Imagine your teenager on spring break, taking art classes. Picture yourself attending a production of Mozart’s “Don Giovanni,” followed by a spaghetti and wine dinner. You could pick up some amazing things for a song, in the name of education. What if you could spend an afternoon tasting the ultimate in cheeses and food pairings while drooling over the yachts moored in the Petaluma Marina? And what about hearing words spoken by the wordsmiths themselves – all about that illusive thing called love? Make any one of those happen, and you’ll have had a great day off.
The Petaluma Art Center is offering “Teen Break” art classes Monday through Thursday, March 19-22, as one way to get the kids away from the screen during Spring Break. No membership is required. Kids 12 and up will learn about copper, polymer clay, figure drawing, cigar box collage and rag rugs. The Arts Center is at 230 Lakeville St. Register at 762-5600 or contact Virginia May at 762-5600 ext. 101 or vmay@petalumaartscenter.org. Partial scholarships and discounts are available.
The Petaluma Reader’s Theater presents “Sweet & Sour” at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Riverfront Art Gallery, 132 Petaluma Blvd. North. Hilary Moore directs the readings of stories, essays and poems by eight local writers about all aspects of relationships. Writers Robin Beeman, Susan Bono, Karen Eberhardt Shelton, Armando Garcia Dávila, Nancy Long, Judith Moorman, Susan Swartz and Simone Wilson will be featured. More information: petalulmareaderstheatre.com or 775-4278.
The Sheraton Sonoma County-Petaluma Hotel hosts the Sixth Annual Artisan Cheese Festival Friday through Sunday, March 23-25. Expect cheese makers, cheese sampling, chef demonstrations, food pairings and panel discussions. The event kicks off at 9 a.m. The Sheraton is located at 745 Baywood Dr. Tickets and more information: artisancheesefestival.com or 283-2888.
St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church hosts its annual Schools Benefit Rummage Sale 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, with proceeds benefiting the church’s elementary and high schools. The sale features clothing, shoes, accessories, housewares, books, sports equipment, kitchen items and more in the St. Vincent’s Parish Hall, 35 Liberty St. More information: 762-4278.
Cinnabar Theater will debuts its production of “Don Giovanni,” the classic opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, at 8 p.m. Friday. Directed by Elly Lichenstein, this version is sung in English with libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte. The story is about the last day in the life of the infamous, arrogant, reprehensible womanizing cad. Cinnabar Theater is located at 3333 Petaluma Blvd. North. More information: 763-8920 or cinnabartheater.org.
– Sheldon Bermont, Petaluma Towns Correspondent
