovalleyhope.org

TUESDAY, JUNE 8 – FILM
WHAT A WAY TO GO
WESTBY—This feature-length documentary follows the journey of artist, writer, and director Tim Bennett, a self-described "middle-class white guy," as he comes to grip with, well, the collapse of civilization as we know it. He takes a close look at peak oil, climate change, the population time bomb, and the ever-unsteady global economy. It's a grim picture (although the movie is ultimately a call to action, not to doom). This screening will be followed by what promises to be an interesting discussion. 7 PM, Bekkum Library Community Room, 206 N. Main St., Westby, free, 608-634-4419.

FRIDAY, JUNE 11 – THEATER
KRAPP’S LAST TAPE
VIROQUA—The character at the center of this one-man show by Samuel Beckett has the rather unfortunate habit of recording a monologue every year on his birthday, after reviewing tapes from previous years. It's no surprise that Beckett—the original absurdist and possessor of a dark streak of humor—turns this conceit into a black tragicomedy. Theater and improv veteran Dennis Kern brings his considerable talents to bear on this classic of the American stage. Through June 12, 8 PM, Encore, 116 South Main St., $10, 608-333-6654, www.myplayfulself.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 11 – OUTDOOR
STARGAZING
LAFARGE—Check out a map of light pollution in North America, and you'll find that the Driftless is a rare dark-sky sanctuary in a sea of light east of the Mississippi. That makes for some delicious night skies for stargazing, and the Kickapoo Valley Reserve takes advantage of this natural oasis with a variety of programs for amateur astronomers. This presentation by the La Crosse Area Astronomical Society begins with a planetarium-style overview of the area night sky, followed by guided stargazing through several telescopes provided by the society. 8 PM, meet at Kickapoo Valley Reserve Visitor Center, S3661 State Highway 131, $5, $4.50 member, $2.50 12 and under, 608-625-2960, kvr.state.wi.us

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16 – READING
BLOOMSDAY
VIROQUA—Few works have attracted as much praise and condemnation as James Joyce's Ulysses. First serialized in The Little Review in 1918, the novel caught the eye of U.S. morality police who seized copies of the magazine and burned them—a relatively sure indicator of the genius of a given work. More recently, the book has been canonized as one of the best modern novels in English, in spite of its notorious density. This event supplies the work at its best: Spoken out loud before an audience. Sign up to read a passage or just sit back and listen as you enjoy a Guinness. 12 PM, Driftless Books, Forgotten Works Warehouse, 518 Walnut St., 608-638-2665, www.driftlessbooks.com

FRIDAY, JUNE 18 – FOOD
KICKAPOO HARVEST
VIROQUA—Perhaps the most heartening and important trend to emerge in the twenty-first century is the movement to return our food to its local, wholesome roots. Organic cultivation is only part of it—support for small-scale family farms and mobilizing a regional food distribution network are even more vital components. In the Kickapoo watershed, Valley Stewardship Network has taken a lead in building the local foods movement. The organization's "gleaning project" puts volunteers in the fields of local farmers to collect produce that is perfectly good, but not worthy of supermarket shelves. These gleanings go to the elderly and area food shelves. Through October 22, area farms. To volunteer, call 608-637-3615.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23 – THEATER
SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL
WINONA—Every year, Winona assembles a troupe of world-class actors to present a handful of classics from the Bard. This summer festival has slowly gained stature and recognition. Unlike many festivals, however, the organizers have remembered the impecunious "groundlings" who packed the penny gallery of Shakespeare's shows: previews and special cheap nights throughout the festival cost just $10 to $15. This year's offerings are A Comedy of Errors and Othello. The latter, with its racially tinged themes, should make especially interesting watching. Through August 1. Previews, June 23–24, 7:30 PM, Performing Arts Center, Winona State University, $10 and up, 507-474-7900, www.grsf.org

THURSDAY, JUNE 24 – MUSIC
STAR SPANGLED CELEBRATION
RICHLAND CENTER—It's easy to dismiss "Modern Country," with its Top-40 riffs and its fixation on boomer themes. Pretty sure Hank didn't do it that way. Still, it's a sign of a narrow mind to exclude broad categories of art, and there's plenty of artists in the New Nashville that are trying to keep it real. Most of the lineup at the Star Spangled are pretty invested in the superstar country-pop mirage, but Patty Loveless and headliner Dierks Bentley stand out as two who have stayed pretty true under the glitter. Through June 26. Gates 4:30 PM, Krouskop Park, $60, $100 weekend pass, advance/reserved options on website, 608-647-5155, www.starspangled.com