Wednesday, March 13-Saturday, March 16

March has rolled around and downtown Tulsa’s light posts are a-flutter with banners announcing that the Conference USA Basketball Tournament is about to hit like a 50-mile-per-hour straight-line wind. College basketball’s C-USA conference preps for March Madness mode with the first rounds of play for both men’s and women’s games Wednesday, March 13, beginning at 11 a.m. The tournament moves on reaching the championship games set for 10:30 a.m. (men) and 7 p.m. (women) on Saturday, March 16. Will holding the tournament on the home court give conference school University of Tulsa an advantage? Who will move on to the NCAA Division I championships? These answers and more to come at the BOK Center, 200 S. Denver Ave., and the Tulsa Convention Center, southwest of the arena at 100 Civic Center. Tickets are $47-$292 online at www.bokcenter.com.

Wednesday, March 20, at 7:30 p.m.

Don’t you just bristle when the word “legend” is applied to someone whose body of work and its relevance has yet to be examined against time? No one who has followed Eric Clapton’s career or listened to him will argue that if anyone deserves the moniker, it’s the electric guitar virtuoso. A touring favorite, Clapton brings the total experience of his rock career to the Chesapeake Energy Arena, 100 W. Reno Ave., at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20. Tickets run $53.50-$93.50. Clapton welcomes special guests the Wallflowers to his stage and his night. To buy tickets or for other details, go to www.chesapeakearena.com.

Sunday, March 17, at 7 p.m.

Old is new again in the eyes and ears of the young, and the dapper young Pokey LaFarge has rediscovered Southern-flavored American roots music’s rowdy, toe-tapping heart for his own generation and the rest of us, too. He and his South City Three ensemble of Joey Glynn on bass, Adam Hoskins on guitar and Ryan Koenig (harmonica, washboard, snare) head to Bartlesville as guests of the ever spontaneous OK Mozart for its House-Concert Series. The musical duo Loves It opens for LaFarge at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 17 at the Frank Phillips Club at the Kress Building, 206 S.E. Frank Phillips Blvd., in Bartlesville. Tickets are $20 (advance)-$25 (day of show) and price includes beer, wine and light appetizers. Purchase yours at www.okmozart.com.

Thru May 17

As a rock star, Bryan Adams has met dignitaries, artists, actors, musicians, socialites, models, authors, the famous and infamous from everywhere. As a photographer, he has used those connections to build a portfolio that would give any freelancer shutter envy. But subjects aside, Bryan Adams: Exposed is better representative of the artist’s discerning ability behind the lens. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center (formerly City Arts Center) recently opened the exhibit of portraits, which features Lindsay Lohan, Mick Jagger, Amy Winehouse and Ben Kingsley. Show will run though May 17. The gallery at 3000 General Pershing Blvd., OKC, is open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more, check out cityartscenter.org.

Opens Saturday, March 16

Maybe it’s the idea of a world yet unblemished by the yoke, fences or income taxes, but for some of us, the frontier of a centuries past sounds like the sort of place where you could find yourself living a simpler and quieter life. The truth, however, is that living on the edge of familiarity was hard work and even dangerous. The 1840s Mountain Man Camp at Woolaroc Museum and Wildlife Preserve brings out the gentler side of that era Saturdays throughout the spring beginning Saturday, March 16. You’ll see people dressed in period clothing, tents and tipis and demonstrations of skills used by American Indians, mountain men and other dwellers of the frontier. When you’ve had enough of whittling your own toothpicks, you can leave for your air conditioned home and cable TV. No wonder the camp has become Woolaroc’s most popular event attraction. Woolaroc is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday. Admission is $10 adults, $8 for over 65. Children 11 and younger are free. Wollaroc is located at 1925 Woolaroc Ranch Road outside of Bartlesville. Visit www.woolaroc.org for more.

Weekend

St. Patrick’s Day is Sunday, just the way the Celtic saint would have wanted it. For the rest of us, the activities start early to make sure you get in your corn beef, cabbage and Guinness.

