Things to Do: September 2010 Archives

The Redlands Sister Cities Association, the Riverside Metropolitan Museum,and A.K. Smiley Public Library have collaborated to present the exhibit, "Remembrance, Reflection, and Restoration: Redlands and Riverside Community Peace Project" on display at the library Saturday, October 2 through Friday, October 29.

The exhibit will open at A.K. Smiley Library's 7th Annual Family Day. Visitors will have an opportunity to meet Ashley Wolff, author and illustrator of many children's books, including "Miss Bindergarten," "Stella and Roy Go Camping," "Compost Stew..." and many other titles. The Boy Scouts will be on hand to demonstrate how to set up a camp site and there will be a variety of different craft tables. Each child will receive a free book for attending.

Visitors can also make origami cranes for Riverside Metropolitan Museum's California Paper Crane Peace Project. The goal is to collect one origami crane for each of the 92,785 Japanese Americans from California sent to one of sixteen internment camps in 1942 following the entry of the U.S. into World War II. Library visitors wishing to participate may make their own crane and submit them to the library's front desk. For more information visit www.riversideca.gov/museum.

As a part of the new Redlands Pole and Peace Garden project, this exhibit highlights the new Peace Garden, select archival materials highlighting the impact of World War II on Japanese Americans living in Southern California, and the Paper Crane Peace Project.

The Peace Garden, located in Smiley Park in Redlands is a site dedicated to the Redlands Sister Cities' mission to promote peace through cultural understanding and raise awareness of the interconnectedness of our changing world.

What: Exhibit, Remembrance, Reflection, and Restoration: Redlands and Riverside Community Peace Projects
Where: A.K. Smiley Public Library, 125 W. Vine Street, Redlands, CA
When: Saturday, October 2nd - Thursday, October 28th
Cost: Free

What: A.K. Smiley Library 7th Annual Family Day
When: Saturday, October 2nd, 11:00am - 2:00pm
Cost: Free

Calico Ghost Town will once again commemorate the hey-day of its silver mining past in the annual Calico Days celebration running Oct. 8-10.

On Saturday, men and women dressed as miners, townsfolk or in their gentrified Sunday best will parade on foot or on horseback through the streets of town. The parade is a juried contest with prizes for the best representations.

Look for gunfight exhibitions throughout the weekend, as well as a variety of contests and games for children. There will also be carriage rides and a petting zoo.

For the die-hard competitors there's the miner's triathlon, which includes boulder moving, raking muck and finally an arm wrestling competition. Because burros where the primary means miners used to move silver finds down to the claims office, Burro Races have become a staple of Calico Days. Since burros tend to be a little stubborn, the event is a true challenge for competitors and is highly entertaining for viewers.

Country-Western band Stealing Angels will headline the live music over the weekend. Cowbop, Kellie Rae Band and California Borderline will also perform.

Calico Ghost Town is located at the Ghost Town Road exit on I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Admission costs $10 for adults; $5 for children aged 6-15; and is free for children under age 5. Active military with I.D. get in for $5 for adults; $3 for children ages 6-15.

For more information call 800-862-2542 or visit www.calicotown.com.

San Bernardino County Museum has a lot going on Sunday, Oct. 3. The Handweavers Guild will demonstrate weaving techniques from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Artist Terry Long will teach participants to paint plaster fossil replicas from 1 to 5 p.m. And Symphonie Jeunesse (comprised of 25 teenage musicians) will perform classical and baroque music pieces in the museum's amphitheatre from 2 to 4 p.m.

The museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for military or seniors, $5 for students and $4 for children aged 5 to 12. Children under age five and Museum Association members get in free.

For more information call 909-307-2669 or visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

The Mary Vagle Nature Center will hold an "Evening Star Party" Friday, Oct. 15 from 7-9 p.m. The event will be hosted by the Riverside Astronomical Society.

Attendees will have the opportunity to view planets, star clusters, galaxies and nebulae. Also, amateur astronomers will be available to answer questions about star gazing, telescopes and astronomy.

Community Service Coordinator Rick Dean said this event is "a great opportunity for families to come look at celestial objects." He also said that residents who are interested in astronomy can "get answers to questions such as what kinds of telescopes are good to start with, as well as what groups and clubs are in our area."

The Mary Vagle Nature Center offers various programs and activities for families, scouts and schools that incorporate a hands-on approach to learning about the natural world. The center is located at 11501 Cypress Ave. in Fontana.

For more information about the Evening Star Party and other upcoming events call 909-349-6994 or visit www.nature.fontana.org.

