30 Fun Things To Do in Mariposa County

Movies in Mariposa!  6th Street Cinema Schedule

Mariposa Mountain Riders

News Of The Mariposa Symphony Orchestra !

Mariposa Evenings

 Friday and Saturday Nights
Times: 7PM
Location:  Mariposa County Arts Park

Free music performances at Mariposa County Arts Park, located between 4th & 5th Street on Hwy 140 in downtown Mariposa. Bring a chair or blanket and find a place on the lawn.






 

Friday, August 22 •  Pacific Vibe

Saturday, August 23 •  Mike Hammar

                               & The Nails










 

The 2008 MCHS Grizzly Boosters Club membership has begun.   
New Grizzly Boosters club members signed up during the MCHS Freshman orientation on August 18^th.   For anyone interested and missed the sign up, another opportunity is scheduled during the MCHS Back to School Night scheduled for August 27, 2008 Wednesday at 5:30pm.  The membership drive is one of the fundraising events of this organization and selling the Grizzly Gear is another source.  Grizzly Gear will also be available at this event.  The MCHS Cheer will provide the Taco salad meal with a $5.00 donation. 

The MCHS Grizzly Boosters support many MCHS programs such as Associated Student Body activities, Academic Letter Program, Sober Grad Night, Sports Gate Duty, Sports Banquets, other academic programs.  The Grizzly Boosters meet every first Monday of the month unless it is a holiday which then moves to the second Monday.  The September meeting will be held on September 8 at 5:30pm Room 28.  For any questions, please call Kim at (209) 742-2190

Pacific Vibe
 Pacific Vibe is a jazz group led by Rudy Merino, Merced’s godfather of Jazz, gathering the coolest and hippest musicians from throughout Central California for a night of jazzy salutations and explorations. Merino’s rich history of playing drums behind many jazz greats, and presenting top acts at festivals and his own Rudy’s Jazz & Blues Club allows him to draw from a huge pool of talent. The Aug. 22nd show will feature Bear Valley’s own Tim Hagar on guitar, Mariposa’s hardest working bass player Mike Simpson, and Jorge Espinosa on percussion.



Mike Hammar & the Nails

Summer Music and Mural Dedication

        The Mariposa County Arts Council & it’s many fine sponsors presents it’s final weekend of Cousin Jack’s Mariposa Evenings, with a celebration and mural dedication with the jazz stylings of Pacific Vibe on Fri. Aug. 22nd, and the powerful blues of Mike Hammar & the Nails on Sat. Aug. 23rd.

The August 23rd Mural Dedication will bring people together for a celebration of collaboration among community-based organizations, the County and community residents, who worked together to create a beautiful public art on the wall that stands today as a symbol of transformation, cultural heritage and the majestic geography of Mariposa County. 

        An evening of mighty blues can be enjoyed on Sat. when Mike Hammar & the Nails take the stage for the fourth year running. This entertaining blues act from the San Joaquin Valley add a unique touch of rockin’ soul to this classic form of American music, playing with unbridled energy. Oklahoma born, Native American Mike Hammar fronts the band with blistering guitar playing and soulful vocals, writing many of the songs the band performs, always paying respect to the roots of the blues. Mike is no stranger to Mariposa, with many ties to the area, having grown up here. The Mariposa Indian Clinic is dedicated to his revered father, Mike Hammar Sr., and his great- grandfather Archie Leonard was one of the first Yosemite Rangers and escorted Teddy Roosevelt around Yosemite before it became a National Park. Joining Hammar on Sat. night will be Mariposa’s own Allan Carroll (“Flipside” & “Lost in the Shuffle”) on the Hammond B-3 organ; veteran bluesman “Harmonica Jim” Pedersen on harp; drummer Greg Merino (son of jazz legend, playing the night before – Rudy Merino) and bassist Sparky Gehres (bassist for Virgin Records recording artist Steve Johnson) make up the all important rhythm section. Stop and say hello to Hammar’s mother, (still living here) and witness why their shows have had the highest attendance of the past seasons.

