Gridiron heats up

A full slate of football is on tap this weekend.

It begins Thursday when Free State High School entertains Olathe East. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Kansas University’s Memorial Stadium.

On Friday, Lawrence High School and Veritas Christian will be in action. LHS will play host to Olathe North at 7:30 p.m. at Haskell Stadium, and Veritas will play at Cair Paravel at 7 p.m. in Topeka.

Kansas University will take on Toledo at 6 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium. Haskell Indian Nations University will play host to McPherson College at 7 p.m. Saturday at Haskell Stadium. And Baker University will travel to Fayette, Mo., to play Central Methodist at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

And Priest Holmes, above, and the Kansas City Chiefs will play their regular-season opener at 7:30 p.m. Sunday against the Broncos in Denver.

Music

Singer-songwriter to perform at CornerBank

Carrie Newcomer has the kind of reliable talent you can bank on. This may explain why the singer-songwriter will perform at 8 p.m. Friday at the CornerBank, 4621 W. Sixth.

Newcomer has blended folk, pop and R&B elements in her nearly two decades of incessant touring, playing sites from intimate coffeehouses to Carnegie Hall. Her profile as a songwriter was raised when Nickel Creek performed her song “I Should Have Known Better” on the trio’s Grammy-winning CD “This Side.” And she developed a whole new fan base when touring Europe with Alison Krauss and Union Station.

Her music reflects her social activism, and also incorporates her down-home lifestyle, with songs about bowling alleys and roadside diners.

Tickets for her Lawrence appearance are $10. For more info, contact 865-FOLK or www.westsidefolk.org.

Downtown

Bands to parade down Massachusetts Street

The sounds of high school bands will fill downtown Saturday as Kansas University hosts its 57th annual Band Day.

The annual pregame parade will be at 1:30 p.m. down Massachusetts Street, featuring the KU marching band and dozens of high school bands.

The bands will converge on the Memorial Stadium field at halftime of the KU-Toledo football game. Kickoff for the game is at 6 p.m.

Haskell

Arts show slated

The 16th annual Lawrence Indian Arts Show opens Friday with a benefit reception from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H.

Several area events have been scheduled to complement the show, including the annual Haskell Indian Arts Market, set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. New to this year’s show will be a musical performance by American Indian flutist TerryLee Whetstone at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18.