Meathead Movers is sponsoring Girls’ Night Out, a benefit for CASA of San Luis Obispo County from 6-9 p.m. Thursday, March 26 at the San Luis Country Club. The event is a lively night out for women, with entertainment provided by Meathead Movers. Raffles, tapas, no-host cash bar and dancing. Tuxedoed Meathead Movers’ crew will lavish attention on guests and compete for tips, all of which are donated to CASA. Reservations are required. Tickets are $75 a person, tables for eight available or a VIP Table for $1,200, which includes a table for eight guests, your business listed as an event sponsor and a limo ride for all eight to and from the country club. For reservations, call 541-6542 or see: www.slocasa.org.
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The St. Joseph’s Festival takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Sunday, March 22 at St. Joseph’s Church, 298 S. Thompson Ave., Nipomo. Free Admission. There will be pizza, hotdogs and music by Unfinished Business, Triple Down Theory and Banda Perla Gitana. Community organizations participating include Dignity Health, Catholic Charities, VFW Veteran’s Services, SLO Sheriff’s Crime Prevention, California Highway Patrol, Boy Scouts of America and more. For further information, contact the church office at 929-1922.
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There’s a few tickets left for the Cayucos Rotary Club’s Masquerade Ball, set for 6-9 p.m. Saturday, March 21 at the Cayucos Vet’s Hall. Tickets are $50 a person and $100 a couple and available by calling Dick Moore at 995-1661. The benefit dinner-dance includes music by U.E. Express from Monterey, live and silent auctions and games. Prizes for best costumes. The key beneficiaries are Cayucos Volunteer Firefighters, Cayucos Educational Foundation, and Cayucos Rotary Club projects. Donations are tax deductible.
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A special art exhibit entitled, “MB National Estuary — A National Treasure,” is showing now through April 13 at the Morro Bay Art Center, 835 Main St. Sponsored by the National Estuary Program and MB Art Association, members fanned out to paint views of the Bay and national estuary. Also, State Parks has loaned the exhibit a painting by Aaron Kilpatrick, a MB Art Association founding member and well-known early California impressionist painter. The Art Center is open from noon to 4 p.m. daily. See: www.artcentermorrobay.com for information.
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Long-time Cuesta College art faculty member, Leslie Sutcliffe, is showing her artwork in the college’s Hwy 1 Campus library through the end of March. Titled, “Where Do We Come From? Where Are We Going? 2009 and Extinct/Extant, 2008,” one of the works displayed in the main entrance of the library resembles large Scrabble tiles and addresses questions about our behavior and attitudes, according to Sutcliffe. “For some time, I have utilized images found in books, such as those in illuminated manuscripts, scientific texts, dictionaries and encyclopedias, so the Cuesta College library is the perfect place to see my work,” said Sutcliffe, who has taught studio art and art history at Cuesta College for 28 years. The campus library is open Mondays-Thursdays, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fridays, 8-4; closed weekends and holidays. Call 546-3157 for more information on viewing the exhibits.
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Lightshare of Santa Margarita is offering free energy balancing sessions at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center Auditorium, 1010 Murray Ave., SLO from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, March 21. Sessions are 25 minutes long, appropriate for all ages and no appointment necessary. All are welcome. See: www.lightshare.us or call 438-4347 to learn about energy balancing and other offerings from Lightshare. Email Wendy McKenna at: to set up a clinic in your area.
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March 21-29 is the biggest week in Central Coast craft beer history, as local breweries band together to host the 2nd Annual Central Coast Craft Beer Week at several venues throughout the area. This year features an expanded lineup of special dinners, tastings and other events culminating in a tap takeover at Spike’s Pub in San Luis Obispo on the 29th with eight beers brewed especially for Central Coast Craft Beer Week. Put on by the Central Coast Brewers Consortium of 14 breweries and brew pubs, Central Coast Craft Beer Week celebrates “the unified spirit and diverse flavors of the region’s craft beer community.” For a complete schedule of events, see: www.ccbrewers.org/events.
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The Morro Bay Community Foundation’s 26th Annual Dixon Spaghetti Dinner is set for 5-7:30 p.m. Friday, March 20 at the community center. All-you-can-eat dinner is $10 for 15-older, $5 for 14-under, and under-2 free. Proceeds benefit the Morro Bay Community Foundation’s recreation scholarship program. There will be a silent auction and all kids entered into a free drawing for a new bike.
