‘Great Gatsby,’ Live Music, Gardening, Egg Hunts, Play Auditions, Prairie to Open

There are plenty of things to do this weekend and beyond. Here’s our Times’ list of 35 things to do.

1. Hamilton County Theatre Guild’s The Belfry Theatre presents “The Great Gatsby,” directed by Noblesville’s Andrea Odle, with performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, at Arts for Lawrence’s Theater at the Fort in northern Marion County, with tickets by calling 317-773-1085.

2. Enjoy live music with Hill and Oaks tonight and John Beatrice on Saturday and Craig Thurston on March 31 at Primeval Brewing in downtown Noblesville.

3. Enjoy live music by the 78’s at 7 p.m. today and March 31 and April 6 at Boathouse Kitchen & Swan Dive in Cicero and March 28 at the Hotel Carmichael in Carmel.

4. Watch Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” today and Saturday at Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre in Carmel, with reservations at civictheatre.org

5. Join a newly organized group of volunteers in making a community garden of fruits, vegetables and herbs near Southside Park in Noblesville, by attending two call-out community meetings, 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday and 6:30-8 p.m. April 6 at Mill Top Banquet & Conference Center in Noblesville.

6. Westfield Winter Farmers Market is 9 a.m. to noon this Saturday and April 1, at West Fork Westfield Event Center on East 191st Street.

7. Enjoy brunch and an Easter Egg Hunt with the Easter Bunny beginning at 10 am. Saturday at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Carmel.

8. Auditions for Underdog Theatre’s “Second Chances” will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Green Valley Church of Christ, 19005 Cumberland Road, Noblesville, for high school- and college-age actors with rehearsals and performances to take place in Noblesville. “Second Chances” follows life on Mars long before life existed on Earth. Prepare a monologue, complete an audition signup and get more information at underdogtheatre.org

9. Enjoy live music at Grindstone Public House in Noblesville, featuring The Dead Squirrels on Saturday and Disagreeable on April 1, Craig Thurston on April 6, John Gilmore on April 8.

10. Experience the live music of Mike Archer from 7-9 p.m. Saturday at Spencer Farm Winery in Noblesville.

11. See work of artist Marc “Mozzy” Love’s exhibit, “Welcome to the Boomtown,” open noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays in March in the Stephenson House. Bobbi K. Samples’ work is currently on display in the Meyer Najem 2nd Floor Gallery.

12. Participate in a Pop-Up Bird Seed Cakes program at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Fishers AgriPark.

13. Head to the 1836 Prairietown as the outdoor areas open for the 2023 season on March 28 at Conner Prairie in Fishers.

14. Hamilton County Passion Play “Behold the Lamb” on stage March 29-April 1 at Noblesville High School Auditorium. As of press time, tickets, at $1 each, were still available for the Thursday performance, at https://www.beholdthelamb.com/

15. Second Ward Vintage Market is April 1 in the Lacey Arts Building in downtown Noblesville.

16. Put on your running shoes and head for Forest Park for the return of the free Easter Egg Hunt activities that begin at 10 a.m. April 1, with the hunt at 11 a.m., sponsored by Noblesville Parks and Recreation Department and Hare Chevrolet. Activities at Shelter 5 include bounce houses, a DJ, and vehicle tours from the Noblesville Fire Department and Noblesville Police Department. The Easter Bunny also will make a special appearance. The egg hunt includes three age groups for ages 3-10 (3-4, 5-6 and 7-10). Children ages 2 and younger are invited to stop by the Parks and Recreation tent, where toddler-related activity bags will be handed out to the first 50 kids. Noblesville Kiwanis Sunrisers will host a pancake breakfast in conjunction with the egg hunt at Forest Park Inn 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. April 1, featuring pancakes, sausage, juice, coffee and milk, for $5 with proceeds to go to a local charity.

17. You get to ride a train for this Easter happening. Board the Nickel Plate Express for an Egg-citing Easter train ride with the Easter bunny on April 1, 2, 8  leaving Hobbs Station at Forest Park Depot in Noblesville.

18. If you’re 21 and older, enjoy an Adults Only Easter Egg Hunt from 10 a.m. to noon April 1 at Urban Vines Winery in Westfield. A $40 ticket includes a sandwich, Mimosa samples, live music with The Neighbors Band, find the Golden Eggs, then get your photo taken with the Urban Vines Bunnies.