Last fall the Mariposa County Art Council was asked by Ron Willey to facilitate the acquisition of a mural on the Pizza Factory building in downtown Mariposa.  For the past couple of years, as residents and commuters have driven down or walked along Hwy 140 between 4th and 5th Streets, past the Mariposa County Art Park, they have noticed a large blank wall on the east side of the Pizza Factory.  The wall, constructed after the collapse of the Trabuco Warehouse in 2006 stands 30’ tall and 90’ long.  Mural artist, Colleen Goodwin-Chronister was commissioned to create the mural by Ron Willey, owner of the Pizza Factory.  Depicted through flag representations, Yosemite stands tall in Mariposa, California of the United States of America.  A butterfly, or “Mariposas”, was named by Spanish explorers in 1806.  A Yosemite Native American, the Courthouse erected in 1854 and a gold prospector remind us of the heritage of historic downtown Mariposa.   The mural is sixteen feet tall and thirty-two feet wide.   

Join us in appreciation of the commitment, dedication and collaboration that occurred to make this mural possible.  Through unique partnerships, today we have an historic landmark of Mariposa County history and community pride.

        This weekend will culminate the music series for the 2008 season of Cousin Jack’s Mariposa Evenings, and the Mariposa Arts Council along with Ronnie Sweeting, coordinator and host, thank the many sponsors that help make these shows possible by their generous support; the music groups that come from near and far to play & sing; and the great audiences that show up and demonstrate their appreciation with applause and tips for the bands. Thank you all & see you next year. 

All performances for Mariposa Evenings will be held at the Mariposa County Arts Park, located on Hwy. 140, between 4th and 5th Streets, in downtown Mariposa.  There is ample, free parking on 5th Street, just a pleasant stroll along the Creek Walkway to the park.  Mariposa Evenings is made available through generous donations by local businesses, which are featured in our Mariposa Evenings program.  Musicians donate their performances to the community, so tips are encouraged and appreciated.  This activity is funded in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.  Each performance will begin at 7:00 pm.  Please bring a lawn chair or blanket for park seating.  For more information call the Mariposa County Arts Council at (209) 966-3155, P.O. Box 2134 Mariposa CA 95338, Fax (209) 966-3962, email: info@arts-mariposa.org, or visit us on the web at: arts-mariposa.org.

Friends of the Wawona Bassett Memorial Library 

In Yosemite

12th Annual Book/Bake/Craft Sale

Saturday  August 30

9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

The 12^th annual Labor Day Saturday Friends of the Wawona Bassett Memorial Library Book/Bake/Craft Sale will be held in the library parking lot on Saturday, August 30 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.  (Rain moves the sale to the Wawona Community Center.)  The Wawona community has been extra generous donating books for the Labor Day Saturday sale so there is a great selection to choose from.  The book sale will be the largest in 12 years!  Paperbacks are 3 for $1.00 and hardcover titles are $1.00 each.  Many fine items have been donated for the sale by local crafters.  A handcrafted ski chalet bird house will be raffled.   Wawona bakers - who are the best – have already planned what to bake.  Satisfy your sweet tooth with bake sale treats!  (For additional information about the sale, call Pat at 209-375-6273.)  See you in Wawona on Labor Day Saturday! 

Pat Sischo

melon@att.net
 

Sierra Art Trails welcomes visitors to its sixth annual open studios tour.

Artists and artisans will open their studios or show their work at various locations around Eastern Mariposa and Madera counties for this two day event on October 11 & 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Enjoy a weekend taking in the fresh air and pristine beauty of the Southern Yosemite Foothills while meeting the area's many artists and seeing some at work in their studios.  For a relaxing weekend consider staying overnight at a local hotel or B&B.  Dine in one of the area’s many fine restaurants, or pack a picnic lunch and just enjoy the autumn sunshine. 

Plan your Art Trails weekend by attending the Preview Exhibit featuring representative works by all Sierra Art Trails artists.  The Preview Exhibit is open to the public from September 13th through October 14th, with a Grand Opening reception on Saturday, September 20 from 4 to 9 p.m. at Stellar Gallery in Oakhurst.   This event will include food, live music and fun.

Your catalog is your ticket for two to Sierra Art Trails and provides details about the artists and their locations, as well as detailed maps to get to their show sites.  To receive your catalog by mail send $18.00 plus $2.00 for shipping to Sierra Art Trails, P.O. Box 3045, Oakhurst, CA  93466.

To purchase a catalog or to learn more about Sierra Art Trails, its events, or its scholarship and sponsorship programs contact sierraarttrails.org or call 559 658-8844.   www.sierraarttrails.org