Colours paints the city

Shafter and the surrounding communities are filled with a talented bunch and that will become apparent this weekend as Shafter will host its annual Colours Festival at various venues throughout the city.

The weekend will kick off with the spaghetti dinner hosted by the Shafter Community Chest. The event is from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Shafter Veterans Hall. A dinner is served up while the diners are entertained by the sounds of Bob Iorio. The dinner traditionally starts the festivities and is a great time to meet up with old friends and make new ones. You can also get the dinner to go.

Also on opening night, Larry Starrh's new play, "Engaging Adam" will take center stage with its debut at the Ford Theater at 7:30 p.m.. The original play tells the story of Adam, a young wealthy bachelor who is ready to start a family. Faith, his best friend, thinks he should wait a little longer. Adam's neighbors, Baron and Lady LaCroix, have seven daughters and are intending to marry off one of their seven daughters to the wealthy bachelor for sinister reasons. The play also runs on Friday and Saturday nights at the same time, and Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m.

The live music event will take place on Friday night at Don Perico's. Enjoy the local talent as they showcase a variety of types of music. Returning from last year is Shafter's own Devon Ford, who has developed a following from playing gigs all over Kern County and his popularity on You Tube. Also returning is Mopey Lonesome. His vocals are reminiscent of a tall glass of whiskey, smooth but also gut churning with a soulful twang that pulls at the heart strings. Don't miss this event if you like live music.

If you love movies, the Congregational Church will host a Silent Movie Night, with movies by Laurel and Hardy, and Charlie Chaplin. The movies will be accompanied by world-renowned organist Bob Salisbury.

If you are more interested in what goes on behind the camera, there is the Film Experience Workshop on Saturday at the Police Department meeting room from 2:30 to 4 p.m. This event will give attendees the opportunity to get hands-on experience in film making, directing, casting and editing. You will learn to use a dolly, jib, cameras and lights.

For those who would rather look at a piece of sculpture or a painting, then Shafter Veterans Hall will be the place for you as the [BEGIN Art Gallery will be open beginning on Friday afternoon from 1 to 5p.m. The gallery will also be open on Saturday and Sunday, with a special event on Sunday, "Meet the Artists," in which you will be able to have samplings from local wineries and talk to the artists about their works.

Mannel Park will play host for a variety of events on Saturday. There will be a car show, with over 300 cars planning to be on hand, from classic hot rods to lowriders, to tricked-out pick up trucks. The Shafter High Jazz Band will be entertaining the crowds at the park as they check out a large number of vendors, activities, and a big selection of food choices. Speaking of food, Saturday afternoon brings the Chili Cook-Off. There will be a few different categories of chili for competition, from mild to spicy to down right hot. All of the museums in town will be open for perusing and tours. The Green Hotel, The Shafter Depot Museum and Minter Field Air Museum will showcase their collections of memorabilia, as well as providing information to visitors about the different times and eras in Shafter's history.

The Shafter Depot Museum will be the site for the Cans d'arte event. This event is sponsored by the Shafter Woman's Club. Participants are encouraged to build works of art out of canned and boxed food. Each creation is judged and winners are announced. But the big winner is the local food banks, as all of the food used in the event is donated.

It is unusual for a small town to have their own symphony, but Shafter does, with conductor Stephen Penner bringing the Shafter Symphony together for a performance on Saturday night at the Fred Starrh Performing Arts Center at Shafter High School beginning at 7:30 p.m. The selections will include music from Hollywood including Fantasia, Jurassic Park, Jaws and Lord of the Rings.

Of course, Saturday begins early in the morning at Shafter High School with the Colours Fun Run and Walk. Participants run, walk stroll with their dogs, along a course that is littered with color stations that douse them with splashes of different colors.

The Colours Festival is a lot like the Colours Fun Run and Walk. You go along the course as you are doused with a different color each time, until by the end of the course, you look and feel like you have tasted a rainbow of different experiences.