GOINGS ON : Park Event Will Honor the Irish

Lest we ever be accused of not keeping you abreast of Santa Barbara’s ubiquitous festivals, here’s this week’s offering: Oak Park’s installment of its revolving Season of Cultural Festivals, “The Irish Faire.”

The event, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, will feature traditional dancing and musical performances, arts and crafts booths and food. You guessed it: corned beef and cabbage, Irish sausage and the like.

The Claddagh Dancers will perform each day, along with Celtic and other folk bands. The Celie dancing troupe will offer free lessons.

Admission is free. The park is at Alamar Avenue and Junipero Street. Call 969-0571.

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Conductor Phillip McLendon will guide the Santa Barbara Oratorio Chorale through two performances this weekend. Accompanied by orchestra and soloists, the chorale will perform Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana” and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Toward the Unknown Region.” Concert times are 8 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance Ave.

Tickets: $10, $8 senior citizens, disabled people and students. Group rates. Call 683-2460.

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With the goal of promoting awareness about environmental and wildlife conservation, the Santa Barbara Zoo will hold its seventh annual Conservation Day.

To coax visitors to the zoo Saturday, organizers have planned live entertainment, contests, foods, camel rides, educational activities, conservation displays and special animal demonstrations.

The event, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., kicks off the nationwide Zoo and Aquarium Month.

Admission is $5; kids 2 to 12, $3. Call 962-5339.

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While zoo-goers learn about wildlife conservation, another endangered species--especially for some single folks--will be discussed Sunday at the Earthling Bookstore. The topic: Homo sapiens marriage material.

Author Hilary Rich, who penned “Get Married Now: The Definitive Guide to Finding and Marrying the Right Mate for You,” will sign her book from 3 to 5 p.m.

If you follow the text’s advice, though, prepare to share your grape Nehi with two straws. The book is an action-based plan that focuses on old-fashioned values. Rich purports that it contains the formula she used to snag her hubby, Steven, in just seven months. The strategy was conceived after five long years of searching for a mate, we’re told.

The Earthling is located at 1137 State St. Call 965-0926.

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UC Santa Barbara’s Middle East Ensemble will present an evening of “Persian Music and Dance” on Friday at the campus’ Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall.

The performance consists of live instrumental music, belly dancers, vocals and chorale music.

Tickets are $8, $5 students. Call 893-3535.

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The Center Stage Theater would like your wallet to do the talking at its “Not So Silent Auction” fund-raiser on Friday.

The third annual event will be held from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Bidding fodder: theater, concert and film tickets, meals at Santa Barbara’s best restaurants, travel excursions, original artworks and more. Proceeds help support the community theater.

The theater is on the second level of the Paseo Nuevo shopping center, Chapala and De la Guerra streets. Call 963-0408.

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The Lobero Theatre will do a little fund raising of its own Saturday.

The Friends of the Lobero auxiliary will hold its annual rummage sale, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. There also will be demonstrations of furniture refinishing and antiquing techniques.

The theater is located at 1500 State St. Call 962-4310.