It is purely by coincidence that two separate, musically-packed fund-raisers, both to benefit The Relief Nursery, Inc., have been scheduled back to back this weekend.
The first event will take place Friday night at the WOW Hall, followed by the 9th annual Secret House Winery Wine and Blues Festival on Saturday and Sunday.
“We are very well supported by our community,” said Julie Tarter, development director of The Relief Nursery. “Our community realizes what terrible risk some of our children are at. Children have no voice and our community helps in both large and small ways.”
The Relief Nursery, at 1720 W. 25th Ave., is nearly 25 years old. It is a not-for-profit organization with multiple programs for high-risk children from birth to six years of age. Risk factors include physical, emotional and sexual abuse, as well as incidents of neglect.
The nursery provides a therapeutic preschool, outreach programs and a variety of parenting classes for low-income families.
“We’re not just a pre-school,” Tarter said. “To keep children safe and families together is our goal, We’re not just about kids, but giving parents what they need.”
Friday night’s musical agenda features four local bands. Ennis Bee, a four piece rock ensemble, will open the WOW Hall show and Fells Acres, quoted in a press release as “more cult than a band” will also grace the stage. Welsh Rabbit, “a power pop band with a sound influenced by The Beatles, Elvis Costello, Blur and Weezer” will indulge in some musical show and tell followed by Marigold, the winners of the 1996 Eugene Celebration Battle of the Bands and National Ticketmaster Music Showcase.
The Wine and Blues Festival at the Secret House Winery, located 2.5 miles west of Veneta off Highway 126, offers a smorgasbord of entertainment, food, fun and award-winning libations.
“It’s going to be a
good show, a great event, and a lot of fun with plenty for the kids to do,” said Patti Chappel, proprietor of Secret House Winery.
The two-day festival, running from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, will feature national blues acts and entertainment for the whole family, including arts and crafts for the kids, a kids’ play zone, dunk tank, hay rides, gourmet food and an assortment of craft booths.
Musical guests include Women in Blues, a group made up of female artists from prominent bands throughout the Northwest, who kick off the festival at approximately 1:45 p.m. on Saturday. And Elvis, the sequined King of Rock and Roll himself, will be making an appearance between the opening and headlining acts on both days. Saturday’s headliner is the energetic mistress of blues, Linda Hornbuckle.
On Sunday, the festival opens with “hometown favorites,” the Olem Alves Band, billed as “talented new generation blues musicians from the Eugene area.” Paul deLay and his rockin’ blues band will bring the festival to a powerful close on Sunday.
It is largely due to The Relief Nursery’s non-judgmental approach in dealing with parents with alcohol or drug problems that Chappel says prompted her to organize a fund-raiser to benefit the nursery “way back when.
“They do great work providing help with parenting skills and recovery,” Chappel said. “People in my position, in the alcohol business, ought to give back to the community in this way. As a winery, I encourage responsible consumption.”
Chappel sums up the event as “gracious gourmet entertaining for the whole family.”
Admission for the festival is $10 per adult, per day, and children up to age 18 are admitted free with a parent. For more information, call 935-3774.
Admission for the WOW Hall event is $6 at the door and
is at 9:30 p.m. The WOW Hall, located at the corner of 8th and Lincoln, is an all-ages venue. Call 697-2746 for more information.