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For more information, call
(562) 570-1755.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Summer Concert
Series
Friday
evenings, 6-7:30 p.m. Free
This
summer surrender to a dynamic musical selection as you enjoy
your
picnic dinner with family and friends under a serene canopy
of historic trees. Please bring a lawn chair or
blanket for your comfort. On-site parking is
severely limited, so plan to park on Virginia Road--or ride
you bike!
June 25: Voxinglero
-- Sizzlin' Latin rhythms!
July 23:
Steel Parade -- Chillin' Reggae
August 27: Sligo Rags -- Soulful Celtic
with a twist of
Bluegrass
The adobe house will be
open for tours during the concert. No pets allowed.
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Garden
Tours
Second &
Fourth Sundays Each Month Thru November
Don
Juan built a garden miles from anywhere;
Fenced in from the mesa,
four wide acres there.
To mark off beds and
pathways he brought brick around the Horn,
And there behind his
ten-foot fence, a garden rare was born.
Sarah Bixby Smith penned
these words about the Rancho’s gardens back in the 1920s.
First planted by John “Don Juan” Temple in the 1840s, the
gardens and grounds reflect over 100 years of change. Some
trees date to the 1840s when John Temple, owner of the
27,000-acre Rancho from 1844-1866, planted the first
garden. In 1931, renowned landscape architect Ralph Cornell
created an estate garden for Llewellyn Sr. and Avis Bixby,
preserving Temple’s remaining trees, reintroducing flora
that was here in the 19th century, and adding
fruit trees and native plants.
Explore the landscape
with a docent-led tour, offered the Second & Fourth
Sundays of each month through November. Tours are free
and are offered on the half hour between 1-4 p.m.
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Living History Tours:
Visitors of
the Past
August 29
1-4 p.m. (Last tour leaves at 4 p.m.)
Free
(Additional
tours on October 31)
Tour the
166-year-old adobe house with "visitors from the past" who
step forward in time to conduct tours of the Rancho. Explore
the Rancho through the eyes of previous owners, workers or
guests as they share their personal stories and experiences.
Living History Tours Flyer
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Volunteer
Opportunities Coffee
Saturday,
September 11 at 10 a.m.
Discover the "actor" in you as a living
history character, find out how you can share Long Beach
history and culture as a tour docent, learn about
opportunities in the historic gardens, explore work on the
historical collections and research needs, and see if your
talents are a fit with our museum shop operations. Staff
and volunteers will also share information on the Rancho’s
educational programs and events, including our award-winning
fourth grade school program Adobe Days Revisited, and
our seasonal family activities: Christmas Candlelight
Tours, Summer Concert Series and Mud Mania.
This is a great
way to make new friends, see how a museum operates
“behind-the-scenes,” learn about local history and antiques,
and give back to your community in a meaningful way.
A complimentary
continental breakfast will be provided.
For reservations, call (562) 570-1755.
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PAST EVENTS
Did you miss these?
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Rancho
Summer Adventures
“Summer Adventures" at the
Rancho is an engaging and educational program for children
on summer vacation. Participants will learn all about life
in Old California through historic crafts, hands-on
activities, games and stories. Historically-themed
programming will focus on daily life at the
rancho—participants will get to churn butter, dip candles,
punch tin, tool leather, stomp mud and more!
This history-themed camp is
designed for children entering 1st - 5th grade. Each
session runs Monday - Friday, 10am - 2pm. and costs $90
Vaquero Adventures: July 19-23
Adobe Adventures: July 26-30
Old Time Adventures: August 2-6
Please call Meighan or Jan for
more information (562) 570-1755
Summer.Adventures.flier.10.pdf
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Rancho Spring Festival:
A Visit to Old California
Sunday, May 23, 12:30-4:30 p.m.
$5, $3 for children
ages 4-12
Explore the legendary
life of Mexican rancheros through period music, dance,
costume and ranching activities. Experience daily life
in Old California when cattle were raised for their hides
and tallow, and ranchers celebrated with great fiestas!
This family-friendly
festival features music my "Los Californios," visits from
Father Serra and Lotta Crabtree, living history skits,
demonstrations of blacksmithing and leather-tooling, and
hands-on period crafts and games. The horno will be
fired up for bread baking, and guests can churn butter, make
tortillas, and try cactus.
Refreshments available
for a nominal charge.
Christmas
Candlelight Tours
December 12 & 13
(Saturday & Sunday)
Tours begin every 10
minutes starting at 6:30 p.m.
$10 per Person
Step back to Christmas 1880 and explore holiday customs and
daily life at Rancho Los Cerritos as experienced by the Bixbys,
their guests, and ranch workers from other nations. Tour
the historic adobe by candlelight with costumed living history
characters, and eavesdrop on theatrical vignettes for the
latest gossip on social activities, business and the economy
in Los Angeles. End the evening with some shopping for
unique gifts, and enjoy live holiday music, warm cider and
gingerbread out on the lawn.
Advance reservations are required;
please call (562) 570-1755. Tickets go on sale November
2.
