The Carnegie Arts Center is ready to stroll back into its funky and groovy past and hopes locals will come along with the trip and join the Kaleidoscope Party.

In the 100 year history of the Carnegie building it has served various community needs, including a time when it was transformed from the town’s library to a hotspot for Turlock youth. In the late 1960s and through most of the 1970s, the Carnegie site found new life as the Kaleidoscope, a teen recreation center. Now, the Carnegie Arts Center is looking to recreate those days for at least one night with a return to the 70s.

The flashback cocktail party is set for July 30 and will include dancing to the hits of the 70s, a costume contest, a dance off, trivia games, a photo booth, and food and drinks. The party will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The event also will feature a preview of “Infinity Boxes,” an exhibit by Modesto native Matt Elson. The interactive sculptural works invite the viewer to engage inside a unique, kaleidoscopic space that only activate when each available window is filled by a person. Elson will be on hand at the party to discuss his creation and help guests interact with it. The exhibit will be in Turlock for three weeks.

“For many of us, this era is our touchstone – I graduated from Turlock High School at the end of the 1970s; the music and clothing of that decade will always be special to me,” said Carnegie Director Lisa McDermott in talking about the event. “I know a lot of my contemporaries feel the same way. But this party will be really fun for younger guests as well; everyone can have a great time dressing up and enjoying the new exhibit – it will blow your mind!”

The Kaleidoscope Party is just one of a number of celebrations the Carnegie Arts Center has undertaken this year to acknowledge the centennial anniversary of the building’s construction.

The Carnegie was originally constructed in 1916 with funds from industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who wanted to promote literacy in the country and donated the money and materials to build thousands of libraries across the nation.

The many stories and memories that has shaped the Carnegie in Turlock were published in “100 Stories: Turlock’s Carnegie Remembered” which is currently available for purchase. The Carnegie also has plans to bury a time capsule in September as part of the centennial celebration.

The cocktail party is free to members and $10 for non-members. A link to purchase tickets can be found on the Carnegie’s website at http://www.carnegieartsturlock.org/.