CASA of San Bernardino will hold its annual "Munchin' at the Mansion" fundraiser at Edwards Mansion in Redlands on Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Currently there are 4,500 foster children in San Bernardino County and 130 children on the waiting list. CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocate - recruits, trains and supervises volunteer adults who advocates for the best interests of abused and neglected children in foster homes.

The event will feature live music, a magic show, a silent auction, food and drinks and more.

Renee Rojanaro, along with drummer Ty "Tystikz" Fleming, keyboardist Eddie Gib Noble, guitarist Jim Henken and bassist Patrice (P-Bass" Jonz will play live dance music. The musicians have played back up to artists such as Pink, Celine Dion, Shakira and more.

Other entertainment will include Illusionist Robert Michaels and California Swing Dance Hall of Famer Erik Robison and partner Carla Hernandez.

There will be a silent auction area with items such as season tickets to the Sturges Center, a variety of dining certificates and more.

The evening will include an array of gourmet food, wine, beer and coffee from restaurants such as Dhat Island Foods Caribbean Cuisine, Michelle's Bakery, Las Fuentas' Mexican Food, Hanger 24 Brewery, J. Filippi Winery and others.

Tickets to Munchin' at the Mansion cost $50 each or $500 for a table of eight. To purchase tickets call 909-881-6760 or visit www.casaofsb.org.

The Temecula Children's Museum, otherwise known as Professor Pennypickles Laboratory is about to get spooky. For the month of October, the museum's Friday science nights will take a ghostly turn with the "Museum Gone Mad!" series.

Pennypickles was recently awarded "Best Museum" for the second year in a row and "Best Kids Place for a Party" by Nickelodeon. Among other special events, the museum hosts children's science nights every Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. for $5, which includes admission to the museum.

The madness begins Friday, Oct. 1 with "Icky Science" activities.

"We'll have really messy science activities for the visitors to get ooey gooey and messy with," said Kathleen LaNier, senior museum specialist in charge of education and special events. "We have some things that foam, some that change color and more."

Then on Friday, Oct. 15 the museum will host a "Mad Monster Robot Contest Party." Visitors are invited to create a robot and enter the contest for prizes.

"Everybody is encouraged to build their own robot and there's no fee to enter," LaNier said. "Everybody will get something. They can enter ahead of time or show up with one that night."

Get more than one night's use of the Halloween costumes with "Pennypickle's Daffy Dress Rehearsal" on Friday, Oct. 22. Children are invited to show up in costume for Halloween-themed activities.

"It's a chance for them to come in their costumes," LaNier said. "Each room in the house will have a different staff member and they can trick or treat around the house."

Wrapping up the month will be the "Haunted Museum" from Friday, Oct. 29 to Sunday, Oct. 31. The Haunted Museum is pretty scary so these activities are only recommended for teens and older.

"The museum will be shut down during that time ... open only during the day on the 31st," LaNier said. "It's darn spooky."

Admission to the haunted house will be priced higher than the usual $5 science nights. Call the museum for details. For more information visit www.pennypickles.org.

For more information call 951-308-6370 or visit www.pennypicles.org.

Kathleen LaNier, senior museum specialist in charge of e

Smiley Library will hold its seventh annual Family Day Saturday, Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The days activities are geared toward children in grades K-5 and will include fun with reading and crafts.

Ashley Wolff, author and illustrator of the Miss Bindergarten series, "Stella and Roy Go Camping" and "Who Took the Cookies from the Cookie Jar" will make a presentation at 11:30 a.m. in the Assembly room. She will be available to sign books after the talk. Each attending child will receive a free book.

Sponsors for the days activities include The Friends of the Library, the Library's Endowment Fund and the University of Redlands.

The Riverside Police Department will hold its 13th annual Traffic Safety Fair at Castle Park in Riverside on Saturday, October 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This year's theme is "All Roads Lead to Safety."

The day-long event will features police and CHP helicopter displays, vehicle and motorcycle displays, police K-9 demonstrations, a fire department safety house, fingerprinting and more. Free bicycle helmets will be given to the first 50 children to safely navigate the Safety City. Children will also be given tickets at each safety booth they visit and drawings will be held for prizes.

Participating agencies include, Cal Trans, California Highway Patrol, UCR Police Department, Riverside Fire Department, North High School-Law and Protective Services Academy, as well as several other agencies.

For more information click here.

The San Bernardino County Museum will host a drop-in family workshop, "Fossil Replica Painting" on Sunday, October 3 from 1 to 5 p.m. Supported by the James Irvine Grant, this Arts! Naturally program is free with paid museum admission.

