Coming right up — The Grand Opening of The Gathering Place.

All day Saturday, Oct. 28, the doors will be open for you to see what we have done in the old fire hall, what is happening there now, what we hope will happen in the future. The Gathering Place is home to most of the classes of the Community Classroom, but also to noon-time programming (think history lectures from Dennis Martin and Jim Remsen and a class on genealogy), and public service events like New to Medicare, a proposed Memory Café and series on the Opioid Crisis.

And soon — an art show in the Art Gallery at TGP. Our first show will open the weekend of the grand opening and we’re very excited about it. Many local artists of many genres are represented in this inaugural show themed “People.” We can’t wait for you to see it.

During ABPA’s Fall Fun Day Oct. 28, The Gathering Place will welcome everyone in to see these local artists, and participate in our tours, kids’ crafts, raffles, good food and general all-around good feeling TGP generates amongst our participants and townspeople. A Kids Parade and a Pet Parade are all part of the fun.

The Pet Parade starts off at Citizen’s Savings Bank parking lot at 4 p.m. A $5 entry fee will benefit The Gathering Place. The top three winners get a $50 gift certificate to The Little Red Doghouse. Register there to participate.

Don’t forget our bus trip to New York City taking off at 8 a.m. Oct. 21 from the CSUMC parking lot on the Morgan Highway. Please make sure you register. We want a full bus so that we may continue to do these trips.

As to what happens at TGP four nights of the week: We present classes of a wide variety. Mindfulness and New to Medicare overwhelmed us with the number of people who turned out. We repeated the ravioli class and still had a wait list. Knitting, too, generated two classes. The weaving workshop kept TGP open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. last Saturday; each student went home with a sampler and a some new knowledge of this ancient craft. There is an effort being made to have a monthly weaving circle at TGP in the future. Stay tuned

Other crafts you may wish to pursue, or at least try your hand at include making a felt hat over a resist meeting at 6:30 p.m. on three Tuesdays, Oct. 24-Nov. 7; and Handspinning using a handspindle, at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 25. If you are interested in a sampler class in nuno felt, that can be arranged.

Here is a sampling of more classes to come: Pasta Fagioli on Nov. 9 has a few spots open, Genealogy has been rescheduled for noon on Nov. 29; also at noon, Oct. 25, Mary Ann Voda chronicles the battle of Iwo Jima as seen through letters of two combatants: a US Marine and a Japanese commander.

Ballroom Dance, series two, begins with Advanced West Coast Swing at 6 p.m., followed by Beginner Samba at 7 p.m. Sign up soon – the first night is Oct.30, a Monday.

Eileen Healey will lead a Mandala Workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9 which is open to ages 14 and up. Check out the description on the website www.gatheringplaceCS.org under “Your Creative Self.”

We are going beyond our usual parameters in offering DIY Goodies for Moms and Kids; Cara Columbo and Maggie Roberts of Rosie Outlook will teach you how to create organic, healthy and fun snacks and personal care goodies. Sounds like a nice mother-daughter/son night out.

Those of you who have had so much fun learning Ukulele with Steve Kurilla , please remember he has a follow-up class starting at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6. Four Mondays of fun and strum!

Don’t forget the Art Market on the second Saturday of every month. We will try to be open for artists and produce suppliers to sell their wares from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. but this will only happen if eight vendors register for a table. The table cost is only $20. With holiday time approaching, we hope that will influence a few more vendors to give it a try. We are looking at this more as a time for creative people to get together, create and sell. And help form a community of makers and artists who can support each other.

See you Saturday, Oct. 28, at the grand opening. For all the latest, check our website at www.gatheringplaceCS.org

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Community Classroom

Emily Rancier