The Museum of Ventura County, in partnership with the Ventura Music Festival, will present Fire & Grace, the duo of William Coulter on guitar and Edwin Huizinga on violin, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 6. at the Museum of Ventura County Smith Pavilion, 100 East Main St.

These masters of classical, folk and contemporary music will perform selections from their famous Liquid Gold Suite, ranging from Bach to an Irish reel, from a tango by Piazzolla to a Spanish love song and to a Balkan dance tune. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with a dessert and champagne reception followed by the concert at 8 p.m. General Admission is $100 per person; museum members and festival sponsors and founders are $85 per person. All proceeds from this special concert go to support the Museum’s and Festival’s educational programs.

“It’s exciting to have two world-renowned musicians performing an amazing range of music to benefit the educational programs offered by the Museum to our community,” said Elena Brokaw, the Museum of Ventura County’s interim CEO. “Our programs are essential to achieving the museum’s mission to inspire and engage our local communities. It’s through events like Fire & Grace that we raise funds needed to support these outreach programs.”

Canadian-born violinist Huizinga has established himself as one of North America’s most versatile violinists. Grammy-award winning guitarist Coulter has been performing and recording traditional and classical music for more than 25 years.

In addition to the evening concert, the Museum is sponsoring a free family-friendly Fire & Grace Children’s Concert for ages 8 and up from 4 -5 p.m. An inspiring musical journey for young people, this engaging interactive concert features an introduction to the instruments, the music, a question and answer session, young musicians, dancing and more. Parents and grandparents are welcome.

To purchase tickets for the evening concert of Fire and Grace, visit http://bit.ly/2oj6jCe. For more information, contact the Museum of Ventura County at 653.0323.

The Museum of Ventura County, through its collections, exhibits, educational programs and publications, celebrates the history, art, and culture of Ventura County and the Channel Islands. The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (Closed Monday). Admission is $5.00 Adults (18 years and older), $3.00 Seniors (62 and over) and Students with ID, $1.00 Children (17-6 years old); Children 5 years old and younger are free.

On Saturday, July 29th, at 7pm, the Fenians will perform at the Dancing Oak Ranch, located at 4585 Casitas Pass Road.

The Fenians, for 20 years, have delivered their potent mix of traditional Irish folk and good old rock n roll all across the USA and Ireland. With an ever expanding set of original creations, as well as contemporary and traditional tunes plucked from the panoply of the genre, these five lads put on a live show that is second to none.

Adult tickets are $20 in advance only, kids 7 to 14 are $10 and can be paid for at the show. Pick up adult tickets in Ojai at Serendipity Toys, Ojai Creates, Ojai Coffee Roasting Company, and Cardinali Brothers Music. For more details or directions or tickets, go to our website: www.ojaiconcertseries.com. For information not available online, call Shane at 665-8852

Ojai native plant educator Lanny Kaufer is pleased to announce that he has added a second walk at the same beautiful private ranch in the Ojai mountains. The walk will take place on Sunday, April 30, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.. One of the conditions of visiting this site is that the location cannot be divulged in publicizing the event. The group will meet at Maricopa Plaza for a carpool to reduce the number of cars on the private road. The travel time to the trailhead will be 15-20 minutes. Participants will have the option to linger in the exotic gardens to eat their lunch (not provided). Otherwise, they can plan on returning to Maricopa Plaza by 1 p.m.

The cost is $20 for adults, $15 for seniors 62 years of age and up, and $10 for students 13-18. Payment can be made by cash or check on the morning of the walk. An additional $5/person donation is requested by the nonprofit organization that manages the property to cover the costs associated with having visitors. Kids 5-12 can go free, one per adult, by prior arrangement. No dogs or smoking, please.

To register for the Ojai Herb Walk, visit www.HerbWalks.com,email [email protected], or call 646-6281

Lanny Kaufer has been leading interpretive native plant walks and hikes in the Ojai-Ventura-Santa Barbara area since 1976 for groups of all ages. Lanny graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1974 with a degree in Biology. Register at www.HerbWalks.com, email [email protected] or call 646-6281

Hildy Hoffmann will visit the Ojai Library on Saturday, April 29, from 2 to 3 p.m. to deliver a talk entitled Road Scholar: Adventures in Lifelong Learning.

