5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: May 5-7

May 4—Welcome back

Opening day activities are set for 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Historic Hanna's Town, 809 Forbes Trail Road, Hempfield.

The day will include living history displays and demonstrations by Proctor's Militia I.B.W.C.P. and blacksmithing with Rex Baughman. Penn State Master Gardeners will give naturalist talks in the gardens. Children can enjoy 18th-century toys and games throughout the day.

The Revolutionary War-era site, home of the first seat of Westmoreland County, features several reconstructed and renovated log buildings, along with a walking path. Staff and volunteers offer interpretation at the Hanna's Tavern, the stockade, the Conestoga wagon and the textile exhibit inside the Murry Beacom House.

Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, $6 for students and free for children 5 and younger.

For information, call 724-836-1800 or visit westmorelandhistory.org.

Biennial exhibition

An opening reception for the juried biennial exhibit is planned for 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Greensburg Art Center, 230 Todd School Road, Hempfield. Food and beverages will be served.

The exhibit will feature two- and three-dimensional works by local and regional artists in various media. Juror is Clayton Merrell, an associate professor of art at Carnegie Mellon University and a painter whose works have been shown locally and nationally and are in private and public collections, including the Smithsonian Institution.

The show runs through June 30. For information, call 724-837-6791 or visit greensburgartcenter.org.

Music and more

These weekend programs are scheduled at The Palace Theatre, 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg:

—"Porgy & Bess Meets Rhapsody in Blue," with River City Brass, 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The ensemble's season finale will feature a semi-staged production of George Gershwin's opera, "Porgy and Bess," along with Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" arranged for piano and brass and songs from the Great American Songbook. Tickets are $24-$39.

—Westmoreland Cultural Trust's 25th Annual Achievement in the Arts, 4 p.m. Sunday. Seniors from 18 county high schools will be recognized for excellence in visual art and instrumental, theater and vocal performance. A reception will follow at 5 p.m. A ticket is $15.

For information, call 724-836-8000 or visit thepalacetheatre.org.

Drum and dance

A Native Peoples Celebration, with drum and dance performances, is scheduled for Sunday at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, 221 N. Main St., Greensburg.

The schedule includes storytelling from 11 to 11:30 a.m. and dancing from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 to 3 p.m. Dances will be the same in both time slots.

Performers will be members of the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center in Pittsburgh.

Admission is free. For information, call 724-837-1500 or visit thewestmoreland.org.

Choral cantata

The Westmoreland Choral Society and Saint Vincent College Singers will present Rene Clausen's "A New Creation" at 3 p.m. Sunday in the First Presbyterian Church, 300 S. Main St., Greensburg.

The featured piece is an a capella choral cantata by the American composer and conductor who is a professor at Minnesota's Concordia College, where he directs the renowned Concordia Choir, whose Christmas concerts frequently are featured by PBS stations across the country.

A ticket is $15, $10 for seniors or $5 for students, available at the door or online at westmorelandchoralsociety.com.

Shirley McMarlin is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Shirley by email at [email protected] or via Twitter .