Let’s get the more serious one out of the way first. Kellogg Center is hosting the 19th annual Dia de la Mujer Conference from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday to promote the achievements of Latina women in the Lansing community.

This year’s conference will feature author Maria Elena Rodriguez as the keynote speaker, writer Lucrecia Guerrero as a distinguished guest speaker and Judge Patricia Perez Fresard as a distinguished honoree. There will also be a Latina Summit held to address problems facing the Latina community.

Tickets are $20 for general admission and $10 for students.

For more information, visit ddlm.ocat.msu.edu.

St. Patrick’s Day Rage

On Saturday, K&M Promotions is offering a chance to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style at The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing. Members of Lansing Electronic Artist Kollective, including DJ Rob Perry, will be spinning their music.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for St. Patrick’s Day Rage, which is open to anyone 18 or older.

There will be green beer along with other specials served.

Eighteen to 20-year-olds can get in for $8, while those who are 21 or older get in for $6.

For more information, visit theloftlansing.com.

East Lansing Sunday Soup

Sunday Soups have become something of a national phenomenon of late, and East Lansing is not going to be left behind. (SCENE) MetroSpace, 110 Charles St., is holding the area’s first Sunday Soup on Sunday, where for $5, you can eat soup, socialize and then listen to proposals from locals about their creative ideas. The best proposal, as decided by the soup-eaters, will earn the money collected at the event to fund their project.

Soup will be served starting at noon, and the event will run until about 2 p.m.

There also will be other East Lansing Sunday Soup events held in the future, so those with ideas might want to attend to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.

For more information, visit scenemetrospace.com.

Shuto Con

Lansing’s annual anime convention, Shuto Con, is back this weekend at the Lansing Center, 333 E. Michigan Ave., in Lansing.

Some events and attractions include Saturday’s Shuto Con Dodge Ball League, which is preceded by a live Angry Birds tournament earlier in the afternoon.

Other events also will take place, such as an anime scavenger hunt on Sunday and a date auction for those more than 18 years old on Friday from 10-11 p.m.

Registration can be attained at the door for three days, two days or just one day.

For more information and for the full schedule and rules, visit shutocon.com.

Maple Syrup Festival

Whether or not we saved the best for last is a matter of opinion, but there can be no arguing that we saved the sweetest for last. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Fenner Nature Center, 2020 E. Mount Hope Ave., in Lansing, visitors can learn about the process of making maple syrup by personally tapping a tree and making maple syrup and sugar themselves.

Admission is free to all, and visitors also can participate in a fundraiser that involves eating pancakes, among other things, if they so choose.

For more information, visit mynaturecenter.org.