COWPARADE NC: UNC campus. Through January 2013: Artist-rendered cow sculptures on display. Cows will be auctioned Jan. 26, 2013. Proceeds benefit the N.C. Children’s Hospital. cowparadenc.com

IN FOCUS: Sept. 5-Nov. 1: Townwide festival of photography presented by FRANK Gallery. frankisart.com

HOPPIN’ JOHN OLD-TIME & BLUEGRASS FIDDLERS CONVENTION: Shakori Hills, 1439 Henderson Tanyard Road, Silk Hope. Sept. 13-15: Live music, contests, dances, workshops, vendors and more. hoppinjohn.org

WOODY GUTHRIE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION: The ArtsCenter, 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro. Sept. 15. Live music, readings. 919-932-8744, artscenterlive.org

WOODSROCK: Woods Charter School, 160 Woodland Grove Lane. Sept. 15: Live music, activities for families and children. Proceeds go to students’ transportation needs. woodscharter.org

MUSIC

ARTSCENTER: 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro. Sept. 8: Full Steam Ahead: A Benefit for North Carolina Rails-Trails with Mary Johnston Rockers. Sept. 12: Triangle Jazz Orchestra. Sept. 20: Robin and Linda Williams & Their Fine Group. Oct. 13: Perfume Genius, Dusted. Oct. 17: Los Lonely Boys. Oct. 19: John Jorgenson Quintet. Oct. 20: Tinariwen, Kishi Bashi. Oct. 26: Steve Forbert, Jon Shain. Oct. 27: Sam Bush Band. Nov. 1: Shamekia Copeland. Nov. 2: Tim O’Brien. artscenterlive.org, 929-2787.

CAFFE DRIADE: 1215-A E. Franklin St. Sept. 7: Allie Farris. Sept. 8: Mary Rocap. Sept. 12: Joey Beltram. Sept. 15: Something for Nothing. Oct. 5: Prypyat. caffedriade.com

CAROLINA BREWERY PITTSBORO: 120 Lowes Drive. Sept. 8: Randy Dean Whitt. Sept. 15: Lee Gildersleeve & the Bad Dog Blues Band. Sept. 22: Tommy Edwards & Lonesome Heart.

CAROLINA INN: All shows at 5 p.m. Sept. 7: The Gravy Boys. Sept. 14: Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos. Sept. 21: Big Fat Gap. Sept. 28: Down River. Oct. 5: Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos. Oct. 12: Big Fat Gap.

CAT’S CRADLE: 300 E. Main St., Carrboro. Sept. 5: Rockie Fresh. Sept. 7: Perpetual Groove. Sept. 8: Who’s Bad. Sept. 9: Yeasayer. Sept. 10: Street Dogs, Downtown Struts, Roll the Tanks, Koffin Kats. Sept. 11: Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Bodyguard, Moon Diagrams. Sept. 12: Supersuckers. Sept. 13: Big Krit. Sept. 14: Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra. Sept. 15: The Feelies. Sept. 18: The Adicts. Sept. 19: Tycho, The Album Leaf. Sept. 20: Jo Gore and the Alternative. Sept. 21: The Old Ceremony. Sept. 21: Cat’s Cradle in the Commons with Tift Merritt, Megafaun, Mandolin Orange (at Carrboro Town Commons). Sept. 22: Beth Orton. Sept. 23: Twin Shadow, Niki and The Dove. Sept. 25: Brother Ali Mourning in America Tour. Sept. 26: Stars, Diamond Rings, California Wives. Sept. 27: Antibalas. Sept. 28: Ben Sollee. Sept. 30: Carrboro Music Festival. 919-967-9053, catscradle.com

THE CAVE: 452 1/2 W. Franklin St. Sept. 5: Jphono1, Matt McMichaels, The Library. Sept. 6: Portable Hero, The Ends. Sept. 7: French and the Punk, Bubba Joe & The Bruisers, The Tremors, The Malamondos. Sept. 11: Brandon Adams. Sept 12: Blackwood and Wormy’s Open Jam for the Peeps. Sept. 13: Darker Shades of Symphony, Sacarum. Sept. 14: R Mutt, Regina Hexaphone. Sept. 15: Jason Herring & The Mystery Plan, Fox and Cats, Arrows Out. Sept. 16: Modular Synth Meetup & Noise Show, Blush Response, Ben Davis, Mecankill, Slaves, Vortex rangers. Sept. 17: Bassel & The Supernaturals. Sept. 19: The Bad Lovers, Teenage News. Sept. 20: Nanner-head, Burke Hilburn, Grey Market. Sept. 21: Boogie Reverie, Mark Holland. Sept. 22: Alex Bowers, Supreme Fiction, Jesse Wooten. Sept. 25: Poor Old Shine. Sept. 26: The Late Comers. Sept. 27: Ridge Frissell. Sept. 28: Zen Frisbee, Shark Quest. 919-968-9308, caverntavern.com

CRUNKLETON: 320 W. Franklin St. First Thursdays: Jazzbeau. 919-969-1125

HAW RIVER BALLROOM: Saxapahaw. Sept. 28: Big Beat Dance Party with Apple Juice Kid, Beverly Botsford, Atiba Rorie, Scot Crews, Larry Q Draughn and YahZarah. hawriverballroom.com

KRAKEN: 2823 N.C. 54 W. Sept. 14: Loves It. Sept. 15: Be the Moon.

