Weekend Planner: Start With The Big Red Ball

Here are five things to do this weekend in Decatur and Avondale Estates. For a full list of ideas, look at the Patch calendar of events.

1. The Big Red Ball. This evening of dinner, drinks and dance benefits the non-profit 50 Cents. Period., which raises money to buy sanitary products for young women in developing nations. 7 p.m. Friday at the DeKalb History Center at 101 E. Court Square, Decatur. $115.

2. "When Your Middle Name Is Danger!" A one-man play is about a man who re-enters the dating world after nearly a decade away. It's written and performed by Dustin Danger Stevens and directed by Paige Steadman. 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Academy Theatre. For audiences 16 and up. $15.

3. Touch A Truck. Your kid and the kid inside you can explore firetrucks, police cars, police motorcycles, dump trucks, tractors and other vehicles from the City of Decatur and DeKalb County. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Calloway Building arking lot, 120 West Trinity Place. Free.

4. Pickin' and prose. The bluegrass band The Dappled Grays performs for a fundraiser at the Decatur Library. Authors Joshilyn Jackson and Karen White will sign books. You can also enjoy Southern food and a silent auction. 7 p.m. Saturday. $65 in advance, $75 at the door.

5. The Indigo Girls. Decatur's homegrown stars will perform a benefit concert for the Friends School of Atlanta. 4 p.m. Sunday at the school at 862 Columbia Drive, Decatur. $40 in advance.