Calendar of Events: Murphys, California

Special Note: Zucca Spanish Wine Adventure - Sign up now to join us for a once in a lifetime experience in Spain from October 25 through November 8 led by your favorite winemakers, Gary and Carol Zucca. This is not a "Guided Tour” trip where you gather lots of postcards but never have the time to breathe in the scenery. This is a chance to really experience Spain from a local view. Visit www.zuccawines.com for itineraries, pricing and more information.

AUGUST 2010

Thursdays in August - Wren Cafe Small Plate Dinners - Wren Cafe will be open from 5-9 pm for small plate dinners. The menu each week will be focused on food from a different part of the world...a kind of armchair culinary adventure. July 1st will feature foods of Mexico. Menus will be posted on the Wren Cafe & Catering Facebook page weekly so drop by and check out what she has planned.

Saturday Evenings in August - Matt Cullen Sings Songs with Words You Can Understand at Notos - Bring your appetite from 6-8 and request the song "Just in Time" to receive a 10% discount on your meal.

August 24, 2010 - Winemaker's Night at Alchemy - Enjoy $5. glasses of featured wines, live music on the patio, and an innovative menu featuring fresh fish and housemade desserts every Tuesday from 4-8 pm. Call 209-728-0700 or visit www.alchemymarket.com for more information.

August 25, 2010 - Fruit, Olive Oil and Balsamic, Oh my! - Join us at 10am for a demonstration of summer salads and desserts that will dazzle your taste buds. We'll be roasting pears and pineapple. Then sauteing apricots, and finishing up with strawberry panna cotta paired with balsamic vinegar. Cathy Stroup will lead this demo, and if you have met Cathy or taken her previous "Summer Sides" class, then you won't want to miss this one! The Demo is $25 per person and will include tasting samples of all the recipes made, plus copies of the recipes to use at home. Please contact Sara Teeter ( at marisoliotastingbar@gmail.com) to reserve your place in the class. Payment is needed at time of registration; class size is limited to 15 people.

August 26, 2010 –Knit Nights at Maisie Blue's Every Thursday 6-9pm. Grab your projects (knit, crochet, quilting, sewing...whatever makes you happy) and join us for a few hours of chatting, crafting and meeting up with new and familiar faces. Coffee and tea are at hand to keep us fortified as we chat and craft together. The shop is located next door to Alchemy Market near the corner of Scott and Main Streets. Contact us at maisieblue@gmail.com for more information or call 728-8261.

August 27, 2010 - Farmers Market at Val du Vino Winery - Visit the Farmers Market every Friday from 4 pm to dusk from June through September. The Val du Vino Winery is just a short walk from downtown Murphys on Main Street near the corner of Main Street and Murphys Grade Road. Call 209-728-9911 or visit www.valduvino.com for more information.

August 27, 2010 – Fridays At Alchemy. Matt Cullen Delivers style with pop, country and jazz vocal performances from the 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond every Friday on our patio from 5:30-8. The music is free, and there's room to dance. Call 209-728-0700 for more information.

August 28, 2010 - Newsome-Harlow Big John Zin Vertical Tasting 7pm. 9 vintages of Big John, the wine that put us on the map. The Party members only, rsvp to wines@nhvino.com

August 31, 2010 - Winemaker's Night at Alchemy - Enjoy $5. glasses of featured wines, live music on the patio, and an innovative menu featuring fresh fish and housemade desserts every Tuesday from 4-8 pm. Call 209-728-0700 or visit www.alchemymarket.com for more information.

August 31, 2010 - Wine & Food Pairing 101 - Sara Teeter hosts this Tuesday afternoon class. Sara has spent years in the California wine industry, traveling the world's major wine regions, and hosting private tastings. She will combine her expertise with Marisolio's wide selection of gourmet olive oils and accompanying tasty treats. We will focus on: tasting with the 5 senses, flavor profiles of the top 6 wine varietals ( 3 reds, 3 whites), how to read wine shop descriptions (marketing tags) and the back of wine labels and matching foods and olive oils to wines. This class is offered on Wednesday August 31 at 4pm, and is limited to 15 people. Please contact Sara Teeter (at marisoliotastingbar@gmail.com) to reserve your place in the class. Payment of $25 is needed at time of registration to hold your place in the class.

September 3, 2010 - Farmers Market at Val du Vino Winery - Visit the Farmers Market every Friday from 4 pm to dusk from June through September. The Val du Vino Winery is just a short walk from downtown Murphys on Main Street near the corner of Main Street and Murphys Grade Road. Call 209-728-9911 or visit www.valduvino.com for more information.

