Several exciting events have been planned for the upcoming months, and I'm excited to tell you all about them.

How the West Was FUN! -- October 14, 2006
How the West Was FUN! is the second annual fundraising production of Centennial Heritage Theatre. Tickets are $75 per person for dinner and the show. All proceeds benefit the children's educational programs at the Museum.
For Reservations, please contact Kathy Williams or Jane Van Dyke at (714) 540-0404.

If you are interested in helping on a larger scale, we have a number of underwriting packages available. These provide you with various promotional opportunities in exchange for your support. We are also seeking donated items for the event's opportunity drawing.

Great Pumpkin Weigh-in -- October 22, 2006
Centennial Heritage Museum will host the Southern California Giant Pumpkin Growing Community annual Pumpkinmania! Weigh-Off and Contest. There will be food, games, face-painting, a costume contest for kids 12 and under, and of course, the weighing and judging of the giant pumpkins.

Admission is Free!
Our gates will open at 8:30 a.m. for registration of pumpkin entries, and the festivities will start shortly after. The costume contest will begin at 11:00 a.m., and the pumpkin weighing/judging begins at 12:00 p.m.

The Victorian Tea Society will offer hot dogs and other food for purchase. Proceeds from food sales will benefit children's programs at the Centennial Heritage Museum.

For more information, please call 714-540-0404 x2

Hollyberry Tea -- December 9, 2006
The Victorian Tea Society will host its annual Hollyberry Tea in the historic Kellogg house. The house will be decorated with Victorian style holiday decorations.

There will be two seatings, at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Entertainment will be provided between seatings.

Tickets cost $25 and go on sale October 1, 2006.

For more information, please call 714-540-0404 x8

A Gold Rush Tea -- May 12, 2007
The Victorian Tea Society invites you to meet Lotta Crabtree, portrayed by Judith Helton. Miss Crabtree was a well-known nineteenth century actress whose career began as a child dancing in the gold camps of California. In her role as Lotta, Ms. Helton will entertain you with stories of her life in the gold rush and beyond.

The Lotta Crabtree presentation will begin at 11:30, followed by tea at 12:30.

For more information, please call 714-540-0404 x8

Our popular Gold Rush educational program has just become even more appealing thanks to David H. Robinson II of Boy Scout Troop 691 in Irvine. For his Eagle Scout project, he led his fellow scouts in building this beautiful replica of a covered wagon. The wagon can be pulled by children along our nature trail in a simulation of the difficult cross-country journey to the California gold fields. The wagon debuted to rave reviews during our recent Old-Fashioned Summer Fun summer day camp. With this wonderful new prop, out Gold Rush programs will never be the same.

Another recent improvement to the museum is new lighting in the rose garden, courtesy of Boy Scout Troop 850 in Villa Park. The beautiful lampposts and mini lights in the trellises are a lovely enhancement for night-time weddings and other events.

Our beautiful outdoor facilities are available to rent for weddings, ceremonies, reunions, memorial services, holiday gatherings, and other events. We are currently booking for the upcoming holidays. If your organization is looking for a unique location to celebrate, give us a call.

For further information or to book your event, call Denise at (714) 540-0404 x4.

If you've thought about volunteering to help CHM and you have some skill at sewing, here is an opportunity for you. And because the work can be done at home, it's an especially nice arrangement for a stay-at- home mom or someone with mobility or transportation challenges.

One of the highlights for most of the 18,000+ children that visit the museum every year is the chance to dress up in Victorian fashions. We need someone to help us make new Victorian-style costumes to replace those that are wearing out. Depending on your sewing expertise, this task would entail one or both of the following:

• Modifying existing garments, including cutting open the back and hemming the cut edges, sewing on cloth tape for tying and hanging the garment, adding decorative trim, and/or assembling new garments by combining parts of other garments (e.g., combining a vest, shirt collar, and tie into a one-piece unit)
• Making new garments from purchased patterns, but modifying them to be open down the back

Please call 714-540-0404 and speak to Colleen Mensel at extension 4 or Kathy Williams at extension 5 for more information.

If this opportunity isn't for you, please feel free to offer it to your community-minded sewing friends.

Like most non-profit organizations, our needs always seem to outpace our budget. So we are appealing to our readers to help grant some of our "wishes." We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, so all donations are tax-deductible.

Currently our biggest wishes are:

• A working "square grand" piano. This type of piano is rectangular in shape with a flat top, as seen in the photo. Square grands were produced during the 1850s through 1880s and were the most common type found in homes before the turn of the twentieth century. Our current piano, pictured above, has fallen into serious disrepair and may no longer be worth having repaired.
• A PA system that can support multiple cordless microphones. Our dinner theatre fundraiser productions, as well as a number of other programs, would benefit greatly from decent sound amplification. We would welcome a new or used system in good working order

If you or someone you know may be able to make a tax-deductible donation of one of the above items, please call Kathy Williams at 714-540-0404 x5.