To-do list

Lecompton author to read, sign new book

The mall in “Gone Shopping! An Odyssey of Discovery” is unlike any other.

Shoppers get a bag of free money at the door, but only the most observant among them discover the hidden meaning behind the mall’s arrangement.

Lecompton author Doc Carson leads readers on a metaphorical journey toward happiness in the new book, which he’ll read from, discuss and sign at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.

The event is free and open to the public. Copies of the book will be for sale at The Raven Bookstore.

Politics

Former presidential candidate to speak

George McGovern, the former U.S. senator and presidential nominee, will make his second trip to Kansas University in 14 months tonight when he receives the second annual Dole Leadership Prize from the Dole Institute of Politics.

McGovern will speak at 7:30 tonight at the Lied Center. Free tickets are available by calling 864-2787 or visiting the Lied Center box office.

McGovern is a former U.S. senator and representative. He was the 1972 Democratic nominee for president.

McGovern attended the Dole Institute’s dedication ceremony in 2003.

Music

Enigmatic Leon Redbone performs at Liberty Hall

Little is known about Leon Redbone’s upbringing, his age, his real name or how he even became interested in music. Redbone just seems to be a fixture in pop culture

Though his iconic guise of fedora, jacket and sunglasses has been thoroughly satirized (anybody remember the “Leon Redbone workout” Far Side cartoon?), it’s easy to overlook what a genuinely gifted musician and performer he remains.

Audiences can remedy that oversight Thursday when he performs at 8 p.m. at Liberty Hall, 642 Mass.

Sesquicentennial

Parade, concert mark city’s 150th birthday

A year’s worth of events marking the city’s 150th birthday will culminate this weekend.

The city will celebrate with a downtown parade, just as it did in 1929 to mark the 75th anniversary, above. The parade will be at 10 a.m. Saturday and will feature more than 100 entries. It will be followed by a festival in South Park from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring games, booths, music and food.

At 7 that night, Kelley Hunt will headline a free outdoor concert with Billy Ebeling and the Late for Dinner Band.

The weekend’s activities will conclude at 4 p.m. Sunday, when the time capsule at Sesquicentennial Point is buried during a ceremony. The point, near the Clinton Lake dam across from the off-leash dog park, eventually will be a plaza designed to mark the 150th anniversary of the city’s founding.