From Thursday, May 16, through Sunday, May 19, the Thing in the Spring will be at Nova Arts in Keene.

It’s the 16th Thing, and the third since it moved to Keene from Peterborough. Both weekend passes and single-day tickets are available at thethinginthespring.com and at Brewbakers/Terra Nova Coffee. 

This year’s festivities begin with a kickoff party hosted by the people at Coopershill, who will be making the trip to Keene and emceeing the show, which features eight performances, headlined by the Monadnock region’s Modern Fools.

Friday has a lean toward jazz and avant garde music, featuring jazz trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, hip-hop producer Prefuse 73 and avant garde guitarist Marc Ribot, as well as the Messthetics with James Brandon Lewis. The Messthetics feature the rhythm section of Fugazi, and Lewis is a former MacDowell fellow.

Saturday will see the first New Hampshire appearance by Earth, as well as composer and violist Jessica Pavone, The Huntress and Holder of Hands and Sunburned Hand of the Man. There will also be a poetry review and a book event with Chelsea Granger at Toadstool.

Sunday features Big Thief songwriter/guitarist/singer Buck Meek, as well as singer/songwriters Nina Nastasia, Jolie Holland and Song Exploder helmer and the One AM Radio himself, Hrishikesh Hirway. There will also be a city bird walk led by The Harris Center, and celebration of the new book of Dan Blakeslee’s rock posters.

In total, there will be approximately 35 bands on two stages, all at 48 Emerald St.