Arts & Entertainment
Twain Yarns Come Alive at Kensington Festival
Frog jumping, gold panning, dancing and other activities Saturday were part of a Kensington Library project to unite the community around reading Mark Twain's work.
Staying quiet in the library was pretty much out the window Saturday at the Kensington branch, as the New California Minstrels performed a rousing set of Gold Rush era songs and led the audience of about 60 in high-energy dancing. The New California Minstrels laced their performance with tidbits about the Gold Rush and quotes from Twain, who made his way west a few years after the height of the rush and had more luck mining the area for stories than gold.
Saturday’s Mark Twain Festival, which also included gold panning, jumping plastic frogs and painting paper fence pickets, was part of the “” program, which has children and adults alike reading Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
Saturday’s activities, explained Liz Ruhland, manager of the project, were aimed at a broader audience than the two held the week before.
Find out what's happening in El Cerritofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“This is a way to celebrate Mark Twain in a way that is fun and engaging for all ages,” she said.
The One Book project follows similar efforts across the country in the past decade, she said, and is aimed at bringing the whole community together to celebrate reading. An advisory group intentionally chose a book that would appeal to both children and adults.
Find out what's happening in El Cerritofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“The school (Kensington Elementary) people rally around. The other major cultural organization in the community is the library,” said Ruhland, who also noted that the “One City, One Book” effort coincides with Kensington’s centennial.
The project continues with Mark Twain re-enactor Pat Kaunert performing at Arlington Community Church, across the street from the library at 52 Arlington Ave. Book discussion groups are set for October, on Tom Sawyer at 2 p.m. the 15th and 7 p.m. the 17th for adults, and 6:30 p.m. the 18th and 11 a.m. the 22nd for families. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn will be discussed 7 p.m. Oct. 3 and Pudd’nhead Wilson 7 p.m. Oct. 24 with the Kensington Library Book Club (all welcome).
Saturday’s gold panning took place behind the library in a trough, and the nearby frog jump featured plastic frogs that were propelled forward by pressing small tabs on their tiny brightly colored behinds. The crowd cheerfully suspended disbelief, but few appeared to have taken up the suggestion that they come dressed as Twain characters.
A Library Services and Technology Act grant is funding many of the One Book activities.