Nature, enhanced

Fair weather nature lovers -- those who need more than "just" trees to wander appreciatively in the woods -- have no better excuse than the annual Hawthorn Hollow Walk in the Woods Art Fair.

The 16th Annual Fair took place Saturday at the nature sanctuary and arboretum, and the 40 acres of trees and lush pathways were gussied up with more than 50 vendors selling hand-made crafts of all descriptions. Meanwhile, music was drifting throughout the grounds, emanating from live musicians playing in the Amphitheatre.

Joe Fonk, director of Hawthorne Hollow, invites visitors "to return on a quieter day to enjoy a walk in the woods," which is not a bad idea -- but for me it's more fun to come when dozens of talented artisans are showing off the best of their creations. So, take your pick, visit Hawthorn Hollow (located at 880 Green Bay Road, in Somers) between March 1 and Oct. 31, and Nov. 1 to Dec. 23 to commune with nature, or at the art fair to see (and buy) things like the sampling below.

Sax Fish Avenue, by Ray Foster of Kansasville, $330

Carved wooden mouse by Dewey Johnson of Racine, $25

Turned wooden bowl by Kent Mayes of Somers, $300

Birdhouse by Sue Knox of Cedarburg, $34

Field of black-eyed Susan photo by Bruce McCurdy, Kenosha, $85

Hand-woven basket by Judith and David Street, Green Lake, $52

Un regalo de Jalisco y Zapotlanejo *

Paco Padilla, center, and some bandmates

* A gift from Zapotlanejo, our sister city

The state of Jalisco, Mexico, and the city of Zapotlanejo, Racine's newest sister city, gave us a gift last night -- a rousing performance of modern Mexican music and dance.

Performing in Monument Square were Paco Padilla, his band of eight musicians and four dancers. The group is visiting here -- this was their first performance in Wisconsin -- and before they return home to Guadalajara next Monday they will perform in Chicago, Melrose Park and Aurora, Illinois, and Indiana.

Betty Franco sings

Padilla has been performing for more than 30 years, and has been all over the world, including France, Italy, Germany, Europe and Latin America. He's a songwriter as well as a performer, telling stories through his music that touched the mostly Hispanic audience who needed no translation.

"We represent the new way of Mexican music," Padilla said, and his band was the furthest thing from what the term usually brings to mind here -- Mariachi bands, for example. "Mariachi music is for the countryside," Padilla said. "Now, we're mostly born in and grow up in big cities, that's the new Mexico, and that's our music."

Miguel Angel dances

Zapotlanejo officially became Racine's sixth sister city on July 3, when Racine Mayor Gary Becker and Zapotlanejo’s municipal president, Hector Alvarez Contreras, signed the "twinning" agreements. The next day they marched together in the city's FourthFest parade.

Racine's five other sister cities are: Oiso, Japan; Montelimar, France; Aalborg, Denmark; Forteleza, Brazil; and Bluefields, Nicaragua.

Death wants a dance...