Bands nationally and locally known will entertain

The good times will roll again for the 16th year down home at Ardenwood Historic Farm in Fremont on Aug. 11, when the park hosts its annual Cajun/Zydeco Music Festival.

Bands nationally and locally known will entertain the crowd with lively music from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Performers will include Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band and Andre Thierry & Zydeco Magic, among many. Southern and Cajun food will be available for purchase. Visitors also can visit the farm animals, shop specialty vendors and take dance lessons.

Advance tickets are on sale online through Aug. 7. The cost is $18 for adults ages 16 and older and $3 for children ages 4 through 15. You can buy tickets online at www.At-the-gate prices are $22 for adults, $5 for children. Kids three and younger are admitted free. Parking is free, too.

Ardenwood Historic Farm is located at 34600 Ardenwood Blvd., just north of Highway 84 in Fremont.

San Ramon: The Tuesday Twilight hike series continues Tuesday with a steep and vigorous hike from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. up Rocky Ridge at Las Trampas Regional Wilderness in San Ramon, led by naturalist "Trail Gail" Broesder.

The hike is free of charge, best for ages 10 and older. The payoff for all the exertion is great views of Bollinger Canyon, Mt. Diablo, and the San Ramon Valley. Meet inside the gate at the north end of Bollinger Canyon Road off Crow Canyon Road in San Ramon. Bring water, a flashlight and snacks to share. Wear layered clothing and good hiking shoes.

LIVERMORE AREA: Snakes will be the timely topic during the Saturday evening campfire starting at 8:30 p.m. Saturday at Del Valle Regional Park south of Livermore. Naturalist "Trail Gail" will preside.

Noncampers are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. Please park by the campground store.

OAKLAND: Di Rosario, the supervisor at Redwood Regional Park in Oakland, has declared war on French broom, an invasive though pretty shrub that crowds out California native vegetation in the redwood forest. Di's next broom pulling volunteer workday is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 4. If you'd like to enlist, meet Di at 9 a.m. at the Skyline Gate staging area. It's on Skyline Boulevard a bit south of the intersection with Shepherd Canyon Road.

If you miss the Skyline Gate workday, there's another one at Redwood, starting at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 12. Meet at the Wayside picnic area inside the park's Redwood Gate on Redwood Road south of Skyline Boulevard.

BERKELEY: If you'd like to learn more about California native plants, there are docent-guided tours at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sundays at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden in Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley. The 10-acre garden has an extensive collection of native plants from every climate zone in the state.

And for home gardeners, the garden volunteers usually sell plants from 9 to 11 a.m. every Thursday at the garden's potting shed.

The weekend tours are free of charge. The garden is located at the intersection of South Park Drive and Wildcat Canyon Road.

Bay Point: Naturalist Kevin Damstra will preside at another "First Friday Fires" program from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 3 at Bay Point Regional Shoreline in Bay Point. Bring a lawn chair, relax by the campfire as the sun sets, and learn a bit about the area's natural history. The program is free of charge. Bay Point Regional Shoreline is located at the north end of McAvoy Road next to McAvoy Harbor.