Artist Terry Long will teach participants how to paint plaster fossil replicas and make them look like the real thing from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors should wear painting clothes as this activity, blending science with art, could get messy.

A replica is not just a model - it is a precise copy of an original. Making replicas of fossils is an important facet of the science of paleontology. Precise replicas of fragile and rare fossils are used for research, for education, and for display and help assure that the original specimen is safe from damage or loss.

The San Bernardino County Museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands. Admission costs $8 (adult), $6 (military or senior), $5 (student) and $4 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

What exactly did families do for entertainment before TV and video games? Well, they had to get a little creative.

"Do you remember Viewmasters and slideshows?" asked Jolene Redvale, curator of education at the San Bernardino County Museum. "Well in Victorian times, as entertainment, folks enjoyed viewing miniature scenes inside paper boxes."

The museum will host a workshop Sunday, Sept. 26 from 1 to 4 on "Victorian Viewing Boxes. Families with children ages 6 and older can design and create viewing boxes with a personal family touch. There will be extra activities available for younger children as well.

The workshop is part of the "Arts, Naturally!" program and is sponsored in part by the James Irvine Foudnation. Activities are free with paid museum admission.

For more information call 909-307-2669 or visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

Three competitors were crowned this year's OC ICONs over the weekend at the final concert event at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. After months of auditions and a round of semi-finals, 30 competitors performed for several celebrity judges and the audience Saturday.

Judges named Christine Panlasigui, 10, of Buena Park, Cole Fletcher, 13, of Huntington Beach and Eileen Mirabel, 15, of Cypress first place winners in the three age divisions.

The event was hosted by David Sidoni of "Newsies," "Bing" and "Roudhouse" and judges Melissa Hayden of "Guiding Light" and General Hospital" and Mark Walberg, host of Fox's "The Moment of Truth" and PBS' "Antiques Road Show."

The winners were awarded a prize package that included headshots by Phillight Photography Studios, a recording opportunity at Bomb Shelter Recording Studios and vocal coaching with Ira Kramer.

WBZB produces the annual vocal competitions OC ICON and Inland ICON (formerly "Inland Idol"). In October, WBZB will work with West Coast Festivals to produce a new version of vocal contests at the Annual Harvest Festival, which moves this year from Ontario to Corona.

The "Harvest ICON" event will take place over three days, Oct. 29-31 and will have four age divisions competing for cash and a prize package. For more information visit http://InlandIcon.com or call 951-371-5239.

Looking for free family-friendly things to do in downtown Riverside? First Sundays is about to begin its new season, which runs from October to May (No programming January 2011). On the first Sunday of every month, several participating organizations offer a variety of fun, hands-on art and cultural activities for children and teens from 1 - 4 p.m.

Participating locations include: Mission Inn Museum, Riverside Public Library, Riverside Art Museum, Riverside Metropolitan Museum, Fox Theater Foundation, UCR Sweeney Art Gallery and UCR/California Museum of Photography. Admission to each location is also free.

Activities planned for the 2010/2011 Season Kickoff Event October 3rd are:

Riverside Public Library: Candle Making and More!
Make your very own candle at a craft table from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Then enjoy the interactive "Mentos and Diet Coke eruption" presentation from 2 p.m-3 p.m. From 3 p.m.-4 p.m. our craft table will be reopen for more candlemaking.

Riverside Art Museum: Paper Masks
In time for Halloween, at RAM we will be creating cut paper masks. All ages can use their creativity to construct an unusual disguise.

Mission Inn Museum: Make Your Own Custom Puzzle
Join the Mission Inn Museum to kick off another season of fun by making your very own puzzle. Bring your creativity to make a puzzle that is one-of-a kind.

Fox Theater Foundation: Send My Regards To Broadway!
Join the Fox Foundation in kicking off the season with our celebration of the Fox Theater's Broadway series. Children of all ages can come and make their mark on the Fox Riverside Theater's "Walk of Fame."

Riverside Metropolitan Museum: Native American Adornment
Join us as we celebrate the close of Native American Week in Riverside with a demonstration of Native American traditional art forms. Curator of Sherman Indian Museum Lorene Sisquoc, basket weaver Blossom Maciel and bead artist, Cindy Beeshlegaii will lead visitors in basket and bead crafts. From 2-3 p.m. see a special presentation, "Adornment on Native American Basketry", by Bryn Potter.

For more information: (951) 826-5273.

The final movie in the first ever Movies and Music on Main Summer Series will play Thursday, Sept. 23. Disney's "The Princess and the Frog" will be played on a large outdoor screen in the Civic Plaza on Main Street between Mission Inn and University Avenues.

