Jewel headlines varied lineup of entertainment for preserve’s opening weekend

Grammy-nominated recording artist Jewel will headline the entertainment lineup during the opening weekend of the Springs Preserve.

Jewel's acoustic concert is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday in the amphitheater. Tickets are being sold by general admission, with seating on a first-come, first-served basis.

The 1,800-seat terraced amphitheater near the center of the preserve property is surfaced in water-saving artificial turf and will be topped with chairs for the Jewel concert.

Seating begins close to the terraced canyonlike stage area, which means those who arrive early to grab the front-row seats may at times be just 10 feet from the singer/environmentalist, said Jesse Davis, spokesman for the preserve.

Free entertainment is scheduled throughout the preserve during the opening weekend.

Opening ceremonies, with entertainment by the Guildworks troupe of master flyers, dancers and aerialists, are set for 10 a.m. Friday.

Saturday and Sunday presentations will include:

• From 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Frame House in The Gardens, horticulturist and Review-Journal columnist Linn Mills will present "Will Garden for Food," with tips on growing vegetables at any time of year.

• From 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the Frame House, a presentation on cooking with herbs and also growing them.

• From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Frame House, a session on learning to choose, plant and nurture cactuses and succulents.

• From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Watering Can Theater in The Gardens, a workshop on choosing the best plants and their location in your landscape to save on heating and cooling costs.

Rotating entertainment from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday will include:

• On the Garden Studio Stage, Bella Rumore String Musicians, extreme painter and performer Jean Francois, comic/magician Cory Best and an acoustic guitarist.

• On the Children's Learning Playground, face painters, sleight-of-hand magicians, a temporary tattooist and music by Park Putumayo Kids World Music.

• On the preserve trails, landscape artists at work and music by an acoustic guitarist.

• At the entrance to the ORI-GEN Experience, The Living Gardens, which makes nature come alive with movement, music and live interaction, and a performance by Guildworks.

On Sunday, rotating entertainment from 10 a.m.to 6 p.m. is scheduled as follows:

• In the Springs Preserve amphitheater, music by Azz Iz The Band and by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Jazz Ensemble.

• In the Courtyard Plaza, a caricaturist, sleight-of-hand magician and a temporary tattooist.

For more information, call the Springs Preserve at 822-8344 or visit www.springspreserve.org.