Thursday

Wagner keynote

USC is hosting The Wagner Project, a week of Wagner-related music programming in conjunction with WagnerWorldWide: America, an academic conference. Alex Ross, a music critic for The New Yorker, will give the conference’s keynote address at 7:30 p.m. at the USC School of Music. Ross’ lecture will address the relationship Wagner, who openly expressed anti-Semitic views, had with black artists, including W.E.B. Du Bois, a civil rights activist, co-founder of the NAACP and Harvard-educated sociologist. The school of music is at 813 Assembly St. A complete calendar of events can be viewed at http://artsandsciences.sc.edu/www2013/overview.

Friday

Late-night cabaret

Town Theatre will host a late night cabaret event featuring vocalists Shannon Willis Scruggs, Abigail Smith Ludwig, Kathy Hartzog, Vicky Saye Henderson and Tracy Davis Davenport at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Town Theatre, 1012 Sumter St. $15, which includes wine, coffee and dessert; (803) 799-2510

Saturday

Get to sweeping

The Junior League of Columbia will host its 18th annual Clean Sweep one-day rummage sale from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at the State Fairgrounds. The sale, which features new and used items at affordable prices, is a fundraiser to support the group’s mission and community projects. Gates open at 6 a.m. and parking is $2. Doors open at 8 a.m. The fairgrounds are at 1200 Rosewood Drive. $3; www.jlcolumbia.org