We’ve all been there: It’s the weekend and you’re not quite sure what to do, but you don’t necessarily want to stay home. It can be tiring only finding generic workshops and panels when looking for something fun to do in the city and the surrounding counties.

But here at The Baltimore Banner, we’ve got you covered! Beginning this week, we’ll be publishing a curated list of weekend events that you may want to attend, including concerts, festivals, plays, exhibits, monster truck shows and whatever else seems interesting in the area. We’ll also let you know if they’re family-friendly affairs.

We’ll make sure to mention any upcoming shows that have been announced but aren’t open for sale quite yet. (It’ll give you time to prepared to wait in an infuriatingly long Ticketmaster queue.)

Check out this weekend’s events below.

Friday, April 28

Jonas Brothers

Live Nation is bringing the JoBros to Baltimore for one night only, and I’m sure it’ll be eventful for the former and current Disney Channel watchers. I can’t lie, though, I used to secretly bump their songs “Year 3000″ and “Burnin’ Up.” With that said, you will not see me at this show, but I might watch a clip or two on social media if it comes across my timeline.

Time: Doors open at 7 p.m.; show begins at 8 p.m.

Location: Baltimore Soundstage (124 Market Place)

Cost: It looks as if tickets are sold out on Ticketmaster, but you can purchase them from resellers such as Vivid Seats.

Family friendly? Moms may want to use their daughters to relive their own childhood fangirling over boy bands, so this should be family friendly, give or take a risqué lyric or three.

‘Faust’

This retelling of the classic story of “Faust” is billed as a “semi-staged concert opera.” The word “semi” makes this more intriguing for a person like me who is a fan of improv. I might actually check this out on one of the two dates.

Time: 7:30 p.m. on April 28; 3 p.m. on April 30

Location: The Engineers Club (11 West Mount Vernon Place)

Cost: It’s currently sold out for both dates, but you can join the waiting list here in case any tickets are returned.

Family friendly? I mean how well-versed is your toddler in foreign language? Let’s just call a babysitter for this one.

GospelFest

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is hosting their first ever two-day GospelFest, which should be fun for all in attendance. On Friday night, listen to the Nadja Scott & Divine Anointing Choir and The Jonathan Pettus Chorale. On Saturday, take a listen to The Clark Sisters’ Karen Clark Sheard, a Grammy-winning gospel singer, who will be joining BSO associate conductor Jonathan Rush. There will be food vendors and panels prior to the concerts on both evenings.

Time: 8 p.m. for the concert and 6 p.m. for pre-concert activities on both days

Location: Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall (1212 Cathedral St.)

Cost: The lowest-priced tickets were $35 for both Friday and Saturday’s show, but those appear to be sold out. The next lowest start at $55.

Family friendly? Yup.

Saturday, April 29

Annapolis Book Festival

You know what some of my favorite memories are? Attending those books fairs in school. I’m sure this won’t be exactly the same, but the Annapolis Book Festival is celebrating 20 years so there will be lots of exciting activities, such as raffles and food trucks.

Time: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Location: Key School (534 Hillsmere Drive)

Cost: $Free.99

Family friendly? Absolutely.

Monster Jam

As a kid, I’ve been to more than a handful of Monster Jam shows. Who doesn’t love seeing huge trucks race each other and do tricks? I haven’t been as an adult, but I just might attend one to satisfy my younger self.

Time: 7 p.m. on April 28; 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on April 29; 1 p.m. on April 30

Location: CFG Bank Arena (201 West Baltimore St.)

Cost: Tickets start at $20 on Ticketmaster depending on the day.

Family friendly? Every child should attend at least one of these, so yes.

Sunday, April 30

‘The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century’

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop, “The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century” takes a look at the past two decades in hip-hop and the influence it has had on society. This exhibit, on display through July 16, incorporates a wide range of paintings, sculptures, photography, installations, video and fashion, and is a must-attend for all fans of hip-hop.

Time: The first showing begins at 10 a.m., with the last showing at 4 p.m.

Location: The Baltimore Museum of Art (10 Art Museum Drive)

Cost: Free for BMA members; tickets range from $5 to $15 for nonmembers.

Family friendly? Yes.

Hip-hop’s impact on ‘The Culture’ is undeniable at Baltimore Museum of Art

Waverly Book Festival

This will be an all-day vendor fair featuring books from some of Baltimore’s most popular bookstores, such as Red Emma’s and Urban Reads Bookstore. Guest speakers such as Sheri Booker, D. Watkins and The Banner’s own Lawrence Burney will also be there.

Time: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Location: The main stage will be at East 32nd Street and Greenmount Avenue.

Cost: $Free.99

Family friendly? Especially so — there will be a children’s area on the corner of Merryman Lane and Brentwood Avenue that will have guest readers and performances by Baltimore Improv Group.

Announced this week

‘Summer Block Party’ tour with SWV, Dru Hill and Jodeci

My mom is going to love this one for sure. The three legendary R&B acts will be stopping at CFG Bank Arena on July 29. I’m not sure if all 37 members of Dru Hill will be making the stop in their hometown, though. Tickets go on sale Friday.

LL Cool J’s F.O.R.C.E. tour with surprise guests

Hey, look! It’s something my dad will love, too! Grammy-winning artist LL Cool J is headlining a tour of hip-hop legends that will perform at CFG on July 1. They haven’t announced who the remaining artists will be for the Baltimore stop, but the potential cast includes Salt-N-Pepa, Common, Queen Latifah, Rakim, Big Boi, MC Lyte, Rick Ross and Method Man & Redman. Tickets go on sale Friday.

Maryland State Fair with All Time Low and Quinn XCII

Towson’s own All Time Low will be headlining Day 1 of the Maryland State Fair on Sept. 8; Quinn XCII will be there on Sept. 9. Other acts include Lauran Hibberd and Gym Class Heroes, who had that song “Cupid’s Chokehold” that I hated to love in middle school. Tickets go on sale Friday.

WTMD’s First Thursday festivals

I’m not familiar with some of the artists who are listed to perform at WTMD’s First Thursday festivals, such as The Heavy Heavy and Deer Tick, but Whiskey Feathers piques my interest for the name alone. Make sure to stop by Canton Waterfront Park on the first Thursday of June through September for some free fun.

taji.burris@thebaltimorebanner.com