ELVIS IS BACK IN THE BUILDING Tickets are on sale now for the 7:30 p.m. August 16 screening of a newly expanded and restored print of Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special at Laemmle Claremont 5, 450 W. Second St. The two-day event in celebration of its 50th anniversary will take place across the globe on August 16, with an encore screening on August 20. Each screening will include the legendary television special, plus an exclusive look at its making.
FATHERS DAY Most of us fathers, though definitely not all, have simple needs on our big day. Unlike moms, we generally don’t require flowers, something sweet, followed by brunch. Most of us dads would probably be happy with a backyard barbecue, a beer, and some time with family. Or maybe that’s just me. Either way, get on it, kids: it’s his day. If you’re looking for a manly spot for lunch, perhaps a burger or a big steak would suit dear ol’ dad.
BUTTERFLIES AND BREWS Tickets are $10 for members and $15 for non-members for Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden’s Butterflies and Brews events, which continues this evening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and continue each Friday throughout June. “Celebrating our local butterfly and beer species, these fun events will feature a different neighborhood craft brewery each evening at our California Butterfly Pavilion.”
BLUES AND BREWS: The ninth annual Claremont Craft Beer Walk takes place from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Village, with live music in 15 locations and about participation from about 40 businesses. Tickets are $45 or $20 for designated drivers, and are available, along with more information, at claremontbluesandbrews.com, (909) 626-1147 or via email at claremontvillageinfo@gmail.com. Music, not all of it blues, apparently, will be provided by A Choired Taste, Amanda Castro Band, Amazing Tone and more.
ROCKIN’ IN THE FREE WORLD The streets of Claremont will once again be ringing with live music this evening as Friday Nights Live brings Beatles tribute act Fab 8 to Laemmle plaza; Larry and Rhonda Jackson and Small Town Magic to the chamber of commerce; percussionist extraordinaire Ray McNamara’s Steel Drum Band to Shelton Park; and the Middleton/Martinez Duo to city hall. Friday Nights Live runs from 6 to 9 p.m. through October.
DEMS WELCOME HOLDEN FRIDAY: The Democratic Club of Claremont hosts a Community Conversation with Chris Holden beginning at 11 a.m. in Pilgrim Place’s Porter Hall Conference Room at 625 Mayflower Road, Claremont. The event is open to the public. Assemblyman Holden represents assembly district 41 and is up for reelection this year. The two-part meeting will begin at 11 a.m.
OLA FIESTA: The 71st OLA Fiesta at Claremont’s Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, 435 Berkeley Ave., kicks off at 5 p.m. on Friday. Admission is free for the annual event, which features carnival rides, international food prepared by OLA’s Hispanic, Vietnamese and Filipino communities, and live music. Discount ride tickets are available until noon today through the parish office.
OH, NO IT’S CINCO DE MAYO Today’s unofficial tipplers’ bash is Cinco de Mayo, which translates loosely to, “I’ll have a triple margarita and some nachos.” Partiers, or those just really feeling wistful about the Mexican Army’s unlikely victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla, on May 5, 1862, have a few local spots from which too choose for their upcoming bad decisions: Claremont’s El Ranchero Restaurant, at 984 W. Foothill Blvd., hosts live Mariachi music beginning at 5:30 p.m. And there's more!
IT’S A ROCK, ROCK, ROCKABILLY BOOGIE Pitzer College’s 11th annual Rockabilly Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at The Mounds (Pellessier Mall), 1050 N. Mills Ave., Claremont. The free, family-friendly event includes local and regional acts that borrow in varying degrees from the template established by 1950s originators such as Carl Perkins, the Burnettes and Elvis’ early Sun Records recordings.
EARTH DAY, CICLAVIA Claremont’s 10th annual free Earth Day celebration takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Claremont Farmer’s and Artisan’s Market, which moves back to Second Street and Yale Avenue this Sunday to make room for CicLAvia. The event, which is sponsored by Sustainable Claremont and CicLAvia, features live music, hybrid and electric car show, an earth station, food trucks and a bike safety rodeo.
GARDEN CLUB TOUR The Claremont Garden Club hosts its annual garden tour and fundraiser today. This year’s theme is “Claremont Eclectic: a Tour of Six Local Gardens.” The tour runs from 1 to 4 p.m., offering a glimpse into some creative Claremont gardens, discussions with the gardeners, and inspiration for participants’ own gardens. Tickets are $20 and include admission to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden on the same day and once again during the following month. To purchase tickets online, visit claremontgardenclub.org. Tickets can also be purchased at Garner House in Memorial Park, 840 N. Indian Hill Blvd., or at Rio de Ojas, at 250 Harvard Ave.
ASIAN FOOD IN A GLOBALIZING WORLD: Pomona College presents a free lecture, “Exploring Asian Chefs, Cuisines and Restaurants in a Globalizing World,” from 1:30 to 5 p.m. at Hahn Building, 420 Harvard Ave., Claremont. Join the Pomona College Asian Studies program for a mini-conference examining the ways in which Japanese chefs have situated an “authentic” cuisine in relationship to national boundaries and global networks. More information is at pomona.edu/events or (909) 607-2924.
CALLING CHOCOLATE BUNNIES: Today is the last chance to donate chocolate Easter bunnies to La Verne-based nonprofit Sowing Seeds for Life. The charity hopes to collect 200 of the confections to hand out to needy children at its March 21 Easter pantry. Sowing Seeds for Life is located at 1350 Arrow Hwy., La Verne. More info is at sowingseedsforlife.org, (909) 293-7735, extension 232, or via email at frobertson@sowingseedsforlife.org.
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