What's Happening

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The Kenai Peninsula Orchestra Summer Music Festival continues with free noon concerts at area locations: the Dixie River Rats will play at Kaladi Brothers today; and the Kalgin Island Quartet will play at Kenai Landing on Friday.

The Lauren Pelon Musique Company will perform in Homer on Friday and in Soldotna at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Christ Lutheran Church. Under the title, "The Living Roots of Music," Pelon performs music from the first to the 21st centuries on archlute, guitar, lute-guitar, lyre, recorders and various other instruments and traces the story of music, telling stories about the development of instruments throughout history. When Pelon was in the group Banish Misfortune, she played in various Alaska venues, including Soldotna. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors and are available at River City Books in Soldotna.

Events and Exhibits

Alaska author Montgomery Mahaffey will promote her new book "Ella Bandita" and other stories at Veronica's in Old Town Kenai from 6 to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. Mahaffey will tell "tall tales of seduction and intrigue" to promote the book. She will have copies of "Ella Bandita" as well as "Preacher Man" and, "Golden Pedestal" and "Why Roses Have Thorns," illustrated by Joy West, as well as a book on tape version of "Ella Bandita."

Art Works in Soldotna has an exhibit by Marty Hapeman, owner, on display through August.

Frames and Things in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna will host a show and reception with Alaska artist Barbara Lavallee with refreshments and prizes. Bruce W. Nelson is its artist of the month.

Kaladi Brothers in Soldotna has Ann Letzring as its artist of the month and a chess club that meets at 12:30 p.m. Saturdays.

The Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center at 11471 Kenai Spur Highway has "Alaska 2005 — Native Arts Now" on display. The free summer interpretive program includes presentations about ancient tool making by Larry Ford at 3 p.m. Friday and viewing marine wildlife on the Kenai Peninsula by Terry Johnson at 3 p.m. Monday. The center also has natural history mounts, a historic area and Native Alaska artifacts on display. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call 283-1991.

Saturday markets are held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the bus turnaround at the corner of Corral Street and the Kenai Spur Highway in Soldotna and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside at the Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center. Items offered from vendors include art, crafts and produce.

The Kasilof Historical Society's cabin museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. every day and has a resident carver at work those days, as well as historical displays. Area artists and crafters are invited to display their work at the cabin on weekends. The cabin is at Mile .5 of Kalifornsky Beach Road. For more information, call 262-0822.

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. The center is on Ski Hill Road near the intersection of the Sterling Highway and Funny River Road in Soldotna and has educational displays and occasional interpretive programs. For more information, call 262-7021.

The Soldotna Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center at the intersection of the Sterling Highway and Kalifornsky Beach Road has natural history mounts, including the world-record king salmon, on display and a boardwalk along the Kenai River. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. For more information, call 262-1337.

Entertainment

AmVets Post No. 4 in the Red Diamond Center on Kalifornsky Beach Road has karaoke at 8 p.m. Saturdays.

The Clam Shell Lodge in Clam Gulch has Jammin with Jer on Saturday at 9 p.m.

Hooligans in Soldotna has "The Real Alaska Show," a music and comedy production, at 7 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays. The show lasts about two hours. The cost is $26.99 for adults and $21.99 for children and seniors and includes an appetizer plate. Seating is limited and space can be reserved by calling 262-9951. At 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, the band Tuff-e-Nuff will play.

Kaladi Brothers in Soldotna has live music by Mid-Life Crisis and friends on Saturday.

The Maverick Saloon in Soldotna has karaoke at 9 p.m. Mondays.

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

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.

Sockeye's Restaurant at Kenai Landing has live folk, blues, Hawaiian and classic rock acoustic music at 7:30 p.m. Friday.

Veronica's Cafe in Old Town Kenai has a folk jam from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, open mic night from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. today and live music by the Bob Ramponi Jazz Trio from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Keeley Boyle and Jeni Toliver from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Riverside House in Soldotna presents "After 10," a dance party, Friday and Saturday nights. A DJ plays favorite Top 40 dance music.

VFW Post No. 10046 in Soldotna has karaoke at 9 p.m. Fridays and bluegrass jam sessions at 7 p.m. Wednesdays for members and guests.

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

The Homer Council on the Arts has the 17th annual "Alaska-WILD" juried photography exhibition on display through August.

The Fireweed Gallery in Homer has "Across the Bay" paintings by Marian Beck and clay vessels by Toni Maury on display through Aug. 31.

Square dancing is held at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the Ninilchik Senior Citizens Center. The caller and instructor is Lenora Regeon. For more information, call (907) 567-1004 or 252-6420.

DJ's Wheelhouse in Seward has live music by 9 Spine on Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 20.

Anchorage events

The Acoustic Alaska Guitar Camp Instructor Concert, "An Evening of Blues," will be at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 31 in the University of Alaska Anchorage Williamson Auditorium. Bluesman Guy Davis will headline the concert with special guest Naked Blue and openers Canadian Roots artist Doug Cox and Rick Brooks of Anchorage. Tickets are $18 for general admission and are available at Blues Central and Metro Music and Books in Anchorage, online at www.ticketweb.com and by calling Ticketweb at (866) 468-3399.

The Anchorage Museum of History and Art has on display "Light Motifs: American Impressionist Paintings from the Metropolitan Museum of Art" through Sept. 5, "Points of View VI: Defiant Objects," which juxtaposes selections from the museum's collection of contemporary arts and crafts with items in its ethnographic collection, through Sept. 11, "The Shamans: Spirit Guides of Siberia" through Sept. 18, and "Spot the Dog," the annual children's gallery exhibit, through May. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

What's Happening submissions can be e-mailed to news@peninsulaclarion.com, faxed to 283-3299 or dropped off at the Clarion's Kenai office.

The deadline s 5 p.m. Mondays. For more information, call Jenny Neyman at 283-7551 or e-mail jennifer.neyman@peninsu laclarion.com