5 things to do this weekend (3/9-3/11)

1. Only the young

Want to support a young performing artist (without assuming parental responsibility)? Check out one of these two events tonight — the Rochester Music Guild 's Scholarship Competition Winner's Recital , 6:30 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church (400 Fifth Ave. SW); or see the young performers of SkyVault Theatre Co . demonstrate "musical improv," 7 p.m. at Cafe Steam, 315 S. Broadway. Free admission.

2. Planter's words

It may not seem like it at the moment, but spring — and gardening season— is not long now. Grow your interest at a couple of classes Saturday at Sargents on Second , 1811 Second St. SW. There's a class on new perennials, including a few spacy-sounding ones, like " Blue Skywalker " and " Midnight Reiter ," at 10 a.m. Then, at 1 p.m., learn the fundamentals of growing sweet peppers. Call ahead to reserve a spot in either class: 507-289-6068.

3. Tipping the scales

Got a pet lizard? Want to see one up close? On Saturday, Chuck and Don's Pet Food and Supplies invite lizard owners to bring their pets to show off. See bearded dragons— those are the reptilian pets du jour — show off their speed on a two-lane, 6-foot race track. It starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. Free admission.

4. Don't blow it off

Minnesota Children's Museum Rochester hosts a pair of STEAM(that's science, technology, engineering, arts and math) events this weekend. On Saturday, local IBM employees present DiscoverE, a fun exercise in building play windmills from household materials. That's from 1 to 3 p.m. And on Sunday, the museum hosts another family activity, this time building spinning whirligigs(as if there's any other kind). That's also from 1 to 3. Regular museum admission ($5.50) applies.

5. Top Brass

There's plenty of great music in town this weekend, but a standout show ought to be a noisy collaboration between Rochester visual artist Chad Allen and the five-piece brass combo (plus drummer) Loud Mouth Brass . It's at 7 p.m. Sunday at Collider Coworking , 14 Fourth St. SW. Now, the seating is extremely limited, so even now you might be too late to join the audience. In that case, a pretty good backup plan is Albert Cummings , the talented blues guitarist who takes the stage also at 7, at Zumbrota's State Theatre. $28.

1/4: It may not seem like it at the moment, but spring — and gardening season — is not long now. Grow your interest at a couple of classes Saturday at Sargents on Second, 1811 Second St. SW. There's a class on new perennials, including a few spacy-sounding ones, like "Blue Skywalker " and "Midnight Reiter," at 10 a.m. Then, at 1 p.m., learn the fundamentals of growing sweet peppers. Call ahead to reserve a spot in either class: 507-289-6068.

2/4: Got a pet lizard? Want to see one up close? On Saturday, Chuck and Don's Pet Food and Supplies invite lizard owners to bring their pets to show off. See bearded dragons — those are the reptilian pets du jour — show off their speed on a two-lane, 6-foot race track. It starts at 11 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. Free admission.

3/4: Minnesota Children's Museum Rochester hosts a pair of STEAM (that's science, technology, engineering, arts and math) events this weekend. On Saturday, local IBM employees present DiscoverE, a fun exercise in building play windmills from household materials. That's from 1 to 3 p.m. And on Sunday, the museum hosts another family activity, this time building spinning whirligigs (as if there's any other kind). That's also from 1 to 3. Regular museum admission ($5.50) applies.

4/4: There's plenty of great music in town this weekend, but a standout show ought to be a noisy collaboration between Rochester visual artist Chad Allen and the five-piece brass combo (plus drummer) Loud Mouth Brass. It's at 7 p.m. Sunday at Collider Coworking, 14 Fourth St. SW. Now, the seating is extremely limited, so even now you might be too late to join the audience. In that case, a pretty good backup plan is Albert Cummings, the talented blues guitarist who takes the stage also at 7, at Zumbrota's State Theatre. $28.