Merrily, We Go Round and Round

Got small kids? Need them to work out their ya-ya's after being cooped indoors. How about a treat on the carousel at Casa de Fruta?

The Pacific Brass Band

Want to talk about heavy metal bands? Okay, how about that Pacific Brass Band which performed yesterday afternoon in Hollister?

There was quite a lot of heavy metal in the form of cornets, trombones, flugelhorns, tenor horns, euphoniums, tubas, and percussion. And, their sound was so sweet! The band's rendition of Amazing Grace was just mind blowing. The man sitting behind me thought he was listening to bagpipes.

The Pacific Brass Band is composed of about 33 musicians from San Benito, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties. They perform around the area throughout the year. They usually play in Hollister around this time every year.  It's a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

For more information about the Pacific Brass Band, click  here to visit its Web site.

The Halloween Corn Maze

Have you gotten lost in the corn maze yet?

I'm talking about the Swank Farm's Halloween corn maze at 2600 San Felipe Road, just next door (on the north side) of the Hollister Airport. There are only 9 days left, if you haven't checked it out yet.

Every year, the Swanks create a new design for their Maniac Maze, which involves twists and turns through 20 acres of corn. To successfully make your way through and out of the maze, you must find 27 hidden spots that complete the story about the maze. It also helps if you or someone with you has a good great sense of direction. Otherwise. . . .

The amazing maze is open daily until October 31. On weekends, you can try your luck at night. (It's a full moon tomorrow night, by the way.) If you're into being spooked senseless, you might want to venture into the Haunted Conover Mystery Ranch.  Boo!

Swank Farm also offers other fun things for kiddies and grown-ups: Pig races, pumpkin tosses, go-carts, a farm animal zoo, and a pumpkin patch, among other activities.  You can also buy fresh produce, homemade fudge, and other food products, as well as items from the farm's Swanky clothing line, at the farm's country store.

Definitely a fun outing for everyone!  And, no, I wasn't paid, nor had my arm twisted, to write about the Swank Farm.

For more info about the farm and the corn maze, check out these links:

• Swank Farms
• Yelp reviews of the Corn Maze  
• The Great Outdoors: Outdoor Halloween Fun, by Kristin Leal, The Monterey County Herald 

Coming Soon: Music! Music! Music!

Hollister will be rocking big time this coming weekend! Not one. Not two. But, three music events will be happening with a mix of new and well-known groups. Some of the performers will be local artists. It's musical heaven, I tell you. Rock and roll. Salsa. Funk. Jazz.  Blues. Soul. Reggae. Folk. Tejano. Country. Alternative. Mariachi. And more!  If you can't find music to please your body and soul, well, that'll just down right sad. 

Paine's Concert Series

On Friday, August 20, three legends will be performing at Paine's Restaurant on East Street (between 4th and 5th).  Pete Escovedo! Uh-huh. In his 70s, the man is still smoking hot!  Juan Escovedo! The eldest child of Pete, he has toured with Prince, En Vogue, Barry White, and Freddie Hubbard, to name a few. And, Suavé! The popular long-time band performs Latin Rock, classic rock, blues, and just about everything.  The concert starts at 9:30 p.m. Advanced tickets are $20. Tickets will not be sold at the door.

For more about the performers, check out their Web sites:

• Pete Escovedo
• Juan Escovedo
• Suavé

Dunne Park: Where the Action Shall Be!

Music in the Park
On Saturday, August 21, bring your lawn chairs, and a picnic, to Dunne Park on Seventh Street (between West and Powell)  for a free concert.  Sponsored by the San Benito County Arts Council, the Community Foundation of San Benito County, the California Arts Council, and Centro Ollin (Center for the Working Artist), the concert will run from 4 to 8 p.m. Several musicians will be performing, including local bands. Some of the featured artists will be:

• Daniel Valdez 
• Michael Annotti  
• Somos
• Sake Bombs
• Mariachi Alma de Mexico
• Tim and Frances Tompkins

Hollister Concerts

The Guerra Cellars' Hollister Concerts will also be taking place on Saturday, August 21at the Peppertree Ranch on John Smith Road. Time: 6 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10.

Shane Dwight and Extra Large will be sharing the bill. Music reviewers describe Dwight as a killer blues artist whose style draws from R&B, alternative country, jazz, and rock and roll. Extra Large is a soulful funk rock band based in Santa Cruz. It's motto is "We dare you not to dance."  

For more about the artists, check out their Web sites:

• Shane Dwight
• Extra Large

Summer Farmer's Market

Tomorrow is Wednesday.  You know what that means. The Farmer's Market!

