Events and exhibits

By Jan Shepherd, Globe Correspondent, 5/04/2003


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Providence

Federal Hill Stroll

June 10

It's a three-hour window of opportunity to sample dishes from 22 restaurants, cafes, and bakeries in the capital city neighborhood known as "Little Italy." It still is the place for Italian food, yet the neighborhood also has Chinese, Mexican, and Indian restaurants spicing the scene. For the annual weekday event, the participating restaurants offer a taste of a specialty dish from their menus. This year, eight Federal Hill boutiques and specialty shops joined the event with special discounts. Buttons are required for admission to the 4:30-7:30 p.m. stroll and must be purchased in advance. Atwells Avenue.401-274-1636, ext. 300.www.goprovidence.com.

Lompoc, Calif.

'City of Murals'

Ongoing

Lompoc believes in the power of art. Beginning in 1988, it launched the Lompoc Valley Mural Project, the brainchild of local residents Gene and Judy Stevens, who proposed it as a way to revive downtown, about an hour north of Santa Barbara. In a phone interview, Gene Stevens said there are 60 murals about the town and valley's historic moments and people. Known as the Valley of Flowers, the area is home to companies who ship cut flowers and seeds around the world. Stevens's favorite mural is "Bodger Floral Flag," a 1999 painting re-creating Bodger Seed Co.'s 1941 flower field planted to look like the US flag in a salute to GIs. Last year, a 7-acre plot was replanted with the same design honoring post-9/11 patriotism. Every September, the town sponsors "Mural-in-a-Day," a project in which a team of artists and painters completes a new one. Free maps for self-guided murals tours are available. Guided group tours can be arranged in advance. Chamber of Commerce, 111 S. I St. 805-736-4567 for free mural map. www.lompocshopping.com.

Houston

'Little Prince'

May 31-June 22

The Houston Grand Opera conducted a nationwide search for a boy who could sing and act for the world premiere of Natalie Portman's first opera, based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's popular 1943 novel, "The Little Prince." Nathaniel Irvin, 11, of Maple Grove, Minn., will sing the princely role while Australian baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes portrays the pilot whose plane crashes in the Sahara. Portman, an Oscar-winning composer, collaborated with librettist Nicholas Wright. In her second world premiere for HGO, Fancesca Zambello directs the production. The costume and set designs are by the late Maria Bjornson, who won a Tony for "Phantom of the Opera." She had completed the designs shortly before she died in December. "The Little Prince," HGO's 27th world premiere, has 12 performances. Wortham Theater Center's Cullen Theater, Texas Avenue at Smith Street. 713-228-OPERA; 800-62-OPERA. www.houstongrandopera.org.

Memphis

'Your House, My House'

Through Sept. 28

The Children's Museum of Memphis opens the door on different worlds in a new exhibit that travels to eight other museums in the Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative. The exhibit centerpiece consists of three homes -- a Mongolian ger, a Malaysian stilt house, and a Fiji m'bure. These are life-size and allow youngsters to walk in and see how they're made and furnished with objects and goods that reflect lifestyles and environmental influences on building choices. In other interactive stations, visitors use computers to design a house, build their own with table-top materials, and compare and contrast house styles around the world. Three years in the planning and execution, the exhibit next travels to the Brooklyn Children's Museum. 2525 Central Ave. 901-458-2678. www.cmom.com.

Branson, Mo.

'Celebration City'

Ongoing

The new $40 million theme park harkens back to those good old days that began in the 1900s and ended in the 1960s. Organized into three sections -- Victorian, Electric Boardwalk, and Route 66 -- the park has 30 old-fashioned rides; among the three coasters is a vintage-style wooden one called "Ozark WildCat." In a twist, the park is set up as a night-time attraction, opening at 3 p.m. until almost midnight. Each evening wraps up with a multimedia laser show, "Celebrate." The grand opening celebration is May 30. The park was built by the Herschend Family Entertainment Corp., owners of Silver Dollar City, a 43-year-old amusement park in Branson. 1383 State Highway 376.www.silverdollarcity.com.800-831-4FUN.

Sandwich

Cape league hall of fame

Ongoing

The Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame has a new home at the Heritage Museums & Gardens. Begun in 2000, the Hall has 31 inductees and counts among its members some of Major League Baseball's past and present stars such as Mo Vaughan, Nomar Garciaparra, Jason Varitek, and the late Thurman Munson. Heritage, a complex of Americana collections, renovated the American History Museum for the Hall of Fame artifacts, player memorabilia, and historic photos. The Hall of Fame, which officially opens today, stays at Heritage through 2008. Among future events is a vintage game on June 16 between the Providence Grays and the Mystic Oceanics, using 1884 rules. Heritage Museums & Gardens, off Route 130 at Pine and Grove streets. 508-888-3300. www.heritageplantation.org.

Chicago

Architecture cruises

Ongoing

Rising from the ashes of crushing fires in 1872 and 1874, Chicago became a magnet for architects who rebuilt the city through original ideas, among them the nation's first steel-framed skyscraper, designed by William Le Baron Jenney. Among the other architects who left their marks are Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Holabird & Roche-Root; Louis H. Sullivan, and Helmut Jahn. Located on the Chicago River, the city is a natural for architecture tours from the water. The Chicago Architecture Foundation's guides on board Mercury Cruise Line boats focus on the Loop's 50 historical and architecturally significant buildings, such as the Tribune Tower and Wrigley Building. Shoreline Sightseeing initiated 60-minute, narrated, architecture tours in 1999. This year, the 64-year-old cruise company added a third boat to its sightseeing fleet. It also runs 30-minute trips, water taxis, and charters. Chicago Architecture Foundation. 312-922-TOURS.www.architecture.org.Shoreline Sightseeing.www.shorelinesightseeing.com.312-222-9328.

Destinations is a weekly feature on events and places around the country and the world. Write us at Destinations, Sunday Travel, Boston Globe, PO Box 2378, Boston, MA 02107-2378, or e-mail to travel@globe.com.