Garrison Keillor is bringing his solo stage show to downtown Arlington on Friday, Nov. 13. The performance, titled Garrison Keillor Tonight, starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Music Hall, 224 N. Center St. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., which leaves time to park, find a seat and settle in before the lights go down.

The Eventbrite listing shows the event as in-person and all ages, with free parking and a no-refund policy, so be sure of your plans before you buy.

What to expect

According to the venue's event page, this is a one-performer evening built around a single microphone. It blends stand-up, storytelling, poetry and songs the audience joins in on. Keillor delivers verse set to music and comic rhymes, and much of the humor turns on the upsides of getting older, such as having nothing left to prove.

The page also promises the News from Lake Wobegon, his signature report on an imaginary small town where, as he has long put it, all the children are above average. The program also includes an a cappella sing-along with the crowd.

The venue lists the event from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., so plan on roughly two hours. The page includes praise from outside reviewers, but those lines are the promoter's selection, so read them as marketing rather than independent coverage.

Keillor hosted A Prairie Home Companion for forty years. The venue notes that he still sends out The Writer's Almanac daily to subscribers, has a memoir and a book of limericks behind him, and is working on a musical and a Lake Wobegon screenplay.

Tickets and arrival

Tickets are sold through the hall's Eventbrite page, which the venue's own event page links to. Check that page for current seat prices before you commit, and note that no refunds are offered. Both pages list the same date and start time, but it is worth a final check on the day.

Doors open two hours ahead of the show, so arriving early is the simplest way to avoid a rushed walk to your seat. The listing says all ages are welcome but does not describe the material, so parents weighing whether it suits younger children should ask the venue through its website first.

Fill out the weekend

Arlington Network's weekend guide pairs the show with three more events. Canines and Coffee runs from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Downtown Arlington Doggie Depot, 105 N. Mesquite St., and is listed as free. The Summit Band Boosters Craft Fest runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Summit High School, 1071 Turner Warnell Rd. On Sunday, the Arlington Lattes and Local Makers Fall Market opens at 11 a.m. at Nehemiah Coffee Company, 505 E. Lamar Blvd.

Together, they make an easy Friday-to-Sunday plan for anyone staying in town. That guide is a secondary source, so confirm times and details with each organizer.

Next on the same stage

One week later, on Friday, Nov. 20, the hall hosts Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown at 7:30 p.m., according to the Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau listing, which says only that prices vary.

Before you go

Dinner is the main scheduling question, with doors at 5:30 p.m. and a listed end time near 9:30 p.m. Hours at nearby restaurants vary, so check ahead of time. Look over the venue's event page for any last-minute changes, and bring your ticket on your phone or in print.