January 9, 2008

Second Saturday Country Dance

There will be a country dance on Saturday, Jan. 12, at the Rockford Grange from 7-10 p.m. The dance caller will be Maggie Brunjes from Portland and the band will be the Mill Creek String Band. Dance lessons will begin promptly at 7 p.m. All ages welcome and no partner is required. The dance is family-friendly and all dances are walked through the first time. Enjoy an evening of country squares, contras, circle dances and a few waltzes. $5 for members, $6 for non-members, $1 for youth 16 and under. Please bring snack treats for break time. Call Keith Harding at 352-7550 for further info. Rockford Grange, 4250 Barrett Drive, Hood River.

The Mid Columbia Folklore Society hosts a house concert at 401 Montello, Hood River, on Saturday, Jan. 12, starting at 7 p.m. The concert will feature local singers and songwriters Matt Mesa and Scott Sparks. Call Paul Blackburn for more information at 387-4011.

Author Gina Ochsner will appear at Viento restaurant on Wednesday, Jan. 9, in Bingen, Wash., for the conclusion of the Salon Series. Ochsner’s second book of short stories, “People I Wanted to Be,” is the winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, the Oregon Book Award for Short Fiction, and the PNBA Book Award. The evening includes a three-course dinner starting at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35. Books and tickets are available at Waucoma Bookstore in Hood River or by calling Viento at (509) 493-0049.

Full Sail’s new winter Brewmaster Dinner menu will be available every Thursday beginning Jan. 10, from 4-8 p.m., at Full Sail’s Tasting Room and Pub. The four-course menu features savory and sweet seasonal fare paired with four of the brewery's award-winning brews. The cost of the dinner including beer is $25 per person. No reservations are needed. Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub, 506 Columbia St., Hood River, 386-2247.

On Friday, Jan. 11, Five Strings Short returns to the River City with their bluegrass show. On Saturday, Jan. 12, the Mother Hips return for their semi-annual pilgrimage back to River City. Find out more about this band at www.motherhips.com. River City Saloon is at 205 Cascade Ave., in Hood River. Call 387-BLUES for more information.

The Sugardaddies, featuring Mark Womble, will bring their music to the Trillium Cafe on Friday, Jan. 11. Music starts at 8 p.m. and there is no cover. Future shows include: Jan. 25, mile marker 6; Jan. 26, the Sugardaddies return. Trillium Cafe, 207 Oak St., Hood River, 386-1996.