saturday

On a warm summer’s eve, on a train bound for nowhere, the hero of country music legend Kenny Rogers’ epic musical narrative, “The Gambler,” met a drifter who taught him the meaning of life, at least the way he’d chosen to live, and the rules you had to follow just to get by in the world. For Rogers himself, personal fulfillment is not about knowing when to hold ‘em or fold ‘em or how to make a quick buck. For Rogers, a winning hand is a full house.

People may say hooray for Hollywood but I say, hooray for Temecula because a little taste of tinseltown’s best will be featured in Old Town, with the City of Temecula’s Saturday Night Classics. On three Saturdays in August, Town Square Park in front of City Hall becomes THE place for summer entertainment.

Sleeping Beauty is the story of a beautiful hidden princess who falls victim to an evil curse, causing her to sleep for a hundred years and only true love’s kiss can awaken her. But what happens after the handsome prince saves her from her slumber? Why, there’s a wedding, of course and the Fine Arts Network, in association with the Ballet Studio, are bringing that magical ceremony to life on stage.

In the City of Temecula, art is everywhere. From the Gallery at the Merc to the “Art Off the Walls” at the Truax Building to the exhibits at the public library, high quality artwork can be found almost anywhere you look, even on the streets of Old Town – and I mean ON the streets of Old Town – when the Temecula Art and Street Painting Festival returns this weekend.

Raise a glass to the beginning of summer at the 7th Annual Pechanga Microbrew Festival and Chili Cook Off, this Saturday, June 6th from 1:00 to 5:00 pm in the Grand Ballroom.

Easily the biggest and most anticipated annual event in the valley, Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival packs Lake Skinner Recreation Area with tens of thousands of guests itching to partake in the festival’s culinary creations and potent potables, sunrise balloon sails across wine country and other adult as well as family activities; all while enjoying great entertainment from some of the music industry’s biggest names and hottest up-and-comers.

When strolling down Front Street, it’s easy to imagine what Temecula must have looked like during its earliest days. This weekend, those images become a reality when the City of Temecula’s Western Days once again brings cowboy shoot outs, hoedowns and good old fashioned country grub to the streets of Old Town.

From May to September, on the third Saturday of the month from 5:00 to 10:00 pm, Refuge invites their loyal devotees as well as newcomers to enjoy their exclusive brews, live music and great food. Outside on their patio, as well as inside the tasting room, Summer Nights visitors have the chance to not only enjoy the atmosphere of all the summer fun, but they can also be the first to sample newly released beers; one of which is debuted at each Refuge Summer Nights installment.

As part of the British musical invasion of the mid-sixties, legendary rockers the Moody Blues brought to the United States a uniquely layered, sometimes complicated, but always rich and defining sound that set them apart from the rest of their musical colleagues from across the pond. Fast forward a half century and Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graeme Edge, the Moodies, as they call themselves, are currently on a tour to promote their career-spanning box CD and DVD set, “Timeless Flight,” which not only references their epic hits like “Nights in White Satin,” and “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock in Roll Band),” but also introduces lifelong Moody Blues fans to never-before-released tracks and concert footage.

Stephen King’s novel “Carrie,” the haunting tale of a teenage outcast using her telekinetic abilities to exact revenge on her vicious classmates, has been adapted into numerous genres including film and stage plays, but you might be surprised to learn that the morbid and controversial subject matter of King’s prom night fright actually fest lends itself well to music.