Best Bets
■ The 25th annual Kenai River Festival is Friday-Sunday in Soldotna Creek Park. For a full schedule including Run for the River updates, KWF Kids Zone hours, live music line-up and more, visit www.kenaiwatershed.org.
Events and Exhibits
■ Stop by Soldotna Creek Park every Wednesday at 6 p.m. for a new Music in the Park series. This free “Live after Five” series will also include extended hours for the Wednesday Market so you won’t miss out on local food, vendors, craft beer and some fantastic local musicians. Bring a blanket and enjoy our new park with the entire family. For a full schedule visit www.visitsoldotna.com.
■ Two new exhibits will be on display for the whole month of June at the Kenai Fine Arts Center: “Portrait Photography” by Susan Biggs and the “Annual Art Quilts Extraordinaire Exhibit.” The art center is located at 816 Cook Avenue in Old Town Kenai. Business hours are noon-5 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday. Call 283-7040 for more info.
■ There will be a Salvage Art Exhibit at the Kenai River Festival June 12-14. Repurpose and Recycle materials into sculptures, containers or accessories. Group projects are welcomed. Registration is June 12 from 3-6 p.m. at Soldotna Creek Park. This event is co-sponsored by ReGroup and the Kenai Fine Art Center. For more information contact 252-2773
■ Tickets are available for the 14th annual Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival held over the summer solstice weekend, June 18-21 in Seldovia. The festival begins on Thursday with a music jam on the Seldovia Bay Ferry that starts a fun-filled weekend of music workshops open to everyone, open mic night, song circles, and spot performances during the afternoons. All of this in addition to the evening long concerts Friday and Saturday nights featuring the headliners Pumyua, a Native Alaskan Inuit band that is world renown for their drum songs of native traditional music mixed with a fusion of Yupik dance. The other 12 groups bring a great mix of jazz, country, rock, honky-tonk, folk, original compositions, and even a fisher poet. The entire festival tickets are: adults $49, teens $19, and kids under 12 Free. More information is available at seldoviaartscouncil.net, or 907-399-7379. Visit Facebook at Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival on Facebook.
■ Kenai River Council on the Arts and The Peninsula Art Guild are inviting artists to apply for month long Exhibitions in Calendar Years 2016 and 2017 at the Kenai Fine Arts Center in Old Town Kenai. Artists applying for solo, shared or group shows, please provide the following:
— Up to 12 labeled images (digital, slide, and or print) representative of recent work, with 3-D artists providing additional views of art works as needed.
— A separate image sheet, including title of piece, media, dimensions and when the piece was made.
— A proposal for your show (could include floor plan if needed). If you have a theme you are aiming for, this would be the place for that.
— A one-page Artist Statement.
Submit entries by mailing to: Peninsula Art Guild/Kenai River Arts Council, P.O. Box 703, Kenai, AK 99611; by email to ourkfac@gmail.com; or drop off at the Kenai Fine Arts Center, 816 Cook Avenue, Old Town Kenai.
■ The Alaska SeaLife Center, 301 Railway Avenue in Seward, is hosting a Summer of Sharks. Headlining the season is the Buzz Saw Sharks of Long Ago exhibit on loan from the Idaho Museum of Natural History in collaboration with artist Ray Troll. Areas around the aquarium are now transformed into the Paleozoic marine world of the humongous, whorl-toothed shark the Helicoprion via fossils, sculptures and artwork. Detailed artwork from Troll include a 17.5-foot-long by 8-foot-high mural of sharks, as well as 21 individual pieces. Children and adults alike will enjoy a humorous documentary film about the artist as they sit on a whorl-patterned “art couch,” activate the whorl tooth mechanism.
■ The Kenai Performers will host two drama camps this summer. The first camp, for ages 8-12, runs June 29-July 10, 9 a.m.-noon, with a show on July 11 at 2 p.m. Camp for ages 13-17 runs July 6-16, 1-4 p.m., with a show on July 17 at 7 p.m. Both camps are being held at the old Peninsula Athletic Club (in the same building as Subway) on Kalifornsky Beach Road. The cost is $299 per student, with a maximum of 20 children in each camp. To register, call Sally Cassano at 394-8104 or Terri Burdick at 262-5486.
■ Triumvirate Theatre will be holding its annual drama camps this year at the Soldotna Public Library. First camp runs June 8-20. The second camp runs July 6-18. Camp is from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. daily. To register, go to triumviratetheatre.org. Scholarships are available. For more information email hereliesdrama@hotmail.com.
Entertainment
■ The Vagabond Inn on Kalifornsky Beach Road has live music with the Robb Justice Band Friday at 9 p.m.
The Alaska Roadhouse Bar and Grill hosts a blind draw Horseshoe Tournament every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Blind draw, double elimination, food ,fun and cash prizes. Call 907-262-9887 for more information.
