Thursday, March 7-Sunday, March 10

Great attractions and an even cooler line-up of the latest vehicles hot from the assembly line are booked for this event at Oklahoma State Fair Park. The Oklahoma City International Auto Show rolls back into the halls of Oklahoma State Fair Park, 3001 General Pershing Blvd. Events begin at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 7, with attractions for all ages, including classic cars and vendors, the Camp Jeep indoor obstacle course (where attendees can drive a Jeep over a simulated terrain), the toy car treasure hunt and a chance for little ones to meet Dora the Explorer. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 7-12 and $5 on Thursday and Friday for seniors 60 and over as well as military personnel presenting an ID. Go online to see a complete schedule and list of attractions at okstatefair.com and www.okcautoshow.org.

Saturday, March 9, at 7:30 p.m.

Theater is a purely collaborative art, and nothing reveals all the parts played on stage and off better than a 24-hour play race. Playhouse Tulsa Theater is back with teams racing against the clock to create, produce and stage 10-minute plays in a single day. Watch as all the elements of storytelling on a stage come together at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center’s Liddy Doenges Theater at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9. It will have been a long day for the teams with writing the night before, rehearsals the following morning and the presentation a mere 24 hours later. The PAC is located at 110 E. Second St., and tickets are $5-$15. How long will it take you to get there? For more, visit www.myticketoffice.com.

Friday, March 8, at 8 p.m.

Willie Nelson & Family have been on the road together so long that the legendary songwriter’s longtime back-up band is practically his own. The consummate touring act returns to the state with his best-loved works as well as his latest gold in a prolific career of solos and collaborations that continue to make him one of the most sought-after musicians of our time. Tickets are $37.50-$90. Show is at 8 p.m. Friday, March 8, at Lucky Star Casino Events Center, 7777 N Highway 81, in Concho. To purchase tickets and more, go to www.ticketstorm.com.

Sunday, March 10, at 7 p.m.

Rock band Muse taps into the BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave., this weekend with big sound off the band's latest album, The 2nd Law. The trio of Matthew Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Christopher Wolstenholme continue to impress and gain more fans with their sixth album. Word has it that this tour is bigger than anything they’ve done before and more grandiose on a scale perfect for the arena. Rolling Stone called the album Muse’s “biggest and craziest music yet.” We hope so! Show will be at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 10. Tickets are $35-$65, available at the BOK Center box office. For more, visit www.bokcenter.com online.

Saturday, March 9, at 6 p.m.

It’s the party of the year, and the Red Ribbon Gala is saving a seat for you at the Tulsa Convention Center, 100 Civic Center. The elegant evening of auctions, entertainment and dining promises a great night of company with others attending to raise funds for Tulsa CARES. What is Tulsa CARES? The organization began 21 years ago to help low-income men, women, children, families and communities affected by HIV with basic needs, transportation, counseling and support. There’s still a lot of work to do, and the annual gala helps make those efforts possible. Sponsorships and individual tickets to the gala are available through noon on Friday, March 8. Tickets are $500 each. The gala begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 9 and is sponsored in part by Oklahoma Magazine. For sponsorship details and other information, visit www.redribbongala.org.

Saturday, March 9-Sunday, March 10

Welcome back to the days when people made a majority of their home goods or bought them from a neighbor. There was no such thing as a run to the grocery store for a gallon of milk in the 1880s, the period setting of Persimmon Hollow Village in Broken Arrow. Persimmon Hollow, 6927 S. 115th E. Ave., is where you’ll find the Made in Oklahoma Arts & Crafts Show featuring vendors with all kinds of goods from artists, local farmers, craftsmen and shop owners. Since everything is from Oklahoma, you’re sure to find plenty that is both unique and familiar. Persimmon Hollow is located northeast of 71st Street and Garnett Road. Hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, March 9-Sunday, March 10. Admission is free. For more, go to www.persimmonhollowvillage.com.

Design is in everything; at least that’s true of great musical compositions carefully written by genius for meter, tone, harmony and feelings they, together, draw from a listener. Verdi’s Overture to La Forza del Destino, which lends its title to Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s newest show, leads off an evening of works by Haydn (Cello Concerto in C Major) and Brahms (Symphony No. 1). In-demand cellist Zuill Bailey, acclaimed for his soul-stirring performances, joins the philharmonic in the music hall’s Thelma E. Gaylor Performing Arts Theatre, 201 N. Walker Ave. Show will be 8 p.m. Saturday, March 2, and tickets range from $15-$65 each. A concert preview is also scheduled at 7 p.m. Tomasz Zieba, adjunct instructor of cello at Oklahoma City University, is joined by Dorothy Hays, former music director at Putnam City Schools, in a performance that is free to Force of Destiny ticket holders. For more, visit www.okcphilharmonic.org.