Entertainment briefs
Manhattan Beach Music Festival scheduled
CROSSLAKE - The Manhattan Beach Music Festival is scheduled Friday-Sunday at Manhattan Beach Lodge in Crosslake with an impressive music line-up over three nights. The festival will cap off each night with dramatic fireworks displays.
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The festival will kick off at 5 p.m. Friday with Pop Rocks taking the stage at 6:15 p.m., followed by Hairball at 8 p.m. The concert grounds open at 4 p.m. Saturday and will feature GB Leighton, followed by country-rockers 32 Below at 7:30 p.m.
32 Below will be among several bands performing Friday-Sunday at the Manhattan Beach Music Festival at Manhattan Beach Lodge in Crosslake.
Sunday will be the highlight of the weekend with three national artists performing. Concert grounds will open at 3:30 p.m. with country trio Love & Theft opening the show at 4:30 p.m., followed by the BoDeans at 6:30 p.m. John Rich of Big & Rich, along with Cowboy Troy and Two-Foot Fred, will close the show beginning at 8:30 p.m.
The festival will host a Lakeside Family Carnival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with magicians, face painting and a variety of kids' games and entertainment.
Food, beverages, beer, and cocktails will be available for purchase on the concert grounds all three days.
The festival also will feature a silent action, with a variety of items available for bidding, benefiting Faith's Lodge, a retreat in the North Woods of Wisconsin that provides a place for families who have lost a child or are dealing with the illness of a child to go to receive support and hope for the future.
Tickets are available in advance by calling (800) 692-0727 and prices differ each day of the festival.
Friday advance tickets are $10 for general admission or $35 for VIP tickets; or $15, general admission and $40, VIP at the door.
Saturday advance tickets are $15 for general admission or $35 for VIP tickets; or $20, general admission and $40, VIP at the door.
Sunday advance tickets are $34 for general admission or $95 for VIP tickets; or $40, general admission and $120, VIP at the door.
Two-day packages for Saturday/Sunday also are available with general admission at $48 and VIP at $125.
Anyone interested in volunteering to work at the event is asked to call (763) 390-6611. Volunteers will receive two passes to the festival and a festival T-shirt.
'Nice People Dancingto Good Country Music to open July 8
"Nice People Dancing to Good Country Music, " a Pequot Lakes Community Theatre production, will be presented at 8 p.m. July 8-10 and July 12-14 in the Pequot Lakes High School Theatre.
The comedy includes many unusual characters, including the novice nun, Catherine; her aunt, Eve; and Eve's live-in boyfriend, Jim; and Roy, an honest but simple fellow from the bar who wants to court Catherine whether she is a nun or not.
Tickets for the production are available through Pequot Lakes Community Education by calling (218) 568-9200. Tickets also can be purchased at the door, starting one hour before the show. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors age 60 and older and $8 for youth age 18 and under.
Local poets win national awards
Heartland Poets Charmaine Donovan and Doris Stengel, both of Brainerd, received awards at the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Inc., "Heart of the South" Convention held June 10-13 in Memphis, Tenn. Donovan received $300 for her poem, "Bad Boy's Blue Shoe Shuffle" chosen as second place from 292 poems in Category 3. She also received four Honorable Mentions in other contest categories. Doris Stengel, received two third place awards in Categories 17 and 47. She also was awarded three Honorable Mentions in more contest categories. Stengel also received an Honorable Mention in a special Convention Contest for a poem about her brother, "Vernon's White Onions." Both Donovan and Stengel were selected by Christine Beck of Connecticut as one of 12 readers who read prize winning poems for poets unable to attend the convention.
Charmaine Donovan
Donovan recently was a poet-finalist for the Eisteddfod 2010 held at Morgan Creek Winery in Cambria. Stengel is a past-winner of Eisteddfod, a Welsh festival, sponsored by the Blue Earth Historical Society. Later this year a book of Donovan's poetry will be published through Lost Hills Books, Duluth.
Doris Stengel
Music Jam session scheduled July 11
LAKE SHORE - The ninth annual Interlachen Music Jam will be held from 2-6 p.m. July 11 at Matty's in Lake Shore.
The event is hosted by Steve Anderson, director at Central Lakes College and Donny Vosen, local entertainer.
All musicians are welcome to join by bringing their own instrument. Drums, microphones and keyboards will be supplied.
Brainerd's Swenson graduates from Perpich Center for Arts
Nicholas Swenson, the son of Beth and Rory Swenson of Brainerd, graduated June 11 at ceremonies for the Perpich Center for Arts Education, the state's public arts high school in Golden Valley. The graduation was conducted at the O'Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University in St. Paul.
He received an Arts High School diploma and was awarded an annual scholarship of $2,000 for college expenses. Swenson is part of the senior Theater Arts troupe from the Perpich Center for Arts Education that was selected to perform at the 2010 International Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb.
Swenson will be featured in "9th Grade Nothin'," an original play written and produced by the Arts High School students. Swenson plans to attend the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities this fall.
Artists show scheduled to begin Wednesday in Nisswa
NISSWA - Celebrating its 13th annual show and sale, 12 lakes area artists will have a four-day event beginning Wednesday at the Nisswa Community Center.
Bill Grange, working his pottery wheel, will conduct a demonstrate at 3 p.m. Wednesday and 1 p.m. July 8 at the Nisswa Community Center.
Admission to the event scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. is free, with the opportunity to buy original oils, acrylics, watercolors, nature prints; photography, pottery, Asian brush painting and more.
Demonstrations include:
Wednesday: At 11 a.m., Gail Walsh, Asian brush painting; 1 p.m., Phyllis Frankum, watercolor; 3 p.m., Bill Grange at the pottery wheel.
July 8: At 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Sonja Larsen, nature printing; 1 p.m., Bill Grange pottery.
July 9: At 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Kathy Kovala with watercolor techniques; 3 p.m., Jim Stevenson, drawing.
July 10: At 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., David Rickert, acrylic painting; 1 p.m., Sonja Larsen, nature printing.
Motley Two River Music Fest to meet
LINCOLN - Motley's Two River Music Fest, a nonprofit group, will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Friendly Inn in Lincoln. Everyone is welcome.
Blackberry Smoke to perform at Moondance
WALKER - Atlanta-based outlaw southern country-rock group, Blackberry Smoke will perform July 17th at the Moondance Jam in Walker.
Blackberry Smoke's new single includes "Good One Comin' On." The quintet just re-issued a new version of Little Piece of Dixie in May with a bonus track: "Yesterday's Wine," a cover of Willie Nelson's hit featuring George Jones, Jamey Johnson and Blackberry Smoke front man Charlie Starr all trading vocals
Blackberry Smoke has shared the stage with ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Travis Tritt, The Outlaws, Marshall Tucker Band and Cross Canadian Ragweed.