19. Bring your precious pup to Egg-Paw-Looza!, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 1 at Asa Bales Park in Westfield. For three dog egg hunts, professional pet portraits with the Easter Bunny, activities, pet vendors, food and beverage vendors. A portion of ticket sales will benefit the Indiana Canine Assistance Network (ICAN). 

20. Enjoy a night of painting and see baby animals 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 1 at Kiln Creations in downtown Noblesville. Silly Safari will bring a menagerie of Easter bunnies and chicks to pet, then paint some Easter-themed pottery (which will be ready for pickup in a week after kiln drying) for your $25 ticket. Painters under age 13 require supervision.

21. Legacy Keepers Music’s new 2023 Classical Guitar series, a part of the Bicentennial Celebration, kicks off at 7 p.m. April 1 in the Historic Courtroom at the Hamilton County Courthouse in downtown Noblesville. NHS 2021 graduate, guitarist Santiago Baptista, will take the stand to give his own musical testimony before the featured artist, Joseph Jones, a 2020 Butler University Masters Guitar program graduate. The series continues May 6 with Brett Terrell and Friends, Nov. 4 with Nolan Winters and Dec. 2 with John Alvarado. Tickets are $20 each or $60 for season tickets for the four concerts, a savings of $20.

22. Partake in the Wayne-Fall Lions Club’s annual Palm Sunday Breakfast from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 2 at the Club on East 191st Street at DeShane Avenue and Victory Chapel Road, in Noblesville, with a menu featuring pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage for a freewill donation.

23. Hyperion Players is seeking actors to audition for more than two dozen roles in an original play, “Call Me Sister,” set at Christmas 1550, at 7 p.m. April 2-3 at Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Noblesville, with actors asked to perform cold reads from the script. Performances June 8-11.

Noblesville Jim Dandy’s annual Easter Kids’ Night is 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 5, with face painting, egg coloring and a coloring contest and more.

24. Calling all singers, dancers, magicians and other performs for April 7  First Friday in downtown Noblesville, with Noblesville Main Street’s “Noblesville’s Got Talent,” with audition registration at www.noblesvillemainstreet.org

25. Enjoy an Easter breakfast buffet and visit with the Easter Bunny for a photo opportunity from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. April 8 at Conner Prairie in Fishers. Remember to bring your own camera to capture the memory.  Assigned seating will be arranged in advance for registered guests.

26. The community is invited to an annual Easter Egg Hunt 9 a.m. to noon April 8 at the First Christian Church in Noblesville. Ages 5 and younger with parents at 9 a.m., ages 6-9 at 10 a.m. and ages 10-12 at 11 a.m.

27. Owners can bring their dogs and sniff out thousands of treat-filled Easter “Beggs” with treats, at 11 a.m. April 8 at Hamilton Town Center’s Dog Park behind Express.

28. Families can celebrate Spring at the Hide and Peep Egg Hunt and more 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8 at Village Green in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods.

29. Join the 11th annual Adult Easter Egg Hunt at noon April 8 at Blackhawk Winery & Vineyard in Sheridan, where the eggs you find will earn special prizes, and where your ticket includes a glass of wine and wine tumbler. For ages 21 and older. Grounds are open until 7 p.m. with music and food, with $25 tickets at eventbrite.com.

30. Add a touch of jazz to your Easter Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 9 at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel with special guest Tom Clark and sounds of Blair Clark, who has captivated audiences through Europe, Canada and all over the U.S.

31. Families can celebrate Spring at the Hide and Peep Egg Hunt and more 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8 at Village Green in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods.

32. Join the 11th annual Adult Easter Egg Hunt at noon April 8 at Blackhawk Winery & Vineyard in Sheridan, where the eggs you find will earn special prizes, and where your ticket includes a glass of wine and wine tumbler. For ages 21 and older. Grounds are open until 7 p.m. with music and food, with $25 tickets at eventbrite.com.

33. Add a touch of jazz to your Easter Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 9 at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in Carmel with special guest Tom Clark and sounds of Blair Clark, who has captivated audiences through Europe, Canada and all over the U.S.

34. Bring Fido and sniff out thousands of treat-filled Easter “Beggs” with treats, at 11 a.m. April 8 at Hamilton Town Center’s Dog Park behind Express.

35. Celebrate Spring at the Hide and Peep Egg Hunt and more 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8 at Village Green in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods.

-Betsy Reason writes about people, places and things in Hamilton County. Contact Betsy Reason at betsy@thetimes24-7.com.