LOCAL 506: 506 W. Franklin St. Sept. 6: Soul Khan. Sept. 7: Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires. Sept. 9: Bird Call, Sugar Glyder, Jessica Long & The New Kind. Sept. 11: Adam WarRock, Mikal Khill, Jesse Dangerously, Tribe One. Sept. 12: Junior Astronomers, Quiet Company, Museum Mouth. Sept. 15: Dirty Bourbon River Show. Sept. 19: Sonic Spank. Sept. 21: Hunter Valentine. Sept. 22: Some Army EP Release Show with Tow3rs, Gray Young. Sept. 25: Corin Tucker Band. Sept. 28: Mercuty Dime, John Howie & The Rosewood Bluff, Jeffrey Dean Foster. Sept. 29: Frontier Ruckus, Magnolia Collective. Oct. 2: The Soft Pack, Heavy Hawaii. Oct. 3: Octopus Project. Oct. 4: Aer, Yonas, David Dallas, Skyblew. Oct. 5: Balmorhea. Oct. 6: Lord Huron. Oct. 18: The Lighthouse and the Whaler, Ewert and The Two Dragons. Oct. 19: Milo Greene, Lucius. Oct. 20: Admiral Fallow. Oct. 21: Generationals. 919-942-5506, local506.com

MEMORIAL HALL: Cameron Ave., UNC campus. Sept 20: North Carolina Symphony. Sept. 30-Oct. 1: The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma. 919-843-3333, carolinaperformingarts.org

MYSTERY BREWING COMPANY: 437 Dimmocks Mill Road, Hillsborough. Sept. 33: The Spring Standards.

NIGHTLIGHT: 405 1/2 W. Rosemary St. Sept. 5: Open Old Time Jam, early; Arborea, Mariee Sioux, Sarah Shook, late. Sept. 6: Steve Gunn, David Daniell. Sept. 13: Jonathan Scales Fourchestra, DJ Pappy. sept. 14: Mid-Century Modern Dance Party. Sept. 20: Home Body. Sept. 21: Carolina Creates Music Showcase. Sept. 27: Orgavin, Mecankill, Little Black Rain Clouds. nightlightclub.com

OPEN EYE CAFE: W. R101 S. Greensboro St., Carrboro. Sept. 7: Drew Kelly. Sept. 8: Triptonic. Sept. 15: Eric Bannan. Sept. 21: Tango. Sept. 22: Jake Melnyk. Sept. 28: Tripp Band. Sept. 29: Saludos Compay. Sept. 30: Carrboro Music Festival. 919-968-9410, openeyecafe.com

RECEPTIONS/OPENINGS

ACKLAND ART MUSEUM: UNC campus. South Columbia and East Franklin streets. Sept. 6: Opening reception for “A Season of Japan.” 6-8 p.m. Live music by Triangle Taiko. Show runs through Jan. 6, 2013. 919-966-5736, ackland.org

FEDEX GLOBAL EDUCATION CENTER: UNC campus. Sept. 5: Closing reception for “Impressions: From an Artist and a Scholar,” Barbara Tyroler. 6-7:30 p.m. ton St. global.unc.edu

HORACE WILLIAMS HOUSE: 610 E. Rosemary St. Sept. 9: Opening reception for “Needlepointillism,” needlework paintings by Ralph Wileman. 2-4 p.m. Show runs through Sept. 30. 919-942-7818, chapelhillpreservation.com

LIGHT Art+Design: 601 W. Rosemary St. Sept. 7: Opening reception for Leigh Suggs Solo Exhibition. 6-9 p.m. Show runs through Oct. 25. 919-942-7707, LIGHTartDESIGN.com

THEATER/DANCE

ARTSCENTER: 300-G E. Main St., Carrboro. Sept. 14: The Monti. Sept. 28-Oct. 7:44 Plays for 44 Presidents. Oct. 13: The ArtsCenter Honors. 919-929-2787, artscenterlive.org

DEEP DISH THEATER COMPANY: University Mall, 201 S. Estes Dr. Through Sept. 14: “Radio Golf.” 968-1515, deepdishtheater.org.

DSI COMEDY THEATER: Carr Mill Mall, Carrboro. Sept 6: Open Mic, Standup. Sept. 7: Improv Slam, PT Scarborough Is a Movie, Mister Diplomat. Sept. 8: Improv Slam, Sketch CageMatch, X Games. 919-338-8150, dsicomedy.com

FOREST THEATER: Country Club Road, UNC campus. Through Sept. 9: “City of Frogs,” Paperhand Puppet Intervention. paperhand.org

NIGHTLIGHT: 405 1/2 W. Rosemary St. Sept. 7: Magician Michael Casey. nightlightclub.com

PLAYMAKERS: Center for Dramatic Art, UNC campus. Sept 19-Oct. 7: “Red.’ 962-PLAY, playmakersrep.org

PRC2: Center for Dramatic Art, UNC campus. Sept. 5-9: “An Iliad.” Jan. 9-13: “And God Created Great Whales.” April 24-28: “Spring Training.” 919-962-PLAY, playmakersrep.org

TOP OF THE HILL BACK BAR: 100 E. Franklin St. Sept. 16-20: “The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart,” National Theatre of Scotland. Presented by Carolina Performing Arts. 919-843-3333, carolinaperformingarts.com. Tuesdays: Back Bar Comedy, 9 p.m.

AUDITIONS

ORANGE COMMUNITY PLAYERS: Hillsborough Exchange Club. Sept. 10-11: Auditions for “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” Roles for four men, six women, eight boys, nine girls. ocpnc.com