Annual Events Calendar  (Click to view 2012 event dates)

• JANUARY 2012 •

Events listed in date order

HERO APPRECIATION MONTHS
January-March 2012, sponsored by Sequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce. Current and former firefighters/EMS, law enforcement/peace officers, and Armed Forces/veterans enjoy thank-you discounts from more than three dozen participating member businesses for three months. The honoree must obtain a “thank-you card” from a card issuer to be eligible for discounts. To receive a list of participating businesses and card issuers: 561-4270 or www.threerivers.com/body-hero.html.

NATIONAL PARKS
FEE-FREE WEEKEND
Saturday-Monday, Jan. 14-16. Entrance fees to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and all other national parks that normally charge an admission fee will be waived in honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday holiday weekend.

CANCELLED:
SNOWMAN-BUILDING CONTEST
Saturday, Jan. 14. This event, organized by the Sequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce, has been cancelled due to the lack of an important ingredient necessary in the building of snowmen.

RIVER VIEW LOUNGE:
LIVE MUSIC
Saturday, Jan. 14, 9:30 pm-1:30 am. Rhino Circus. 42323 Sierra Dr.; 561-2211.

COMMUNITY EMERGENCY
RESPONSE TRAINING
Sunday, Jan. 15, 12:30-4 pm, Fellowship Hall, Church at Kaweah, 44069 North Fork Dr., Kaweah. Instruction will cover disaster preparedness, disaster medical response, search and rescue, fire suppression, evacuation and shelter operations, and more. Class is hands-on; dress appropriately. Those completing the entire course will be issued a backpack, vest, and helmet. Members of the community welcome to participate or simply observe. Training will be held the third Sunday of each month. RSVP: 346-8362.

COMFORT FOR KIDS:
QUILTING PROJECT
Tuesday, Jan. 17, 9 am-noon, Three Rivers Memorial Building. Volunteers are welcome to assist in this annual session to assemble comforters that will be provided to patients at Children’s Hospital Central California. No experience necessary. Weekly through April. 561-3577.

STORY TIME
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 10:30 am, Three Rivers Library. Weekly event for preschool children.M is for ME! Free; all children welcome (must be accompanied by an adult). 561-4564.

OUR PLACE: PLAYSCHOOL
Friday, Jan. 20, 10:30 am. Call for scheduled activity update. Free; open to the public; children must be accompanied by an adult. 561-3345.

IN CONCERT:
DAVID OLNEY WITH SERGIO WEBB
Friday, Jan. 20, 7:30 pm (doors open at 7 pm), Three Rivers Memorial Building. Folk singer/songwriter David Olney is described as “a showman, a spoken-word artist, a walking songbook full of characters he inhabits with zeal...” Patti Torrey of Springville will open the show. Admission at the door: $15. An additional area concert will be held Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Porterville Barn Theatre. Information/ticket reservations: 789-5317.

TULARE COUNTY AUDUBON
SOCIETY: FIELD TRIP
Saturday, Jan. 21, 8 am, meet at Kaweah Recreation Area, Lake Kaweah. Bring lunch and binoculars to view the plethora of winter birds. Minimal walking. Free; open to the public. 732-5459.

ARTS ALLIANCE OF
THREE RIVERS: WORKSHOP
Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 21-22, 10 am-4 pm, St. Anthony Retreat, Three Rivers. Andrea Adler, consultant and founder of Holistic PR, will present “Holistic Marketing for the Cultural Creative,” an interactive course designed for artists, authors, healing practitioners, and small to mid-size business owners, and anyone else who wishes to learn the principles of holistic marketing and change the way they do business. Cost: $240, includes lunch ($190 for Arts Alliance members). 561-4671.

GEMBOREE GEM AND
MINERAL SHOW
Saturday, Jan. 21, 10 am-5 pm; Sunday, Jan. 22, 10 am-4 pm; Exeter Memorial Building, 324 N. Kaweah Ave. (Hwy. 65). The 56th event, presented by the Tule Gem & Mineral Society, will include gems, jewelry, minerals, books, and lapidary supplies; Treasure Hunt; Wheel of Fortune; day-long drawings; displays; demonstrations; grab bags; silent auction. Free admission; open to the public. Information: www.tulegem.org.

