Spring and summer highlights

Throughout the season

Farmers’ Market
Local growers put on weekly produce sales on Saturdays year-round from 7:30 a.m.-1 p.m. in the parking lot at Second and Wall streets. 893-FARM.

Thursday Night Market
This popular street market is sponsored by the Downtown Chico Business Association and includes free entertainment along with the produce and other goods for sale. It runs from 6 to 9 p.m. through late October.

Concerts in the Park
Chico’s Children’s Park downtown fills with music some summer evenings. On Fridays, the host is the DCBA (345-6500), with everything from oldies to jazz to world music. And on Tuesday nights, the Music Revolution (321-8843 or votedna@shocking.com) focuses on rock, jam-band, punk and reggae for the young at heart.

Chico Force Basketball
Chico now has a professional basketball team—the Chico Force. The new International Basketball League is in town, and the Chico team will begin league play on April 16. Home games will be in the Pleasant Valley High gym. 895-9193; www.iblhoopsonline.com/teamChico.html

Chico Rooks Soccer
The local pro soccer organization hosts home games at Chico State University’s Soccer Stadium on some Saturdays and Sundays through August. 343-7665.

Chico Outlaws Baseball
Chico’s new professional baseball team looks to put runs on the board and bottoms in the bleachers at its home field, Nettleton Stadium. The season starts in May and continues through the heat of summer. 345-3210

Silver Dollar Speedway
Races are held most Friday nights, and summer events include the Golden State Challenge Series. 891-6535.

Chico Museum
100 Years of Gratitude—a celebration of the Bidwell Park Centennial. 891-4336.

Chico Community Observatory
Chico Community Observatory is open to the public Thursday through Sunday from sunset until three hours after sunset. The observatory is located in Upper Bidwell Park near the Horseshoe Lake parking lot. www.chicoobservatory.com

April

Hedwig & the Angry Inch
April 7- April 24. The Blue Room Theatre brings back its most popular production ever—the infamous and inspiring/tragic musical about Hedwig Schmidt, an East German rock ’n’ roller who happened to be the recipient of a botched sex-change operation. 895-3749.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
April 7- May 14. This is the longest-running off-Broadway revue in history and the Chico Cabaret’s most successful production ever. The musical explores the journey from dating and waiting to love and marriage. Tickets are $14 in advance. Dinner and theater tickets are also available. Chico Cabaret, 895-0245.

Red Bluff Round-Up
April 15-17. One of the biggest rodeo events in the nation is held 40 minutes north of Chico at the Tehama County Fairgrounds. The Red Bluff Round-Up Parade is April 16 at 10 a.m. in downtown Red Bluff. 527-1000. www.redbluffroundup.com

Founders Week
April 16-24. Since 1909, this celebration at Chico State has been an Alumni Association-sponsored week of historical fun. 898-4143. www.csuchico.edu/pa/foundersweek.

League of Women Voters Wine Tasting
April 17, 4-7 p.m. More than 50 wineries will be pouring at this 32nd-annual event that includes beer and olive oil tasting. Held at the Lakeside Pavilion. For information call 342-4663.

Chico Chamber 43rd Annual Golf Tournament
April 18. Golf, raffle, prizes, food and fun at Butte Creek Country Club. Benefits Northern California Natural History Museum. 891-5556.

Gold Nugget Days
April 21-24, brings a parade, talent shows, entertainment and more to Paradise, all in honor of the Gold Rush on the Ridge. 872-8722.

Student-Directed One Acts
April 21-23, Thurs.-Sat., 7:30 p.m & April 24, Sun., 2 p.m. The Donna Stone Breed Student-Directed One Acts. Wismer Theatre. Tickets available at Chico State’s University Box Office, 898-6333.

Murder at the Howard Johnson’s
April 13- May 7, Thurs.-Sat., at 7:30 p.m. Love, murder and revenge gets hilariously screwed up by the three clumsy components of a romantic triangle. Reserve tickets at www.chicotheatercompany.com.

50th Annual Home Tour
April 23, 11a.m.-3 p.m. Four homes will toured and a luncheon held at the CARD center. Benefits nonprofits for children. $20. 895-8855.

Wildflower Century Bike Race
April 24, is an annual trek through scenic Butte County, with awards given in the Wildflower 100, 65 and Childflower 20. Plus, 30 and 60 Flatflower routes. National publications have named it one of the top 10 rides. 343-8356. www.chicovelo.org.

