Donna the Buffalo concert, Goschenhoppen Folk Fest top weekend events roundup

The following events are planned for the week ahead throughout the region:

• Donna the Buffalo headlines the Concerts Under the Stars Series at the Upper Merion Township Building Park on Saturday at 7 p.m. Opening will be Dylan Zangwill. Donna the Buffalo is a genre-defying jam band that has become a lifestyle for its members and hardcore fans, known as The Herd. The band has played thousands of shows and countless festivals including Bonnaroo, Newport Folk Festival, Telluride, Austin City Limits Festival, MerleFest and Philadelphia Folk Festival. At several festivals Donna the Buffalo has become the house band for closing the events by backing up artists including The Avett Brothers, Keller Williams, Zac Brown, Bela Fleck, John Paul Jones and Chris Thile. They’ve opened for The Dead and have toured with Peter Rowan, Del McCoury, Los Lobos, Little Feat, Jim Lauderdale, Rusted Root and Railroad Earth, to name a few. Tickets cost $18 at concertsunderthestarskop.com.

• The Goschenhoppen Folk Fest, a showcase of the daily life of Pennsylvania Germans during the 18th and 19th centuries, will be held Friday from noon to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Henry Antes Plantation, Route 73, Perkiomenville. The festival features costumed craftsmen demonstrating vanishing artforms such as rope-making and tinsmithing; traditional foods such as sausage sandwiches and fastnachts; Pennsylvania Dutch dialect singing; a daily band concert; and tours of the Henry Antes House. Admission for adults is $15 per day or $22 for both days; $4 for ages 6 to 15; free for children 5 and younger. For more information, see goschenhoppen.org.

• The Sounds of Summer Concert Series at Univest Performance Center, Quakertown, presents country star Clay Walker on Friday at 6:30 p.m. Discovered in a Beaumont, Texas, bar, Walker was in his early 20s when he started rattling off a smash hits like “Live Until I Die,” “Dreaming With My Eyes Open,” “This Woman and This Man,” “Hypnotize the Moon,” “Rumor Has It,” “Then What,” “I Can’t Sleep” and “She Won’t Be Lonely Long.” His self-titled debut album rocketed to platinum status, the first of four to cross the million-sold mark. His 12th and latest album, “Texas to Tennessee, released in 2021, features the single “Need A Bar Sometimes.” Tickets range from $35 to $120 at eventbrite.com.

• Genesius Theatre will stage the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “School of Rock” from Friday through Aug. 20 at its theater at 10th and Walnut streets in Reading. Based on the film starring Jack Black, “School of Rock” is the inspirational story of kids at a prestigious prep school who come under the influence of wannabe rocker Dewey Finn. Dewey has just been kicked out of his band, he can’t pay rent and his life is falling apart. When he scams his way into a teaching job meant for his roommate, he turns a class of straight-A pupils into a mind-blowing rock band and inspires the kids to pursue what they love. This weekend’s showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, see genesiusdifference.org.

• Steel River Playhouse, Pottstown, kicks off its 2023-24 season with “Seussical the Musical,” running Friday through Aug. 20. Dive into the colorful world of Doctor Seuss as The Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton, an elephant who sets off to save a speck of dust containing The Whos from destruction. Horton must protect the Whos from a world of doubters while guarding an abandoned egg, left to his care. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, imagination, loyalty and community are challenged and emerge victorious. This weekend’s showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets cost $29 for adults, $24 for ages 65-plus and $17 for children 5 and older. See steelriver-playhouse.org.

• Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, Kempton, hosts its annual Birds & Brews fundraiser on Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. at its Outdoor Amphitheater. Attendees will receive a commemorative tasting glass, dinner from Brickhouse Grill and access to non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. Those with the designated tasting admission will enjoy unlimited tastings of beers, wines, hard ciders, liquors and more from various breweries and distilleries. Providing music will be Six to Midnight. Tickets cost $60 for tastings or $30 for no tastings at hawkmountain.org.

• Bryn Mawr Twilight Concerts presents Terance Symien and the Zydeco Experience on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Bryn Mawr Gazebo. For nearly 40 years, the two-time Grammy-winning, eighth-generation Louisiana Creole has been shattering the myths about what his traditional Zydeco roots music is. It most certainly is American roots music and it is music born of the black and mixed-race French-speaking Creoles of South Louisiana. It’s exhilarating and as complex and diverse as the Creoles. Simien has become one of the most respected and accomplished artists in American roots music today. He and his bandmates have performed over 10,000 concerts and toured millions of miles to over 45 countries during their eventful career. The band will be playing an opening set of children’s music. Tickets are $15. For more information, see brynmawrtwilightconcerts.com.

• The West Reading French Fry Fest will be held Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on South Sixth Avenue between Penn Avenue and Franklin Street. More than a dozen local restaurants and vendors will be offering creative takes on french fries. Admission is free and french fries are pay as you go. Entertainment will be offered during and/or after the event at various establishments, including Taqueria Comalli, West Reading Tavern, Willow Creek Brewing, Beer Wall and Nitro Bar.

• Tusk, billed as the world’s No. 1 Fleetwood Mac tribute band, will perform Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Pat Garrett Amphitheater, Strausstown. The band, made up of five friends who have been performing together for decades, has been criss-crossing the country since 2008. Kathy Phillips fronts the band in the role of Stevie Nicks, capturing her voice, demeanor, clothing and stage presence. Tickets cost $40 at patgarrettamphitheater.com.

• The 94th Old Fiddler’s Picnic will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Hibernia Park, Coatesville. Enjoy the stage show or stroll through Fiddler’s Cove to listen as musicians play tunes using a variety of instruments such as guitars, banjos and mandolins, performing styles such as bluegrass, old-time and gospel. The event also includes food trucks, craft vendors, children’s activities, blacksmith demonstrations and yard games. Admission is free. For more information, see chesco.org.

• The Daniel Boone Homestead, Exeter Township, will host a free history hike on Saturday at 10 a.m. Explore the history of the homestead and its historic and cultural landscapes. Wear sturdy walking shoes and bring water. Friendly dogs are welcome and must be kept on a leash. Animals are not permitted in the historic buildings. The program is run by The Daniel Boone Homestead Associates. The homestead is the birthplace of the famed frontiersman, born in 1734. The Boone House, constructed in three stages throughout the 18th century, is a 10-room stone structure fully furnished to the period and situated on 579 acres of rolling countryside. For more information, visit thedanielboonehomestead.org.

• SoulJoel’s Comedy Dome at Sunnybrook, Pottstown, presents Comedy, Music & Fire on Friday at 7 p.m. and comedian Tyler Fischer on Saturday at 7 p.m. Friday’s show will open with Azula Murdra of The Hoop Mistresses, a self-driven pyrotechnic theatrical performer who dabbles in aerial gymnastics; reggae music by the Rootsetters; and the comedy twinbill of Charles Walden and Tommy Too Smoov. Tyler Fischer has performed stand-up on “America’s Got Talent,” been a guest star on NBC’s “Chicago Med,” TV Land’s “Younger” and “Startup” on Netflix. He is known for his viral content with over 200 million views on his prank, sketch and celebrity impression videos. For tickets and more information, see souljoels.com.