Blood drive set at YMCA later this month
The American Red Cross will host a blood drive at the Brown County YMCA, 105 Willow St., Friday, Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and the American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to give blood to support kids, teens and young adults battling cancer, as well as others in need of transfusions.
Those who come to give Aug. 30 through Sept. 3 will receive a Red Cross canvas tote bag.
Make an appointment to donate by downloading the free Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
Tractor show to feature farm equipment, food
The Brown County Antique Engine and Tractor Show will start at 9 a.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 13 to 14 at the 4-H fairgrounds. All are welcome to come and enjoy antique tractors, gas engines, a stationary hay baler, crafts, beans and cornbread, corn grinding, “barrel train” rides, a tractor parade and much more. Admission is free.
A shingle mill will be set up to make wood shingles.
An auction also will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
For more information, call Randy Barrett at 812-325-6722 or visit bcama.net.
Religious conference to take place at high school
Encounter Life Ministries will host the Voice of God prophetic conference at the Brown County High School auditorium, 235 Schoolhouse Lane, Friday through Sunday, Sept. 13 to 15.
There will be four sessions through the weekend: Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 10 a.m.
The guest speakers will be Joseph Zupetz and Ryan Edberg with worship by Encounter Life Worship.
The conference is free and all ages are welcome. Free childcare will be available for second-graders and younger during the evening sessions, but you must preregister your child/children at ticketbud.com; search for “Voice of God” to find the event.
For more information, visit josephz.com or kingdomyouthconference.com.
Outhouse races, games, picnic downtown
The streets of downtown Nashville will overflow with running toilets on Saturday, Sept. 14 at the 15th annual Abe Martin’s County Picnic and NASHCAR Outhouse Races.
The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Van Buren-to-Jefferson block of West Main Street.
Community groups decorate and race each other in decorated, wheeled outhouses as a fundraiser for the We Care Gang, which helps Brown County residents meet their basic financial needs. Public outhouse rides also are given for a donation.
The day will start with a parade of outhouses at 10 a.m., followed by a hog roast at 11:30 a.m. The race, and games such as the plunger toss, will take place throughout the afternoon.
West Main Street will be closed between Van Buren and Jefferson streets, with no left turns allowed off Van Buren Street at the courthouse stoplight during this event. Parking also will be blocked off in the event area on Friday night.
War games to be staged at History Center
Visit the Brown County History Center, 90 E. Gould St., on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to learn about history through a gaming experience.
Using hundreds of 28mm soldiers, war gamers from 19 and One will recreate the 1809 Battle of Sacile, wherein Napoleon’s son-in-law, Prince Eugene, leads his French and Italian troops against Archduke John’s Austrian-Hungarians.
Maj. (Ret.) Bill Boyle, a military historian and Gencon gamemaster, will conduct his historical and war gamer friends through the event.
All are welcome to see the beautifully painted figures from the 19th century and see how decisions are made with imperfect information.
Connections event scheduled at local winery
The Brown County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Connections event at Country Heritage Winery (formerly Chateau Thomas) on Wednesday, Sept. 18. Meet the owners and sample wines at Country Heritage Winery (formerly Chateau Thomas), 225 S. Van Buren St. from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The winery also will have an all-day grand opening celebration from 11 a.m. until the Connections event. All are welcome to enjoy free wine tastings and finger foods, as well as door prizes and live music.
Call Bob Smerdel at 812-988-8500 for more information.
Color Walk is fundraiser for preschool fees
The Brown County Community Foundation will host a Color Walk/Fun Run Saturday, Sept. 21 to raise money for preschool scholarships.
Over the last four years, the BCCF has provided $160,792 in grants for 101 children to attend preschool in Brown County Schools. The group needs help to fund this program for the spring semester.
The run/walk will start at the Brown County Music Center parking lot and go on the Salt Creek Trail, through Nashville and end at Hard Truth Hills with an after-party with music by Clayton Anderson. Along the walk, you’ll be blasted at various stations with vibrant colored, cornstarch-based powder.
This will be about a 2-mile route. There will be no winners or official times. Participants of all ages, including in strollers, are welcome.
The event is scheduled for between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Shuttle transportation will be available back to the music center.
To participate, create a team and invite your friends and family to join; or join an existing team. Raise $1,800 (the cost to sponsor a child’s preschool tuition for a year) and the BCCF will refund your registration fee.
