The willow tree that Dan Van Allen planted in his backyard 20 years ago

• We’ll be visiting a rehearsal of Baltimore’s Sankofa Dance Theatre, where we’ll learn about the principles of traditional African dance and drumming from the troupe’s co-founders, Kibibi Ajanku and Kauna Mujamal
• We’ll take a tour through the vast and mysterious collector’s paradise that Hollins Market artists Dan Van Allen and Spoon Popkin call home
• Signal contributor Sunni Khalid is on the road again with his tour guide, Sun editor David Michael Ettlin. Today they share a dispatch from Baltimore’s Irvington neighborhood
• And later in the hour, we’ll be joined by award-winning fiction writer Maud Casey. She’ll be sharing a reading from her recent collection of short stories, Drastic

The Voodoo altar in Dan & Spoon’s living room

Some of the African art that Dan has collected over the years

This Saturday night, Greek tenor sensation Mario Frangoulis will be making one of his first U.S. solo appearances — he’ll be performing with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in celebration of the Centennial of Christian Orthodoxy in Maryland. That’s happening tomorrow night at 8 o’clock at the Joseph Myerhoff Symphony Hall. Tickets and information are at 410 783-8000.

Tonight is a big night for Baltimore spoken / slurred word artist Blaster Al Ackerman. The iconoclastic poet celebrates the release of his new full-length album, I am Drunk, by headlining this month’s Shattered Wig Night. The evening is also slated to feature poet Lauren Bender and electric folk musicians Baby Aspirin. That’s happening tonight at 9 o’clock at Baltimore’s 14 Karat Cabaret. More information is online at www.normals.com.

Tomorrow evening, one of Baltimore’s most famous jazz vocalists gets her annual tribute: The Billie Holiday Music Festival begins at nine o’clock at The New Haven Lounge in the Northwood Shopping Center on Havenwood Road. Expect to hear big band renditions of Holiday’s songs and performances by Billie Holiday vocal impersonators. More information is at 410 243-8882

And if you’re feeling a little dark about the end of the Star Wars movie series, this weekend you’ll be able to find plenty of people to commiserate with at The Wyndham Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel. Baltimore’s annual sci-fi festival, Balticon, will feature memorabilia dealers, movie screenings, and a costume ball where Jedis and Klingons will have an opportunity to meet — and do battle — on the dance floor. More information is on-line at www.balticon.com.