Eugene Weekly : Calendar : 6.7.07

Ah, vineyards, how you’ve grown! Such a robust crop you yield year after year, providing the necessary grapes to quench our thirst for your fermented juice. On Saturday and Sunday, the latespring blossoms in the vineyards will be celebrated at King Estate Winery’s Lorane in Bloom festival, where local artists and crafters convene at the MarketPlace (pictured) for a nice browsing opportunity alongside guided tours, demos and a plant and flower sale. And should you hanker for a full-on tour of regional wineries, sign up for the Barrel Tour, departing from Valley River Inn and stopping at the following vineyards: Benton-Lane Winery, High Pass Winery, LaVelle Vineyards, Pfeiffer Vineyards, Sweet Cheeks Winery and Noble Estate. The second part of the Barrel Tour continues on June 23. See www.wineriesoflanecounty.com and Saturday Calendar.

When people classify rap and hip hop acts as either East Coast or West Coast, they’re mostly talking about New York and Los Angeles. But the truth is hip hop comes in many regional variations beyond the NYC/L.A. binary system. Ground Work Promotions and 94.9 JAMZ set out to capture the sound of Pacific Northwest hip hop in the Track Town NW Hip Hop Compilation album. By inviting a cross section of the premier hip hop acts in Oregon to contribute new, unreleased and classic tracks to the compilation, the project aims to represent the diverse talents found here. Most of the acts featured on the CD, including The pHormula, Michael Kay, Stupendous (pictured), The Alliance, Undermind, Marv Ellis, Big Balou, Mack Dub, Dzo, Lessin Lyrist, Hot in Pursuit, Cool Table, The Juice To Make It Happen, Taylor Gruve and more will perform at a CD release show at the WOW Hall this week, with future release concerts planned for Salem, Bend, Portland and possibly Corvallis. Proceeds from the sale of the CD will be used to promote musicians from the Northwest, with the hope of putting out another compilation in the future. See Friday Calendar.

The Eugene Challenge Mile is either a breezy sprint for some or a three-alarm slog for others. How far is a mile? Four laps around the track; 1,600 meters; about 1,000 paces. But the organizers for this annual “challenge” have made it easy and enjoyable for both runners and non-runners alike. Don’t like to wake up at the crack of dawn, eat a banana, drink an energy drink and hit the starting line with a grumbling stomach and sleep still in your eyes? The ECM starts at 6:30 pm, so it’s about the same time you normally decide to strap on shoes for a run anyhow. The course consists of a flat, fast race on the streets of Eugene, starting and finishing at the Oakway Center. Steve Prefontaine’s sister, Linda, will be the honorary starter. And if you just want to watch, keep an eye out for the leaders, as they will be chasing a $1,000 cash prize if they finish under 4 minutes for men or 4 minutes, 36 seconds for women. Register at www.eclecticedgeracing.com and see Saturday Calendar.