Thu, Aug 28

Alison Krauss Virtuoso fiddler and vocalist Krauss performs bluegrass music. With Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas. 7:30pm. $45-$70. Garden Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5858.

Dora the Explorer Theater for children. 4pm. $19-$28 Flint Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, 408.864.8816 or www.flintcenter.com.

Music in the Park The annual free outdoor music series continues with a performance by legendary Latin/jazz artist Pete Escovedo. 5pm-8:15pm. Free. Plaza de Cesar Chavez, Market and San Fernando streets, San Jose, 408.279.1775 or www.sjdowntown.com.

Fri, Aug 29

Hicks, Brown and Johansen A rollicking evening of Americana music with Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and David Johansen and the Harry Smiths. 7pm. $45-$70. Garden Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5858.

Sat, Aug 30

Tapestry Arts Festival The 28th annual arts festival featuring 350 artists and craftspeople and four entertainment stages. Aug 30-Sep 1, 10am-6pm. Free admission. Downtown San Jose. For more information, call 408.494.3590 or www.tapestryintalent.org.

Tue, Sep 2

Opera Lecture The San Jose Opera Guild presents a lecture on "Don Pasquale," which will be the season opener at Opera San Jose. Featuring a discussion of the opera and Opera San Jose artists singing excerpts. Noon-1pm. Free. San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St, San Jose, 408.275.6199.

Wed, Sep 3

Cinema San Pedro A weekly outdoor film event hosted by Cinequest in conjunction with POPULUS Presents. The series concludes this week with "Hairspray" 1988, PG. The John Waters cult classic which inspired the Tony-winning Broadway musical. A Cinequest short film will also be featured, as well as themed entertainment before the movie and during intermission. 8pm. Free. San Pedro Street between Santa Clara and St. John streets.

Ongoing

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story San Jose Stage Company presents a play that tells the story of early rock & roll legend Buddy Holly, featuring Holly's music. Thu, Aug 27-Sat, Aug 30, 8pm, Sun Aug 31, 2pm, Wed, Sep 3, 8pm. $28-$38. San Jose Stage Company, 490 S. First St, San Jose, 408.283.7142 or www.sanjosestage.com.

d.p. Fong Galleries "N-Style Fashion" blown glass artworks by Todd Kobashi. Thru Sep 30. 371 S. First St, San Jose, 408.298.8877.

Gaslighter Theater Cheer the hero and boo the villain in the original melodrama "The Orphans of Campbell." The melodrama is followed by the Gaslighter's Nearly World Famous Vaudeville Review. Fri-Sat, 8pm. thru Aug 30. $12-$15. Dinner shows available for parties of 20 or more. Also: "Hot Off the Presses" or "A Good Newspaperman Is Hard to Find," a children's vaudeville show. Every Sat, 2pm. Thru Aug 30. Gaslighter Theater, 400 E. Campbell Ave, Campbell, 408.866.1408 or www.thegaslighter.com.

Japanese American Museum "1942: Luggage From Home to Camp." Thru June 2004. Tue-Fri, 11am-3pm, Sun, 11am-2pm. 535 N. Fifth St, San Jose, 408.294.3138 or www.jamsj.org.

Los Gatos Art Museum Whimsical multi-media sculptures by Richard Knight. Reception: Sep 14, noon. 4 Tait Ave, Los Gatos, 408.354.0071.

A Midsummer Night's Dream The Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company presents Shakespeare's magical romantic comedy. Fri, Aug 29-Sun, Aug 31, 7pm. Thru Sep 14. Free (parking $4). Sanborn Skyline County Park, 16055 Sanborn Road (off Highway 9), Saratoga, 408.298.0649 or see www.shadyshakes.org.

Montalvo Gallery "Margaret Wharton: Slicing It Thin," an exhibition of sculptures by leading Chicago artist Margaret Wharton. Thru Aug 27. Regular gallery hours are Wed-Sun, 1pm-4pm. Montalvo Gallery, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5813.

Peter Pan The Shoestring Theatre Company presents the favorite musical. For audiences of all ages. Fri, Aug 29, 7:30pm, Sat, Aug 30, 2pm and 7:30pm. Closes Sun, Aug 31, 2pm. Free-will donation. Social Hall, Presbyterian Church of Los Gatos, 16575 Shannon Rd, Los Gatos, 408.356.6156 or see www.pclg.org/STC.

San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art "Introductions South," a group show of works by emerging artists. Thru Sep 20. Also: "I'm the Pretty One," a nighttime installation by Kerry Loewen, thru Oct 25, and "Dwellings," a nighttime installation by Tracy Snelling. Thru Sep 20. Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm, Sat, noon-5pm. Closed Sun and Mon. 451 S. First St, San Jose, 408.283.8155 or www.sjica.org.

San Jose Museum of Art "Keith Carter: Poet of the Ordinary," an exhibit of black-and-white photography. Thru Sep 14. "Bean Finnerean Installation," sculptures of thousands of hanmade clay cylinders (thru Oct) and "Hidden Lives: Eleanor Prager and Don Martin," works from the museum's permanent collection (thru Jan 2004). "Collection Highlights," an exhibit of works from the museum's permanent collection. Thru Fri, Sept 12. Walking tours of public art in downtown San Jose. Docents lead four different 45-minute tours, which alternate weeks. Rain cancels tours. Every Mon thru Sep 29, noon. Meet at the museum. Tue-Sun, 11am-5pm, Fri, 11am-10pm, closed Mon. 110 S. Market St, San Jose, 408.271.6840 or www.sjmusart.org.

San Jose Museum of Quilts "Under Cover: Political Expressions in Traditional Quilts," an exhibition which focuses on traditional American quilts that give voice to political viewpoints or support political movements or social causes. Museum admission $4-$5. Thru Oct 26. Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun, 10am-5pm, Thu, 10am-8pm. San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, 110 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, 408.971.0323 or www.sjquiltmuseum.org.

Stanford's Cantor Arts Center "Print Matters: Explorations With Paper in Contemporary Prints." Ongoing thru Oct. "The Changing Garden: Four Centuries of European and American Art." Thru May 2004. The center also features free docent-led tours of the Stanford campus' outdoor art collection. Two different tours are offered, one on the first Sun of the month, the other on the third Sun of the month. Both tours begin at 2pm. Tours are held rain or shine on an ongoing basis. Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm, Thu, 11am-8pm. Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, Museum Way (off Palm Dr), Stanford, 650.723.4177 or www.stanford.edu/dept/ccva.

Triton Museum of Art Works by six local artists who are being recognized by the Arts Council of Silicon Valley. Thru Sep 7. "Patterns: Selections From the Permanent Collection." Thru Sun, Aug 24. "New Works by California Artists: Ev Thomas." Thru Sep. Works by Theodore Wores. Thru Feb 2004. Mon-Wed, 11am-5pm, Thu, 11am-9pm, Fri-Sun, 11 am-5pm. 1505 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, 408.247.3754 or www.tritonmuseum.org.