By Four local bands will play at the Los Altos Youth Center 8 p.m. to midnight, Oct. 26. The event, sponsored the Los Altos Youth Commission, is a benefit for the Mountain View Community Services Agency, which serves Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills. The evening is free with a donation of a can of food or $3 per person. Students from any school are welcome to attend.

The Youth Commission is sponsoring an art project for high school students. The commission plans to paint a wall in “graffiti” style at the Underground Teen Center located in the Garden House at Shoup Park. Students are invited to submit a design with the words “The Underground” to the Youth Commission. The winner will paint their design on the wall at the Underground.

The Youth Commission meets the first Wednesday and third Monday of each month at the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave.

For more information, call Robert Acosta at the Los Altos Recreation Department, 941-0950, ext. 315.

‘Ghostly Galaxy’ for Halloween

The Mountain View Recreation Department’s annual family Halloween festival, “Ghostly Galaxy,” will be held noon to 3 p.m., Oct. 28, at the Mountain View Community Center, 201 S. Rengstorff Ave.

Children ages 2 to 10 are invited to show off their “Ghostly Galaxy” attire in a costume parade. The event will include entertainment, games and crafts, face painting and food.

For more information, call 903-6331.

Japanese artist Wada exhibits at Stanford

The works of award-winning Japanese artist Ami Wada are on exhibit through Oct. 31 at the Stanford University Bechtel International Center. Wada’s paintings are executed in Oriental brush-painting styles on “washi” rice paper and silk.

Wada, a San Carlos resident, has taught classes at Foothill College for over 20 years. Currently, she teaches at the Veteran’s Memorial Center and Sandpiper Community Center in Redwood City, and Little House in Menlo Park.

The Bechtel International Center, Mayfield Avenue and Lomita Drive on the Stanford campus, is open 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., weekdays, and noon to 10 p.m., weekends. For information, call 595-3706.

Tips for growing rhododendrons

The DeAnza Chapter of the American Rhododendron Society will meet at 7:30 tonight at the Hillview Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos. John Hixson, a rhododendron grower in Watsonville, will discuss “How to grow Rhododendrons,” their cultures and some “do-gooders” in our area. He will also talk on “sudden oak death” as it relates to rhododendrons.

In addition, there will be a plant raffle, silent auction and refreshments. For more information, call 851-1313 or 941-1674.

Deadline today for Halloween contest

The 38th annual Halloween Window Painting Contest, sponsored by the City of Los Altos Recreation Department, in cooperation with the Los Altos Village Association, will be held Oct. 25-27. The contest is open to all fourth-through-eighth-grade students. Applications can be obtained from the Los Altos Recreation Department, 97 Hillview Ave. Completed application forms must be received by 5 p.m., today.

For full contest details, call 941-0950.

Local heroes of open space

The “Heroes of the Peninsula Open Spaces” exhibit is on through Nov. 4 at the Los Altos History Museum.

Since 1972, Santa Clara County has been acquiring public access land purchased with property tax funds. The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District presently has 26 open space preserves encompassing approximately 46,500 acres of land. The exhibit will address common questions, such as “What is open space?” “Why is open space important?” “Who made open space happen?” and “When did open space begin to be preserved?” It concludes with “What can I do to help preserve open spaces?”

For more information, call 948-9427 or logon to www.losaltoshistory.org.

Hidden Villa seeking farm guides

Hidden Villa Farm in Los Altos Hills needs volunteers one morning a week to guide the nearly 20,000 schoolchildren who are expected to visit the farm this school year. Volunteer times are Tuesday to Friday mornings, for a minimum of two hours.

For more information, call 949-8643.

At home with Princess Diana

The Mountain View Library’s Author! Author! Series meeting at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, will feature author Susan Maxwell Skinner’s multimedia presentation of her years in the Buckingham Palace press corps, assigned to covering the daily activities of Princess Diana and her family. Copies of her books, including her latest, “Diana, Memory of a Rose,” will be available for signing and purchase.

For more information, call 903-6337.

Talk on Steuben glass Monday

The Glass & Decorative Arts Club of Garden House (formerly Glass Club) will meet Monday at the Garden House in Shoup Park, Los Altos.

The subject is “Jade: Colors of Steuben Glass.”

For more information, call Karen Emerzian at 917-4367.