Candlelight Tour Tickets
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Christmas Open House
December 6
1-4 p.m.
Free
Experience 19th
century Christmas traditions while learning about Long Beach’s
local history at Rancho Los Cerritos’ “Christmas Open House.”
Guests can explore the adobe home, decorated for the season,
and discover 19th century Mexican and American holiday
traditions. Children can participate in crafts and
activities from the California frontier, and will be able to
take home their own hand-made decorations. Piñata breaking,
bi-lingual storytelling and a visit from Santa will certainly
make this a memorable event!
Free musical entertainment and
refreshments will be provided. Decorative ornaments,
gourmet jellies, children’s toys and handmade Christmas crafts
will also be available for purchase in the Museum Gift Shop.
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Living History
Docent Training
– June 12, 2010
7-9 p.m.
Casting Call
at Rancho Los Cerritos: Seeking rancheros, Victorian
housewives, sheepherders, Chinese cooks, gardeners, maids
and more!
Learn to
travel through time as a living history docent.
Discover the
history, architecture, collections and gardens, then learn
theater fundamentals and character development before
adopting a historic persona for living history tours and
programs.
Training
offered Wednesday evenings, February – June, 2010.
Intrigued? For additional information or to register,
contact Rancho Los Cerritos at (562) 570-1755.
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Nacimientos
Workshop
November 14
9:30 a.m. - Noon
Advance Reservations Required
$15 Adults/$8 Children (Ages
8-12)
Create your own Nacimientos
(nativity scene) from wood, figures, cardboard and paint under
the direction of artist and educator Daniel F. Martinez.
Explore the history of Nacimientos, traditional Mexican
decorations displayed during the Christmas season.
Price includes all materials and
refreshments.
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Tea With the
Hathaway Sisters
October 27
2:00 p.m.
$20/ $17 FRLC Members
Spend a lovely afternoon at the
Rancho by joining the four Hathaway sisters for tea and
conversation. Learn how three of the women married into the
Bixby family, and the roles all experienced as women living in
Southern California during the second half of the 19th
century.
A traditional tea will be
served.
Reservations are required by
calling (562) 570-1755.
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Winter Lecture
Series
2010 Saturday Lecture
Dates and Topics:
January 30th
Dr. Craig
Hendricks will present a talk on “Mexican Independence and its
Effect on California.” He will address the outside influences
on the movement, the reaction of local residents, changes in
governing policies from Spanish to Mexican rule, the opening
of trade and the incursion of various western powers on the
territory. Dr. Hendricks is history instructor at CSULB and
LBCC.
February 20th
“The
U.S.-Mexico War in Southern California” (1846-48) will be the
topic of a presentation by Steve Clugston, living history
presenter, event organizer and former curator at March Field
Air Museum, on February 20. He will discuss the major battles
leading to the Treaty of Cahuenga that ended hostilities in
Southern California in early 1847, touching on the actions of
American and Californio forces in San Diego and Los Angeles
Counties. Both Rancho Los Cerritos and neighboring Rancho San
Pedro were involved.
March 20th
“More Than
Mrs. John Temple: The Life of Rafaela Cota” will be presented
by historian Kathie Schey on March 20. Rafaela Cota de Temple,
daughter of a prominent Spanish military family, was one of
many elite women who were born in
Colonial California, married Yankee newcomers following
Mexican Independence and then remained in California
following American annexation. These women left scant records
of their lives and are often understood only as their
husband’s wives. Thanks to a generous grant from the James
Irvine and Rancho Los Cerritos Foundations, new research has
shed important light on the remarkable life and times of
Rafaela, the first mistress of Rancho Los Cerritos.
April 17th
As an
extraordinary postscript to this lecture series, Rancho Los
Cerritos will host “An Evening With Zorro” on Saturday, April
17. Who was this mythical Robin Hood of early California, and
how has Hollywood portrayed him through nearly a century of
film? How have foreign movies added to the worldwide legend,
and how has television elevated Zorro’s place in popular
culture? The FRLC Hispanic History Committee will provide
film clips, a talk on the origin and a prize for the best
Zorro costume.ts Only~
$15 regular admission/
$12 FRLC members
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Mexican
Independence Day Exhibit
September 12, 13
and September 16-18
1:00-p.m.- 5:00 p.m. (During
Public Hours)
Free
In honor of Mexican Independence
Day, the Hispanic History Committee of the Friends of Rancho
Los Cerritos will host a special exhibit at Rancho Los
Cerritos Historic Site, explaining the meaning of the day and
the impact on Mexico’s distant province of California.
These themes will be presented
in a special outdoor exhibit. Hispanic History Committee
volunteers will be at Rancho Los Cerritos on the weekend to
discuss the special meaning of the holiday and to describe how
Mexico’s independence affected the residents of California,
its northern-most frontier territory.
School Docent Training
September
16-November 4
Wednesdays (8 Week Commitment)
9:30-12:30 p.m.