September 3, 2010 – First Fridays in the Park - Live Music in Murphys Community Park! The Murphys Community Club completes this year’s summer series with a performance by the Columbia College Big Band under the direction of Rod Harris. Friends and neighbors are invited to spend a relaxing summer’s evening beside the tranquil creek in Murphys Community Park starting at 5:30 p.m. Murphys Caterer Melanie Klan will prepare hoagie sausage sandwiches and side dishes for purchase. Proceeds from the sale of food, beer, wine and other beverages help to maintain the park. This month’s wine is from Newsome Harlow. No admission charge.

September 6, 2010 - Special Labor Day concert under the direction of Bandmaster Mic Harper in the Murphys Community Park on Monday, September 6, at 6:30 p.m. There is no admission charge for the program that will feature a mix of traditional band music, patriotic songs, show tunes, and unforgettable oldies. Families and other members of the community are invited to pack a picnic dinner and enjoy this end of the season concert.

September 8, 2010 - Newsome-Harlow Wine Maker Dinner Series 7 pm. Sit down with Scott and Mel for a delicious multi course meal. Tickets $95. $70 for members of The Party. rsvp to wines@nhvino.com

September 10, 2010 - Farmers Market at Val du Vino Winery - Visit the Farmers Market every Friday from 4 pm to dusk from June through September. The Val du Vino Winery is just a short walk from downtown Murphys on Main Street near the corner of Main Street and Murphys Grade Road. Call 209-728-9911 or visit www.valduvino.com for more information.

September 11, 2010 - Murphys-Angels Lions Club 3rd Annual Classic Car Show Feeney Park in Historic Murphys. 1975 & Older Vehicles - All Makes & Models. 9 am to 3 pm. Pre-Reg - $20. / after 8/28 - $25. Show Cars Park on Beautiful Grass. Awards, Dash Plaques, Drawings, Lots of Vendors, Local DJ "Decade Music" Skate Board Park, BBQ Steak Sands, Brats, Hot Dogs, Cold Draft Beer, Sodas, & Snow Cones Available for Purchase. Plenty of Public Parking. Contact Terry Costa at makemyday@goldrush.com or call (209) 728-9971 for more info. PROCEEDS GO TO LIONS CLUB CHARITIES. SPECTATORS ARE FREE.

September 17, 2010 - Farmers Market at Val du Vino Winery - Visit the Farmers Market every Friday from 4 pm to dusk from June through September. The Val du Vino Winery is just a short walk from downtown Murphys on Main Street near the corner of Main Street and Murphys Grade Road. Call 209-728-9911 or visit www.valduvino.com for more information.

September 18, 2010 - Bikers Against Child Abuse Play Day! Come Celebrate Play Day! FREE Event for Families! Motorcycles, bubbles, and temporary tattoos! FREE lunch to first 100 people! Free activities, crafts, and souvenirs for kids of all ages. Murphys Community Park. Info: bacasacliaison@yahoo.com 209-765-3493

September 22, 2010 - Wild & Scenic Film Festival at Chatom Vineyards - For more information, visit www.sierrafilmfest.org

September 24, 2010 - Cioppino Feed at the Murphys Historic Hotel - All you can eat Cioppino Feed for $22.95 per person. 5:00 pm to closing. Yes September has an "R" in it so it's time for some Great Cioppino. If you haven't tried ours yet you should . For you who don't know, Cioppino is Fresh Seafood stew / soup with a tomato base. This meal also includes a house salad and fresh garlic bread. Make reservations at (209)728-3444

September 25, 2010 - 14th Annual Ironstone Concours d'Elegance - Details coming soon! For more information, call 209-785-4234.

October 1, 2 & 3, 2010 - Murphys Creek Theater presents Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde at the Black Bart Playhouse through October 31- Adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher directed by Bruce Cole - "The playwright's sly transformation of Hyde deepen and intensify a smart, tense and suspenseful new take on Stevenson's look at the evil that lurks in the hearts of men." Jeffrey Hatcher finds new depths in "Jekyl and Hyde. For tickets and information call 209.728.8422 or visit www.murphyscreektheatre.org.

October 2, 2010 - GRAPE STOMP! - The annual Grape Stomp event in the Murphys Community Park has become one of the most anticipated events of the year, drawing a large crowd of stompers and spectators from around California. The Stomp is organized by the Calaveras Winegrape Alliance, an organization of Calaveras County wineries and features the stomping competition, silent and live auctions as well as art, food, street fair and of course…wine! 9:30am to 5:00pm - Visit http://www.calaveraswines.org for more info!

