Exciting arena events, a concert series, contests, carnival rides, livestock, exhibits and more

This week’s Contra Costa County Fair is happening Thursday through Sunday at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch.

With four days of fun planned for Fair-goers of all ages, the Contra Costa County Fair is the perfect place to enjoy live entertainment, delicious food, carnival rides, animals, and hundreds of exhibits – all in a community-friendly environment.

For entertainment, the Fair’s 2012 concert series features the Spazmatics on Thursday night; Nathan Owen Motown After Dark on Friday evening; and Rockin’ Down the Highway (a tribute to the Doobie Brothers), Cream of Clapton (a tribute to Eric Clapton), and Blaze of Glory (a tribute to Bon Jovi) on Saturday evening. On Sunday afternoon, find musical entertainment at the Main Stage with FRESH, and on the Fiesta Stage, enjoy a Hispanic Musical Celebration. All concerts are free with admission to the Fair.

This year’s exciting arena events take place on Saturday and Sunday evenings. On Saturday, watch Stock Car Racing at the Speedway. On Sunday, don’t miss the crashing and demolition at the Boat Trailer Races and the Roll Over Competition. Cost is $6 per event, and tickets to these events will be sold at the gate.

While visiting the Fair, take time to see some of the many daily events – the Sea Lion Splash, Magic on the Midway, Tyzen the Hypnotist, Jeremy the Juggler, Dr. Solar’s Magic Show, Wild West Express Cowboys, and Circus Imagination. Or hop on a carnival ride, enjoy a delicious Fair treat, play a game on the mid-way, see the livestock exhibit, or stroll the Ag Museum. A complete schedule of events is available online at www.ContraCostaFair.com.

Gates open at noon on Thursday and Friday, and at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday. Gates close each day at 11 pm. Admission is $8 for adults (13 and older), $5 for seniors, $5 for children 6 to 12, and children five and under receive free admission.

The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds is located at 1201 West 10^th Street in Antioch. For directions, event details or general information, visit www.ContraCostaFair.com or call the Fair Office at (925) 757-4400.

Thrilling Arena Events, a Free Concert Series, and Sea Lion Splash

Entertainment abounds at this year’s Contra Costa County Fair, May 31 – June 3 at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch. This year’s Fair features ongoing daily shows, stock car racing, a free concert series, daily strolling shows, and boat trailer races.

The 2012 concert series features the Spazmatics on Thursday night at 6 and 8 pm and Nathan Owen Motown After Dark on Friday evening at 6 and 8 pm. On Saturday evening – it’s a night of Rock and Roll with Rockin’ Down the Highway (a tribute to the Doobie Brothers) at 5:30 pm; Cream of Clapton (a tribute to Eric Clapton) at 7:30 pm; and Blaze of Glory (a tribute to Bon Jovi) at 9:30 pm. On Sunday afternoon, find musical entertainment at the Main Stage with FRESH, and on the Fiesta Stage, enjoy a Hispanic Musical Celebration. All concerts are free with admission to the Fair.

For thrilling arena action, the Antioch Speedway will host two action-packed events! On Saturday, watch Stock Car Racing at the Speedway. Gates open at 5 pm, and racing begins at 6:30 pm. On Sunday, don’t miss the crashing and demolition at the Boat Trailer Races and the Roll Over Competition. Gates open at 5 pm, and destruction begins at 6 pm. Tickets are $6 per night, and tickets will be sold at the gate,. Price does not include admission to the Fair.

With four days of fun planned for Fair-goers of all ages, the Contra Costa County Fair is the perfect place to enjoy live entertainment, delicious food, carnival rides, animals, and hundreds of exhibits.

Gates open at noon on Thursday and Friday, and at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday. Gates close each day at 11 pm. Advanced sale tickets are on sale now! Take advantage of early discounts and save money! .Advanced ticket sales are taking place now through May 30, and can be purchased at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch, on-line at www.ContraCostaFair.com, or at your nearby Walgreens.

The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds is located at 1201 West 10^th Street, Antioch, CA 94509. For directions, event details or general information, visit www.ContraCostaFair.com or call the Fair Office at (925) 757-4400.

