The first annual RI Scarecrow Festival will take place Oct. 29 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Johnston Memorial Park.
This free community event has something for everyone. Activities include a scarecrow contest, pumpkin racing, celebrity scarecrows, a craft fair, and a “Wizard of Oz” themed fun run. There will also be live entertainment, local food trucks, balloon artists, special guests, raffle prizes, and much more.
Event organizers encourage all – including families and schools – to enter the scarecrow contest. Create a scarecrow that resembles someone famous, or that is traditional, whimsical, artistic, or unusual. Promote your school or hobby, or simply indulge your creative side. Local participating businesses and organizations can sponsor a scarecrow for a fee and have the scarecrows advertise for them during the event. All submissions must be family-friendly.
Scarecrow entries are free and prizes will be awarded to one winner in each age category – children 12 and under, teens 13 to 18, and families and adults 18 and older. Scarecrow check-in and set up will be at the main park entrance between 11a.m. and 1 p.m. on the day of the festival.
Proceeds from the festival will benefit the Dysautonomia Support Network, a charity that provides support, education, awareness, and programs to patients and family members in the United States living with the many forms of dysautonomia and related conditions. Funds raised will be used for dysautonomia patient support programs, service dog grants, and educational scholarships. All donations are tax deductible. October is Dysautonomia Awareness Month.
Trinity Assembly of God, located at 2119 Hartford Ave. in Johnston, will host a Winter Bazaar on Nov. 12 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. There will be many different vendors as well as a silent auction. Sit down and enjoy lunch or a snack in the Bread of Praise Cafe. Grab some delicious baked goods and come rummage through our yard sale section. There will be homemade candles, magical Christmas lanterns, ornaments, homemade hats, scarves, mittens, cakes, lotions, jams, jewelry, yard sale items, and much more. There will also be a coat drive, nail painting, and face painting. Contact Nicole Palazzo at 401-215-4410 for more information.
The Providence Federation of Musicians has hosted the Cavalcade of Bands for the past two decades at the beautiful and spacious Rhodes on the Pawtuxet. The federation has kept the Big Band music alive with people enjoying dancing to the sounds of the swing orchestras in the grand ballroom while smaller, popular jazz ensembles keep the music flowing in the foyer. This year the event will be held on Oct. 25, with doors open at 5:45 p.m. and dancing from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Attendees will recognize the names of many local vocalists and musicians who share the hour-time slots. The “Canary Diamonds,” a mother-and-daughter team with Jeanne Sullivan Evans and Elaine Sullivan, with fill the foyer with the sound of their special duets and jazz favorites at 7 p.m. The duo will be accompanied by Ed Plunkett on piano, Peter Brodner on bass, and Joe Holtzman on drums.
Of course, the dancing continues in the foyer as well. Al De Andrade, program chairman and vice president of the federation, does an outstanding job of gathering the players together for the night. Al is also an accomplished and recognized trumpet player who has his own group, Dukes of Dixie.
Admission is $20 at the door. Bring your own snacks, pizza, and picnic basket. There will be a cash bar available. Please call 401-941-2717 for table reservations.
Congratulations to Olga Diponte of Johnson, who has earned a spot on the Goodwin College dean’s list for the summer 2016. Olga, a student from Johnston, is one of 777 students to make the dean’s list, reserved for those who demonstrate great academic performance.
A fundraising Holiday Bazaar featuring food, games, crafts, raffles, a silent auction, and vendor tables will be held at St. Robert Bellarmine Church Hall (1804 Atwood Ave., Johnston) on Nov. 5 from noon to 4:30 p.m. and from 6:15 p.m. to 8 p.m. Proceeds benefit St. Robert’s Food Shelf, which provides food to all neighbors in need, regardless of religious affiliation. For general information, contact Sandy at 401-946-3262. To inquire about a vendor table, contact Carol at 401-233-2330.
The World Language Department at Cranston High School West is hosting a pasta dinner fundraiser on Thursday, Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. The food will be prepared by the Cranston Career and Technical Culinary students and chefs with a presentation by Chef Walter Potenza. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Money raised will help those affected by the Aug. 24 earthquake in Amatrice, Italy.
There will be a Macaroni and Meatball Dinner to raise funds for the RI Dream Center on Oct. 22 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Praise Tabernacle, located at 330 Park Ave. in Cranston.
Come join in and help support the Dream Center and Hope for the Homeless. There will also be door prizes, music, and raffles.
Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door, plus a donation of an adult pair of men’s or women’s winter gloves and/or winter hats to help fill 500 backpacks for the fall giveaway. Those age six and under are admitted free of charge.
On Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 5:30 p.m. through 8 p.m., the Cranston Rotary will be holding a social event at Brutopia at 505 Atwood Ave. in Cranston. The event is open to the public. For Rotarians, the cost is $20. Raffle items are available. For more information, contact Cranston Rotary president Marcel D’Auteuil at 401-465-6122.
WellOne Primary Medical and Dental Care, the oldest nonprofit community health center in Rhode Island, is holding a fundraiser on Friday Nov. 4 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Town Hall Lanes in Johnston. The cosmic bowling fundraiser will benefit WellOne and the patients it serves. Cosmic bowling provides a high-energy, party-like atmosphere featuring black lights, laser lights, and music from a list of top hit recordings. The cost per person is $20 and includes two hours of duck-pin bowling, free rental shoes, pizza and a pitcher of soda for each lane. All are welcome. To sign up for an evening of fun, exercise and laughs, contact Pam Taylor at 401-285-5153 or ptaylor@welloneri.org.
On Oct. 21, the Cranston Historical Society will again host its Charlie The Butler Ghost Party at the Sprague Mansion in Cranston. The event beings at 7 p.m. with a cost of $15 per person, with proceeds to benefit the society. The guest presenter will be mentalist Rory Raven. Adam Florio and his Ghoulish Pals will be on hand, and there will be refreshments.
Visiting readers Ms. Michelle and Ms. Debb will provide personal readings on the third floor for a separate fee. A raffle will also be held that evening.
Sprague Mansion is located at 1351 Cranston St. For more information, contact 401-944-9226.
The Committee of the 20 Week Club at St. Brigid’s Church, 1231 Plainfield St. in Johnston, will begin selling tickets prior and after the Saturday 5 p.m. Mass. and Sundays at their 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Masses beginning on the weekend of October first, and ending Nov. 6 when the first drawing will take place. There will be 30 weekly drawings and eight grand prizes, along with a luncheon on April 30 for members in good standing at the Alpine Country Club. Total winnings are $3,320 and you do not have to be present to win. Guest tickets are also available. For tickets or information please call 401-942-0576 or 401-641-3048.
The Mohr Library is offering drop-in Friday computer classes from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Stop into the library for computer and technology help. Learn how to use email, Microsoft Word, and Facebook, format resumes, download free ebooks, and more.
No appointments are necessary. Do you possess basic computer skills and want to add a computer certification to your resume? The Mohr Library is a certified NorthStar Computer Assessment site. Take and pass an online test and earn a printed certificate. Appointments are required for NorthStar.
For more information, please call the Reference Department at 401-231-4980.
The Rhode Island Dream Center, a non-profit organization, works to restore the lives of the homeless and impoverished in the Rhode Island community. Each year they supply more than 500 people with fully stocked winter survival backpacks. Their goal is to deliver the backpacks at 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 12 on the lawn of the State House in Providence. They are in need of donations of toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, hairbrushes, winter gloves, winter hats, winter scarfs, lip balm, shaving cream, ponchos, and shampoo. All donations should be dropped off at Praise Tabernacle Church located at 330 Park Ave. in Cranston.
Tiger’s Den Animal Rescue is a Rhode Island-based, non-profit, no-kill, 100-percent volunteer organization that assists families and their pets with fundraising for veterinary bills and providing pet food. In addition to its family-based program, the organization maintains the largest cat sanctuary in Rhode Island.
Tiger’s Den requires additional funding for its cat sanctuary. The goal is to make director Melissa Davis’ dream a reality – to allow Tiger’s Den to provide the animals under her care a second chance at life.
Should you wish to donate, please contact Melissa Davis at Tiger’s Den, 55 Caporal St., Cranston, RI 02910, or contribute through PayPal at tigersdenrescue.com. To volunteer, call 401-439-5443. All donations are tax deductible.
Cranston and the Park Theatre are honored to be the new home for the 57th performing season of The State Ballet of Rhode Island. Starting Dec. 2-3, there will be three performances of “Coppelia,” an enchanting love story of a dancing doll, a Rhode Island tradition since 1975. The first show will be a “pay what you can” performance open to schools, senior centers, and other municipal organizations, as well as the general public. In March 2017, Herci Marsden’s “Phantomgreen,” based on “The Princess and the Pea,” will be performed. For more information, visit stateballet.com.
According to Irish legend, Jack O’Lanterns are named after a stingy man named Jack who, because he tricked the devil several times, was forbidden entrance into both heaven and hell. He was condemned to wander the Earth, waving his lantern to lead people away from their paths. (Source: Halloween Fun Facts)
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