Welcome to this week's "Gish Picks", where I highlight family-oriented cultural events, products or services. Please note that I "highlight" these events, but I don't know if they are appropriate for your particular children, so choose wisely based on age, maturity and interests.

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Now, GO FIND FUN!

GET SPICY AT THE “HOUSTON HOT SAUCE FESTIVAL”.

As if it's not hot enough, it's time to get even hotter at the "8th Annual Houston Hot Sauce Festival". The festival was started in 1999 by event promoter Carol Borge and it has been on fire since then. Chili heads from all over the state come to celebrate all that is hot in music, games and food. This year's event will feature ongoing entertainment from classic rock, alternative country and oldies bands and a free kids area that will have a "Hot Sauce Bottle Coloring Contest", face painting, goodies, superslides, candy art and more. There will be over 50 purveyors of hot sauce, salsa, and bar-b-que and all proceeds benefit the Stehlin Foundation for Cancer Research.

The festival takes place at the Houston Farm and Ranch Club, which is off Highway 6. It’s open from 11am until 6pm on Saturday and noon until 5pm on Sunday.

For more information, call 281.558.3518 or log onto www.houstonhotsauce.com.

ALLIANCE FRANCAISE IS GOING BACK TO SCHOOL.

"La Fête de la Rentrée" ("Back to School Party") will be at the Alliance Française tomorrow from 6 until 8pm. This annual open house is a Fall tradition at the Alliance, celebrating the new session of French classes and a new season of cultural events. Enjoy French wine and a buffet along with the opening of a new exhibition by artist Mary Claire Herman, featuring evocative pastels of scenes from France and beyond. All are welcome to attend -- and families will be able to learn about children's French classes offered at the Alliance.

For more information please call 713.526.1121 or log onto www.afdehou.org.

SIGN YOUR LITTLE ARTIST UP FOR FUN ART CLASSES WITH CREATIVE CONNECTIONS.

Creative Connections was started by Casey Casteel after more than a decade of teaching in schools and fine arts venues as a way to provide fine arts classes that are both fun and educational in a nurturing environment. Casey’s first priority is allowing children to develop their innate creative process as well as allowing them the opportunity to utilize higher order thinking skills that aren't developed through rote or "mirror" learning.

Children will learn age-appropriate academic, artistic, cognitive and social concepts through creative exploration while also developing a foundation to think and create for themselves within an atmosphere of curiosity. In addition to artistic and academic concepts, children will acquire skills that will enable them to be successful as artists, students and in other aspects of life. Various classes are offered to allow children to experience different ways to express their creativity and explore multiple interests.

Creative Connections now offers one-hour “combo classes”, workshops, and free demo classes. There are locations in Tanglewood, River Oaks, Upper Kirby and Sugar Land with classes in Art, Creative Movement, Dance, Drama and Motor Skills.

For more information, call 713.780.0085 or log onto www.caseyscreativeconnections.com.

“THE CELEBRATION OF THE CENTURY” MARKS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MONTESSORI MOVEMENT.

The Ibn Sina Foundation presents this Houston celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Montessori Movement with two events on Saturday, October 6:

• A “Montessori Global Village and Children’s Festival” from 10am until 3pm at UH’s Lynn Eusan Park; free and open to the public. The Park will be transformed into a village, made up of “huts” prepared by local Montessori schools which will depict a multitude of attributes from various cultures, reflecting the pluralistic vision of Dr. Montessori. There will be interactive activities for attendees such as arts and crafts, a Montessori classroom display and educational information, moonwalks, rides, and carnival activities as well as food and beverages. For even more fun, there will be children’s entertainment and passports given to each visitor.
  
  
• A “Celebrating Peace and Culture Show” at 7pm at UH’s Cullen Performance Hall; tickets start at $25 and can be purchased at www.ticketweb.com,
  keyword: “Montessori”. This culture variety show will feature ethnic performances by professional dancers, musicians and a multimedia presentation.

All proceeds from this centenary celebration will fund the building and operation of the Ibn Sina Foundation Montessori School, a new non-profit school to be located at 11226 S. Wilcrest Drive. This event and other worldwide Centenary efforts throughout 2007 champion the cause of Dr. Montessori and her commitment to “the secret of childhood”.

For more information, call 832.391.4283 or log onto www.100yearsmontessori.com.

Sarah Gish
Gish Creative
1940-A Fountainview, PMB 116
Houston, Texas 77057
phone/fax: 713.532.1173

email: sarah@gishcreative.com
web: www.gishcreative.com
and: www.thesummerbook.com

© 2007 Sarah Gish

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