Calabasas Cultural Festival is Saturday

Award-winning artists in several categories will be featured on Sat., Oct. 7 when the Calabasas Cultural Festival at Old Town presents top-notch professionals to entertain the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the three-acre site of the historic Leonis Adobe at 23537 Calabasas Road.

A two-hour concert by the legendary eight-member band, Tierra, whose credits include Carnegie Hall and sell-out crowds at the Greek Theater, will bring the sounds of salsa, rock ’n roll, rhythm and blues, and jazzy pop.

Dance groups highlighting the festivities will feature Agoura’s own A Step in Time School of Dance performing its 2000 Olympic dance routine. This group, recently interviewed on CBS-TV and NBC-TV, lists among its performances appearances at Carnegie Hall, Pepperdine University and in Broadway’s "Nutcracker."

Noted choreographer and flamenco master Roberto Amarl trained the Bailes de Espana which will bring authentic flamenco dances to Old Town. They’ve performed at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater, UCLA’s Cyberfest and in festivals from Santa Barbara to Whittier.

Her creations honored with numerous awards, Michelle Berne’s friendly, towering puppets, 12 to 15 feet tall, will thrill young and old alike during the festival. The works of this former dancer, choreographer and multimedia artist have been seen in rare special celebrations from Marseille, France, to the Getty Museum.

The day’s festivities will open at 10 a.m. with blue grass selections performed by Savannah. "Malaguena" will be among the classical guitar pieces by Victory Mori while Jorge Santini will offer easy listening guitar selections on the verandah.

Great activities for children will range from pottery and art demonstrations to wildlife exhibitions, hands-on demonstrations of butter churning, carding sheep’s wool, rope spinning with lasso and more.

Docents in colorful costumes will lead tours through Old Town Calabasas and Calabasas Creek Park, developed by the Leonis Adobe Association as an outdoor museum to showcase the restored creek and replicated jail.

The Calabasas Cultural Festival at Old Town is presented free to the public by the Calabasas Arts Council to celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month.

For additional information, please call the Calabasas Arts Council at (818) 878-4242, ext. 270.