Movie watchers can bring a chair and snacks. Nearby downtown restaurants will also be open late. Downtown Riverside also has Riverside ArtsWalk every first Thursday of the month from 6-9 p.m.

There is also one last night of live music in the series Sept. 16 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The summer series is presented by the Riverside Downtown Partnership and sponsored by the City of Riverside and its Parks, Recreation and Community Service Department. For more information visit www.riversidedowntown.org or call 951-341-6550.

"Feed me!" :)

Performance Riverside will hold open call auditions for professional, non-union performers for "Little Shop of Horrors" on Monday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. at the Landis Performing Arts Center in Riverside. The production will be directed and choreographed by Roger Castellano, with musical direction by Scott Smith. Performance pay is available.

To audition, please have a song prepared (16 bars) appropriate to the material. Have another contrasting song prepared in case one is requested. Plan to move and dance. Also, bring a resume, headshot and 110-word biography.

Here are the roles:

SEYMOUR - Male Character Lead (22-35) Low A to High G. Our insecure, naive, put-upon, florist's clerk hero. Above all, he's a sweet and well-meaning little man. He is not a silly, pratfalling nerd, and therefore should not be played as the hero of a Jerry Lewis film.

AUDREY - Female Lead, (22-35) Low A to High D. The bleached-blond, Billie-Dawn-like, secret love of his life. Take Judy Holiday, Carol Channing, Marilyn Monroe and Goldie Hawn, remove their education and feelings of self-worth, dress them in spiked heels and a low-cut black dress, and then shake them all up in a test tube to extract what's sweetest and most vulnerable - that would be Audrey.

MR. MUSHNIK - Character Male, (40-55) Low G to High E flat.
Their boss. A failure of an East Side florist. His accent, if he has one, is more that of middle class New York than of Eastern Europe. He seldom smiles but often sweats.

ORIN - Male Supporting, (25 - 38) Baritone. A tall, dark, handsome dentist with a black leather jacket and sadistic tendencies. Think of an egotistical pretty-boy -- all done up like a greaser but thinking like an insurance salesman and talking like a radio announcer. (The actor who plays A Voice not unlike God's, Wino #2, Customer, Radio Announcer, Mr. Bernstein, Mrs. Luce, Skip Snip, and Patrick Martin.)

CRYSTAL, RONNETTE & CHIFFON - Female Supporting- African American, (18-30) Soprano, Mezzo, and Alto. Street urchins who function as participants in the action and a Greek Chorus outside it. They're young, hip, smart and the only people in the whole cast who REALLY know what's going on. Need clear belts and have a full handle on "girl group" / Phil Spector's "wall of sound" style. Must be impeccable part-singers.

VOICE OF THE PLANT - Male, Bass/Baritone. Provided by an actor on an offstage microphone. The sound is a cross between Otis Redding, Barry White, and Wolfman Jack. Think of The Voice as that of a street-smart, funky, conniving villain -- Rhythm and Blues' answer to Richard the Third.

Arroyo Valley High School will hold an "Arts in Education" Festival Friday, Sept. 17 from 4-7 p.m. at the school to celebrate arts in education and to raise funds for the school's programs.

Activities will include an art sale featuring items from local artists and students, food and live entertainment. Admission is free.

Arroyo Valley High School is located at 1881 W. Baseline in San Bernardino. For more information call 381-4295 xt. 410134.

Creative workshop participants will show off the fruits of their labor Thursday, Sept. 16 at the Inlandia Creative Writing Showcase at Back to the Grind Coffee House in Riverside.

The event, which begins at 7 p.m., will be led by Ruth Nolan, author of "No Place for a Puritan: Literature of California's Deserts" and leader of the workshop series since 2008. Selection readings will be presented from "Slouching Towards Mt. Rubidoux Manor III," the institute's 2010 anthology of original work created in the workshops.

Workshop participants and contributors to the anthology include: Karen Bradford; Vickie Buchanan; Brian Dale Bywater; Deenaz P. Coachbuilder; Nikia Chaney; Mike Cluff; Harki Dhillon; Heather Dubois; Cyrus Emerson; Ellen Estilai; Amy Floyd; Michelle Gonzalez; Joan Koerper; Danielle La Paglia; Lorraine Lefaivre; Peter Naggi; Kamelyta Noor; Michael Sleboda; Zachary Smith; April Strout; Vicky Tuey; Jean Waggoner; Celeste Walter; and Sharon Zorn-Katz.namescq

The workshops are free and open to the public. Register by e-mailing inlandia@inlandiainstitute.org. To learn more about the workshops in Idyllwild, Palm Springs and Riverside visit www.inlandiainstitute.org.