■ Beginning square dance classes will be held on Tuesday nights at 6:30 p.m. at the Sterling Senior Center. Classes are open to participants of all ages. For more information, call Theresa Lusby at 360-790-1757, or the Sterling Senior Center at 907-262-6808.
■ Beginning square dance classes will be held on Thursdays at 4 p.m. at the Kenai Senior Center. Classes are open to participants ages 10 and up. For more information, call Theresa Lusby at 360-790-1757, or the Kenai Senior Center at 907-283-8211.
■ The Corner Cafe in the Blazy Mall in Soldotna has open mic night for all writers, storytellers and poets on the third Wednesday of each month from 7-9 p.m.
■ A bluegrass jam takes place on the first Sunday of the month at from 1-4 p.m. at the Mount Redoubt Baptist Church on South Lovers Loop in Nikiski.
■ The Flats Bistro on Kalifornsky Beach Road has live music with Garrett Mayer on Tuesdays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and Raymond Machen-Gray on Mondays from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
■ Veronica’s Cafe in old town Kenai has open mic from 6:30-9 p.m. Friday, and live music Saturday at 6:30 p.m.
■ An all acoustic jam takes place every Thursday. The jam is at Christ Lutheran Church in Soldotna on the first Thursday of the month, and at the Kenai Senior Center during the rest of the month. Jam starts at 6:30 p.m.
■ AMVETS Post 4 is open to all military veterans and their families for support and camaraderie. Join us for Friday night tacos, or Saturday night steaks with Karaoke. Sunday afternoon its super hamburgers. Not a member? Stop by and we can show you how to become a part of this special veteran’s organization. AMVETS is located in the Red Diamond Center next door to IDEA Schools.
■ Sharpen your dart skills with a fun tournament every Sunday during the season at the AmVets in the Red Diamond Center. The number of players will determine the game. Sign up begins at 1 p.m. For more information call 262-3540.
■ Odie’s Deli in Soldotna has live music Friday from 6-8 p.m. and Pub Quiz night every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m.
■ The Bow bar in Kenai has karaoke at 9 p.m. Thursdays and live music Fridays, Saturdays at 10 p.m.
■ Hooligans Saloon in Soldotna has poker Tuesdays and Thursdays starting at 5:30 p.m. and live music Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
■ The Duck Inn on Kalifornsky Beach Road has karaoke at 9 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and DJ Arisen on Saturdays.
■ Mykel’s in Soldotna has live music Thursdays from 6-9 p.m. with Robb Justice, and Fridays and Saturdays from 6:30-9:30 p.m. with Bob Ramponi and Dave Unruh.
■ The Duck Inn will have live music from 7 to 10 p.m. every Wednesday with Robb Justice and Trio.
■ The Pinochle Club, formerly from Kasilof, plays at Hooligans Bar & Restaurant in Soldotna Saturdays at 12:30 p.m. Questions? Call Jay Vienup at 907-252-6397.
■ The Soldotna library hosts a board game night on Tuesdays from 5 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. in the conference rooms, 235 N. Binkley Street. It’s time to get your game on! Have you ever wanted to try something other than another round of Monopoly, or to break out of that old Scrabble routine? Come ready to meet new people, engage your imagination, and have a great time.
Markets, fairs and bazaars
■ Solstice Music Festival at the Diamond M Ranch will be June 20 and is being sponsored by Justin “Boot” Rousseau, Carrol Martin’s nephew. His group has traveled nation-wide and has performed in several states, including New York, Texas, and California. Local musicians, circus acts, vendors, and sound providers are invited to participate in the festival. There is also a possibility of a Sunday Gospel Music Festival sponsored by The Diamond M Ranch. For more information contact JoAnne Martin at 907-252-8162. For full information and an application contact Boot at bootsbisonranch@gmail.com.
■ The North Peninsula Recreation Service Area is accepting vendor applications for the Family Fun in the Midnight Sun event on June 20. The deadline to apply is May 29. For more information call 776-8800.
■ The Sterling Senior Center will hold a flea market Fridays from June 5 through August 28. Participants can rent space for $10 a day. Renters must provide their own tables. To rent a space call Michelle at the Center at 262-6808.
■ The Central Kenai Peninsula Farmer’s Market opens on June 13 and will be open each Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m until mid-September at the corner of Corral Street and the Kenai Spur Highway at the bus turnaround. The market features only Alaskan Grown and Alaska Made products and includes fresh baked goods, jams, jellies, fresh vegetables and hand made gift items. New vendors are welcome. For more information, call Carolyn at 262-7502.
Films
■ Call Orca Theaters at 262-7003 for listings and times.
■ Call Kambe Cinemas at 283-4554 for listings and times.
Down the Road
■ The Pratt Museum in Homer is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information and a schedule of events, visit www.prattmuseum.org.
Submissions may be emailed to news@peninsulaclarion.com. The deadline is 5 p.m. Mondays.
