Support for this edition comes from the West Lafayette Public Library Foundation, presenting the Music on the Porch concert series at the Caretaker’s Cottage. The second of three acoustic shows will feature Brent Laidler & The Swing 38, 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Caretaker’s Cottage in Grand View Cemetery, 1496 N. Salisbury St. in West Lafayette. The concert is free. Bring a lawn chair. Future show: Michael Kelsey, Oct. 18. For more on the concerts and the West Lafayette Public Library Foundation, go to www.wlplf.org.
And now, it’s …
By Tim Brouk / For Based in Lafayette
Dustin Lynch with Dasher the Band, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, Loeb Stadium, Lafayette’s Columbian Park — Pop country singer Dustin Lynch’s steady rise to stardom now has him playing stadiums — our own Loeb Stadium will welcome the singer tonight. The 41-year-old Lynch has won numerous awards since hitting the scene with “Cowboys and Angels,” a tune that introduced fans to his strong and sturdy voice while reaching No. 2 on the country charts. Other hits soon followed like the award-winning “Small Town Boy,” “Good Girl,” “Ridin’ Roads” and “Broken Heart Thing.” Lynch is touring in preparation for the release of his seventh album, “Clean Slate,” which is marked for release on Oct. 30. Opening the show will be North Carolina brother-sister duo Dasher the Band. Max and Laela Dasher utilize their Appalachian upbringing within the Blue Ridge Mountains — an epicenter for folk and Americana sounds 100 years ago — as the heart and soul of their music. However, the sound is revved up enough for 2026 audiences. $50-$113. Tickets.
“The Mousetrap,” 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 10-12; 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17-19 and 2:30 p.m. Sept. 19, Civic Theatre of Greater Lafayette, 313 N. Fifth St., Lafayette — Civic Theatre will kick off its 2026-27 main stage season with a classic whodunit — or who did it for you grammarians — from the woman who helped define the term, Agatha Christie. The longest-running play of all time from 1952-today in London, “The Mousetrap” is a classic murder mystery set at the stately Monkswell Manner during, yep, a blizzard where the various nefarious guests can’t leave. Help arrives eventually in the form of Sgt. Trotter (played by Aiden Freeman), for murder is afoot, and everyone is a suspect and potential victim. The classic Christie scenario helped the early 20th century author sell about 2 billion books worldwide. “The Mousetrap” also stars Micah Davis and Richie Stephan as Mollie and Giles Ralston, respectively, and the show direction and impressive set is by the great John Collier. $20.50-$29.50. Tickets.
East End Block Party, 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, downtown Lafayette — The annual East End Block Party is a late summer celebration of business and community on the eastern end of Main Street. Every’s Ice Cream, East End Grill, Ripple & Company and Cellar Wine Bistro will have their eats and drinks outside on the closed-off from Main Street (from Ninth to 11th streets only). Live entertainment will come in the form of Sheeza (6 p.m.) and a rare performance from The Fergus Daly Band (7:30 p.m.).
Sneaker Ball with The Luniz, MAR and Mr. Imperfect, 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, Rat Pak Venue, 102 N. Third St., Lafayette — A rescheduled event has been turned into a charity event for kicks. Oakland hip-hop vets The Luniz — purveyors of the huge “I Got 5 on It” track from 1995 — were to play downtown Lafayette’s Rat Pak Venue on July 25. The rescheduled show has been rebranded as the Sneaker Ball, a sneaker and clothing drive for Lafayette Transitional Housing Center. Attendees are encouraged to donate new or gently used shoes and any other clothing item while wearing their own best sneakers. Opening the show will be Detroit emcee MAR and Mr. Imperfect. $15 and $30. Tickets.
GermanFest, 2-11 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, downtown Lafayette — Dress in your best dirndls and let out your lederhosen because its GermanFest time again. The annual St. Boniface bash pays tribute to the 19th century German settlers of early Lafayette and the heritage that continued into the 20th century. Today, St. Boniface has a strong Latino congregation, which helps create one of the area’s most unique — and well-attended — late summer festivals in Greater Lafayette. You’ll get tacos and bratwurst, salsa and sauerkraut along with live polka music and much beer. Young frauen and manner have a slew of carnival rides, games and other activities to look forward to. $5; children 12 and younger are free.
Tim Brouk is a longtime arts and entertainment reporter. He writes here (almost) weekly, tracking things to do for Based in Lafayette.
BONUS CUTS
The Music on the Porch series continues with Brent Laidler & The Swing 38 playing from 3-5 p.m. Sunday at the Caretaker’s Cottage in Grand View Cemetery, 1496 N. Salisbury St. in West Lafayette. It’s free.
The 25th anniversary of Hands on Transportation, Imagination Station’s up-close-and-personal interactions with construction equipment, police cars, buses, fire trucks and more, will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12 at 600 N. Fourth St. in Lafayette. For more information, visit www.imagination-station.org
Thanks, again, for support for this edition from the West Lafayette Public Library Foundation, presenting the Music on the Porch concert series at the Caretaker’s Cottage. The next acoustic show will feature Brent Laidler & The Swing 38, 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 13, at the Caretaker’s Cottage in Grand View Cemetery, 1496 N. Salisbury St. in West Lafayette. The concert is free. Learn more at www.wlplf.org.
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