monday

It’s the beginning of a new school year and the Temecula Public Library has put together some exciting and innovative programs to make the transition back to education much easier for local teens. Held on one Monday per month through December, the library’s fall teen programs use themes like pop culture and holidays to provide teens, grades 7 through 12, with creative, educational enrichment and teen building through fun activities with their peers.

Monday, May 25th will be a day full of Memorial Day activities, beginning with a ceremony next to the “Letter’s Home” veteran’s memorial (created by artist Christopher Parnell) at the Temecula Duck Pond. From 8:30 to 9:30 am, attendees can pay tribute to our fallen troops with speeches from local dignitaries, as well as the Presentation of Colors and Pledge of Allegiance by the Temecula Valley Young Marines and the National Anthem performed by the Temecula Valley Master Chorale. The observance will continue at the Temecula Public Cemetery, 41911 C Street, at 10:00 am.

The library’s “Design Your Own Superhero” program gives teens, grades 7 through 12, the opportunity to imagine the strongest, fastest, smartest and super-est hero they can come up with and bring him or her to life by creating their own vinyl figurine.

The 13th Annual KFROG Cares Concert, this Monday, April 13th at Pechanga Resort & Casino, brings together three of the country genre’s hottest up-and-coming artists; all to benefit the Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.

When the Temecula-based Ballet Studio and the Fine Arts Network present “The Nutcracker,” beginning this weekend in Old Town, the sugarplums will dance right out of your head and onto the stage. Recently voted one of the Top 10 “Nutcrackers” in Southern California by the Los Angeles Times, “The Nutcracker” will be on stage at the Old Town Community Theater from December 18th through the 23rd.

Things are getting just a little bit spookier in wine country this month, but not too scary that you can’t bring the kids, as Lorimar Winery hosts two Halloween activities geared at bringing the whole family together for some festive fun.

For anyone who lived through the Vietnam War, the emotional effects can still be debilitating, even decades later. Those who have not had a chance to visit the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.

In musical theater, there are a small handful of cities that have the honor of hosting the upper echelon of Broadway-caliber talent; New York, Los Angeles, London… Temecula? Well, we do now. On Monday, September 22nd, the popular monthly series Cabaret at the Merc presents an evening with one of the biggest names in theater, renowned Broadway composer, Stephen Schwartz.

When Cabaret at the Merc Producers, J. Scott Lapp and Jordan Beck, were planning their first Summer Series, they wanted to end their hugely popular season with something extra special. After exploring the work of numerous contemporary artists, Beck and Lapp chose Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum recording artist, John Mayer.