The cost is $15 to register; $30 for a family of four. Children younger than 4 can register for free when accompanied by a paying adult. Participants may purchase $10 event shirts.
Sign up at https://runsignup.com/Race/IN/Nashville/TheBCCFColorWalk.
Quafftoberfest returns to downtown
Big Woods Pizza, 44 N. Van Buren St., Big Woods The Original, and Quaff ON! Brewing will host Quafftoberfest Rally in the Alley on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 4 to 9 p.m. It will take place in Molly’s Lane, the alley next to the pizza restaurant.
Guests can enjoy locally-brewed craft beer, food and live music from Six Ways To Sunday and Jukebox Luke & the Juice Caboose. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m. with a $10 entry fee that includes commemorative glassware.
Guests must be 21 or older to enter the Quafftoberfest event area.
Big Woods Pizza will be open and welcoming guests of all ages that day.
Free filmmaking workshops offered at library
The Brown County Public Library, 205 Locust Lane, will host free filmmaking workshops in partnership with the IU Center for Rural Engagement, IU Cinema and Cicada Cinema through December.
Participants of all levels are welcome to join on the fourth Saturday of each month and learn about filmmaking. Residents may participate in one or all of the sessions. Each session will focus on a different aspect:
- Sept. 21 — Shooting
- Oct. 26 — Lighting
- Nov. 23 — Sound
- Dec. 21 — Editing
These workshops build upon the rural arts series that IU Center of Rural Engagement launched last year as a way to engage Brown County residents in the art of filmmaking, empowering participants to share their own stories and bring their creative visions to life.
For more information, call 812-855-4992.
Raptor demonstration, dinner and auction
Abe Martin Lodge in the Brown County State Park will host the 2019 Raptor Rendezvous on Sunday, Sept. 22 from 1 to 5 p.m.
The event includes live raptor demonstrations, photography opportunities, a silent auction, meal and cash bar. The cost is $35 for the general public or $25 for wildlife rehabilitators and their volunteers.
No park gate fee will be charged for the event. For more information, call the park at 812-988-6406.
Annual rock and mineral show set for September
The Brown County Rock and Mineral Club will host its fourth annual Rock and Mineral Show at the Brown County History Center, 90 E. Gould St., Saturday through Sunday, Sept. 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.
There will be demonstrations on gold panning, flintknapping, wire-wrapping jewelry and more. Stop by to find fossils, minerals, gems, geodes, healing crystals, opals, agates, turquoise jewelry and handmade rock crafts.
All are invited to come study, browse or shop. There will be a children’s corner with activities. The event is free for all.
History programs for kids offered downtown
The Hands on History program, for children ages 8 to 12, will take place at the Brown County History Center on Thursday, Sept. 29 and Thursday, Oct. 24. The program enables children to engage in many of the day-to-day activities experienced by children living in pioneer times. Activities take place from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Pioneer Village and the History Center, 90 E. Gould St.
Planned topics tied to history will include hearthside cooking; dyeing yarn and weaving; household chores; Hoosier inventions; wildlife; braille and sign language; the Indiana state flag, seal, song, foods and tree; and one-room schoolhouse.
Participation costs $5 per child. To register, call Kathy Sparks at 812-988-2377 or visit browncountyhistorycenter.org for a registration form.
Firefighters will serve fish fries monthly
BEAN BLOSSOM — Fruitdale volunteer firefighters will host a fish fry from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5 at the fire station, 5200 State Road 135 North.
Volunteers prepare the food and provide a combo plate for $9, a number of side dishes, drinks and desserts, along with hot dogs and breaded tenderloins.
Proceeds go to the general fund which pays for equipment and training. For more information, visit facebook.com/Fruitdale-Volunteer-Fire-Company or call 812-988-1696.
Fall events set at Hard Truth Hills
The second annual Midwest Distillers Fest will take place Saturday, Oct. 5 from 1 to 5 p.m. at Hard Truth Hills, 418 Old State Road 46.
Participants can enjoy an immersive craft spirits tasting experience featuring craft distilleries from across Indiana and the Midwest, offering more than 100 different spirits to taste, sample or enjoy as a part of a cocktail.
General admission tickets are $40; VIP tickets are $55 and include an extra hour to enjoy the event with shorter lines and access to limited-edition spirits and cocktails. Designated driver tickets are $10.
