What's Happening
Best Bets
* Sterling Senior Center is hosting its Friday night at the movies through the winter. Friday's movie will be "The Illusionist", starting at 7 p.m. Snacks will be available at 6 p.m. Popcorn and coffee is free, hamburgers and hot dogs are planned. For more information, e-mail csponsel@acsalaska.net.
* Cancer Survivors on Mount Aspiring will host a fundraising slide show at 7 p.m. Saturday in the Kenai Middle School gym. The featured speaker will be Scott Darsney, mountaineering guide, photographer and adventurer. Darsney has climbed Everest, Denali (as a guide for Cancer Survivors on McKinley 1997), and many other peaks around the world. He also has been acknowledged by Jon Krakauer in his book, "Into Thin Air", and was also mentioned in the book "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson. Mortenson and Darsney were coming off K2 in the start of the book. Donations are accepted. Donated funds will help pay for children with cancer to attend camp.
* Second Sunday Stories will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Kenai Community Library. The Kenai Performers will present "Tales from Around the World." For more information, call 283-4378.
* Restless Heart, known for "Bluest Eyes of Texas," "Why Does it Have to be Wrong or Right?", "I'll Still Be loving You" and "Fast Movin' Train," will hold a concert at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Kenai Central High School. Thom Bresh, singer, songwriter and guitar impressionist, also will perform. Proceeds will benefit Safety Bear, Explorer Scouts, DNA identification kits and youth sports on the peninsula. For more information or tickets, call 283-9302.
Events and Exhibits
* Frames and Things Artist of the Month is Laura Faeo. Original paintings and sculptures will be on display.
* Kaladi Brothers in Soldotna has Emily Grossman as its Artist of the month. A reception will be held for Grossman from 5 to 6:30 p.m. today.
* The Kenai Fine Arts Center will have "Self" an experimental art exhibit through October. Twelve peninsula artists are featured in the exhibit sponsored by the Kenai River Council on the Arts. "Self" is an individual exploration of the sense of each artist's identity demonstrated through personal artistic media and expression. Participating artists include Celia Carl Anderson, Joy Falls, Doug Field, Clarice Kipp, John Lagoutaris, Gaye LaRane, Maryanne Phillips, Tracie Stang, Connie Tarbox, Zirrus VanDevere, Lauren Marshall Wakefield and Carol Walkiewicz. For more information call, the center at 283-7040 from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The center is located at 816 Cook Street, Kenai. See story this page.
* The Kenai Visitors and Cultural Center at 11471 Kenai Spur Highway 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. It will host "Inheritance", a solo exhibit by Sandy Gillespie through October.
* 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.
* Mykel's Lounge's Artist of the Month is Pam Mersch.
Entertainment
* 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.
* Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna will host a blue grass jam at 6:30 p.m. today.
* The Crossing in Soldotna will have live music with Bill and Bob Mabrey playing piano and guitar with dancing Friday and Saturday from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
* The Duck Inn has karaoke at 9 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
* Hooligan's in Soldotna has music by the Free Beer Band on Monday nights, karaoke Wednesday nights, 150 Grit on Thursday nights and live music Friday and Saturday nights.
* Kaladi Brothers in Soldotna has live music with Emily Grossman from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Friday and live music with Loretta Spalding from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday.
* Moosequito's in Sterling will have Karaoke with Jason at 9 p.m. today and Live Music with TuffeNuff Friday and Saturday.
* Mykel's' has music by Dave Unruh at 6:30 Friday and Saturday through November.
* The Rainbow Bar in Kenai has the Mabrey brothers at 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and Bob Mabrey at 10 p.m. Wednesdays through October. On Oct. 18 comedian Morgan Preston will perform from 8 to 10 p.m.
* Veronica's in Old Town Kenai has open mic night at 6:30 p.m. Thursdays; and Sue Biggs and Jack Will on acoustic folk guitar and violin at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
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 annual fall harvest art sale with artists Lynn Marie Naden and Morning Wind Pottery will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 59665 Kittiwake Mile 3 East End Road in Homer. There will be refreshments and door prizes. For more information, call (907) 235-5966.
* The Pratt Museum in Homer live remote Wildlife Cameras: View the seabird rookery at Gull Island. The SeeBird Cam is visitor-controlled and always on. The Bear Cam is done for the season but there is pre-recorded bear footage to view on the museum big screen. Fish feedings are at 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays. Current exhibits include "Kachemak Bay: An Exploration of People and Place"; "Kachemak Perspectives," an exhibit of art depicting various aspects of the bay area; and "Tradition, Inspiration, Innovation, which features contemporary Native influenced mixed-media art by Alvin Amason, Lena Amason, Perry Eaton, Jerry Laktonen and Rebecca Lyon. Winter hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays.
* Fireweed Gallery will present fiber artist Ann-Lillian Schell's "InVESTments for all Seasons", wearable art for every month of the year along with the work of many area artists exhibiting seasonally themed works in bead and fiber will be showcased through October. The gallery is located at 475 E Pioneer Avenue, Homer. For more information, call 235-3411.
Upcoming Events
* The Kenai River Folk dancers will host a community contra dance from 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 20 at Kalifornsky Beach Elementary School. Admission is $5 with children under 16 admitted free with an adult. Potluck refreshments are served. Attendees are asked to wear clean, non-marking shoes.
Dances are held the third Saturday of each month. For more information, call Raymond at 283-5403.
* The Performing Arts Society will host the band Zum at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Renee C. Henderson Auditorium in Kenai. The band will perform folk traditions from around the world including Celtic, salsa, bluegrass, klezmer, Arabic, calypso, tango, gypsy melodies and jazz. Admission prices are $15 for general admission and $10 for students. Tickets are available for purchase at Northcountry Fair, River City Books and Sweeney's in Soldotna, at Already Read Books, Charlotte's, Veronica's and Old Town Music in Kenai or at the door. For more information, call Pete Sprague at 262-4073 or visit www.performingartssociety.org and www.zum.org.uk.
Anchorage Events
* Anchorage Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will hold a lunch and learn from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 26 in the Loussac Library conference room. Maestro Fleischer will give a lecture on the music of the ASO's "Synergy: Jazz Meets Classical", including an inside look at "Spontaneous Combustion", a new violin concerto by jazz master Chris Brubeck.
* Anchorage Symphony Orchestra will host words on music at 7 p.m. Oct. 27 and at 3 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Atwood Concert Hall. Susan Wingrove, ASO's education consultant will give a preconcert lectures on the personalities and music of "Synergy: Jazz Meets Classical."
* Anchorage Symphony Orchestra will present "Synergy: Jazz Meets Classical" at 8 p.m. Oct. 27 and at 4 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Atwood Concert Hall. The lively colors of jazz converge with the power and drama of the symphony. Violinist Nicolas Kendall joins the ASO to premiere "Spontaneous Combustion", a new work by jazz master Chris Brubeck. Also on the program will be Bernstein's "On the Town" and Gershwin's "An Amercian In Paris."
For more information on ASO events call (907) 263-2787 or visit www.centertix.net.