On Saturday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. Lopez Center will host a community contra dance for all ages and experience levels. If you’re new to contra dance, it’s like square dancing but with partners in long lines down the hall. All dances are taught.

The caller for this weekend will be Lauren Kriel, bringing her energetic dances all the way from Asheville, North Carolina where the contra dance tradition is particularly thriving.

Sunday starts with a brunch potluck at 10:30 a.m. and then waltzing from 11-12 p.m. at Lopez Center. Tickets are at www.lopezcenter.org.

The music for the weekend will be provided by the Faux Paws. With instrumentation that includes saxophone, banjo, fiddles, mandolin, foot percussion, guitar, and voices, the Faux Paws pack a vast amount of music and heart into a small package.

Folk powerhouse brothers Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand bring a deep, energetic groove to traditional and original old time, Irish and Quebecois tunes. During their 17 years leading popular contra dance band Great Bear, the brothers have honed their harmonies with their voices as well as twin fiddles. Together they have recorded nine albums of original music, even appearing on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion in 2004. The brothers are joined by Chris Miller on saxophone and banjo.

Tickets are available on Lopez Center’s website or at the door, as a package or individually for both events. Concertgoers from other islands are invited as there are reasonable ferry options.