Shogun Sanders & Shakespeare > City of Covington, KY

COVINGTON, Ky. – You know what sounds good this weekend? Going to any air-conditioned venue. Standing chin-deep in a pool. Having your spouse or significant other fan you for hours.

While we can’t tell your spouse or significant other what to do, we’ve got suggestions for the venues: See a musical in a cool theater, listen to music with an icy beverage in hand, or take in a museum exhibit. This weekend presents great options for these very things.

And when that fiery orb lowers in the sky, we’ve got fun evening happenings, like a big ol’ dart fight in a park, a birthday party for a giant, and a classic comedy.

Whatever you do this weekend, stay cool and hydrated.

KFC, Japanese warrior style

No, we’re not talking about slicing up your 3-piece KFC Original Recipe combo with a katana, we’re talking about that towering 20-foot mural on the north side of the Earth to Kentucky building in MainStrasse Village.

Col. Harlan Sanders has long loomed large in Kentucky, but Shogun Sanders, the creation of renowned Kentucky-born artist Jonathan Queen, takes the fried chicken king to new dimensions as a Japanese Shogun warrior with an outer space vibe.

Shogun Sanders is just one of the 12 Quality of Place Grants the City awarded in February, and you can expect to see a whole lot more outright awesome original public art in The Cov. (Remember those book benches? That luminous bench on Scott Street? The “Unapologetically Covington” mural on Pike Street? Batman and Spiderman saddled up on a couple of horses, blazing across the Latonia Commerce and Shopping Center building? The “Rooted Hands” mural at 1450 Madison Ave.?) Take our word for it, there’s out-of-this-world stuff happening in The Cov.

On Friday, Earth to Kentucky wants you to come celebrate its bold new resident at its Shogun Sanders Birthday Party.

If you haven’t been to Earth to Kentucky, then we must raise a baffled (nay, judging) brow because this place is the bombdiggity. We’re talking bootleg toys, a Fakeretariat t-shirt (find out for yourself), a Sailor Moon Metal poster, a black velvet Eraserhead painting, a stained glass Creature from the Black Lagoon, and hard-to-find vintage vinyl gems like “Satan Get Out of Here,” by Miss Judy W. DeLatte.

Mighty Nerf warriors

Gear up and get ready to take aim with your most powerful foam dart blaster because it’s time to march into battle, ye mighty Nerf warriors.

Covington Parks & Rec’s first, and surely epic, Foam Dart Night happens Saturday at the Devou Park Bandshell.

The event will have specific areas defined for warriors 13 through17 years old and those 18 and up. Foam darts and eye protection will be provided, as will blasters, if you don’t have one. Otherwise, bring your own (but no motorized blasters are allowed).

Gamblers betting on a woman

Gambler Nathan Detroit needs $1,000, so he bets his gambling pal Sky Masterson that he can’t convince moral stalwart Sarah Brown to go to Havana with him. Meanwhile, Nathan’s fiancé, Adelaide, is determined to get him to the altar.

Guys and Dolls premiered on Broadway at the 46th Street Theatre in 1950, then adapted to the big screen in 1955 with Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, and Vivian Blaine in the lead roles. On Saturday you can catch this musical classic on stage at The Carnegie.

16th century slapstick

Two sets of twins separated at birth wind up in the same town. As one might expect, mistaken identity, love triangles, and misadventures ensue.

Shakespeare in The Park: The Comedy of Errors takes the stage at the Devou Park Bandshell on Sunday. It’s one of Shakespeare’s earliest and shortest plays, the only one with fewer than 15,000 words, but it’s long on laughs.

Live music

Tonight: Music@BCM: NKY Music Legends at Behringer-Crawford Museum … The Missy Werner Band at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant … Twin Sons Duo at Smoke Justis.

Friday: Linus Tate at Smoke Justis … Greg Chako Trio at Juniper’s … Project Doyle at Braxton Brewing Co. … Dear Summer 2 at Madison Live … 20 Years of the Fall of Troy at Madison Theater …Your Ol’ Pal Don Pruett & His Close Personal Friends at Wunderbar.

Saturday: Pete Benoit at Smoke Justis … Kevin Sparks Trio at Juniper’s. … at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant … Nat Jones at Braxton Brewing Co. … Ryan Alfred CD Release Show at Madison Live … Harbour at Madison Theater … Death Warmed Over at The Rooftop at Madison Theater.

Sunday: Sunday Funday with Zac and Jorden at Zazou.

Miscellaneous

Tonight: The Art of Fashion: Fay Applegarth Maddux at Behringer-Crawford Museum … 513 Outdoor Movie Night “Top Gun: Maverick” at Covington Plaza … LINK x LOU Rooftop Pop Up at Braxton Brewing Co.

Friday: Holtman’s Pop-Up Donut Shop & Coffee at Braxton Brewing Co. … Dancing with Nature at Behringer-Crawford Museum … The Art of Fashion: Fay Applegarth Maddux at Behringer-Crawford Museum … Devou Night Rides at Devou Park.

Saturday: Covington Farmers Market at 3rd & Court streets … Dancing with Nature at Behringer-Crawford Museum … MainStrasse Village Food Tour … The Art of Fashion: Fay Applegarth Maddux at Behringer-Crawford Museum … Margaritaville Party at Frosthaus … Summer Rooftop Party at Braxton Brewing Co. … Future Galileo Nights at The Volpenhein Pavilion in Devou Park.

Sunday: Guys and Dolls at The Carnegie.

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