Hoffmann will speak about Road Scholar, the world’s largest—and America’s first—educational travel organization for adults. Road Scholar offers nearly 8,000 affordable programs each year in about 90 countries worldwide. These programs offer a chance to expand one’s mind while being in the company of other people who believe that learning is one of the best parts of life.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at  218-9146.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Ave. Hours of service are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Events by Ana Baker

Ventura Poinsettia Dance Club meets every Monday from 7:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill. Ballroom, swing, Latin, mixers and line dancing. Members $10, non-members $12. Call Rick at 415-8842 for more information.

Ventura’s ACBL Duplicate Bridge Club offers games for all levels of play.  Learn the game, play with your peers, and earn master points while you are having fun.  There is a game every day of the week.  Check out their website at www.vcbridge.org   Life is Better with Bridge.

The Ventura Retired Men’s Group welcomes interested men to their semi-monthly Tuesday lunch ($15) meetings at the Ventura Elks lodge. This regular congenial social event, besides a healthy, satisfying meal, supplies a welcome atmosphere to talk and joke, hear a speaker on a variety of relevant topics and brighten your week. Hear more from Steve at 642-1359

Country Western Line Dancing every Tuesday 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Instruction every night. Located at the Mooselodge, 10269 Telephone Road. More information at countrylovers.com.

April 26: The College Area Community Council will meet on Wednesday, at 7 p.m. Representatives of Ventura College will provide attendees with a preview of the college Facilities Master.  Included will be an update on Adult and Senior Services in Ventura, the official election of CACC officers, a police report, and much more.  Wright Event Center at 57 Day Rd. on the Ventura College campus.  Free parking is available adjacent to the Event Center. Call 644-8695 for more information.

April 27: Portuguese Fraternal Society of America.  The local chapter of PFSA (Council #128) will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday.  This meeting is open to any person of Portuguese descent or interested in the Portuguese culture.  Main Street Restaurant and Steakhouse, 3159 E. Main  11:30 a.m. for a 12 p.m. no host luncheon and meeting.  For more information and reservation Cora Corella at 483-6285.

April 27: Ventura County Bird Club speaker will be Dr. Janet McNeil, DVM.  She will, speak about household items that might be poisonous to our feathered pets.  Dr. McNeil graduated from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993 and has been practicing here in Ventura since 2000.    A raffle and refreshments will follow the presentation. 7p.m. at the Ventura Moose Lodge #1394, 10267 Telephone Rd.  Attendance is free and all are welcome.  For information call 377-9466 or 488-6244

May 2: Ventura High School will have an Athletic Information Night on Tuesday.  It will be at 6:30 PM in the Tuttle Gym on Poli Street. It will be a chance for new families to VHS to learn about athletic opportunities while in high school.   All VHS head coaches will be in attendance.

May 3:  Ventura County Master Communicators Toastmasters Club, invites the public to its Open House to meet club members special guest speaker, Dan Collier, owner  of  Pizza Man Dan from noon to 1 p.m.  “Ventura County Master Communicators Toastmasters provides a supportive and positive environment where members have the opportunity to develop their communication and leadership skills.  Ventura County Medical Center (large 5 story brown building behind VCMC) 3291 Loma Vista Road Bldg. 340 First Floor Academic Auditorium Room 111 every Wednesday from 12:05 p.m. to 1:05 p.m. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org.

May 3: The Beach Cities Neighbors and Newcomers Club, (BCNN ) is a group of active women of all ages who  live in Ventura, Oxnard, or Port Hueneme and enjoy many activities. Monthly meeting from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus.  Enter the parking lot from Santa Clara Street. No charge for meeting and no reservation is required.  Hear Dr. Noelle C. Nelson, psychologist, consultant and international speaker.

For additional information, bcnnwomensclub.org or 988-0795   Location of lunch after coffee will be announced at the  meeting.

May 6: Be a Nature Detective:  Saturday, from 9a.m. to 11 a.m. in Santa Paula on Hallock Dr. East

The Nature Conservancy is offering a walk to learn about the art of animal tracking and observation, discover the clues and signs of animal presence along the Santa Clara River. For information [email protected] or call Amy 770-853-4715.

May 6: The basis for knowledge in supporting the existence of climate change. Saturday,

10 a.m. to 12p.m. at Ventura College 4667 Telegraph Road in the Applied Science Center Auditorium.
coffee and pastries at 9:30 a.m.  David Lea, Professor Department of Earth Science, Affiliate Faculty in the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Sangwon Suh, Professor Corporate Environmental Management, Industrial Ecology, Life Cycle Assessment – Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

May 6: At 7 pm, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura presents the World Pathways Ensemble in Concert in the church sanctuary. This show is an exotic musical journey to Mexico, Western and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and America.