Haven't been there yet? It's on Fifth Street, between San Benito and Monterey streets. Lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts, eggs, milk, chicken, and meat are there for the buying. Honey, oils, jams, flowers, dried fruits, and various prepared food and non-food items are also available.  Click here for a list of vendors. Please note that some vendors may no longer be there, and that new vendors, such as Claravale Farm (fresh milk!) and Douglas Ranch (beef, pork, and lamb) are not listed.

Have kids? Come earlier for Story Time with Julie Engelhardt at Mars Hill Coffeehouse. That's just around the corner. It starts at 1:30 p.m. Theme is Let's GO! Cars, Planes, Trucks and Trains.  "Kids can bring their favorite vehicles--boats, airplanes, cars, etc., and they can dress up like an engineer, race car driver, fireman, policeman...anything they like!" says Julie.

Talking about kids, are you ready to hear a very talented group of young ladies? The Sledge Grits Band will be performing tomorrow at the Farmer's Market. Ages 7 through 14, these rocking gals have already been featured on the CBS Early Morning Show. Here's the link to their website. Check out the video of their CBS performance before heading over.

Ooooooooooooklahoma! in Hollister

Show of hands. How many of you thought of Oklahoma!,  the musical, right away?

Good for you.  But, did you know there is a Hollister, Oklahoma? I didn't know it existed until I did a google search for Oklahoma + Hollister. Hollister, OK is located in the southeast part of the state. But, that's something to talk about another day.

Remember the film version of Oklahoma! with Gordon MacRae as Curly, Rod Steiger as Jud, and Shirley Jones as the girl those two guys wanted. Originally, it was a Rodgers and Hammerstein's production, which played on Broadway. This coming weekend, you can see that play in Hollister!

For the past two weekends, the San Benito Stage Company has been presenting Oklahoma! at the Granada Theater. This weekend will be the company's last performances.

Oklahoma! will be presented at 7 p.m. on  Friday (July 23) and Saturday (July 24). On Sunday (July 25), you can see a matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The Granada Theater is located on Fifth Street across from the City Hall.  A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the San Benito County Historical Society Garcia House Visitors Center.

For more details, check out the San Benito Stage Company Web site.  And, to read about the production, check out "'Oklahoma' comes sweeping into Granada" by Melissa Flores at Weekend Pinnacle Online.

The cast of Oklahoma! at the
2010 San Benito County Saddle Horse Show and Rodeo Parade.

Hollister Movies Under the Stars

The downtown summer night movies are back!

This year, the Hollister Downtown Association will be holding the free movies every Thursday night in July. Bring your seats and blankets and find your place on the lawn at the corner of San Benito and Fourth Streets. Movies start half an hour after dusk.

Some things to remember: Minors cannot attend the movies alone. Please leave your pets at home. No coolers or alcohol drinks are allowed at the movies. And, no smoking either. If you're hungry or just need something to munch as you watch, you can buy pizza, popcorn, and other refreshments there.

Here's the movie line up for the month. (Clicking the movie links will take you over to Amazon.com, from which you read movie summaries and reviews.)

July 8: Paul Blart, Mall Cop
July 15: Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
July 22: Shrek 2
July 29: Over the Hedge

For more details, check out this page at the Hollister Downtown Association Web site.

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.

Sweet Saturday Night Jazz

Dinner and jazz. What a sweet combo, no? Especially if there is a slice of lemon cake in front of you, like the yummy type that is served at The Knife and Fork Cafe on San Benito Street.

Well guess what? You're in luck. This Saturday, May 1, 2010, a jazz combo will be playing during dinner (6:30 to 9 p.m.) at the restaurant.  Cool!

According to Luis Lenzi, the saxophonist,  the trio will play outside on the patio if the weather is good.  A spring evening listening to jazz while eating lemon cake, or other delicious food that the restaurant has to offer, sounds heavenly.

Here are some links to check out for more about the restaurant and Mr. Lenzi:

• The Knife and Fork Cafe (Note to All: I wrote this last year before the restaurant served dinner.)
• Luis Lenzi

Furthermore, for your pleasure, the sounds of Mr. Lenzi!

Who Wouldn't Want to See a Crab Dance?

The husband and I did a double take when we saw this banner waving high yesterday, though not at the same time.  He saw it the moment after I shot the photo as we were driving down the street. No, I will not say who was driving.

The annual Crab Feed and Dance is a fundraising event by the Hollister Exchange Club, a local volunteer group that likes to raise money to do good deeds around town.  The event will be held on Saturday, April 17, from 5:30 p.m. to midnight. Dinner starts at 7 p.m., I'm told. The place—Bolado Park, which is also the San Benito County Fairgrounds. For more information check out this Calendar Events page of The Weekend Pinnacle.

Other web sites that may interest you:
National Exchange Club
Bolado Park/San Benito County Fairgrounds

March Music!

With March comes spring, and with spring comes the sound of more birds singing around us. Spring also brings the sound of musical events to the area.

