Published: April 23, 2009 01:37 pm      

Events | Wild white water

BY RUTH RICE

RRICE@TRIBDEM.COM

The 2009 Stonycreek Rendezvous, sponsored by the Benscreek Canoe Club, will be held today through Sunday at Greenhouse Park on Route 403 south near Tire Hill.

More than 700 kayakers, canoeists and rafters are expected to take part in this wet weekend, which will include raft trips, races and an amateur rodeo.

Admission is $10 at the park and a $5 camping fee for the entire weekend.

Information: 266-4276 or www.benscreekcanoeclub.com.

Artistic talent

Eleven area artisans who have taken textile art to a new level will demonstrate projects, techniques and tools as well as display samples during Johnstown’s first Textile Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Community Arts Center of Cambria County, 1217 Menoher Blvd., Westmont.

The event is being held in conjunction with the Johnstown Art League’s 125th anniversary.

Information: 255-6515.

On stage

The performance list has been finalized for “Springtime in the City,” a musical program featuring local musicians and vocalists from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Greater Johnstown High School’s Cochran Auditorium, 222 Central Ave. in the Moxham section of Johnstown.

The following will participate: Luana Hiteshew, accompanist; Robert and Jill Medvesky, narrators.

The performers are Barry and Bonnie Warren; Nicholas Czarnek, piano; Laura Czarnek, violin; Eight Is Enough, octet featuring Karen Soliday, Carol Yewcic, Kristi Warnick, Kristen Kane, Matt Briggs, Charles Walter, Brock Golesich and Lester Dix; Jan Furdella and Galen Bloom, dancers; Rachel Allen, John Allen, John Bayush and Reggie Harris.

Other performers will be singers Catherine Janisko, Katie Maceyko and Kelsi Yingling; the Laurel String Quartet comprised of Patricia Hofscher, Elizabeth Pyle, Elizabeth Williams and Sarah Smitherman; Kitchen Band/Choir with Brooke Ackerman, Pat Aikey, Karen Allshouse, Susan Gerber, Natalie Hudec and Ruth Smith.

Admission is $10 at the door with proceeds benefiting the Trojan College Access Fund.

Dracula Con

The first Dracula Con, an event aimed at vampire fans, will be held from 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday at Arcadia Theater, 1418 Graham Ave., Windber.

Dracula Con features writers, musicians, magicians, historians, psychics, scholars and vampire fans in make up.

Activities will conclude with a screening of the classic silent film “Nosferatu,” accompanied by live music.

Admission is $10.

Classic fairy tale

Members of Johnstown Concert Ballet’s junior and senior companies will present “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center in Richland Township.

Members of the senior company also will perform three other short dances.

They are “Viva Vivaldi,” a classical ballet performed to music in the style and tradition of the 18th century, and “Airs,” a modern ballet.

The company also will perform “Twinkle Toes,” a dance that was choreographed and performed at Johnstown FolkFest.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $9 for seniors and children younger than 12. Tickets will be sold at the door.

Information: 269-7200.

Chamber singer

Soprano Victoria Bechtold-Kush will perform as part of the Chamber Music Series of Greater Johnstown at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian Church, 309 Lincoln St., downtown Johnstown.

Bechtold-Kush was named Pennsylvania’s Outstanding Young Woman in 2001, then became Miss Pennsylvania in 2004.

Tickets, which are available at the door, are $15 each or two for $25.

Heritage celebration

The Outdoor Heritage Month celebration continues on Saturday at the Heritage Discovery Center, 201 Sixth Ave. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown, with three workshops for children focusing on the environment.

They are:

“Tremendous Trees,” a hands-on science and math workshop that is all about trees for kindergartners through second-graders, will be held from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

“Fish Stabiles (Sculptures),” a sculpture workshop for second- through fourth-graders, will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

“Nature Journaling,” an art and creative writing workshop for fifth- through eighth-graders, will be held from 2:30 to 4 p.m.

The cost of the workshops is $5 for those not members of JAHA.

“Out of the Ground,” a documentary focusing on our ancestors who lived, worked and died in the region’s coal mining communities, will be presented at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Filmmaker Andy McAllister of the Western Pennsylvania Coaltion for Abandoned Mine Reclamation will facilitate a discussion.

The event is free.

Information: 539-1889.

Bloomin’ art

The 11th annual “Art in Bloom” spring show will be held from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Cambria County Courthouse, Ebensburg.

Admission is free.

Information: 472-8780 or www.ebensburgmainstreet.com.

Architectural excursion

An architectural tour of Cambria City will be held beginning at 3 p.m. Saturday at Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center, 411 Third Ave. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

Bryan Van Sweden, historic preservation specialist for the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, will lead the tour and demonstrate how to read buildings by recognizing architectural clues that show a building’s historical development.