October 8, 9 & 10, 2010 - Murphys Creek Theater presents Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde at the Black Bart Playhouse through October 31- Adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher directed by Bruce Cole - "The playwright's sly transformation of Hyde deepen and intensify a smart, tense and suspenseful new take on Stevenson's look at the evil that lurks in the hearts of men." Jeffrey Hatcher finds new depths in "Jekyl and Hyde. For tickets and information call 209.728.8422 or visit www.murphyscreektheatre.org.

Oct 9th, 2010 - Tanner Vineyards Wine & Bike Adventure - spend your Saturday morning with Wine and Bike Tours of Murphys and the Sierra Foothills. There’s no better way to tour the vineyards and villages near our charming town of Murphys than from the seat of a bicycle. $129.00 per person: includes a breath taking, professionally guided bike ride in the morning, followed by a delicious gourmet wine and food pairing luncheon at Tanner Vineyards and a Wine and Bike Tours T-shirt! Riders provide their own bikes - bike rental referrals are available. For more information call (209) 890-6244, (530) 864-7891 or visit www.GetOnYourMARK.com.

October 9, 2010 - A Year at Milfiori Art Exhibit and Lunch Alfresco - Dozens of “en plein air” paintings created over the past year at Milfiori in Douglas Flat will be exhibited and offered for sale between 10 am and 4 pm. Award winning local artists, including Kathleen Dunphy, Shona Macomber, Charles Waldman and Janette Jones, have painted the seasons of Milfiori, a lovely 150 year old farmhouse surrounded by decades-old gardens. The property also includes the “Italian Store” which was the hub of the Douglas Flat mining community and a beautiful old barn where dances were once held. The paintings capture the essence of this historic treasure. The art exhibit benefits the oldest schoolhouse in Calaveras County. The Pioneer School, adjacent to Milfiori, was built in 1854 and is now the Douglas Flat Community Center. Paintings of the schoolhouse will also be featured. Free Admission to Art Exhibit and Sale. Lunch Tickets $15. Tour available with donation. Contact Willi Krauss at 209-728-9842 or Angela Harmon at 209-728-3975 for more information.

October 15 & 16, 2010 - Murphys Creek Theater presents Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde at the Black Bart Playhouse through October 31- Adaptation by Jeffrey Hatcher directed by Bruce Cole - "The playwright's sly transformation of Hyde deepen and intensify a smart, tense and suspenseful new take on Stevenson's look at the evil that lurks in the hearts of men." Jeffrey Hatcher finds new depths in "Jekyl and Hyde. For tickets and information call 209.728.8422 or visit www.murphyscreektheatre.org.

November 13, 2010 – Holiday Festival of Wines. For Complete details and to purchase your discounted pre-sale tickets, visit www.calaveraswines.org TODAY

November 26, 27 & 28, 2010 - Murphys Creek Theater presents Gifts of the Magi at the Black Bart Playhouse through December 19th. A sweet musical blending of two of O. Henry's most beloved stories, "The Gifts of the Magi" and "The Cop and the Anthem". It's Christmas in New York City in this touching and beautiful story of a young couple unable to afford presents for each other on their first Christmas together. Each sacrifices a treasure to provide a gift for the other but, in so doing, they work at almost tragically funny cross-purposes. For tickets and information call 209.728.8422 or visit www.murphyscreektheatre.org

December 3, 4 & 5, 2010 - Murphys Creek Theater presents Gifts of the Magi at the Black Bart Playhouse through December 19th. A sweet musical blending of two of O. Henry's most beloved stories, "The Gifts of the Magi" and "The Cop and the Anthem". It's Christmas in New York City in this touching and beautiful story of a young couple unable to afford presents for each other on their first Christmas together. Each sacrifices a treasure to provide a gift for the other but, in so doing, they work at almost tragically funny cross-purposes. For tickets and information call 209.728.8422 or visit www.murphyscreektheatre.org

December 10 & 11, 2010 - Murphys Creek Theater presents Gifts of the Magi at the Black Bart Playhouse through December 19th. A sweet musical blending of two of O. Henry's most beloved stories, "The Gifts of the Magi" and "The Cop and the Anthem". It's Christmas in New York City in this touching and beautiful story of a young couple unable to afford presents for each other on their first Christmas together. Each sacrifices a treasure to provide a gift for the other but, in so doing, they work at almost tragically funny cross-purposes. For tickets and information call 209.728.8422 or visit www.murphyscreektheatre.org

What's Happening in Murphys