Riders of Purple Sage Still Kickin’ Up Dust, Nostalgia : The legendary cowboy musicians will give a concert under the stars at the historic Olivas Adobe in Ventura on Saturday.

Buck Page and the Riders of the Purple Sage play a cowboy concert under the stars Saturday at historic Olivas Adobe.

Page and the original members of this legendary group, named after a novel by Zane Gray, helped popularize cowboy music in the 1940s and ‘50s with such hits as “Tumbling Tumble Weed,” “Ghost Riders in the Sky” and “Don’t Fence Me In.”

The group recently recorded a new cassette of traditional cowboy music, including the nostalgic theme song from Page’s national radio program in 1941 and ’42. “Kickin’ Up Dust” was written for the band by Camarillo resident Red Rowe, creator of country classics “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and “You Don’t Know Me.”

Concert-goers are invited to bring picnics and lawn chairs. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger. The concert starts at 7 p.m. at 4200 Olivas Park Drive in Ventura. For tickets or information, call 658-4726.

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Darlene O’Connell & the Dixie Flyers will headline entertainment at the annual fund-raiser for the MSL / ALS Research Foundation from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday at Lake Casitas. The event will also feature a barbecue, chili cook-off and music by the Flyte Band, Milton Kelly and Thin Ice. Advance tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and younger; $2 more at the gate. Parking is $5.

The Dixie Flyers take the stage at 7 p.m. Lake Casitas is west of Ojai off California 150, three miles past the junction with California 33. Call 646-1549.

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Bring your own seating for a free concert by the KHAY Country Band, 6 p.m. Sunday at Arroyo Vista Community Park, 4550 Tierra Rejada Road in Moorpark. For details, call 531-9100. Or catch the group from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday at Rubber Duck Tire & Automotive at 299 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks. Call 642-8595.

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Raywood and the Unseen, musical mainstay of the defunct Crazy Bull, can be heard and seen doing the one-man-band thing at 7 p.m. Sundays at O’Conner’s Sports Bar, 369 Arneil Road in Camarillo. Call 388-1992.

DANCE LESSONS:

* Bring a partner for this six-week beginning-level course in swing & nite club dancing taught by Ed Gafford from 8 to 9 p.m. Tuesdays at the Barranca Vista Community Center. Open to adults 18 and older. Cost is $34. The center is at 7050 E. Ralston St., Ventura. To register, call 658-4726.

* Partners are not required for a workshop in beginning and intermediate two-step and West Coast swing, 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday with Ken Bahr and Sharon McPherson at the Silver Dollar Saloon, 2381 Tapo St., Simi Valley. Cost is $10. Call 522-2559.

* A new six-week series of dance lessons for teen-agers and adults starts Monday in Simi Valley. Instructors Jay Byam and Lori McGee will teach beginning or intermediate levels of cha-cha and West Coast swing from 7:45 to 9:45 p.m. at the Patsy Swayze Dance Studio, 1788 E. Los Angeles Ave. Cost is $35 singles, $55 couples or $50 / $80 for both courses. To sign up, call 529-8241.

Every Wednesday through Aug. 23, the Silver Dollar Saloon will hold a progressive Tush Push contest and Jack & Jill competition in two-step. Finals will be held Aug. 30. The event is not open to instructors or dancers in Division 3 level or higher.

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That’s Ventura’s own Jim Christie sharing the stage with Dwight Yoakam in his music video airing on TNN and other country music networks. He’s also in the recording studio working on Yoakam’s next album due out this fall. This month and next, Christie can be seen performing with jazz and R & B groups from 6 to 10 p.m. most Sundays at 66 California Restaurant in Ventura.