GOINGS ON / SANTA BARBARA : Tribute of ‘Voices’ : Terri New’s show pays homage to the people of Czechoslovakia and their revolution.

Terri New said she created “Voices” as a way of paying tribute to the people of Czechoslovakia for their peaceful revolution of November, 1989.

“Organizing this show was the best way I could think of letting them know how much we respect them for their courage and grace of conduct,” said New, a composer and playwright living in Santa Barbara.

The performance, at the Center Stage Theater Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., combines New’s songs with the poetry of James Ragan. Ragan was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his book of poems “Womb-Weary.” On Monday, the group will travel to Czechoslovakia, then to Paris to stage the show.

Tickets are $20 and $10 for students, seniors and artists. Call 963-0408. Proceeds will benefit Project Booklift. Another brainchild of New’s, the booklift gives Americans a way to donate books to Czech libraries. So far, more than 100,000 are on the way.

New traveled to Prague following the revolution to interview people for a play she was writing. “When I asked how we could help them, the only thing anyone asked for was books,” she said. Anyone interested in making a donation can contact New at 962-4275.

Solvang, the little town known for Danish pastries architecture, is turning country-Western for the Country Music Festival this weekend at the Solvang Festival Theater, 420 2nd St. Chris Hillman & the Desert Rose Band headline Friday’s 8 p.m. concert and Suzy Bogguss is the featured artist at Saturday’s 7 p.m. show. Headliners for the Sunday 7 p.m. show will be Restless Heart--a group with seven No. 1 songs in a row and a 1990 Academy of Country Music award as the “Vocal Group of the Year.” The Groove Kings will open.

Tickets are $35, $25 and $18 per evening show. Local bands will play Saturday and Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets are $12, $9, $6. Call (800) 549-4FUN.

The Los Angeles-based Jazz Tap Ensemble will perform two distinctly American art forms--tap-dancing and jazz music--at 8 p.m. Friday at UCSB’s Campbell Hall. The performance will feature a tribute to great tap-dancing on film that hails such performers as Fred Astaire and Steve Condos. The music will include works by Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Thelonius Monk and others, plus original compositions. Tickets are $16, $14, $10. Call 893-3535.

An Oscar winner and a nominee for best animated short film will highlight Spike and Mike’s eighth annual Festival of Animation, 8:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at UCSB Campbell Hall, 893-3535. The run will continue May 15 through May 28 at the Victoria Street Theatre. Tickets are $7. Call 965-1886 for show times. The Academy Award winner “Manipulation” and nominee “Blackfly” will be screened along with 16 other short films. Tickets are $7.

The annual Santa Barbara Fisherman’s Festival, held at the harbor, will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday with a blessing of the fleet. The event, which honors local fishermen, will feature live bands, jugglers, marine exhibits, free harbor cruises and plenty of seafood. Admission is free. Call 563-0003.

The Children’s Festival Serendipity Family Faire will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Oak Park. Highlights include stage coach rides (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.), pony rides and carnival games. Admission is free. Call 564-5419.

Comedy Sportz, Santa Barbara’s longest-running comedy show, will celebrate its 100th performance at 9 p.m. Friday at Fess Parker’s Red Lion Resort. Performing improvisational comedy as if it is a sporting event, two teams face off in a battle for laughs. All the scenes are based on audience suggestion, and a referee is on hand to keep score, solicit suggestions and call fouls. Performances are every Friday and Saturday night at 9. Tickets are $5 with a $2 drink minimum. Call 967-4679.

A retrospective of Mark Kauffman’s photographs will open Saturday at the University Art Gallery at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Kauffman has more than 20 Life Magazine covers and dozens of feature articles to his credit, and was, at age 17, the youngest photographer to shoot a cover photo for the magazine. In 1953 he was selected to become the founding photo editor of Sports Illustrated. And in the early 1970s he was Playboy’s director of photography.

The opening will be preceded by a panel discussion with Kauffman and other photojournalists at 4 p.m. in the Fisher Science Building. The exhibit will continue through June 7. Call 756-1571.