Director John Zeretzke brings together some of the most renowned traditional and contemporary musicians from around the globe to unite together in exploring new territories in the world of music.

The program includes traditional musical styles and folk tunes of the world mixed with European musical concepts and sounds.

A donation of $20 is requested for those 9 and older; and $8 for younger children. Tickets will be available at the door.

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura is located at 5654 Ralston St. For more information about the event, call 798-2480.

May 6:   Audubon   8:30 am   Hedrick Ranch Nature Area.

Sandy Hedrick  340-0478   A bird hike in the Hedrick Ranch Nature Area which is managed by The Friends of Santa Clara River. The birding usually yields some interesting birds including Hairy Woodpecker, Lesser Bells Vireo, Blue Grosbeak, Swainson’s Thrush and  Common Yellowthroat.

May 7   Audubon  8:30 am    Emma Wood/Ventura River Estuary.

David Torfeh  647-3325   Begin at the entrance to Emma Wood State Beach, searching the scrub for sparrows and warblers. The estuary is always an exciting place to bird, and target birds will include: Snowy, Black-bellied and Semipalmated Plovers, Willet, Whimbrel, Black Turnstone, Red-necked Phalarope and Forster’s Tern. There will be a fair amount of walking, so please dress appropriately in layers and comfortable shoes.

May 7: Enjoy Northpointe Baptist Church at 11a.m for their Spring Musical and Barbecue. Free event and childcare is provided during the musical. Poinsettia Pavilion
3451 Foothill Dr. Call for information 209-550-1433.

May 7: Old-Time Country Bluegrass Gospel Music Association presents free music concerts on the first Sunday of every month at the Poinsettia Pavilion from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Featuring the authentic “Old Grass Band”.  Call 517-1131 for more information.

May 7.  The 1892 Dudley Historic House Museum will be open for docent-led tours from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. accompanied by period music.  Admission is free.  The museum is located at the corner of Loma Vista and Ashwood.  For information please call 642-3345 or visit the website at www.dudleyhouse.org.

May 7: The Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra, KuanFen Liu Artistic Director will present its annual “Choral Spectacular” concerts Sunday, 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church 1338 E Santa Clara St.    The concert will feature vocal artists Amanda Benjamin, Molly Kohler Pei, Zachary Mendez and Dean Butler, with the Channel Islands Choral Association and CSU Channel Islands University Chorus, Donations of $20 are appreciated.  Youth 18 and under are free.  For more information call 642-8621 or visit website www.CHICOVC.org.

May 13: Ventura Beginners PC Users Group will meet on Saturday at 9:15 a.m. to noon for a workshop on Other Things You Can Do in Word at 1220 Cypress Point Lane.   All beginning and intermediate computer users are welcome.  Phone 648-1368 for more information.

May 16: The Pierpont Community Council Board meets at the Marriott Hotel Mezzanine at 7 p.m.  For those of you who have expressed concern about the political complexion of the Board, this is your opportunity to contribute.  Currently seeking a Treasurer and Vice Chair to include in their slate.   If you have an interest please email  [email protected].

May 26: Like to play acoustic music? Songmakers.org welcomes all lovers of acoustic music, instrumentalists, singers, and singer/songwriters of all levels to join in a free song circle at the Bell Arts Factory Community Room, 432 N. Ventura Ave.  4th Friday of each month from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Listeners welcome! Information Mike Wittlin, 750-8281

On Sunday, April 23,1:00 – 4:00 pm at the Channel Islands Yacht Club, 4100 Harbor Blvd, Oxnard Wine on the Water features five women winemakers  with food/cheese pairing/ raffle/ live blues music by Catfish Fry / wine pull/Team Sistership prenstation Cost: $50 per person.

Order tickets online at Sistership.Org (under Fundraising Events) or mail check to Sistership, 2674 E. Main Street, Ventura 93003.

A fundraising benefit for Team Sistership, a team of 4 women, over 50, competing in a grueling 750-mile Race to Alaska (R2AK) on June 8.  Their motto is “Active Women, Aging Proud, Growing Bold” and they race to empower others to choose active, bold adventurous lifestyles, regardless of age or gender.

A portion of the proceeds goes to scholarships for women and girls of Ventura County to participate in active, healthy programs offered through the non-profit Ventura Community Partners Association.