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   NEW ESSAY SERIES FOR 2005!

Blue Roses, Green Cars and More: What Color is Your Future?

THIS SUMMER'S FEATURED ARTISTS

2005 WEBSITE SPECIAL GUESTS

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2005 EXTRAS!

     Most of you who are visiting the site are doing so in order to find listings of free concerts in Southern California. So . . . as an extra for visitors this year, this page will offer you a few other things you can either get or do for free, or at least pretty close to it. This will be a dynamic list, and it will be added to over the course of the summer as new things are found. Your suggestions are also welcome. If you are aware of something that you think should be included on this page, please send an e-mail to 4dorothyb@dorothyswebsite.org. Be sure to include a reference phone number or web address! Thank you and enjoy the summer!

"Fiji Sunset" © 1985, 2005 Dorothy A. Birsic

ART WALKS/ART OPEN HOUSES

  • LAGUNA BEACH - First Thursdays Art Walk. Every first Thursday of the month from 6 - 9 p.m. in downtown Laguna. Information: (949) 497-0716 or http://www.firstthursdaysartwalk.com/

  • LOS ANGELES (DOWNTOWN) - Downtown L.A. Artwalk. Every second Thursday of the month from noon - 9 p.m. Information: http://www.downtownartwalk.com/

  • SANTA ANA - Downtown Santa Ana Artists Village Open House. Every first Saturday of the month from 7 - 10 p.m., Second/Broadway. Exhibits and occasional performances vary from month to month. Information: (714) 564-5625 or http://www.ci.santa-ana.ca.us/

CITY ACTIVITIES

     Many cities offer free family and children's activities for their residents during the summer. Some of the available programs include:

  • BELLFLOWER - Movies Under the Stars in Town Center Plaza are shown every Friday through September 30. Information: (562) 804-1424, x2268, (562) 866-7510 or http://www.bellflower.org/

  • BREA - Family Films/Starlight Cinema in the Park. Every Friday in Arovista Park (Elm/Sievers) from July 8 - Aug. 5. Information: (714) 990-7177 or http://www.ci.brea.ca.us/

  • BUENA PARK - Thursday, August 11 is "The Great Splash" at Peak Park. Slip 'n slides, water balloons and more. Information: (714) 236-3860 or http://www.buenapark.com/

  • BUENA PARK DOWNTOWN - Summer Kids Film Festival. Free movies on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. through August 23. See website for schedule. Information: (714) 503-5000 or http://www.buenaparkdowntown.com/

  • CERRITOS - Monday Night at the Movies (Liberty Park), July 11 - Aug. 29; Tuesday Family Nights at four neighborhood parks; Wednesday Little Kids Big Show (Liberty Park), July 6 - 27. Contact the city's Parks and Recreation Division for more information about the programs. Information: (562) 916-1254 or http://www.ci.cerritos.ca.us/

  • CITY OF INDUSTRY - Silents of the Silver Screen. Watch silent films screened by the Silent Society complete with live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla, August 6, 13, and 20. Events are at the Homestead Museum, 15415 East Don Julian Road. Admission is 25 cents for adults and 5 cents for children. Information: (626) 968-8492 or http://www.homesteadmuseum.org/

  • CYPRESS - Movies in Oak Knoll Park, 5700 Orange Avenue, at dusk on July 13 & 27 and August 10 & 24. Information: (714) 229-6780 or http://www.ci.cypress.ca.us/

  • DOWNEY - Family Night Entertainment at the Barbara J. Riley Community and Senior Center, 7810 Quill Drive. Remaining nights are July 25 and August 1 and 8. Pre-show at 6:30, 45-minute show at 7. Call for schedule. Information: (562) 904-7238 or http://www.downey.org/

  • LA MIRADA - Family Saturdays at the Movies are every Saturday at 1 p.m. in the La Mirada Activity Center, 13810 La Mirada Blvd. For listings, call (562) 902-3160.

