This Weekend: Clams, Beer, and Open Studios

October 14, 2011

“Clam to the Past” is the theme for this weekend’s 65th Annual Pismo Beach Clam Festival being held on the pier and throughout the downtown. Scheduled highlights include the festival parade beginning Saturday at 10 a.m., followed by the world-famous clam chowder cook-off from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be live music, entertainment, and vendors soaking in the sun by the beach on both days. Children get to participate in the clam dig on Sunday at noon and they’re even offering surfing lessons to get you in the water. Back by popular demand is the Wine Walk. great way to escape the heat and celebrate the California lifestyle.

If you’re more into history than clams, the 38th Annual Colony Days Celebration will be Saturday in Atascadero.  This colorful annual event features an old-fashioned parade through the center of the city beginning at 10 a.m., a day-long historic re-enactment of the the early “Tent City,” and food, vendors, music and kids activities in the scenic Sunken Gardens. There is no admission charge and the event is very family-friendly. This year’s parade theme is “Books on Parade!”

This weekend also kicks off the 13th Annual Open Studios Tour sponsored by the San Luis Obispo County Arts Council. The premise is simple. Hop in your car, drive around San Luis Obispo and South County and visit local artists in their studios. Meet them, see where they work and find their inspiration—and purchase great local art and equally great prizes. All sorts of art: paintings, glass, jewelry, bird houses, photography. Next weekend it’s North County’s turn and then it’s countywide for the third weekend. It’s free to the public and your handy catalog guide is available online.

Saturday is the big day for beer lovers at OaktoberFest from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Avila Beach Golf Resort. Tickets are $25 at the door and get you into both the Firestone Beer Garden and an authentic German beer garden. Check out the Beer Olympics and the Best German Beer Attire Contest. Ja!

Head to Cayucos for the 10th Annual Gem & MIneral Show Saturday and Sunday at the Vets Hall, right at the base of the the Cayucos Pier. Admission is free and you can check out all the gems, minerals, jade, lapidary, beads, fossils, and assorted jewelry on sale. Did we mention the free door prizes? Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sponsored by the San Luis Gem & Mineral Club.

If you love free events and the arts, check out the Performing Arts Center on Saturday and Sunday for Bravo SLO! Parking on the Cal Poly campus will be free from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. while the celebration continues. Local dance companies, choral groups and music ensembles will all be strutting their best stuff on stage and in the lobby. Plus there’s free wine tasting from local wineries.

Two local theater productions are continuing their respective runs with well-known plays. San Luis Obispo Little Theatre serves up Oklahoma! and Sorcerer Productions offers Arsenic and Old Lace at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande.

If dance is your thing, Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo performs  “Autumn Dances” Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. A few tickets are left at $15 for the shows which will both be at the intimate and audience-friendly Dance Obispo, 572 Higuera Street.

Soul Sauce is a local musical group with a huge following. They’ll be at the Cambria Pines Lodge Saturday night, followed by Mostly Monica on Sunday night.

New movies opening locally include: Jack Black and Steve Martin as bird-lovers in The Big Year and The Thing, being billed as a prequel to the 1950’s classic sci-fi flick. Our staff pick remains the cancer comedy-drama 50/50.

Enjoy your weekend!