For more information and tickets, visit hardtruthhills.com.
Two fall festivals set in Helmsburg
JACKSON TWP. — Two family-friendly fundraising events are set for Saturdays in October at the Jackson Township Fire Department, 4831 Helmsburg Road.
Attend the eighth-annual BucCornEar Festival on Saturdays, Oct. 19 and 26 from 4 to 7 p.m. All are welcome to enjoy food, games and activities. There will be a live house burn, a live power line demo by REMC, corn shucking and shelling, and a firefighter challenge.
The Friendly Forest, for all ages, will take place on Friday and Saturday evenings in October: Oct. 20, 21, 27 and 28. Come in a costume to trick or treat and enjoy snacks and drinks. The cost is $1 per child, adults free.
For more information, visit the fire deparment’s Facebook page.
Save the date for food certification class
The dates for the next ServSafe Food Manager Certification class will be Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 29 and 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The test will be given on the 30th starting at noon.
The cost is $125. This cost may be increasing in 2020. Class size is limited to 12 people.
The class will use the 7th edition of the ServSafe Food Manager text with updates for the 2017 Food Code.
All food establishments, unless nonprofit or serving only prepackaged food requiring no refrigeration, are required to have a certified food manager on staff. When Indiana adopts the 2017 Food Code, it will be a requirement to have a certified food manager onsite at all times that the establishment is open for business.
Reserve a space by calling 812-988-2255.
Nashville Farmers Market still open each Sunday
The Nashville Farmers Market is open Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Brown County Inn, 51 State Road 46 East.
The market offers free children’s activities every week and special demonstrations monthly in an effort to connect children with local food, farmers and artisans. Children’s activities are funded with a grant from the Brown County Community Foundation.
The market has launched a free weekly drawing for “Market Bucks.” Visitors can enter to win market bucks that can be redeemed at any market vendor. Vendors offer an array of local produce, meat, baked goods, plants, and artisanal crafts and gifts.
The market is a rain-or-shine event. For more information, email [email protected] or follow the market on Facebook at NashvilleIndianaFarmersMarket.
Alpha Course offered through local church
Parkview Church, 1750 State Road 46 East, began an Alpha Course on Monday, Aug. 5 that will continue on Mondays through Nov. 25 from 5:50 to 8 p.m.
The Alpha Course offers a non-judgmental, non-denominational place to explore and discuss these questions with fellow seekers. Each week there is a meal, video and discussion. The group will discuss answers to questions such as, “What is the meaning of life?” “What am I doing here?” or “Is there a God?”
All are welcome to attend at no cost. Childcare is provided.
To register, call Mark at 812-350-9655 or email [email protected].
Youth program begins at Unity Baptist Church
HAMBLEN TWP. — The Word of Life youth program has begun at Unity Baptist Church, 7361 Spearsville Road. It will meet on Wednesday nights from 6 to 8:15 p.m. through the end of April 2020.
The program includes age-appropriate biblical learning through fun and dynamic activities. A meal is provided. All youth from ages 4 to 17 are welcome.
For more information, email [email protected].
Game library available at the local Toy Chest
The Toy Chest, 125 S. Van Buren St., has created a game library that locals can use for a $10 annual membership fee.
Game library members can check out one game at the Toy Chest register. Games can be kept for a week or they can be renewed for another week. If the game is late, $1 will be charged each day up to the price of the game.
See the Toy Chest Game Library Facebook page for new game and other announcements.
Bluebird box sale to benefit local club
Fully assembled cedar boxes intended for bluebirds to nest in will be sold to benefit the Brown County Bluebird Club. They cost $15 each or two boxes for $25. With questions or to place an order, email Dan Sparks at [email protected] or call 812-200-5700.
Recycle center will take bagged trash for $2
The Brown County Recycle Center now accepts trash at its drive-through during regular hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays.
Drop-off costs $2 per bag. The center offers prepaid sticker books for $10 or $20, with five or 10 yellow stickers to affix to trash bags up to 55 gallons.
For more information, call the center at 812-988-0140. The center is at 176 Old State Road 46.
Book-a-Librarian service offered
Individuals or small groups can make an appointment with a Brown County Public Library librarian through the free Book-a-Librarian service. Sessions are limited to 30 to 60 minutes and are best used for instruction on how to use the library catalog, databases, digital resources and the Internet. Call 812-988-2850 for an appointment.
