Eugene Weekly : Calendar : 07.20.06

How often do you get to hear music from Zimbabwe? Beyond that, how often do you get to participate in workshops with Zimbabwean teachers, marimba jam sessions, non-stop dancing from 11 am to 11:30 pm or late-night parties with mbira playing around a fire pit? We thought it had been a while. This weekend is Zimfest's first visit to the Oregon Country Fair grounds. What, you're still blissed out on all of that OCF energy? Even if you're not, you can garner yet more good vibes from this glorious festival that brings together travelling Zimbabwean musicians with those who want to learn, dance and enjoy the late night music. And with more than 30 hours of concerts, the Zimfest is bound to please pretty much anyone. See Calendar.

OK, sit down, folks. Here's the deal: You cannot get a better deal this week than Tish Hinojosa at Luna Friday night. Waaaaaay back in 1979, Hinojosa won an award at Kerrville Folk Festival as a new artist, and she's simply been racking up the records, the awards and the devoted fans ever since. We don't know why her frequent recognition and stunning amount of social justice work haven't brought her fortune and more fame, but hey, that means we can go see her in an intimate setting for a song. We heart you, Tish! See Friday Calendar.

When we were just wee calendar editors, we lived in a large American city. And in that city, we did not see so many of the hog/cow/sheep types of animals despite the fact that the city was in the middle of the grain and beef belt. Still, we participated in 4-H. City 4-H went like this: Walk a few cement blocks in blistering heat and humidity to the community center, meet other sweaty kids from the neighborhood, go briefly inside to the air-conditioned joy that was the gym and then go back outside to love on tiny little potted plants. We remember it as being pretty cool when we were 6, but not as cool as, say, Fern & Wilbur in Charlotte's Web or Alonzo's pumpkin in Farmer Boy. Apparently, things are different here. The 4-H Youth Fair hits the Lane County Fairgrounds this week, and young adults from all over the place are even now bringing in their cattle, swine, horses and sheep, not to mention mini lop bunnies. That means Eugene's "urban" kids — even the ones who don't know a palomino from a primrose — will have a great time looking at the exhibits. See Calendar.