What's Happening

Best Bets

· The youth drama camp at Triumvirate Theatre in Soldotna will perform "The Wizard of Oz" at 7 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday at the theater in the Peninsula Center Mall. Admission is $7.

· The Summer Meltdown all-day concert featuring performances by 36 Crazyfists, Decufk, The Lost Concept, Omerta, Indefinite Etticate, Fallen Hero, The Affected, Dopiate and more, will starts at noon Saturday at Kenai Landing. The show is outdoors and for all ages. Tickets are $35 in advance available at Kenai Landing or www.aksoul.com, or $40 at the door.

Events and Exhibits

· The Kenai Saturday Market is held Saturday afternoons in the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center parking lot. The Soldotna Wednesday Market is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every week until Sept. 26 at Soldotna Creek Park along the Sterling Highway, with a variety of food and crafts vendors. For more information, contact Annette Villa at 252-7264.

· Kaladi Brothers in Soldotna has Retired Hands — Loretta Flanders, Dick Hahn and Connie and Jay Goltz — as its artist of the month for July.

· Mykel's in Soldotna has Connie Goltz as its artist of the month.

· The Kenai Fine Arts Center in Old Town Kenai has a show by painter Pat Lytle on display through July.

· The Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center at 11471 Kenai Spur Highway has "The Journals of Captain Cook" and the summer show, "Sticks and Stones, Alaska Structure." The center also displays animal mounts, historic items and Alaska Native artifacts. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, call 283-1991.

· The Kasilof Historical Society's cabin museum is open from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays or by appointment. It has historical displays and area artists and crafters are invited to display their work on weekends. The cabin is at Mile .5 of Kalifornsky Beach Road. For more information or to set an appointment, call Dave at 262-5125.

· The Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center on Ski Hill Road outside Soldotna shows films on wildlife, the refuge and the history of the area daily at noon, 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m.

Entertainment

· Veronica's in Old Town Kenai has a folk music jam on the deck at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays; open mic night at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays; and live music by Batter Brown with Adam Segura at 6:30 p.m. Friday and Stefanie Bouchard and Melissa Kay at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

· Sockeye's Restaurant at Kenai Landing has live folk, blues, Hawaiian and classic acoustic music by Mike Morgan and Friends at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

· The Riverside House in Soldotna has "After 10" with Top 40 dance music Friday and Saturday nights.

· The Rainbow Bar in Kenai has live music by the Mabrey Brothers from 10:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and a poker challenge at 6:30 p.m. Mondays.

· Mykel's Restaurant has music by Dave Unruh from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

· Moosequito's in Sterling has a Texas hold 'em poker tournament every Wednesday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m., open mic night with Pete Jackson today, and karaoke with Jason on Friday night.

· The Maverick Saloon in Soldotna has karaoke at 9 p.m. Mondays and live music by the Free Beer Band on Sunday nights.

· Kenai Joe's will have live music by Ten Cent Zen on Friday and Saturday nights.

· Kaladi Brothers in Soldotna has music by Nancy Anderson from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

· The Hunger Hut in Nikiski has karaoke with Steve Holloway at 9 p.m. Saturdays.

· Hooligan's in Soldotna has music by the Free Beer Band on Monday nights, 150 Grit on Tuesday nights, karaoke Wednesday nights, Alter Ego on Thursday nights, and Tuff-E-Nuff on Friday and Saturday nights.

· The 406 Bar at the Kenai Spur Lodge in Kenai has karaoke with Steve Holloway and Debbie at 9 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

· The Duck Inn has karaoke at 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.

· The Crossing in Soldotna has folk, blues, Hawaiian and classic acoustic music by Mike Morgan at 6:30 p.m. Friday.

· AmVets Post No. 4 in the Red Diamond Center on Kalifornsky Beach Road has karaoke at 8 p.m. Saturday and blind darts at 2:30 p.m. Sundays.

Films

· Call Orca Theaters at 262-7003 for weekly listings and show times.

· Call Kambe Cinemas at 283-4554 for weekly listings and show times.

Down the Road

· Pier One Theatre presents "The Dinosaur Musical," by Willie and Robert Reale, directed by Raniece Sutton with musical direction by Cherish Bee McCallum at 7:30 p.m. today and 8:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday. For more information and reservations, call (907) 235-7333 or visit www.pieronetheatre.org.

· Naturalist Dale Chorman will lead an exploration of birds, plants and scenery in Neptune Bay across Kachemak Bay from Homer from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 29. Bring lunch, water, layers of clothing including rain gear, and knee-high boots or hip wader. The trip is limited to 16 people. The cost is $85, which includes the round-trip boat trip. Sign up by July 26 by calling (907) 235-5263.

· Fireweed Gallery's July show features Jim Curran with new work in mixed media, metal and beads, as well as MaryBee Kaufman's "Rediscovering Landscapes: Kachemak Bay," a show of watercolor and handmade books. The gallery is at 475 E. Pioneer Ave.

· The Pratt Museum in Homer has a live BearCam. Each Wednesday evening from 6 to 8, visit with horticulturist and museum gardener Katy Rice as she works in the botanical garden. Fish feedings are at 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays and historic harbor walking tours are at 3 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays for $5 starting at the Pratt Museum wheelhouse booth on the Homer Spit. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. To find out about other activities, call (907) 235-8635.

Upcoming Events

· A carving contest and festival will be held at Scott Hanson's Town of Living Trees along the Sterling Highway outside Soldotna from July 19 through 22. The festival includes a three-day chainsaw carving contest with an auction of the carvings at 2 p.m. July 22, a sawdust pile for kids, barbecue, and vendor booths. For more information, call Sandy at 394-3821 or 260-3822.

· Sidecar, an improvisational theater group from New York, will perform at 8:30 p.m. July 19 and 20 and 7 and 8:30 p.m. July 21 at the Old Town Playhouse in Kenai as part of an acting workshop the group is offering through the Kenai Performers. Each show will be different. Tickets are $10 for one show and $5 for each additional show after that. The improv class also will have a performance at 7 p.m. July 24 at the Playhouse. Sidecar is doing a workshop in Homer, as well, with a performance at 3 p.m. July 22 at the Homer Council on the Arts office. Tickets are available at Charlotte's in Kenai, River City Books in Soldotna and the HCA in Homer.

· BeauSoleil will perform at the Kenai Peninsula State Fair in Ninilchik on Aug. 17. Tickets are on sale at The Buzz Cafe in Ninilchik, Homer Bookstore and online at inticketing.com. For more information, call (907) 567-3670 or kpsfair@acsalaska.net.