Reservations: 536-5399.

Comedy central

Comedian Billy Elmer of Pittsburgh will appear at 9 p.m. Saturday at Dingbats in The Galleria, Richland Township.

Elmer is recognized in comedy clubs across the country and has appeared in “The Wedding Singer” as well as HBO and Showtime specials.

Mike Wysocki will be the opening act, and local stand-up comedian Jack Fris will appear.

Information: 266-6020.

Memory lane

SS. Casimir & Emerich’s Hall of Memory will be on display from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday at the former St. Casimir School building in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

The display, which takes up five classrooms, will include photos and memorabilia from more than 100 years of history between the school and the church, including sacramental photos and photos from St. Casimir and West End Catholic schools and fundraisers.

All’s fair

“State Fair” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and May 1-2 at North Star High School auditorium, 400 Ohio St., Boswell.

Tickets are $5 in advance and $6 at the door.

Information: www.nshs.northstar.k12.pa.us.

Book worms

A book sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday at Community Arts Center of Cambria County, 1217 Menoher Blvd., Westmont.

Book categories will include romance novels, mysteries, cookbooks, home and garden, children’s books, Harry Potter, nonfiction and crafts.

Information: 255-6515.

Veggie tales

A workshop on vegetable gardening led by master gardener John Drahnak will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Community Arts Center of Cambria County, 1217 Menoher Blvd., Westmont.

Drahnak will include tips on soil preparation, starting seeds, planting times, early- and late-harvest crops and raised beds.

The cost is $12 for arts center members and $15 for nonmembers.

Information: 255-6515.

Freedom talks

“Economic Bill of Rights” will be presented as part of the Hot Coffee and Conversation lecture series from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Windber Public Library, 1909 Graham Ave.

The lecture will be presented by Gabriel McCloskey Ross and Jaime Johnston, members of the national office staff of the Social Democrats, USA.

Each participant will receive a booklet with readings on topics covered.

Information: 467-4950.

Dance steps

“100 Years of Dance in American Society” will be presented by Commonwealth performers Jeff Savage and Nancy Walker at 7 p.m. Monday at Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center, 411 Third Ave. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

Dressed in period costumes, Savage and Walker will present social dances from the Civil War, ragtime and modern ballroom eras and will discuss changes in etiquette and dance fashions.

The program is sponsored by Bottle Works and the Johnstown Branch of the American Society of University Women.

Information: 536-5399.

Good grief

“You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” the Richland Junior High School musical, will be presented at 8 tonight and Saturday at Richland High School Performing Arts Center, One Academic Ave., Richland Township.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students.

Information: 269-0300 or www.richlandpac.com.

Battle bots

Students from Richland High School and Somerset County Technology Center will compete in the fourth annual Southwestern Pennsylvania BotsIQ final competition from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Century III Mall, West Mifflin.

Teams from 16 high schools will compete in this gladiator-style competition of student-made remote-controlled robots.

This family event is free and open to the public.

10-minute plays

The first Original Staged Readings Festival will be held from 6 to 8 tonight and Saturday at Alumni Hall, Mount Aloysius College, Cresson.

Students from the English and fine arts departments have written original 10-minute plays, which they will perform and direct.

Each evening, the audience will see nine to 10 different plays in various genres.

Tickets, which will be available at the door, are $5.

Information: 886-6531.

Wrestling resolution

Diamond Championship Wrestling will bring its Resolution tour to the area at 7 p.m. Saturday at the DCW arena, Hastings.

TNA superstar Roxxi will make her debut as she goes one- on-one with DCW’s Brittany Force, formerly XTC.

Tickets are $10 and are available at Rydbom’s Auto Sales, 3406 Bigler Ave., Northern Cambria.

Information: 943-8808 or www.DiamondWrestling.com.

Mind meld

A late spring, five-week yoga session with Judith Sullivan will be held Mondays and Thursdays at Bottle Works Ethnic Arts Center, 411 Third Ave. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

Monday sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. through May 18, and there will be no class April 27.

Thursday sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. through May 21, and there will be no class April 30.

The cost of each of the five-session classes is $33, and sign up for both sessions is $60.

Walk-ins are $8 per class if space permits.

Participants are asked to bring a mat.

Reservations: 536-5399 or 255-3863.

Upcoming

Women’s conference

“A New Kind of Normal,” a women’s conference featuring international speaker and author Carol Kent, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. May 15 and from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 16 at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 425 Luther Road, Richland Township. The deadline to register is May 1.

Kent’s latest book, “A New Kind of Normal,” tells the story of Kent and her husband waking to a phone call and learning their son had committed murder.

The cost is $30 per person, which includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

Information: 266-4117 or www.emmanuelbaptist.net.