Claremore takes the lead with its Bangers and Mash Lunch from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday, March 15, in the Claremore Daily Progress parking lot, 315 W. Will Rogers Blvd., with live music, a sidewalk stroll and Pot-O-Gold Give-away. Plates are $6. The fun resumes with Claremore Main Street’s St. Paddy’s Party from 6-9 p.m., including more music, a short parade, Irish dancing, food, drinks and dedication to Celtic traditions. Read more at www.downtownclaremore.org.

The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame, 111 E. First St., Tulsa, has the St. Patrick’s Day Swing and Dance at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 15, with a bandstand, dance floor and Tulsa’s favorite jazzin’ redhead Pam Van Dyke Crosby at the mike. Tickets are $10 each. Go to www.okjazz.org for more.

Tulsa’s Brookside District closes the streets for the 31st Annual St. Patrick’s Day 5k Run, beginning at 8:30 a.m., Saturday, with the 1-Mile Fun Run along Peoria Avenue beginning at 43^rd Street South. The event, which benefits Special Olympics Oklahoma, includes the Special Olympics Run, a 5k run and a costume contest, making it an interesting event for spectators, too. Registration details are available at www.sook.org.

Follow the rainbow over to downtown Oklahoma City for the Oklahoma City’s Saint Patrick’s Parade at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 16. The parade begins at Walker and Sheridan avenues and follows Sheridan until Mickey Mantle Drive. Arrive early to get a good place to view the procession filled with colorful floats, a pipe and drum band and good ol’ green cheer. Read about it at www.okcstpatsparade.com.

It wouldn’t be a day of Celtic cheer without a mention of Arnie’s in Tulsa’s Blue Dome District. Arnie’s 57^th Annual St. Patrick’s Celebration features two days of music beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 16. Look for favorites like Dustin Pittsley, Steve Pryor, Jesse Aycock and Wink Burcham. The celebrating continues at 1 p.m. Sunday with music from Sibling Harmony, The Fiddlers, Cairde na Gael, Larkin and Sodhouse playing into the night. Hungry? Park it at the food truck food court just outside on the corner of Elgin Avenue and Second Street. Get the details at www.arniesbar.com.

If you do the numbers alone, the Greater Tulsa Home & Garden Show is nowhere near your average exposition. More than 450 exhibitors will be on hand with services and products that will make you wonder just how you ever did without; 14,000 square feet of exhibit space just for gardens and landscaping; 20-plus acres of exhibits; and 64 years of presenting the latest in consumer goods and services for your home inside and out. As the longest-running and largest home and garden show in the state, there’s plenty to do and see at Expo Square, 4145 E. 21st St. Also look for the return of the cooking stage, which will feature some of the area’s best chefs as well as great kitchen appliances. Tickets are $7-$8, the show runs March 7-10. The show is presented by the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa. For hours and other details, visit www.tulsahba.com.

For centuries, the ancient world built temples and altars to the Goddess of Love in hopes that her power would not only inspire amore, but also protect cities from their enemies. Much was asked of Aphrodite then and even today she symbolizes harmony, beauty and romance. Aphrodite and the Gods of Love is a collection of more than 120 pieces of sculpture, ceramics, artifacts and jewelry grouped and organized by Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Together, they tell the story of this figure’s mythology, history and fascinating evolution as patron of lovers as well as seafarers and warriors. With works borrowed from Rome and Naples, the exhibit comes to Philbrook Museum, 2727 S. Rockford Road. Visitors can view the stunning antiquities from March 10-May 26. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday (open until 8 p.m. Thursday), and admission is $7-$9. For more, visit www.philbrook.org online.

The first thing most critics have written in the numerous reviews of Tegan and Sara’s new album Heartthrob is how “danceable” it is. Fans who have followed the Canadian twins’ conjoined music career for the last 13 years, however, shouldn’t be concerned the angst and cutting lyrics they’ve looked forward to since 2009’s Sainthood haven’t been sacrificed. The indie rockers synth-up on tour, as well. They return to Cain’s Ballroom, 423 N. Main St., Tulsa, for a Monday, March 11, show. Doors open at 7 p.m. with opening guest act Diana. Getting a fair amount of attention, Heartthrob debuted in January at No. 3 on the Billboard charts, and it’s hard to not be pleased with that. And, who doesn’t like to dance even if just alone? Tickets are $34-$36 each, available at Cain’s box office and at www.cainsballroom.com.