Dove Award-winning artist and Christian singer Ray Boltz will perform

from 7:30-10 p.m. Friday, April 19, in the Southwest Middle School gymnasium.

So far, 1,100 tickets have been sold for this nationally recognized artist’s performance.

Advance tickets can be purchased at Grace Christian Church and the Bible Book Store. They are $14.50 for general seating or $18.50 in artist’s row. General seating tickets may also be purchased at the door for $16.50.

Following is a roundup of other area events scheduled for this weekend:

Friday, April 19

– St. Theodore Catholic Church will hold a fish fry from 5-:30 p.m. in Marian Hall. Cost is $6 for adults and $3 for children under 12. Children 3 and under eat free. The menu includes fish, baked or mashed potatoes, cole slaw, rolls and ice cream with toppings.

– Hollandale Christian School will hold a Scholastic Book Fair: &uot;Dive into Reading! An Undersea Adventure.&uot; People will have the opportunity to buy Scholastic books for summer reading. There will also be ice cream-build your own sundaes, a student art fair, contests and surprises. The event runs from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the school gym.

Saturday, April 20

– The Annual Family Fun Festival will be held at the Northbridge Mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Several local agencies and organizations that work with children will provide a variety of fun activities, crafts and games designed to focus attention on the importance of the early years of a child’s development. There will also be fire trucks, an ambulance, and a police car for the children to check out. Clifford the Big Red Dog will also be greeting children. Children’s identification cards will also be available. Offered again this year will be Early Childhood Screening. This screening is for children ages 4 and up and is required by the school district before a child can enter kindergarten.

Register to win prizes throughout the day at the registration table near the center of the mall. Admission to all of the events is free, but children must be accompanied by an adult.

The Family Fun Festival is sponsored and coordinated by the Freeborn County Interagency Early Intervention Committee. The IEIC is a collaborative group of parents and professionals working together to provide and improve education, social and health services for young children and their families.

– Area astronomy enthusiasts are invited to take a walk through a scale model of the solar system from 8 to 10 p.m. The solar system walk is for people of all ages who are able to walk the 2.2-mile round trip from the Sun to Pluto and back. Plan on setting aside at least 30-45 minutes to walk from the Sun to Pluto and back again. The walk will use a portion of County Road 118, starting near the junction with Highway 251, at the west edge of Hollandale. Participants will need to start from the north end of the &uot;solar system,&uot; which will be located near the parking lot for the John Deere dealership. The event is being organized by Ken Fiscus, earth and space science teacher at Albert Lea High School. This is the fourth annual walk. As an added attraction, if the sky is clear, several telescopes will be set up for viewing the five visible planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. They will be lined up in a rare planetary conjunction.

Sunday, April 21

– Albert Lea Does Drove 70 will host a pancake breakfast at the Albert Lea Elks Lodge from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Buttermilk pancakes, blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, orange juice and coffee will be served. Cost is $4.50 for adults and $2.50 for children.

– Hundreds of Albert Lea residents will take over the Brookside Education Center as they support the March of Dimes’ fight to save premature babies by participating in WalkAmerica. Registration begins at noon and the walk at 1 p.m. By walking six miles, and getting donations from sponsors, walkers help to fund lifesaving research and innovative programs for babies in Albert Lea and in communities across the nation. To register, call (507) 282-0649. The walk route will take participants around Fountain Lake and ends at the Brookside Education Center.

– The Apollo Male Chorus from Minneapolis will be presented in concert at the Albert Lea United Methodist Church at 4 p.m. as part of the Robert L. Myers Art Series. The community is invited to attend. Admission is not charged, however, a free will offering will be received. The Apollo Male Chorus has been producing harmonious blendings continuously since 1895. The group of 60 men has a rich tradition. Members are no longer required to wear high silk hats to performances, nor are they fined for absences from rehearsals. What has not changed is the love of singing, strong bonds of friendship and a dedication to quality. From its early days the chorus has memorized its music and demanded a commitment to excellence from each member. Participation in choral competitions has helped maintain the high standard. Recent highlights of the chorus’ history include participating in the International Eisteddfod in Langollen, Wales in 1982 and again in 2000 when they placed 10th among competitors from around the world.