Sierra foothills alive with special events in coming weeks

The sound of history will be heard on the Wesley pipe organ at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Mariposa on Sunday.

Tony Imperatrice is the guest musician for this free recital at 2 p.m. Originally from Fresno he began his music studies at the age of 5. Imperatrice is known in the Central Valley for his one-man show, “Confessions of a Church Organist.”

The church is at Bullion and Second streets. A free-will offering will be taken. The concert is just one of many events coming up in the Sierra foothills in the coming weeks:

Artists using any medium are invited to apply. Submitted works must have been completed within the past three years. Visit the website or call (559) 658-8844 for more information.

In conjunction with the home show, the Friends of the Fairgrounds will hold its annual flea market there from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission and parking to both events are free.

Scheduled for Oct. 5-6, artists and artisans from the foothills and Bay Area will give demonstrations and lead hands-on workshops. Music, storytelling and poetry, plus ceramics and photography will be featured. Guests will enjoy performances by the Fratello Marionettes.

The festival will be held at the historic Dome Campus overlooking town. Exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

At a benefit reception Saturday evening, food and wine will accompany live and silent auctions,raffles, music and dancing. The reception will be from 5 to 8 p.m. at the opera hall, 250 S. Washington St., Sonora. Tickets cost $35 each and are available at the Arts Alliance office and the downtown Umpqua Bank. For more information, go to www.tuolumnecountyarts.org or call (209) 532-2787.

Debbie Croft writes about life in the foothill communities. She can be reached at composed@tds.net.

This story was originally published September 26, 2013 at 12:21 AM with the headline "Sierra foothills alive with special events in coming weeks."