Art comes to life this weekend at Colours

It's showtime as the 2020 Shafter Colours Festival begins this weekend, kicking off with the Spaghetti Dinner put on by the Shafter Community Chest. The event is from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Shafter Veterans Hall. There will be live music at the venue as you dine or you can elect to get your meals to go.

Thursday is also opening night for Larry Starrh's new creation, "The Big Secret," a play filled with toe-tapping music and plenty to think about. For fans of the days of yesterday, there will be silent movies playing at the Congregational Bible Church from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. They will be accompanied by live organ music.

Friday is opening day for the Art Gallery at Shafter Veterans Hall. The event features over a dozen local artists displaying their works, ranging from sculpture and oils, to photography and horticulture. The gallery is open from 1 to 6 p.m. Live music will be the star at the Veterans Hall on Friday night, with several local acts on tap to entertain the crowd. Artists include the flwr boy, David Caploe, Matt Adona, Art Machuca & Co. and Amanda McCaslin & Co. There will be a great mix of acoustic and electric sets that showcase the talent pool there is here in Kern County.

Saturday is jam-packed with events that will satisfy art lovers of every genre. The Colours Fun Run/Walk takes place at 9 a.m., starting at the Shafter Recreation and Parks Office. Participants will run or walk the course, getting doused with color at different stations.

The day is also filled with the Art Gallery, a Childrens Art Workshop, held at the Shafter Veterans Hall from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for those children who want to create their own masterpieces.

Throw in the Car Show, held held at Mannel Park, along with live music performed by the Shafter High and Richland Junior High Jazz Bands, and the stage is set for the Chili Cookoff, which will be held at 4 p.m.

All of the museums in town will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Green Hotel, the Shafter Depot Museum and the Minter Field Air Museum will be hosting tours of their facilities, giving attendees a look into the rich history of the city of Shafter.

For the theater enthusiasts, Starrh's play will continue its run Saturday, and the Shafter High Drama Department will be presenting a performance of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" at the Tin Cup Coffee Stage from noon to 12:30 p.m.

Rounding out the weekend, Sunday will offer the Art Gallery's final day, as well as a Wine Tasting and Meet the Artists event at 3:30 p.m. at the Veterans Hall. This event gives attendees a chance to meet the local artists that have their works on display, as well as picking their brains on what their inspiration is for their different works. The Shafter High Auditorium will host Voces Veracruzanas, a popular Mariachi band.

If all of this is not enough, there will be an event on Saturday, Feb. 29, at the Shafter High Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. featuring the Shafter Symphony. Conductor Stephen Penner and company will take the crowd on a trip to Hollywood. The group will play favorites from the cinema, including numbers from Jaws, Pirates of the Carribean, Star Wars and Indiana Jones.