On Wednesday, March 10, the Watsonville Community Band will be coming to town to perform its annual Spring Concert. The members of the band are musicians from Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara, and San Benito counties. Place: Veteran's Memorial Building on San Benito Street. Never been there? It's easy to find. Just head into historical downtown Hollister and find parking once you come to a big white building with columns on the east side of the street. Time: 7:30 p.m. And, it's free!  You can't beat that price.  For more info about the band, click over to its Web site.

This Saturday afternoon, March 13, the South Valley Symphony will present its Music for the Young at Heart Concert at Gavilan College in Gilroy. For information, click over to the Symphony's Web site.

Also this Saturday (March 13) at 7:30 p.m., Tommy Cash will  be performing a tribute concert to his late great brother Johnny Cash at the Bolado Park. For more info, click over to the Karco Concert Promotions Web site.

The renowned El Teatro Campesino, in San Juan Bautista, offers a couple of one-of-a-kind events in March.

• March 20:  The Folk Collection, a band of folk singers from Southern Californa, will sing many familiar folk songs through the evening performance. For more info, click here.
• March 26-28: Even Though They Are Women is a musical concert celebrating women, which features Las Mujeres de El Teatro Campesion.  For more info, click here.

The local schools also have some musical treats for us.

• March 18-20: San Benito High School will present the musical Annie at the school auditorium. For more info, check out the high school's Web site.
• March 31: County Music Festival at the San Benito High School O'Donnell Gym. It starts at 7 p.m. For more info, check out the Rancho Maze Band Web site.

So there you go. An abundance of happy uplifting musical notes happening on the 25 in March! Hope you can take advantage of one or more events.

The 2009 Lights on Celebration

Yes, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus will be coasting through downtown Hollister this year in the annual Candy Cane Lane Parade.  Saturday, November 28, 2009, in fact.

Main street, aka San Benito Street, will be closed downtown for the celebration. Here's the schedule:

• 5 to 5:30 pm: pre-parade events

• 5:30 to 6:30 pm: Parade! Whoo-hooo!

• 6:30 to 8:30 pm:  Santa's Village, Merchant Open House, and live entertainment

For more info, click over to this Hollister Downtown Association link.

For photos of  last year's event, click here.

History in Play Around San Benito County

Yes, I know it's been awhile. It'll probably still be awhile before I can get back into some kind of routine blogging. But I thought I'd pop in to tell you about all the fun things that are happening this Saturday September 19, in and out of Hollister. Ok, and some on Sunday September 20, too.


Paicines Ranch Open House

Paicines Ranch, also known as Rancho Cienega de los Paicines, has been around since the mid-1800s. Today, the current owners breed cattles and horses. It sells free range grass-fed beef to the public. It also rents its historical buildings for events. On Saturday afternoon, you can tour the grounds, including the Grogan House where Judy Garland was married. The ranch is a straight shot on the 25, about 15 minutes south of Hollister. For more info, click here to get to the Paicines Ranch Web site.

Chicken Festival and Parade

Cock-a-doodle-doo! It's the the annual Chicken Festival in San Juan Bautista, several miles west of Hollister. There's a crowing contest, a Chicken dance contest, Chicken bingo, a Chicken parade, and more. Why chickens? There's a bunch of 'em roaming wild through the streets of the hamlet. Some locals love 'em. Some wouldn't mind making 'em into chicken soup. Join in on the fun, either or both Saturday or Sunday. For more info, click-a-doodle here to the San Juan Bautista Chamber of Commerce.

Civil War Event

The San Benito County Historical Society (SBCHS) will be hosting a Civil War event at the San Benito County Historical Park. For info and photos, click here to go to the SBCHS Web site. Also, click here to read an article in the Hollister Free Lance about the event.

Renaissance Faire

Hear ye. Hear ye. The Renaissance Faire is back at Casa de Fruta, a few miles north of Hollister. It's open every weekend through October 18. For more info, click ye on over to the Northern California Renaissance Faire Web site.

The County Fair is Coming!

First things first. I gotta brag about my recent contest winning at Sew, Mama, Sew! I won a yard of free fabric in its recent Free Fabric Friday contest. So many wonderful choices. Thank you Sew, Mama, Sew!

If I had more time, I’d sew something with the fabric to enter in this year’s San Benito County Fair. Maybe next year. But I still plan on entering photographs. My quest is to be bestowed a ribbon. Blue, red, chartreuse.... I don’t care. I just want a ribbon.

The fair will be from Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4 at Bolado Park, which is several miles south of Hollister on Highway 25. You can't miss it.

The deadline for entries (crafts, baked goods, art, livestock, floriculture, and so forth) is Friday, August 28. You can download entry forms from the San Benito County Fair Web site. You can view the schedule of events at the Web site, too.

