Lawrence pays homage to its Bleeding Kansas roots this weekend with the 12th annual Civil War on the Western Frontier.

“The Ballad of Black Jack,” an historical musical by Baldwin City resident Don Mueller, opened Thursday night at the Lawrence Arts Center. The play tells a part-true, part-fictional tale set around the Battle of Black Jack, a skirmish that many historians consider the first of the Civil War. Additional performances are at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

A Territorial Dance, complete with dinner and period music, will raise funds for the Douglas County Historical Society. The festivities begin at 7 p.m. Saturday at the museum. Reservations are required.

Other highligths include historical presentations at the Watkins Community Museum of History and tours of historic sites in Douglas County.