May Events In and Around Town

Lots of activities are happening in and around Hollister this month.  Take your pick and have a happy outing!

ONGOING EVENTS

Farmers Market
This Wednesday,  May 12, the Farmers Market is back in town. Fifth Street (between San Benito and Monterey streets) will be closed so that shoppers can wander from one vendor's table to the next.  Fresh organic vegetables and fruit, pasture-raised chickens, flowers, crafts, and prepared food will be available, many of which are locally grown or produced. The Farmers Market will be open every Wednesday, from 3 to 7 p.m., through September 29.  For more info, check out this page at the Hollister Downtown Association Web site.

Bingo!
Every Friday evening, Sacred Heart Church holds bingo games in the O'Reilly Hall (670 College Street). It starts at 6:30 p.m. You must be 18 years old to play. Bingo play are only allowed to play a maximum of $25.  Good policy, especially for me.

Bike Rides
Off the Chains Bike Shop sponsors bike rides in the area every Saturday from 8 to 11 a.m.  Check out the shop's Web site for details.

Used Book Sales
There may not be a bookstore in town or the county, but we can soothe our book-buying itch at the weekly book sale held by The Friends of the Library. Every Saturday morning, the group opens its shack behind the San Benito County Museum (Fifth and West) from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Only two bucks for all the books you can fit into a paper sack. What a bargain!

ONE-OF-A-KIND and ANNUAL EVENTS

May 13: San Benito County Trade Show
The 15th annual local trade show and job fair will take place this Thursday, from 2 to 7 p.m., at the Veterans Memorial Building (San Benito and Seventh). This year's theme is "Building Business Again in 2010."  Admission is free. For more info, read "Annual Trade Show and Job Fair Approaches" from the Hollister Free Lance. 

May 14-15: As You Like It
The Theater Arts Department at Gavilan College will present Shakespeare's "As You Like It" this Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 while tickets for students and seniors are $6. For more info, click over to the department's web page.

May 15:  8th Annual Wine Passport
This Saturday, you can tour seven wineries in San Benito County for the cost of one passport ($25 per person). The passport also includes a complimentary glass of wine at each winery. The annual event is sponsored by The San Benito County Winegrowers Association. For more info, click over to its "Passport Weekend" web page.

May 15: Guerra Family Cellars Concert 
The Guerra Family Cellars will open its outdoor concert season with Shakedown, a classics rock and roll band. Tickets are $10 per person. To see the surroundings, check the winery's web site.   To learn more about the band, click over to its Web site.

May 21-23:  "Trial by Jury"
The San Benito Oriana Chorale will open its 25th season with a three-day performance of "Trial by Jury," a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.  The group will perform at the Hollister Methodist Church (5th and Monterey) on Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. and at the San Juan Oaks Golf Club on Sunday at 3 p.m. Tickets are $5 for children, $10 for teenagers, and $15 for adults, which can be bought online or at local businesses. Tickets may be available at the door. For more info, head over to the group's Web site.

May 22: Dog Days of Hollister 
The Hollister Dog Owners Group will sponsor a fair for dogs and their owners and other human friends on May 22, starting at 10 a.m. It will take place on the lawn in front of the Briggs Building (San Benito and Fourth). There will be a doggie costume parade as well as prizes for the dog that has the best bark, has the waggiest tail, looks most like its owner, performs the funniest pet trick, and so on. For more info, click over to the Hollister Dog Owners Group Web site. 

May 22-23: The Great San Juan Bautista 2010 Rib Cookoff
Yum! BBQ ribs galore. Which one shall you taste, as you walk up and down Third Street in San Juan Bautista? In addition to eating ribs and more ribs, you can listen to live entertainment and buy or window shop at the various arts and crafts booths.  The event will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Here's a look at last year's Rib Cookoff:



May 23: First Annual Red Barn Run
When you say "red barn" in this area, most folks, like myself, think of the auction barn on highway 101. But that's not the case here. The red barn refers to the one on the Windhaven Ranch where this fundraising run for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will originate. This ranch is a few miles south of the City of San Juan Bautista. You can enter a 5K or 10K race, and walkers are welcome, according to the organizers.  For more information, go to the Red Barn Run Web site.

May 29-30: First Annual Hollister Airshow
Skydiving formation demo, non-aerobatic glider training demo, aerobatic competition maneuvers, and WWII fighter formation flybys are just a few of the performances scheduled to take place at the Hollister Airshow.  Tickets will be $5 per person, and parking will be $3 per car.  The Hollister Municipal Airport is a few miles north of downtown Hollister. For more info, check out the Hollister Airshow Web site.