The Raging Grannies will be among a host of participants at Saturday’s Los Altos Voices For Peace event.

Performances, speeches, exhibits and a special vigil will highlight a Saturday Los Altos Voices for Peace event at the downtown Community Plaza to mark the second anniversary of the war in Iraq. The plaza is located at State and Main streets.

The event, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature performances by the Raging Grannies, anti-war activists who have gained recent attention by dressing in colorful “old-lady” attire and singing and dancing to peace songs.

The Raging Grannies, performing at 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m., include four members from Los Altos and Los Altos Hills: Barbara O’Reilly, Larissa Keet, Mary Ayers and Nancy Truher. One of their members, Ruth Robertson of Palo Alto, was interviewed last week by Fox TV commentator Bill O’Reilly.

Karen Meredith of Mountain View, mother of Ken Ballard, who was killed in action last May, is scheduled to speak. Ballard is honored with a bench outside the Los Altos branch of the American Legion on First Street. Ballard’s military boots will be used in the “Eyes Wide Open” exhibit March 25-27 in San Francisco, an event co-sponsored by Voices For Peace. The shoes will be among at least 1,400 pairs on display in recognition of soldiers who have died in the war.

Njeri McGillicuddy, a longtime kindergarten teacher at Waldorf School, will be telling stories with a theme of peace and nonviolent resolution.

“How wonderful that after the Los Altos Village Association’s annual Easter egg hunt in the Community Plaza, (Voices For Peace) will hold its annual event,” said Voices for Peace member Donna Poulos, “educating children and adults about peace.”

The event also will include exhibits from the Department of Peace drive, Veterans for Peace and a vigil 2:30-3 p.m., reading the names of California soldiers killed in Iraq - currently about 170.

Los Altos Voices for Peace (includes Los Altos Hills) meets 7 p.m. the second Monday of every month at Foothills Congregational Church (Learning Center), 451 Orange Ave., Los Altos. All members of the community are invited.

The organization focuses on educational and advocacy projects that promote nonviolent solutions to global and local issues and the protection of civil liberties.

For information, call 964-5068 or log on to www.losaltospeace.org.