Cinco de Mayo Fiesta 2005
April 30, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Celebrating Cinco de Mayo and the Day of the Children with bands, an art contest, piñatas, food, Hispanic businesses and more. At Children’s Park in downtown Chico. www.frontera-inc.com.

May

22nd Annual St. John’s Garden Tour
May 7, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. View four or five lovely gardens and enjoy a delicious lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at St. John’s Episcopal Church. Plant boutique opens at 10:30 for ticket holders. 894-1971.

Endangered Species Faire
May 7 from 10-4, in Bidwell Park’s Cedar Grove. Hosted by the Butte Environmental Council, the oldest environmental fair in Northern California is in its 26th year. It will feature interactive booths created by schools, nonprofits and government agencies. Animals, music, clowns, puppets, crafts, clothing, food and more will be on hand. The theme is “Grassland Wonders.” 891-6424.

Chico Artisans’ Faire
May 7 and 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Downtown Park Plaza. More than 50 craft vendors sell their wares amid live music and a parade. The 34th annual event. 345-9652.

Feather Fiesta Days
April 29-May 8. It’s a series of events—from a parade to a chili cook-off—remembering Gold Rush times. For more info call Oroville Chamber of Commerce at 538-2542 or Freda Flint at 534-7690.

Pioneer Days Parade
May 7, 10 a.m.-noon. A downtown procession and competition of floats celebrating Chico’s array of backgrounds, beliefs and people. 343-6426.

Chico Family Fun Day
May 7, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The fourth annual event at East 20th Street Community Park with performance art, visual arts activities, food, raffle prizes and more. 896-5451.

Spring Musical
Once Upon a Mattress. May 4-7, 7:30 p.m., May 8, 2 p.m. Laxson Auditorium. Tickets available at Chico State’s University Box Office, 898-6333.

Bleacher Bums
May 5-22. The Blue Room presents a comedy by Joe Montagna set in Chicago’s Wrigley Field. Tickets: 589-1278.

The Pajama Game
May 13- 21. The Birdcage presents the The Pajama Game at the Oroville State Theater. Tickets: 589-1278.

North State Symphony
Sat., May 14, 7:30 p.m. The final performance of the school-year—The Choral Symphony. Laxson Auditorium. Tickets available at Chico State’s University Box Office, 898-6333.

Who’s on First?
May 19-June 11. Four people find themselves reliving the same hour over and over in this nightmare comedy. Theatre on the Ridge, 877-5760.

Red Suspenders Day Celebration
May 21; takes place for the 42nd year in Gridley’s Downtown Park with a pancake breakfast, entertainment, crafts, bed races, pony rides and a petting zoo as part of this year’s theme of “Times of our town.” It will also be the centennial celebration. 846-3142.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream
A ballet rendition put on by Northern California Ballet. May 20 & 21. Paradise Performing Arts Center, 777 Nunneley Rd. Tickets range from $15 for adults to $7 for children/students. Info: 872-8454.

Silver Dollar Fair
May 25-30. Chico’s annual community fair at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds features exhibits, livestock, the rodeo, a carnival midway, auto races and concert talent. 895-4666.

June

Fresh Ink
June 2-11. The Blue Room Theater presents its 12th-annual Festival of New Plays, wherein four playwrights are given a cast and an assignment to write a 20-minute play for their cast in one week. 895-3749

Honey Run Cover Bridge Pancake Breakfast
June 5, 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. A fun, historic event. 891-1838.

Centerville 49er Day Faire
June 5, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The 37th Annual Old School House & Museum Benefit celebrates the 1890s with a mountain men’s camp, gold panning, spin yard, a tour of California‘s oldest working power-house and much, much more in the Butte Creek Canyon Area, 13548 Centerville Road, Chico. 898-9667.

Pippin
June 1-25, Thurs.-Sat., at 7:30 p.m. The Chico Theater Company presents the famed Broadway musical Pippin. Reserve tickets at www.chicotheatercompany.com.

