A weekend of fun: Cruise Nite, Ag
Museum Concert, BCL Book Sale,
SP Cleanup, Airport Open House
May 02, 2014
Weekend of May 3 & $
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
It will be retro hits by one of Santa Paula’s most popular entertainers with the Angela Marquez Band who will be performing favorites from top female singers at Friday’s Cruise Nite.
And there will be more music at the Agriculture Museum where Valencia & Friends will perform smooth jazz, pop, blues and R&B starting at 7 p.m.
Although Marquez formerly lead singer of the Angela Skeels Band, has gotten married and changed her name, the lineup of hits by The Pretenders, Bangles, Ronettes, Cyndi Lauper (her early musical hero), No Doubt, Fergie, Badfinger, Sheryl Crow, Crowded House, Dusty Springfield, Fleetwood Mac, Go Go’s and more remain the same great night of tunes that will have you dancing in the streets!
Cruise Nite will kick off a weekend of free, fun family events that includes Saturday’s America in Bloom Beautification Day and Friends of Blanchard Community Library Book Sale as well as Sunday’s Aviation Museum of Santa Paula’s First Sunday of the Month Open House at the Airport. The latter is a super special event to benefit the Chino Hills Boys Republic and honor its most famous resident, and SZP stalwart, the late Steve McQueen (see related story).
Friday is Cruise Nite, Ventura County’s most famous street car show and a showstopper held the first Friday of every month through the event’s April-October season.
Cruise Nite closes historic East Main Street from 10th to 7th streets-and side venues-to fill hundreds of parking spaces with classic pre-1975 cars, trucks and motorcycles.
Cruise Nite visitors not only enjoy the cars but also have a chance to stroll down one of the most recognizable Main Streets in the state, its historic buildings featured in numerous films, TV shows and commercials.
And what’s better than stopping in at one of the numerous restaurants in the area to enjoy a delicious snack or meal-most offering Cruise Nite specials-and browsing various unique shops. Visitors also have the chance to purchase a new-design-each-month Cruise Nite T-shirt created by Wendell Dowling and featuring a custom car seen at the show.
Socializing is also a Cruise Nite tradition and you never know whom you will see, a close buddy or make new friends drawn to the event from throughout Southern California.
Cruise Nite starts at about 5 p.m. and ends at dusk; The Angela Marquez Band will start rocking out at 5:30 p.m.
Close-by at the Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum (926 Railroad Ave.) will be more music and tasty tacos with Valencia & Friends, led by noted vocalist and percussionist Gil Valencia, recognized as one of the area’s best! Valencia is one of the musical artists featured in the Melody Hall exhibit honoring local musical leaders now on display at the California Oil Museum.
Valencia’s group-Chris Smith (on keyboards), Steve Wachsman (guitar), and Adan Valencia (vocals and conga) will take to stage at 7:30 p.m. for a two-hour concert of diverse tunes.
Tacos Solario will be parked outside with their menu of great eats to take inside during the concert.
Admission is only $10 for the general public, $5 for museum members and $2 for kids... and bring in the ad in the Santa Paula Times for the special buy one, get one half-off admission deal!
Feel working outdoors is a great way to start your Saturday?
Then you’ll want to take part in the America in Bloom Santa Paula Beautification Day to help spruce up the city before judges for a national competition visit the city next week.
The cleanup event will be held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is expected to draw those new to the effort, as well as stalwart AIB supporters of Santa Paula’s ongoing beautification.
Volunteers will meet at the Gazebo and then be dispatched to help groom the Bike Path, City Hall and Police Station, do random flower planting at city businesses, repot Downtown flowerpots, as well as tackle weed and trash elimination on Harvard Boulevard and 10th Street.
Participants are asked to bring gloves, shovels, pruning shears, clippers, trash bags, brooms and dust pans and after their hard work all volunteers will be treated to a pizza lunch.
You’ll be done in time to visit the Friends of the Blanchard Community Library Book Sale, held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The sale is held behind the library (located at 119 N. 8th St.) and book lovers can enter through the big roll-up door at the end of the North Parking Lot.
Antique and collectible magazines such as Life, Mad, Antiquarian, Dublin and others will be half price on Saturday.
Of course, there will the Friends “overwhelming collection” of fiction, non-fiction, and children’s books, many half price or even free!
For more information on Saturday’s Santa Paula Beautification Day contact America in Bloom-Santa Paula founder Dianne Davis at 407-4696 or email dorights@yahoo.com
Emailed RSVPs are requested.
