What's Happening
Best Bets
First Thursday events today are an artist reception for Alaska painter Andy Hehnlin from 6 to 8 p.m. at Art Works in Soldotna, a bluegrass jam from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. at Soldotna Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna, an opening reception for the Peninsula Photography Guild's exhibit from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Kenai Fine Arts Center and a sneak preview of "Alaska 2003: A Celebration of Wildlife Art" from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center.
There will be a grand opening for "Alaska 2003: A Celebration of Wildlife Art," the largest wildlife art exhibition in Alaska featuring 76 original paintings by 44 world-renowned artists, from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center.
The Kenai Central High School choir will perform the 32nd annual "Pops" concert at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at he Renee C. Henderson Auditorium at the high school. Students sing, dance and sometimes dress to imitate the past, present and future starts of pop music. A live band will back up the singers, featuring Woody McCubbins on drums, Alvin Diaz on bass, Ole Cuaresma on keyboard and Bill and Bob Mabrey on other instruments. The show lasts just over three hours. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and $3 for senior citizens.
Events and Exhibits
The Peninsula Promenaders will have a square dance at 7 p.m. Saturday at the North Star Dance Studio, Mile 88.3 of the Sterling Highway. Beginners are welcome. For more information, call Dudley at 260-2691 or Betty at 262-9387.
The Gary L. Freeburg Gallery at Kenai Peninsula College has a student art exhibit on display through Friday. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday.
Kaladi Brothers in Soldotna has Stephanie Holley as its artist of the month and hosts a chess club every Saturday at 12:30 p.m.
Mykel's Restaurant in Soldotna has Dawn Nixon as its artist of the month.
The Soldotna Animal Hospital Gallery has watercolor painter Sarah Glaves as its artist of the month.
Artwork by Kenai Peninsula artists can be viewed and purchased at the following area businesses: Art Works, Birch Tree Gallery, Claudette's Folk Art and Collectibles, Donna's Country and Victorian Gifts, Frames and Things, Malfunction Junction Gifts, Northcountry Fair and Tammy's Flowers and Gifts in Soldotna; Alaskan Gift and Gallery, Fireweed Herb Garden and Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center in Kenai and Peninsula Furs Inc. in Sterling.
The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Information Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are many scenic hiking trails, including the Kenai River trail, which begin near the center. The center is on Ski Hill Road near the intersection of the Sterling Highway and Funny River Road in Soldotna. For more information, call 262-7021.
Entertainment
Buster's Coffee House in Kenai presents a song circle acoustic jam session from 7 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays, acoustic blues, Hawaiian and folk music by Mike Morgan from 7 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays for a $2 cover charge, open mic night from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursdays for a $2 cover charge and music by Synthesesia from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday for a $2 cover charge.
Millie's Moose River Inn in Sterling presents karaoke today and music by Kindred at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Sackett's Kenai Grill in Cooper Landing presents acoustic blues, Hawaiian and folk music by Mike Morgan from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday and Rusty Spur, featuring guitarist Jack Will and fiddler Sue Biggs, from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday.
Don Jose's in Kenai presents blues and classic rock music by Mike Morgan and the Baked Alaskans, featuring Kurt Eriksson, at 8 p.m. Saturday.
The Vagabond Inn on Kalifornsky Beach Road presents music by Jughead at 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Kaladi Brothers in Soldotna presents music by Nancy Anderson from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
The Rainbow Bar in Kenai presents music by The Mabrey Brothers at 10:30 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The Katmai in Kenai presents western dance lessons from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, karaoke with Lori from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and music by the Danglin' Wrangler from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Saturdays.
The Riverside House in Soldotna presents "After 10," a dance party, Friday and Saturday nights. DJ Ian will play favorite Top 40 dance music until 5 a.m.
Upcoming Events
The Performing Arts Society presents a performance by the Anchorage-based Melissa Bledsoe Fischer Quartet in a cabaret setting at the Kenai Merit Inn at 7:30 p.m. May 9. Bledsoe, commonly known as "Jazzmom," has released three CDs and is a jazz pianist and vocalist, singing and playing with emotion. She will perform with Dick Westfall on bass, Pat Owens on trumpet and flugelhorn and Rick Nunes on drums. Tickets are $25 and are available at River City Books and Northcountry Fair in Soldotna and Alaska Gift and Gallery, HiSpeed Gear, Already Read Books and the Kenai Merit Inn in Kenai. Plates of hors d'oeuvres will be available for $10 each, and there will be a full-service no-host bar.
An Evening of Classics, a fund-raiser for the Kenai Peninsula Orchestra, will be held at 7 p.m. May 10 at Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna. Over 30 Kenai-Soldotna area musicians will perform a collection of classical music, ranging from vocal and instrumental solos to string and brass ensembles. Tickets $5 at the door. Marc Berezin will emcee the program. For more information, call Maria Allison at 283-3024.
Films
Call Orca at 262-7003 for weekly listings and show times.
Call Kambe Cinemas at 283-4554 for weekly listings and show times.
Down the Road
The Pratt Museum will host a quilters reception for anyone interested in quilting from 10 to 11:30 a.m. today. The reception will unveil this year's raffle quilt, made by the Kachemak Bay Quilters group. On Friday, the museum will host a meet the artist event with photographers Tom Collophy and Mary Frische from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Pratt Museum presents "Wetlands: Going with the Flow," an invitational art exhibition in collaboration with a scientific exhibit presented by the Kachemak Bay Research Reserve and Cook Inlet Keeper, through July 6. Whiz Kids workshops are from 3 to 4:30 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday through Wednesday in the lower level of the museum. Fish feedings are at 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.
Fireweed Gallery will have three openings Friday, with refreshments at 5 p.m. The annual spring show this year is "Wetlands and Beyond." The show offers the best of members' work and will have a special section dedicated to wetlands. The second opening is for "Don Henry, found object metal sculpture." This Homer resident will have a first solo showing of his often whimsical sculptures and other works. "Karen Austen Watercolors" is the title of a showing of her work. Austen is an Alaska painter of portraits, florals and landscapes. All exhibits run through June 4. For more information, call 235-3411.
Anchorage Events
The Anchorage Concert Association presents "Stomp" in the Atwood Concert Hall through Sunday. Tickets are available at all CarrsTix locations, the box office at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts, online at www.tickets.com, or by calling (800) 478-SEAT.
If you have an event to include in our Thursday InSide section, send the information, in writing, to "What's Happening," c/o the Peninsula Clarion, Box 3009, Kenai, AK 99611, fax the information to 283-3299 or send it via e-mail to clarion@alaska.net.
The deadline for information is Monday at 5 p.m. For more information, call 283-7551.