Got a little geologist in training? I know I find rocks all over my house. Anything sparkly, smooth or shaped in an interesting way makes it into our "collection" that I eventually move (sneaky-like as the kids are sleeping or distracted) back out into the garden.

San Bernardino County Museum will hold the family fun day, "Geology Rocks!" Saturday, Sept. 25. Families will learn about rocks, minerals and the earth by sorting and classifying rocks like geologists do. They can bring home rock collection record cards to start or advance their own collection. Visitors will also get a chance to see spectacular specimens up close, and to make a pet rock.

All activities will take place between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. and are included in paid museum admission. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for military and seniors and $4 for children ages 5 to 12. Children under 5 and Museum Association members are admitted free.

For more information call 909-307-2669 or visit www.sbcountymuseum.org.

On Saturday, Sept. 18, the San Bernardino County Museum will hold the fourth in a series of "Photography Made Simple" workshops.

This workshop will focus on family memories and will take place at the museum from 1 to 3 p.m. Led by artist Terry Long, these drop-in Arts Naturally workshops are included in paid museum admission and are sponsored by the James Irvine Foundation.

Long will talk about composing photos of family vacations and events, with the goal of recording family history and memories. All photo equipment types can be used including cell phones.

The Photography Made Simple workshops teach basic skills for building photographic techniques. Long teaches affordable resources for lighting composition and camera technology to improve personal photos.

For more information visit www.sbcountymuseum.org or call 909-307-2669. The museum is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane in Redlands.

The California Riverside Ballet is holding open auditions at the Fox Performing Arts Center Sunday, Sept. 12 for its 41st annual performance of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker."

Auditions will be from 1 to 3 p.m. for 15-year-olds and older; 3 to 4:30 p.m. for 12- to 14-year-olds; and 4:30 p.m. for 8- to 11-year-olds. No one under 8 will be allowed to audition.

The ballet asks that performers come dressed in ballet attire, including pointe shoes.

The Nutcracker performances are at the Fox Performing Arts Center on Dec. 9 - 12.

"I'm pleased to see this classic moving into the Fox Performing Arts Center," said Ward 1 Councilmember Mike Gardner. "It's wonderful news for our talented local dancers."

Guest artistic director, Mario Nugara, will conduct the auditions.

San Bernardino County Museum Curator of History Michele Nielsen and professional photographer Terry Long will host a roving photography workshop and architectural walking tour in downtown Redlands on Sunday, Sept. 12.

Long will offer tips and techniques photographers of all skill levels can use to improve their images and enhance their enjoyment of the surrounding environment.

"So often we forget to look up, down and even behind us to capture a new perspective with our camera," Long said.

Participants will meet on the west side of the Redlands Bowl at 2 p.m. for the two-hour tour, and will then head out on foot to capture unique building features, interesting construction materials and historic structures.

"Bring your camera, a notebook and wear your walking shoes," Nielsen said. "We will learn about the architectural treasures around us and how you can use your own camera to best advantage in the field to capture subtle details."

This mobile workshop is free and open to the public, as part of the "Arts, Naturally!" initiative of the San Bernardino County Museum, sponsored in part by the James Irvine Foundation.

Wear appropriate footwear and dress for the trek that will cover several miles. For more information call 909-307-2669.

To celebrate the ninth year of working together, Cold Stone Creamery locations will host a month-long fundraising celebration to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and the Inland region that will end with the "World's Largest Ice Cream Social."

Throughout September, ever Cold Stone will sell paper wish starts for $1 each through Sept. 30, when the social will take place. During the social, stores will give away three ounce portions of a flavor called Kate's Creation from 5-8 p.m. Kate is an 11-year old girl from Tampa, Fla. with a life-threatening congenital spinal cord condition who worked with Cold Stone to create her own flavor.

Kate's Creation includes caramel apple ice cream mixed with graham cracker pie crust, chocolate shavings and apple pie filling. Her exclusive Creation will be featured at Cold Stone locations throughout September.

"This is the first time in Cold Stone's history that the wish kid's wish was to create a flavor specifically for this event," said Mark Pilon, President and Coe of Make-A-Wish Foundation of Orange County and the Inland Empire. "Guests who participate in the event and try Kate's Creation will not only be helping Kate's wish come true, they will also contribute to granting the wishes of seriously ill children in our area."

Fifty-two stores will work together raising funds to grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions throughout Orange County and the Inland Empire. Cold Stone Creamery has supported the Make-A-Wish Foundation since 2002, generating a total of more than $3.6 million in donations.