KELSEYVILLE, Calif. – Step into the world of the imagination on Saturday, Aug. 11, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., when Steele Wines presents the second annual Midsummer Fantasy Fest, a celebration of the imagination, of feast, fantasy and fun, of fairies, elves, the fanciful, unicorns, pots of gold, and characters of times gone by.

Going beyond the here and now of one’s everyday lives, there is magic for all to enjoy. This is the day when the doorway is open between the realms.  

Again this year Steele Wines will feature Jed Steele’s Writer’s Block wines, with the very special Love Potion being offered for the first time.  

Writer’s Block is the winemaking project of Quincy Steele, the son of founder and owner, Jed Steele, and is focused on prominent Lake County red varietals. These wines range from medium to full body, and include a medium to full bodied white wine as well as the reds.

Dance with the Fairies, watch Queen Tatiana, Queen of the Fairies, her consort, King Oberon, and the fairy folk, as New Vintage Productions entertains you with fun and frolics.
 
Artists, musicians, craftspeople, and food vendors will be available to tempt your eye and your appetite with their wares. Taylor Observatory will bring a telescope for viewing the waning moon.  

There is fun for the whole family, a very special children’s area with delightful activities for the wee fairies in training, and wine, food and beverages, crafts, dancing, drumming, and magic for the young and the young-at-heart.
 
Cast your cares away for the day, and come in costume as your favorite fanciful creature, a fairy, an elf, as your favorite character from Shakespeare’s plays, or use your imagination to create a new you!

Admission is free. Raffle proceeds will benefit the Clearlake Youth Center.  

For more information call Steele Wines at 707-279-9475 and ask for Tasting Room Manager Pam Prisco, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

The website is http://midsummerfantasyfest.wordpress.com . Find the festival on Facebook as Midsummer Fantasy Fest.  

Steele Wines is located at 4350 Thomas Drive, just off Highway 29, Kelseyville.

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Lake County Wine Studio (LCWS) is hosting a wine tasting event featuring the new 2007 wine releases from Snows Lake Vineyard with Bonnie Sears, and artist reception with paintings by Judy Cardinale.

The reception will take place Saturday, Aug. 4, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.  

Musical entertainment during the evening receptions will be Jim Leonardis on saxophone with Friday guest Stephen Holland, and Saturday guest Dan Meyer on acoustic guitar.

Judy Cardinale has studied art for the past 35 years. Prior to becoming a Lake County resident, she rendered wildlife and animal portraits in pastel.  

Since moving to the county in the early 1990s, Cardinale began to explore the medium of oil. Her introduction to this medium was with Wayne Coats at Yuba College. There she added another love to her already existing love of animal portraits – that of seascapes.  

Many of her seascapes and animal portraits grace the walls of homes in private collections throughout the United States.

With the use of watercolor medium, Cardinale has added a new dimension to her collection, to which she comments, “There is a quite a difference between the various mediums. The approach to a successful watercolor is basically the same as any other medium, however, the medium itself always has a surprise in store for the artist with each new study!”

Recent sojourns to Yellowstone National Park have inspired Cardinale’s most recent work: “The ever-changing landscape, water, wildlife and beautiful sunsets depicted in both Yellowstone and Lake County are the essence of my work.”

The $12.50 ($10 per person for studio club members) wine sampler with paired appetizers will feature 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon with a mini cheese muffin; 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and potato coins made with garlic and shallot butter: the newly released 2007 Cabernet/Cabernet Franc blend with strip steak on crostini with garlic/rosemary butter.  

The new release 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon will be paired with a chocolate bark containing organic Lake County walnuts from Dancing Tree People Farm, dried cherries and cocoa nibs. Appetizers are by Cache Creek Catering.   

There is no charge to those who wish to view the artwork and meet the artists without partaking of the food and wine. Reservations are not required.

Lake County Wine Studio is both a gallery for display of arts and a tasting room, wine bar and retail shop for the fine wines of Lake County. Artists’ shows are held on a monthly basis with art and wine receptions held the first Friday and subsequent Saturday of each month.

The gallery is located at 9505 Main St. in Upper Lake. It is open Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The Cardinale art show will be on display for the full month of August.  

For more information call Lake County Wine Studio at 707-275-8030.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Historic Courthouse Museum will begin another series of historic readings on Saturday, Aug. 18.

The readings, which begin at 2 p.m., take place in the historic courtroom on the second floor of the museum, 255 N. Main St.

This month, Museum Curator Linda Lake will begin the series with part oneI of Helen Rocca Goss’s book, “The Life and Death of a Quicksilver Mine.”

Goss’ father, Andrew Rocca, was the superintendent of the Great Western Mine for nearly 25 years.  

Her book is full of extraordinary details of  mine operations, their home life, family, and stories told by her father and gleaned from her mother’s diary.  

Other readings in this series will take place on Sept. 15, Oct. 20 and Nov. 17.

There is no admission charge and refreshments will be served.  

For more information, call the museum at 707-263-4555.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – Lakeport Library, 1425 N. High St., will present a free program called “Summertime Support with Aromatherapy” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 15.

Aromatherapists Theresa LeGarie and Susan Walker have been using and studying essential oils since 1996.

Their program will cover how essential oils can support people during the summer months and audience members will have an opportunity to experience the aromas of therapeutic essential oils.

“These are natural alternatives to keep ourselves cool and protected from the sun and pests that tend to visit us during the heat and warm nights of the summer months,” said LeGarie.

For more information contact Amy Patton, the library’s coordinator of adult programs at 707-263-8817, Extension 17105 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Lakeport Library is open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Wednesday, noon to 8 p.m. The phone number is 707-263-8817.

The library can be found on the Internet at http://library.co.lake.ca.us and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LakeCountyLibrary .

UPPER LAKE, Calif. – Robert E. Lee will be the focus of this month's Redwood Empire's Civil War Roundtable, to be held on Tuesday, Aug. 7, at 6:15 p.m. at the Tallman Hotel in Upper Lake.

Janis Traub will review Lee's 30-plus years of service to the the US military, and contrast that with his excruciating decision to resign so he could defend his home and people from the invading federal armies.

Widely considered to be the greatest general of the war and one of the greatest generals of all time, Lee's trials, triumphs, defeat and rebuilding will be considered.

An additional presentation on the Second Manassas (Bull Run) Campaign and battle will be offered by Zane Jensen.  

The battle was fought on the same field where a year prior was fought the first major battle of the war. Both battles resulted in stunning Confederate victories.

The Redwood Civil War Roundtable meets monthly to discuss the events that occurred 150 years ago that month to honor the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War.  

Admission is free and everyone is welcome.

For more information, contact Phil Smoley at 707-264-4905 or Zane Jensen at 707-349-6390.

CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Lakeshore Lions service organization will host a comedy night and improv event on Saturday, Aug. 11.

The event will take place from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Highlands Senior Center, 3245 Bowers Ave. in Clearlake.

The cost is $20 per person for a night filled with laughter.

Appetizers and a full bar will be available.

A door prize will be offered for a one-night stay, with dinner, breakfast and $100 in easy play at Konocti Vista Casino in Lakeport.

For tickets contact Alvaro Valencia at 707-350-7100.