Want to read about last year’s county fair? Then clickity-click here.

Christmas Music!

Last night, Dick and I headed over to the Veteran’s Building for a Christmas concert. “Deck the Halls. . . fa la la la la. . .” Yep. We got to sing a bunch of first verses worth of Christmas carols with the Watsonville Community Band, the members all decked in their green and gold uniforms. It’s nice to know that there is an outlet for once-upon-a-time high school band members. One of the trumpet players was my seventh grade music appreciation teacher, who continues to teach and lead middle school musicians into one amazing marching band year after year.

“We are the Watsonville Community Band,” announced Eugene Smith, the conductor, at the beginning of the night. “But we are not a Watsonville band.” The members hale from various cities in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties, including Watsonville, Salinas, Ben Lomond, Gilroy, and Hollister.

The Watsonville Community Band is one of the few adult community bands in the nation. It has been around since 1947! According to the Christmas program, anyone who plays (or played) a band instrument is welcome to join. The band performs yearly concerts, such as its Christmas Concert series, as well as participates in marching parades. Their performances are always free.

At last night’s concert, the band performed a selection of pieces, from an Andy Williams song, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” to the quietly moving “Ave Maria.” They also played the “March of the Women Marines,” which was composed in 1943 for the Women Reserve band. That piece was a head bouncer and toe tapper, but the coolest thing about it is the fact that one of the members of the band was part of the original Women Reserve band.

The “Night Before Christmas” was read by the conductor, surrounded by many of the tiny children in the audience. Snap. Flash. Snap. Flash. Snap. Yep, the sound and blur of a photo op for parents and grandparents who smilingly crept up to candidly catch their kiddies. For the last piece, the audience stood and sang joyously loud (OK maybe some of us) with the band, after which Santa Claus popped out to give the kids candy cane sticks.

The concert was an hour long, and for an hour, I felt a sense of the warmth of small-town community. The Watsonville Community Band will be back to put on a spring concert for the town. I’m looking forward to it.

In the mean while, here are still a few more Christmas concerts in the county to check out:

• 12/10: Elementary School Holiday Concert, 7 pm, Rancho San Justo
• 12/10: Oriana Chorale Christmas Concert, 7:30 pm, Mission San Juan Bautista
• 12/11: Scarlet Regiment Band Holiday Concert, 7 pm, San Benito High School Auditorium
  
• 12/18: Rancho-Maze Band Holiday Concert, 7:30 pm. Rancho San Justo
  

Christmas singing cheer can also be found at these events:

• 12/12: Trees of Light, 5:30 pm, Veteran’s Building
• 12/13: Annual Christmas Caroling and Candlelight Walk, San Juan Bautista

Christmas 2008
Hwy 25, Hollister, California

The Christmas Parade

My only complaint about last night's parade: I wished the evening air was cooler and crisper so it felt more like winter (and Santa) was a coming. ☺

We missed the first few floats, but we were fortunate to be there to see a mutt of a terrier steal the show away from the Sheriff’s float. The little dog stubbornly sat in the middle of the street or pranced precariously close to and around the sheriff’s car as it slooooooowly drove along, with the Grinch hanging out of its back window.


He was a dog that would not be caught, at least right away. At one point, he was surrounded by several people. The dog knew how to stop and go. He had them all in his hands. He had all of us who were hanging around on that that block in his hands as well. When we heard clapping and hurrahing at the end of the block, we knew the chap was caught.


The theme for the parade was “All I Want for Christmas....” I wouldn’t mind having that parade-stopping dog.

Annual Lights On Celebration and Parade

Is it just me, or are Christmas decorations going up even sooner?

I noticed the green garlands stretched above San Benito Street on Sunday morning. As we sped by the lawn in front of the parking garage, I saw that Santa’s Village was up as well. The Hollister Downtown Association is getting ready!

By this Saturday evening, November 29, downtown Hollister will be transformed for the annual “Lights on Celebration.” The trees will be lit along the main street, between South and Forth Streets, and the street will be lined with people as well to watch the parade of floats and cars and people waving and smiling from them. And, of course, bringing up the rear of the parade will be Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus.

The theme for this year’s parade is “All I Want for Christmas.” It will start at 5:30. There’ll be live entertainment happening before and after the parade, too. Stores will be also be open for the browsing and buying.

For me, the best part about the night is hanging out after the parade. After the last float goes by, people pile out from the sidewalks into the center of the street. Folks walk up and down the closed street, checking out the music, greeting acquaintances, and yakking and laughing it up with friends and family. That's worth the Christmas decorations being put up seemingly earlier each year.

Some links to check out about the event:

• 2008 Lights On Celebration
• 2007 Lights-On Parade and Concert with Rancho-Maze Band
• Trees of Life
• Hollister Downtown Association