GOINGS ON : Mozart Fans May Discover Extra Drive Is Worth It : San Luis Obispo isn’t too far to go for good music. The festival honoring the enigmatic composer will run through Aug. 6.

San Luis Obispo County may be a bit far to drive for the performing arts, but if you’re a Mozart fan, it may be well worth the extra miles over the next couple of weeks.

The San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary Friday through Aug. 6, with performances by world-class musicians, including cellist Carter Brey, pianist Jeffrey Kahane, bassist Edgar Meyer, the Turtle Island String Quartet, Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald and the Cafe Noir quintet.

There will be 21 main concerts--admission ranges from about $12 to $35. Also on tap are 18 free concerts and a series of music lectures. Venues are spread throughout the county. For details, call 781-3008.

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Plants, animals and the solar system will be among the many topics featured in the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History’s Children’s Science Book Fair running Saturday through Aug. 6.

More than 100 books, some in Spanish, will be on display in the museum’s library. Read-aloud story period will be held at 10 a.m. daily, with additional special events and activities throughout the fair.

Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $6 adults, $4 teen-agers and senior citizens, $3 children. Call 682-4711, Ext. 329, for information. The museum is at 2559 Puesta del Sol Road.

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The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will knock 50% off the price of certain jewelry, clothing, ethnic art, books and other merchandise at its on-site retail shop this weekend. Exhibit catalogues from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and other art houses around the world, auction catalogues, and other rare and out-of-print publications will also be on sale. Proceeds will benefit the museum. The sale runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call 963-4364 for information. The museum is at 1130 State St.

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Chamber music from Russia will be the theme as Santa Barbara’s Music Academy of the West continues its summer schedule with a concert Tuesday at the Lobero Theatre. The program, which will include works by Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev, begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. Call 963-0761. The Lobero is at 33 E. Canon Perdido St.

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ONGOING: Photographs of the people of Oaxaca, Chiapas and Guanajuato in Mexico are on display through Aug. 17 at Santa Barbara’s Brooks Institute of Photography, Jefferson Campus. New York-based photographer Bruce Stoddard’s work aims at capturing the spirit of the residents of these impoverished regions. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. The institute is at 1321 Alameda Padre Serra. Call 966-3888 for information.

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Students at the Music Academy of the West are performing 45-minute concerts at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art each Thursday at 1 p.m. through Aug. 17. Programs are different each week, the music ranging from Renaissance to contemporary. For information, call 963-4364.