Community Briefs provides a listing of events and activities going on in and around the Oakdale, Riverbank and Escalon areas. To have an event featured, e-mail the information to mjackson@oakdaleleader.com.
Armed Forces Day
Scheduled on Saturday, May 18, it’s the annual Armed Forces Day Breakfast, put on by the Escalon American Legion Gustafson-Thompson Post at the Legion Hall, 1531 Second St., Escalon. Tickets are $10 per person, though there is no charge for active-duty personnel who show their ID card. Breakfast includes pancakes, scrambled eggs, ham, linguica, a fruit cup, milk, juice and coffee; breakfast hours are 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Astronomy Night
The Stockton Astronomical Society, Oak Grove Docent Council and San Joaquin County Parks will host Astronomy in the Park on Saturday, May 18 at 8:15 p.m.; M13 and M92 (Star Cluster in Hercules) will be the focus. View the planets through giant telescopes after sunset at Oak Grove Regional Park, I-5 at Eight Mile Road, Stockton. This is a free event, though there is a $6 cash parking fee. Stargazing events are held, weather permitting. On June 15 at 8:30 p.m., join in to view Star Cluster, Whirlpool Galaxy. For more information, call 209-953-8814 or 209-953-8800.
Animal Shelter Benefit
Tickets are on sale for the Spring Fling fundraiser being hosted by the ASTRO Foundation. The Animal Shelter To Riverbank and Oakdale group will use proceeds from the May 19 festivities to support ongoing care for the animals they house while the cats and dogs await adoption. Cost is $60 per person and the Spring Fling is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 19 at Del Rio Country Club, 801 Stewart Road, Modesto. The festivities will include brunch, mimosas and prize drawings, the silent auction and the chance to meet adoptable pets. Tickets can be purchased on their website at www.astrofoundation.org or at the ASTRO Adoption Center at 157 N. Fifth Ave., Oakdale or the ASTRO Thrift and Gift Shop at 250 E. E St., Oakdale.
Pancake Breakfast
All in the area are invited to enjoy a good start to their morning on Sunday, May 19, with the annual Farmington Fire Department Pancake Breakfast scheduled from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.; served at the firehouse, corner of Escalon-Bellota Road and Highway 4. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children 10 years and younger. This is an all you can eat breakfast with pancakes, ham, eggs and beverages. There is also the opportunity to purchase tickets for a variety of prize drawings. All proceeds from this annual breakfast benefit the Farmington Fire Department emergency equipment fund and also to help provide scholarships.
Monthly Music
The ‘lads and lasses’ of Brennan’s Parlor host a monthly Irish music jam (aka “Ceilidh”) in the back room of the H Bar B Saloon, located at 401 E. F St., Oakdale. Gatherings are on the third Monday of the month, and run from 6 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. They welcome anyone – players, singers, or listeners – with an appreciation for Celtic music to join the fun.
TOPS Meeting
All interested are welcome to join TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) a weight loss support group that meets in Oakdale every Monday morning from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m.; meeting at 7450 River Road, Suite 4, Oakdale. This group is open to the public and anyone interested in improving their life by losing weight. Visit the website: www.tops.org for more information and to see a list of other meeting locations.
Jam Sessions
The ‘Jammers’ are a loosely knit group of local musicians who gather regularly to play and share music. Members of The Jammers set up and play at Medlen’s House of Beef in Oakdale, on the patio, the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. The fun begins around 3 p.m. and typically continue until about 6 p.m., a full afternoon of music. Acoustic musicians are welcome to come and play. Featured instruments usually include guitar, fiddle, banjo, ukulele, etc. The public is welcome to stop by, listen to the music and even sing along. No cost to attend.
Widowed Persons Group
Oakdale Widowed Persons Group invites you to join them the first Saturday of each month for breakfast at 9 a.m. and on the third Tuesday of each month for lunch at 1 p.m.; call for locations. All are welcome to join the group no matter how long ago you lost your spouse. For more information, contact Barbara at 209-322-2184.
Dance Group
Members of the Golden Agers dance group meet at the Riverbank Community Center on Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with dancing, socializing, live music and fun for all. All adults 55-plus are welcome. Just drop in to check it out or become a member. Fees are $5 for members and $6 for non-members. Membership is $15. The Community Center is at 3600 Santa Fe St., Riverbank.
Sierra Rep Show
Sierra Repertory Theatre in Sonora is presenting The Drowsy Chaperone, at the East Sonora Theatre now through June 9. Hailed by New York Magazine as “the perfect Broadway musical,” the five-time Tony Award-winner follows a fanatic musical theatre lover played by SRT’s Executive Producer Scott Viets. As he tries to cure his case of the blues, he stumbles onto his favorite show album, a 1920s musical called The Drowsy Chaperone only to have it spring to colorful life in the middle of his drab studio apartment. With a bride who’s giving up the stage for love, her debonair bridegroom, a harried producer, jovial gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a flaky chorine, a Latin lothario … what more do you need for an evening’s entertainment? For more information, including ticket prices and show times, call the Box Office at 209-532-3120 or visit tickets@sierrarep.org.