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A course on rattlesnake avoidance training for dogs — featuring live rattlesnakes that can’t bite — is set for Saturday, March 28 at Laguna Lake Park in San Luis Obispo. Cost is $95 per dog for initial training and $80 for annual refresher training. The course will be led by Gina Gables, a professional dog trainer for more than 23 years and owner of Ma & Paw Kennel Canine Training Services in Simi Valley along with Steve Gardner, who has more than 30 years of experience studying the behavior and ecology of rattlesnakes and other reptiles. Reservations are require, as space is limited. For more information and to register, see: www.snakesafedog.com or call (805) 523-3432
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The Morro Bay National Estuary Program and Sage Ecological Landscapes & Nursery of Los Osos are putting on a free “Bay-Friendly Gardening Presentation,” from noon-1 p.m. Friday, March 20. The event will teach gardeners how to grow a lush water-wise and bay-friendly garden. Todd Davidson and Brandon Taylor of Sage Nursery will share tips and lead a tour of the nursery. RSVP to Rachel Pass at: , or call 722-3834 Ext.13 to reserve a spot in advance. Walk-ins welcome, too.
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YMCA South County Skate Park contest event on Saturday, March 21, goes from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. at 1750 Ramona Ave., Grover Beach. The event includes a skate contest, raffle tickets giveaways, BBQ lunch and live music.
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SLO County junior high and high school students can enter a Youth Essay Contest based on Max Brook’s best-selling graphic novel, “The Harlem Hellfighters.” Contest winners will get the chance to meet Max Brooks at the SLO Library Foundation’s Book & Author Series VIP Party on April 14.
Essays should describe what it means to “live united,” using examples from Harlem Hellfighters, their personal experiences, and United Way’s mission. Essays may have a maximum of 500 words. The deadline for submission is on March 25.
Winning entries will be selected by a panel of peers from the United Way Youth Board. Essays can be submitted online at www.unitedwayslo.org/youth-board. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded for two class bracket (7th-8th grade and 9th-12th grades). Prizes sponsored by MacSuperstore and Joe Patane.
Brooks will speak at Cal Poly’s Spanos Theatre at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 14 about the book that tells the story of the Harlem Hellfighters, a highly-decorated, barrier-breaking, historic black regiment.
Tickets are $25 adults, $10 students and $35 for VIP and on sale now online at: for the Book and Author Series event featuring Brooks. Learn more about The Foundation for SLO County Libraries and Max Brooks online at: www.slolibraryfoundation.org/max-brooks.
The Book and Author Series launched last year as a fundraiser for the Foundation, which supports the San Luis Obispo County public libraries. For more information about the Youth Board or essay contest, call Rachel Cementina at 541-1234 or email to:
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The Central Coast Watercolor Society will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 31 at SLO United Methodist Church (Wesley Building), 1515 Fredericks St. Free. The program features Ardella Swanberg on lesser-known pre-20th Century women artists who earned their living through their art. Call 541-0492 for information.
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Stephen Jenkinson, author of the new book, “Die Wise: A Manifesto for Sanity and Soul” (on sale March 17), and the subject of the documentary, “Griefwalker,” will be visiting San Luis Obispo for several readings and screenings March 20 and 21. Jenkinson will read from and sign his book fro, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Friday, March 20 at Hospice San Luis Obispo, 1304 Pacific St. Free admission. He will hold a teaching session about the subject from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21 at Mission San Luis Obispo, 750 Palm St. Cost for that event is $115 a person with discounts for seniors and students. Register online at: orphanwisdom.com/event/dying-wise-2. Deadline to register is March 20. Jenkinson teaches the skills of dying—skills that have to be learned in the course of living deeply and well. He explores the moral, political, and spiritual obligation we have to do die well—challenging the notion that we can or should try to live forever, and breaking the absurd taboo surrounding talking about death. See: orphanwisdom.com for more on Jenkinson.
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Art Central is looking for art for an upcoming show with a “macro” theme and open to any media and all ages. By Macro, the gallery means “extreme close-up art” usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the image is greater than life size.” Email photos of artwork to: . Deadline to enter is Wednesday, April 1 and there’s an artists’ reception during Art After Dark from 6-8 p.m. Friday, April 3. Free. Art Central Gallery is at 1329 Monterey St., SLO. See: www.artcentralslo.wordpress.com.
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Wellness Wednesday programs will resume at the newly remodeled Morro Bay Library, 625 Harbor St., from 10 a.m.-noon Wednesday, April 8. Free. Featuring Devin Wallace speaking on “Meditation — A Guide to Self-Discovery and Fulfillment.” Wallace is a certified clinical and medical hypnotherapist and meditation practioner. Sponsored by the Morro Bay Friends of the Library. For more information call Karen at 225-3131 or see: morrobaybookdiscussiongroup.org.