Here’s a round-up of some of the fun things to do on the Peninsula this weekend:

A Midsummer Night’s Dream – 1950’s Rock & Roll: Shakespeare meets “Happy Days” in this adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identities set in the Athens High School gym on Prom Night in 1957. Presented by The Mountaineers Players at the Kitsap Forest Theater near Bremerton, shows happen every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. from Saturday, 8/2 through Sunday, 8/24. You can find more information at the Forest Theater web site.

The Naval Undersea Museum: This Keyport, WA museum — a joint project between the U.S. Navy and the local Museum Foundation — will be showing the film, “The Death of the Edmund Fitzgerald” at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 2nd. This film explores the fate of this legendary shipwreck, and includes footage from more than 20 years of dives, as well as interviews with relatives of the victims. To get in the mood, you can watch a video tribute to the 29 men who lost their lives in this shipwreck.

Paddle Kitsap: This 2-day event (Friday and Saturday) is sponsored by local paddlers and volunteers with the North Kitsap Trails Association. Although registration to participate in this year’s event is closed, you might want to give a little wave of encouragement to any paddlers you see along the trail, which runs along the coast from Port Gamble to Poulsbo’s waterfront park. And if you’re a paddling enthusiast, mark this event on your calendar so you can register for next year’s event. You can find more information on this event here.

Have you ever seen a yak up close? Or have you ever had a buffalo stick its head in through your open car window, looking for a handout of bread? You can experience all this, and more, at the Olympic Game Farm on the north end of the Olympic Peninsula in Sequim.

It may not sound like much fun, but when we went, we laughed so hard that the video footage we took could barely be watched because we couldn’t hold the camera still enough. This family seemed to have the same problem (although their footage is more viewable than ours).

Many of the animals at the Game Farm are performing animals which have been used in Disney movies. They have buffalo, tigers, zebras, wolves, yaks, and three varieties of bears to see. The “safe” animals roam freely through fields which you can drive through (hence the slobbering buffalo head poking into the car window). Bears and tigers are kept in secure fields for viewing. You can also purchase loaves of bread to feed to the animals.

In addition to the drive-through tour, there is also a walking tour with a barn studio and other items of interest. You can buy a ticket for just the driving part of the farm (which was my favorite), or for just the walking tour, or a combo ticket which includes both. You can find more info on this fun family field trip at the Olympic Game Farm web site.

If you have kids or enjoy animals, you’ll have a great time at the Olympic Game Farm. Just make sure you plan to get your car washed soon after … the buffalo and yaks can really slobber up your windows.  *grin*

This year marks the 100th Mason County Fair and Rodeo, which will be held July 25th, 26th, and 27th at the Mason County Fairgrounds in Shelton, WA. In honor of this centennial, the fair is waiving the admission fee. That’s right, folks – you can get into the fair for FREE! (There will still be fees for the rodeo, concerts, and carnival rides.)

Here are some of the highlights of this year’s fair and rodeo:

• Country singer Lacey D performs on Saturday at noon in Building 17.
• Watch exciting rodeo events (admission fee to rodeo is $10 for adults)
• View the Roxy 94.5 Kids Art Contest entries and winners in the Fine Arts Building
• Enjoy (or participate in!) the first annual hands-free chocolate pie eating contest for the Guinness Book of World Records (must be 17 years or older to participate)
• Attend a Trent Tomlison concert on Friday night (tickets start at $15)
• Relive your childhood on lots of fun carnival rides (all-day wristbands for $16 in advance, or $18 at the fair – or go on “Buddy Day” and get 2 wristbands for $27)

You can get lots more information on these events at the Mason County Fair web site.

For the past 100 years, Mason County residents have been attending this fair, displaying their prize fruits, vegetables, flowers, wool, quilts, livestock, arts and crafts, and canned goods. And while these skills may have declined in importance for many of us today, the fair gives us a chance to pause, look back, and reflect on where we’ve come from so that we can move forward with confidence. As this year’s theme says: “Pride in the Past, Faith in the Future.”

One of the most unique concerts I’ve ever attended was held in a barn. And no, I’m not referring to a symphony of moos and bleats from barn animals. Instead, I heard world-class musicians performing great pieces from Beethoven, Handel, Mozart and Bach while wearing my blue jeans and sitting on bales of hay.

I’m talking about the Olympic Music Festival, of course. This year marks the 25th anniversary of this wonderful, idyllic summer concert series held in a pastoral setting. It first began with only a few weekends of concerts held during the summer months, but over the years it has expanded to run from late June through the beginning of September, with concerts held each Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

So if you’re a lover of classical music, or just interested in a new and unique concert experience, you’ll want to check this out. You can find the current season of performers and pieces, as well as directions to the barn, on the Olympic Music Festival web site.

On a side note, on Sunday, July 27th, Alderbrook Properties will host KING-FM classical radio host Steve Reeder along with 10 KING contest winners and their guest(s) to a tour of Alderbrook Properties homes, as well as lunch and a free round of golf at the Alderbrook Golf Course. This is one of KING radio’s “98 Days of Summer” events.

With its rural settings, one wouldn’t necessarily expect classical music to resonate on the Olympic Peninsula, but it does! Join in the fun and check out the Olympic Music Festival. And if you’ve ever attended the festival, share your experience with us in the comments section below!