Free with
membership to the Friends of Rancho Los Cerritos
4th grade students,
teachers, and Rancho Los Cerritos volunteers are all raving
about how wonderful Adobe Days Revisited, a
hands on history program at the historic site is. The program
is informative, historical, creative, and fun! And as one 4th
grade teacher states, “The trip to the rancho provides our
kids with rich information. They walk away with a much better
understanding of the history, a large vocabulary, memories
they use to write about, and it all applies to our social
studies and science. Our kids talk about the trip for years.”
And now, it’s your opportunity
to become a part of this award-winning program as Rancho Los
Cerritos is currently recruiting enthusiastic volunteers to
take on living history characters.
Reservations for the training
program are requested. Call (562) 570-1755 today to reserve
your seat for the fall training class or for more information.
Volunteer
Opportunities Coffee
September 5,
2009
10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
Free
Rancho Los Cerritos is seeking
new volunteers for a variety of program opportunities during
the “Volunteer Opportunities Coffee.” Find out how you can
become a tour docent, help with the historic gardens, work on
the historical collections, conduct research, or assist with
the museum gift shop. You will also learn about the Rancho’s
educational programs and events, including our award-winning
fourth grade school program Adobe Days Revisited, and
our seasonal events, Christmas Candlelight Tours, Summer
Concert Series and Mud Mania.
This is a great way to make new friends, see how a museum
operates “behind-the-scenes,” learn about local history and
antiques, and give back to your community in a meaningful way.
A
complimentary continental breakfast will be provided. For
reservations, call (562) 570-1755.
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SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
6-7:30
p.m. (Gates open at 5 p.m.)
FREE
All Ages (No pets
allowed)
Bring a
picnic dinner and get your groove on this summer at Rancho Los
Cerritos! The
concerts are free and will feature toe tapping bluegrass of
The Witcher Brothers, old school blues with Bernie
Pearl & the Bernie Pearl Band, a tribute to the surf and
beach party bands of the ‘60s with Surfing Safari, and
jazz sounds of The Christine Guter Quintet.
Sunday, July 12
Witcher Brothers
Toe Tapping Bluegrass
Thursday,
July 30
Bernie Pearl Blues Band
An
evening of Old School Blues
Sunday,
August 9
Surfing
Safari
A tribute
to the surf and beach party bands
of the
‘60s
Thursday,
August 27
The
Christine Guter Quintet
Jazz Vocals
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MUD MANIA:
A Celebration of Adobe
Sunday, August 16, 2009
12:30-4:30 p.m.
Kids (4-12) $3, Adults $5,
Under 4: Free
Squish a little history
between your toes at this delightfully muddy festival where
you're not supposed to stay clean! Mud-tastic activities
include adobe brick-making, muddy tug-o-war and mud relay
races, plus clay sculpting, archaeology adventures and more!
De-mudding stations available; bring old shoes (required), a
change of clothes and a towel.
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Rancho Adventure Tours
October 2009 -
June 2010
Ages
6-11
Thursdays
4:15-5:30 p.m.
Reservations required
$3/Participant
A tour of the adobe home
specially geared toward youth groups. Program includes a
fun and educational tour of the 1844 adobe house and hands-on
activities that teaches children all about a 19th century
ranch.
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VOLUNTEER
OPPORTUNITIES COFFEE
Saturday
January 24, 2009
10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.
RSVP By January 22
Free
Rancho Los Cerritos is seeking
new volunteers for a variety of program opportunities during
the “Volunteer Opportunities Coffee.” Find out how you can
become a tour docent, help with the historic gardens, work on
the historical collections, conduct research, or assist with
the museum gift shop. You will also learn about the Rancho’s
educational programs and events, including our award-winning
fourth grade school program Adobe Days Revisited, and
our seasonal events, Christmas Candlelight Tours, Summer
Concert Series and Mud Mania.
This is a great way to make new friends, see how a museum
operates “behind-the-scenes,” learn about local history and
antiques, and give back to your community in a meaningful way.
A
complimentary continental breakfast will be provided. For
reservations, call (562) 570-1755.
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CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
Sunday
December 14
1-4 p.m.
No Reservations Required
Free
Experience 19th
century Christmas traditions while learning about Long Beach’s
local history at Rancho Los Cerritos’ “Christmas Open House.”
Guests can explore the adobe home, decorated for the season,
and discover 19th century Mexican and American holiday
traditions. Children can participate in crafts and
activities from the California frontier, and will be able to
take home their own hand-made decorations. Piñata breaking,
bi-lingual storytelling and a visit from Santa will certainly
make this a memorable event!
Also, enjoy live holiday music
throughout the afternoon from the “Traditional Christmas
Carolers”, the “International Peach Choir”, and more! Free
refreshments will be provided. Decorative ornaments, gourmet
jellies, children’s toys and handmade Christmas crafts will
also be available for purchase in the Museum Gift Shop.
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"Christmas Candlelight Tours: Navidad in Early
California"
Friday &
Saturday
December 5-6
6:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Reservations required
$10.00/ person
Step back in time to Christmas 1850 at Rancho Los Cerritos
Historic Site for a magical evening as you explore holiday
traditions and life in early California with the Temples,
their guests and ranch workers.
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