  • LA PALMA - Bingo nights and Moo-vie Madness. Bingo at 6:45 p.m. on July 15, 22, August 5, 26. Movies on July 29, August 12, 19. Events are at Central Park, 7821 Walker Street. Information: (714) 690-3350 or http://www.cityoflapalma.org/

  • LAKE FOREST -The classic film "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" will be shown on August 20 at 7 p.m. in Cherry Park (22651 Cherry Avenue). Information: (949) 461-3450 or http://www.ci.lake-forest.ca.us/

  • NEWPORT BEACH - Quicksilver's Family Movie Night, put on by the Balboa Performing Arts Theater, will be held from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m. July 28 at Peninsula Park Field. There will be Quicksilver prize giveaways and drawings for a surfboard, snowboard and skateboard. Information: (949) 673-0895

  • NORWALK - Monday Night Live shows for the family in Hermosillo Park, 11959 162nd Street. Pre-show activity at 6 p.m., 45-minute show begins at 7 p.m. on July 25 and August 1, 8 and 15. Also Friday night movies at 7:30 in Norwalk Park, 13000 Clarksdale, through August 12. Information: (562) 929-5544 or http://www.ci.norwalk.ca.us/

  • REDONDO BEACH - Outdoor Family Classic Film Festival. July 29: Rear Window; August 5: The Adventures of Robin Hood; August 12: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 version). Movies are at dusk in the Veterans Park Bandshell. Information: (310) 937-6606.

  • SANTA FE SPRINGS - Family movies in Cafe Libro of the Santa Fe Springs Library on Mondays at 7 p.m. through August 8. Information: (562) 868-7738 or http://www.santafesprings.org/

  • SANTA MONICA - 3rd Annual Santa Monica Drive-In at the Pier. Movies are at 8 or 8:30 on Tuesdays in August and September. Movies are free, but tickets are required. Visit http://www.smff.com/ or http://www.santamonicapier.org/, click "What's Happening," for further information.

  • TUSTIN - Movies in the Park Thursday nights at dusk through August 25. Each week the movie is in a different park. Information: (714) 573-3326 or http://www.tustinca.org/

  • YORBA LINDA -Family Movies in the Park, Friday nights from dusk - 9:30 p.m. at Eastside Community Park. Remaining shows: July 29 and August 5. Information: (714) 961-7160 or http://www.ci.yorba-linda.ca.us/

"Sunset at the Pyramids, Giza, Egypt" © 1983, 2005 Dorothy A. Birsic

LIBRARIES

  • YOUTH/TEEN SUMMER READING PROGRAMS - Many libraries offer free summer reading programs for youth and/or teens. Check with your local library for availability and details.

MUSEUMS

  • THE GETTY MUSEUM - Free admission; parking is $7. The museum no longer requires parking reservations. Off the 405 Freeway at Getty Center Drive. Information: (310) 440-7300 or http://www.getty.edu/

  • THE IRVINE MUSEUM OF ART - The Irvine Museum of Art is a small OC museum dedicated to the preservation and display of California art of the Impressionist period (1890 - 1930). 18881 Von Karman Street, Irvine, Ground Level. Information: (714) 476-2565 or http://www.irvinemuseum.org/

  • LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART (LACMA) - Admission to the museum's regular exhibits is free every day after 5 p.m. and every second Tuesday of the month. 5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles. Information: (323) 857-6000 or http://www.lacma.org/

  • THE BOWERS MUSEUM - Free admission for Santa Ana residents only every second and fourth Tuesday of the month. Information: (714) 567-3600 or http://www.bowers.org/

NATURE CENTERS

  • ANAHEIM - OAK CANYON NATURE CENTER - The Oak Canyon Nature Center, located at 6700 E. Walnut Canyon Road, offers Wednesday "Nature Nights" beginning at 7 p.m. and Saturday morning guided hikes. Information: (714) 998-8380 or www.anaheim.net/ocnc.

  • IRVINE - OPEN SPACE PRESERVE - A variety of hikes are planned during the summer including cardio conditioning hikes, full moon hikes, birding hikes, meditation hikes and mountain bike rides. Access to the open space preserve is by guided hike only. See http://www.irvineopenspace.org/ for program listings (free programs are included with fee-based listings). Other information: (949) 724-6610 or http://www.ci.irvine.ca.us/.

  • LONG BEACH - EL DORADO NATURE CENTER - Simple Saturdays. Celebrate the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development by visiting the Nature Center the second Saturday of each month (through September). For each month's topic, call (562) 570-1745 or just come for a walk and be surprised!. Nature Center address is 7550 E. Spring Street.

SHAKESPEARE BY THE SEA

  • PERFORMANCES OF OTHELLO AND/OR THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR - Performances will take place in the following cities: Laguna Niguel - July 24, Westminster - July 27, Hermosa Beach - July 28 and August 4, and Newport Beach - August 6 and 7. For information and a full schedule visit the site http://www.shakespearebythesea.org/.

SOFTWARE

  • www.download.com - CNET Download is a library of over 30,000 free or free-to-try software programs for Windows, Macintosh and Handhelds. Also some music and games.

Comments? Questions? Send an e-mail to: 4dorothyb@dorothyswebsite.org