Antelope Valley, California: Culture Coming to Life, Or, at Least Some Things to Do

The Antelope Valley, home to the mythical invisible California antelope, is home also to several venues for live music, live art, and lively conversation.

Outdoor activities are the most widely covered and discussed features of the Antelope Valley online. The Devil's Punchbowl has a very intriguing name and, as a park, lives up to the excitement of its name. It features steep climbs up bald rocks, walk-able trails and picnic areas. Many other outdoor sites receive their due attention online while the indoor, more culturally oriented venues receive short shrift.

* Antelope Valley Music:

Several Antelope Valley venues, new and old, offer live music regularly. Sagebrush Café in Quartz Hill hosts an intimate acoustic night every other Friday showcasing local talent.

Fresco II dedicates many Friday nights to live blues at their Lancaster location.

The Cedar Center in downtown Lancaster hosts an "open mic" every Thursday night and often has a really great turn-out of both audience and talent (ranging from solo musicians to bands and even stand-up comedy).

The Lancaster Performing Arts Center (LPAC) will cost you more than these venues. Actually, the places listed above offer free admission (with a purchase at Sagebrush Café and Fresco II). As a result of the ticket prices at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center, the facility is able to draw some big names to the Antelope Valley.

Numerous bars and restaurants offer Karaoke nights too. Hey, it's music. It might not be up to the standards of the performances you'll see at the above venues, but, then again, it might be what you're looking for.

Karoake is fun, man.

* Antelope Valley Art:

Various galleries are constantly showing art in the Antelope Valley with shows rotating as rapidly as every month. If you are willing to drive out to Lake Hughes and Lake Elizabeth from Lancaster, then there are at least five art galleries in your range.

For a list of links to these galleries visit this website.

The Lancaster Museum and Art Gallery, also known as the LMAG, is emerging as a tried-and-true art museum under its new director. After a year or so at the helm of the LMAG, the director has arranged lectures, photography shows, and shows incorporating really cutting and quality installation and contemporary art.

Suddenly, the Antelope Valley has an art museum. If you have never been to the LMAG or have not been for a while, you should really go and check out the changes.
Theater is also alive and well in the Antelope Valley.

* Antelope Valley Talking/Eating/Drinking Spots:

In an age of corporate (cultural) take-over, many of us look for the fresh air of independent shops. If we can go somewhere that hasn't been pulled out of the box of a corporate chain, then we will. If we can find a place in our neighborhood, within biking distance, that is independent, fresh, and has an atmosphere of its own, then we will support that place.

Though the Antelope Valley has its share of chains and Starbucks, the Antelope Valley is growing into a city with its own identity and independent character.

(Isn't it the little, special places in a town or city that really define its character? Certainly, a KFC or a Denny's doesn't make a place special...)

The Antelope Valley has several really great little independent surprises. Papas Barbecue and Schooner's Patio Grille are neighbors in Lancaster (30^{th St.} & Ave. L) and both are unique spots.

For coffee and conversation in the Antelope Valley there are three independent coffee houses: Sagebrush Café (Quartz Hill), Butler's Coffee (Palmdale), and Perk Place (Lancaster).

The Lemon Leafsimply refuses to disappoint as a restaurant. Genuine, good, and no "putting on airs" here: Lemon Leaf serves up a treat of an experience whether you are on a date or with family.

* In conclusion - I feel this must be said - if you are living in today's Antelope Valley, California, no longer is the mall the only place to go to get out of the house. In today's Antelope Valley, you can get your culture, and cheaply too, in a number of venues, and watch a city transform in the process.

Happy hunting (for stuff to do)! It's out there, out here, in the Antelope Valley, I mean.