Tickets for the Contra Costa County Fair are on sale now. Purchase your admission tickets, carnival ride wristbands, and family fun passes before the Fair begins and save money! You can also save time and money by purchasing your Fair tickets online.

Advanced ticket sales are taking place now through May 30 at the Fairgrounds. For big savings, we’re offering “Money Saving Mondays!” where you can stop by the Fair Office and purchase a Family Fun Pass for only $20. The Family Fun Pass includes four adult admission passes for only $20, which is a savings of $12. This special is only available at the Fair Office on Mondays from now until the Fair.

Buy your admission tickets before May 30 and get discounts on adult, senior and children’s admission tickets; as well as carnival ride wristbands. Or, purchase an on-line Fair package, which includes two adult admission tickets and two ride wristbands, for only $44 – a savings of $12.

Advanced sale tickets can be purchased at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch, on-line at www.ContraCostaFair.com, or at your nearby Walgreens.

After May 30, admission for the Fair is $8 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $5 for children, and free to children under the age of five.

This year’s Contra Costa County Fair is May 31 – June 3. Gates open at noon on Thursday and Friday, and at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday. Gates close each day at 11 pm.

The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds is located at 1201 West 10^th Street, Antioch, CA 94509. For directions, event details or general information, visit www.ContraCostaFair.com or call the Fair Office at (925) 757-4400.

The St. Ignatius of Antioch Church Music Series continues with a Spring Concert on Saturday, June 9th, 7:30 p.m.  at 3351 Contra Loma Blvd.

Harmony – an acclaimed women’s vocal ensemble of Rossmoor, with Meriel Ennik as Artistic Director, will be performing a varied program of choral music ranging from classical to Broadway. A free will offering will be taken. There is plenty of free parking and a reception follows the one hour concert.

Do you dance? Then come audition for Vagabond Players 3rd Annual Fabulous Follies, which will open at the historic El Campanil Theatre, Antioch, September 28th for a two week run.

Auditions will be Saturday, June 30th from 10:00AM – 1:00PM, by appointment only. For audition appointment, go to Vagabond Players website and complete application form at www.vagabondplayersinc.com or call director, (925)689-3368.

You will need resume, headshot, and bring tap, character, jazz or other comfortable shoes for dancing.  Do a one to two minute routine for your audition.  Please provide your own music CD.  You will be taught a short combination so you can get a feel for the difficulty level of the routines.

Rehearsals begin August 13th.

“Rose infuses her live and recorded performances with non-stop energy and… heartfelt, female-centric jazz anthropology.” – JazzTimes

“It’s more than a jazz concert. It’s a swinging honors course in Womankind!” – San Francisco Magazine

What: Pamela Rose “Wild Women of Song”

Where: El Campanil Theatre

602 W Second Street, Antioch

When: Saturday May 12, 2012 4:00 pm matinee

Cost: Adults: $ 27 Seniors: $24 Children: $ 15

Tickets: (925) 757-9500

Online: www.elcampaniltheatre.com

With this delightful multi-media performance celebrating the history of female songwriters from the Tin Pan Alley era, Wild Women of Song, veteran San Francisco jazz and blues vocalist Pamela Rose makes a compelling case for the enduring contributions of women to America’s treasure trove of popular music.

Boasting a big, bold voice and blues-infused sensibility, Rose brings a vast array of musical experience to songs by more than a dozen gifted but lesser-known tunesmiths.

“Dorothy Fields should be as familiar as Ira Gershwin or Johnny Mercer,” says Rose, a Los Angeles native who first gained notice on the Bay Area scene in the late 1970s through her work with organist Merl Saunders and later with the Motown revue ZaSu Pitts Memorial Orchestra.

Immersing herself in jazz over the past two decades, she’s the rare singer who can belt sassy golden age blues by Alberta Hunter and Ida Cox as easily as crooning a torchy Peggy Lee lament. Completing the package, Rose also possesses enviable songwriting skills, and she throws her own well-crafted originals into the mix.

