NORTH FORK — You still have a chance to catch Squirrel Cage Theatre’s “Monster Soup” this weekend, Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2 & 3, at the North Fork Town Hall. Tim Kelly’s ghoulish hit is full of surprises. It’s the story of a family of ghouls being harassed by Lawyer Fleasom, the meanest man in Graveyard Corners. It’s a hilarious ...

NORTHFORK – Families are invited to a fabulous Fall Festival at North Fork School on Friday, Oct. 26 from 6 to 9 p.m. in NFS Kennedy Hall. Admission is free and tickets for attractions and concessions will be sold at the door for 25 cents each. Visitors can stroll through a patch where pumpkins are available for purchase from $1 ...

NORTH FORK — The much-anticipated chili cookoff at the North Fork Town Hall brought folks from all over the area to sample a wide variety of spicy delights. The North Fork Women’s Club sponsors this event every year, and it is a favorite of the fall season. In addition to the 7 different styles of chili, there is also a ...

Tarantula Season In The Foothills COARSEGOLD – A little rain goes a long way towards coaxing hairy eight-legged creatures from their holes and onto trails in search of mates. Fall precipitation in the foothills usually brings about the appearance of Aphonopelma Iodius, known to some locals as the Fresno brown tarantula. Nowadays, arachnophobes need pay attention, as fist-sized fuzzy spiders ...

O’NEALS –It’s fun for the whole family Friday, Oct. 19, when Spring Valley School hosts its annual Fall Festival and Fundraiser at the school, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. This year’s theme is “Spring Valley School…How the West was FUN.” The event includes western, historical or explorer costume contest for all school ages, says Spring Valley Principal Kelli Bryant.

Soft, dreamy landscapes, still lifes and buildings – whether real or fantasy-based – are watercolorist Vicki Thomas’ forte. When the mood strikes, however, she applies her liquid style of painting and drawing to people, flowers and seascapes, as well. The flowing movement of her style of creating watercolors may have been born during her former career as a fashion illustrator. ...

Visitors learn to appreciate this misunderstood arachnid – COARSEGOLD – Thousands of residents and visitors alike will be flocking to the Coarsegold Historic Village on Oct. 27 to celebrate the annual Coarsegold Tarantula Festival. The event celebrates the eight-legged creatures that make their home in this community, located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada about half an hour south ...

MADERA – As the second annual Madera Pomegranate Celebration nears, organizers are once again soliciting pomegranate infused recipes for the National Pomegranate Recipe Contests sponsored by Stiebs. “Recipes can use pomegranate arils, pomegranate juice, or juice concentrate,” said KC Pomering, a member of the Madera Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Alliance which puts on the festival.

Art includes jewelry, glass, paintings, metalwork, sculptures and more OAKHURST – It’s shaping up to be a perfect weekend for Sierra Art Trails, celebrating 10 years of the Yosemite Foothills Open Studio Tour. This much-anticipated event draws hoards to the mountain area each year, to see local artists and art featured in homes, studios and galleries in eastern Madera and ...

Carol Wolf will read from ‘Summoning‘ NORTH FORK – Local author and playwright Carol Wolf is offering a night of storytelling and creativity on Thursday, Sept. 27, at the North Fork Library. Wolf will read from her newly published first novel, Summoning (Night Shade Books), which she calls “a fast-moving adventure full of surprises and delights.” The novel’s strong female ...