Whether you’re an art buff, a movie afficionado, or just someone who enjoys a good community festival, we’ve got it all going on here on the peninsula this weekend!

For art lovers, we have two different art shows happening: one in Union and one in Gig Harbor.

The Union Art Show takes place at Cameo Boutique (6871 E. State Route 106 Union, WA 98592; phone 360-898-3200) on Saturday, July 19th, and features the beautiful photography of Nancy MacDonald, known for her captivating shots of Hood Canal scenery and wildlife.

The Gig Harbor Summer Arts Festival begins on Saturday and runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday on Judson Street in downtown Gig Harbor. There you will find almost 130 Northwest artists plying their paintings, jewelry, ceramics, stained glass, metalwork, clothing, basketry, mixed media work, toys and more. Throw in some music and food, and you’ve got the makings of a fun family weekend!

If you’re a community supporter, or if you just love to eat salmon, then you’ll want to head over to Allyn’s Waterfront Park on Saturday or Sunday for their annual Allyn Days Festival and Salmon Bake. The Salmon Bake runs from noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday, although the festival runs both Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy over 100 booths and attractions, including several local micro-breweries and the Hoodsport Winery. You can find more information on the Allyn Community Association web site.

Finish off your Friday or Saturday night with a free outdoor movie at the CinimaGig Outdoor Movies in Gig Harbor. Friday nights are dedicated to the Date Night series, with romantic favorites like Casablanca, Sleepless in Seattle, A League of Their Own, and Singing in the Rain. Saturdays entice families with family favorites like the Bee Movie, Enchanted, The Water Horse, and Happy Feet. Movies start at 8:30 p.m. both nights. For more information, call 253-857-4842.

Exactly one week from today, on July 22nd, the Frank Rodia Ladies Memorial Golf Tournament will kick off at the Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club.

This tournament, open to female members of the Alderbrook Golf and Yacht Club, began as a memorial honoring Frank Rodia, a golf pro who lived on Hood Canal and supported golf for youth and women. When he passed away, his widow donated funds to put on a golf tournament in his memory. The Alderbrook Ladies Club has also donated money for this tournament, and expanded it as a memorial tournament for Alderbrook members who have passed away.

After the tournament concludes on Thursday, July 24th, everyone will gather at a member’s home for pot luck snacks and beverages, and to applaud the winners of the tournament.

Although this tournament is only open to members of Alderbrook, the Alderbrook Golf Course is open to the public. If you visit the home page of their website, you can watch a slide show of some stunning aerial photos of the golf course. The photo gallery (3rd link down, located on the left side of the home page) also has some wonderful ground-level views of our beautiful course. Check it out!

This weekend brings many opportunities to get out, meet new people, and have some fun. If you’re at loose ends and wondering what to do, I have a few ideas for you …

Music in the Park – This weekly outdoor concert series kicks off at 7 p.m. this Thursday, July 10th at the downtown Shelton Post Office Park and features “A Warm Cup of Jazz” with Maia Santell and House Blend, who will perform a mix of jazz, blues, swing, big band, jump blues and R&B.

 Community Yard Sale – The Community Church of Union is sponsoring this community yard sale on Friday, 7/11 and Saturday, 7/12 at the site of their future location. If you’d like to be a vendor, you pay $15 for a space ($25 if you need a table provided) and are responsible to man your booth, sell your own stuff, and take any unsold items back home with you at the end of the day.

Alderbrook Men’s Golf Club Field Day – The Alderbrook Men’s Golf Club is holding their Field Day on Saturday, July 12th beginning at 8 a.m. They will have chipping and putting contests before the event and lunch will be served at the Wickiup picnic area.

3rd Annual Mason County Fair Wine Competition – This competition, held at Alderbrook Resort in Union on Sunday, July 13th, is open to all Washington State wineries. Judging will take place in 32 different wine categories and grape varieties, and medals will be awarded based on appearance, aroma, acidity, sugar, flavor, finish, and the overall quality of each wine.

So, let’s see … music, yard sale, golf field day, wine competition … pick your favorites and check them out! Leave a comment below after your favorite event, letting us know how you enjoyed it.

Female members of the Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club will celebrate one of their biggest events of the year this Thursday, July 10th, when 128 women from all over the Northwest – including Oregon and Idaho – will meet at the Alderbrook Golf Course to play in an annual midsummer tournament.

The theme for this year’s tournament is “Tour of the Vineyards,” and many women arrive a day or two early in order to catch a few practice rounds before the tournament begins.

This tournament has been held for about 30 years, and is one of the highlights of the Ladies Golf Club at Alderbrook. Tournament participants share a continental breakfast together before the shotgun start of the tournament at 9 a.m. After all play is complete, the women come together again to enjoy a delicious lunch, during which the tournament winners are recognized with prizes.

And for those women who might be afraid that they won’t win the tournament, don’t despair. You might still win a prize in the raffle which will be held during lunch, and I’ve got to tell you that there are some serious raffle prizes on the table. In fact, this year’s prizes include a trip to Mexico as well as a trip to Hawaii. Sounds like some pretty nice consolation prizes to me!