Left to Right: Lana Skidmore, Bill Dietz, Rita Hamlin, Holly Ciaramitaro, Jen Peabody, Terry D'Emidio & Jen Miller (hand on head)

What:    Vagabond Players Present “Stepping Out”

Where:  El Campanil Theatre

602 W Second St
Antioch

When:   Friday May 4, 2012       8:00 pm

Saturday May 5, 2012   8:00 pm

Sunday May 6, 2012     2:00 pm

Cost:    Adults: $ 15   Seniors: $12   Children: $ 10

Tickets: (925) 757-9500

Online:   www.elcampaniltheatre.com

The Vagabond Players shuffle step back to El Campanil Theatre as they bring the rollicking tap dancing comedy Stepping Out  this coming weekend. Seven women and one man, each with his or her own “baggage,” assemble once a week for a tap class.  Led by Mavis, the eternally patient instructor, and accompanied by acerbic Mrs Fraser, the pianist, the students range from hopeless to barely competent, strive to master the basics of dance.  When they’re presented with an invitation to perform for a charity benefit, this motley but loveable crew attempts to overcome their inhibitions, awkwardness and overabundance of two left feet.

Directed by Sharon Redman, Stepping Out, is a good natured comedy by Richard Harris, which was later made into a movie starring Liza Minelli.

Cast includes Jennifer Miller as Mavis, the ex-chorus girl turned teacher; Norma Lent, the pianist; and Sheilah Morrison, Jennifer Peabody, Holly Ciaramitaro, Lana Skidmore, Rita Hamlin, Corinne Kelly, Bill Dietz and Terry D’Emidio, as the students.

Sure to entertain and keep your toes tapping!.

Mark your calendar for this year’s Contra Costa County Fair, happening May 31 – June 3, 2012 at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds in Antioch.

This year’s theme is “Here Comes the Sun,” and we’ve got four days of fun planned for Fair-goers of all ages. The Contra Costa County Fair is the perfect place to enjoy live entertainment, delicious food, carnival rides, animals, and hundreds of exhibits – all in a community-friendly environment and at affordable prices!

For entertainment, the Fair’s 2012 concert series features the Spazmatics, with 80’s hits; Nathan Owen Motown After Dark; Rockin’ Down the Highway; Cream of Clapton; and Blaze of Glory. Find musical entertainment at the Main Stage with FRESH, playing the best in Latino, Rock, R&B, and Hip Hop. On the Fiesta Stage, you’ll find a Hispanic Musical Celebration. All concerts are FREE with admission to the Fair.

While visiting the Fair, take time to see some of the other highlights – the jugglers, comedians, the hypnotist, Circus Imagination, and the Kids Pedal Tractor Pull. Or hop on a carnival ride, enjoy a delicious Fair treat, play a game on the mid-way, see the livestock exhibit, or stroll the Ag Museum.

For those interested in entering competitive exhibits, the Fair’s Exhibit Handbook is now on-line. The Fair is currently accepting paper entries, and on-line entries will be accepted beginning April 1 at www.ContraCostaFair.com.

Gates open at noon on Thursday and Friday, and at 11 am on Saturday and Sunday. Gates close each day at 11 pm. Admission is $8 for adults (13 and older), $5 for seniors, $5 for children 6 to 12, and children five and under receive free admission.

Take advantage of discounts and pre-sales on tickets by purchasing your tickets early. Advanced ticket sales begin April 9. At that time, there will be discounts on daily admission and carnival wrist bands. For big savings, we’re also offering “Money Savings Monday,” where every Monday, beginning April 9, you can stop by the Fair Office and purchase a Family Fun Pack, which gives four 1-day Fair admission tickets, for only $20! Advanced sale tickets can be purchased at the Contra Costa County Fairgrounds, on-line at www.ContraCostaFair.com, or at your nearby Walgreens (May 11 – 30).

The Contra Costa County Fairgrounds is located at 1201 West 10th Street, Antioch, CA 94509. For directions, event details or general information, visit www.ContraCostaFair.com or call the Fair Office at (925) 757-4400.