TULARE KINGS WRITERS
Saturday, Jan. 21, 10 am-noon, Classroom 1, Brandman University (east of Kmart in the County Center Shopping Center, Noble and Demaree), Visalia. A new networking organization is starting up to link writers in the area with each other and with editors, publishers, and agencies. Bring your ideas and opinions. 280-9774.

GARDENING FESTIVAL
AND ROSE-PRUNING
DEMONSTRATION
Saturday, Jan. 21, 10 am-2 pm, Tulare County Courthouse rose gardens, Mooney Blvd. at Main Street, Visalia. Join the U.C. Master Gardeners for a day of learning how to garden. They will be conducting hands-on rose-pruning demonstrations. Booths will be staffed by trained volunteers who will have information on a wide variety of plants including fruits, vegetables, herbs, ornamentals, natives, and landscape trees. Displays will show how to create sustainable landscapes, manage insects, diseases, and weeds, and more. BYOP (bring your own pruners!). Children welcome. Free; open to the public. 684-3300.

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE
PROGRAM: ‘THE COURAGE
TO REMEMBER’
Saturday, Jan. 21, 6 pm, Congregation Beit Shalom, 115 E. Paseo Ave., Visalia. Rabbi Lawrence Friedman will provide perspective on the Holocaust. Two Holocaust survivors will also give a presentation and answer questions. Free; open to the public (buttons may be donated for the “6 Million Buttons Project”). Information: 308-1333.

HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE :
PHOTO EXHIBIT
Saturday, Jan. 21-Tuesday, Jan. 31, noon-4 pm daily, Congregation Beit Shalom, 115 E. Paseo Ave., Visalia. A 24-panel photographic display. Free; open to the public (buttons may be donated for the “6 Million Buttons Project”). Information/scheduling: 308-1333.

FIREFIGHTER/EMS CELEBRATION
Friday, Jan. 27, 7 pm, Three Rivers Historical Museum, 42268 Sierra Dr. Sponsored by Sequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce. Free; open to the public.

DRIVER’S SAFETY CLASS
Saturday, Jan. 28, 8 am-4 pm, Quail Park Retirement Village, 4520 W. Cypress Ave., Visalia. This AARP-sponsored program is designed for seniors and will teach age-related driving techniques. Many auto insurance companies will provide discounts to “Driver’s Safety Class” graduates. Cost: $14 ($12 for AARP members). Registration: 624-3500, ext. 13.

 

Additional events added weekly.

ONGOING...

PRESCHOOL STORYTIME
Wednesdays, 10:30 am. Three Rivers Library, 42052 Eggers Dr.

SEQUOIA FOOTHILLS
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE /
THREE RIVERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Friday-Monday, 9 am-3 pm, 42268 Sierra Dr. Free wireless Internet. 561-2707.

THREE RIVERS BREAD BASKET (FOOD PANTRY)— Second and fourth Wednesdays, 8-10 am, Three Rivers Arts Center. Providing to those who are raising and nurturing children. Wintertime needs are many. Food and monetary donations always welcome. Information: 280-3604.

CREEKSIDE YARNS: KNITTING PROJECT
Wednesdays, 11 am-1 pm, 41721 Sierra Dr. Assist with knitting for the Comfort for Kids project. Supplies provided. 561-4518.

EXERCISE FOR SENIORS
Each Monday and Friday, 9:30 am, Three Rivers Memorial Building. Sponsored by the Three Rivers Senior League. Resistance training and balance and weight work. Free; open to seniors age 55 and older.

ADULT VOLLEYBALL
Mondays, 7:30-9:30 pm, Three Rivers School gym. Sponsored by TRUS Recreation Committee. Pay by the session or season. 561-4654.