How the Other Half Loves
June 3-19. A love triangle story for the new millennium. Glorious comic observations mark this as one of Alan Ayckbourn’s early triumphs. Blue Room, 895-3749

Evening of One Acts
June 10-26. A collection of bite-sized plays at the Birdcage in Oroville. Tickets: 589-1278

Micro Brew Fest 2005
Mid-June The 10th annual Micro Brew Fest, with plenty of tasting opportunities, will be held at Manzanita Place (the Chico Elks Lodge). Tickets available at the Chico Brewhouse, Home Brew Shop, Diamond W Western Wear, Sierra Nevada Brewery and the Chico Chamber of Commerce. For dates call 342-3768.

Bloomsday
June 16, at the Blue Room Theatre, Chico’s annual celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses. 895-3749.

43nd Annual Industrial Barbecue
June 17. A special event highlight a local area of business with food and information booths. 891-5556.

Shakespeare in the Park
June 21-26 The 17th season in Bidwell Park’s Cedar Grove. Call Ensemble Theatre of Chico at 891-1382.

Cruisin’ Paradise
June 17 & 18. It’s back to the 1950s for this weekend of rock ’n’ roll, car show and barbecue held throughout the town. Contact the Paradise Chamber for more info 877-9356.

Threshing Bee
Mid-June. This is an annual event hosted by Chico Museum at Patrick Ranch’s 28 acres on The Midway. See antique farm equipment, enjoy food and see living history as a threshing bee is reacted before an expected 3,000 people.

Native American Pow Wow
June 18-19. Chico Pow Wow 2005 Sober Nations will be held at 20th Street Community Park. Members of different tribes will attend, with dancing and drumming competitions, plus crafts, a health fair, a Circle of Healing and Indian fry bread. Admission and parking are free. 898-8516.

Food & Wine Pairing
June 26 2-5 p.m. The ARC of Butte County presents California wineries and food of local top restaurants’ chefs at this food and wine pairing held at the Park Tower Pavilion. For tickets and details contact Rich Faringer at 891-5865 ext. 118.

Chico Rancho Days Parade of Lights
June 24 at 8:30 p.m. Downtown lights parade. For details on participation contact Bev Crosby 342-6290.

July

Fourth of July celebration
The 40th annual celebration at One-Mile Recreation Area in Bidwell Park. 343-6055.

Fireworks over Lake Oroville
July 4. The name says it all. 538-2542.

A Grand Night for Singing
July 15- August 14. Chico Theatre Company presents 38 top show tunes form the genius of Rodgers and Hammerstein including “The surrey with fringe on top,” “Shall we dance?” and “Kansas City.” Reserve tickets at www.chicotheatercompany.com.

A Slice of Chico
July 16, is where sidewalk-sale shopping meets free watermelon courtesy of downtown merchants. 345-6500.

Shakespeare in the Park
July 27-31, 8 p.m. The 17th season in Bidwell Park’s Cedar Grove. Call Ensemble Theatre of Chico at 891-1382.

August

Shakespeare in the Park
August 2-6, 8 p.m. The 17th season in Bidwell Park’s Cedar Grove. Call Ensemble Theatre of Chico at 891-1382.

Butte County Fair
Aug. 24-28 at the Butte County Fairgrounds in Gridley, brings a good-time country fair with a rodeo, booths, carnival, entertainment, destruction derby, Butte County Queen pageant, livestock and agriculture-themed events. 846-3626.

Twain Miners Fair and Old West Celebration
Sept. 3-4 in the Feather River Canyon on Highway 70 at Twain, Calif. This trip back to the Gold Rush era includes music, crafts, mining activities and more. History displays range from the gunslingers to the Native Americans. 283-2130.

September

52nd Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions
Sept. 7-10. The traveling World of Outlaws will race for more than $140,000. www.johnpadgenmotorsports.com. 891-6535.

A Taste of Chico
Sept. 11, is the annual opportunity to sample the fare-food, microbrews and wines-offered by a variety of Chico’s restaurants and businesses. 345-6500.

Diamond W National Bull Riding Championship
Nov. 16-17, 5:30 p.m. Diamond W Western Wear presents the annual National Bull Riding Championship Finals at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds. 891-1650.

Durham Harvest Festival
Sept. 18. Local produce is the focal point of this event at Durham Community Park, which also includes a car show, steam engines and crafts. 891-4821 ext. 106.

Pastels on the Plaza
Sept. 11, brightens up the Downtown City Plaza for charity, courtesy of the Parent Education Network. 893-0391.

Salmon Festival
Sept. 24, at the Feather River Fish Hatchery and Nature Center. A multicultural event. 538-2542.