August 23, 2012

Summer’s Winding Down…But Not The FUN!

I keep looking at the calendar, but I still can't believe that Labor Day is just a little over a week away!  Where did the Summer go?  Even though this season is winding down, there's still plenty to get out and do this weekend...in fact, this is a really busy weekend for events so if I were you, I'd start making plans now!  You might want to head to the Community Calendar to get a good look at some of the happenings or read on for a few hightlights.

If you have kids that love to read, or maybe your kids could use a little encouragement to do a little more reading now that school has started back, check out this event called “Booking It” this Saturday (Aug 25) from 11:00am-1:00pm. Volunteers from The Literacy Alliance will be on hand telling stories, playing games like Sight Word Bingo and Unscramble the Word, plus they’ll be handing out free books to participants.  Computer stations will be set up to show families fun and educational websites that will help build vocabulary.  This is all taking place at Sonic (Wynnton Rd) so another little perk is they’ll be handing out free ice cream cones to the first 200 people to register at the Literacy Alliance table on site, and you can get 50-cent drinks and corn dogs during the event!  Adults can also learn about FREE adult literacy classes.

A little over a month ago, the world lost a legend of stage, screen and music but thankfully, Andy Griffith will always be with us, even if it’s on tape! Everybody remembers him most for his portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor or as country lawyer, Matlock but did you know he made his film début in this dramatic movie?  It was back in 1957 and it’s called “A Face in the Crowd” and it’s about a country boy who rises to fame, and uses his television show as a gateway to political power. This country boy likes his adult beverages, is manipulative and power-hungry!  Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau also star in this classic, which is about as far from Mayberry as you can get!  In 2008, the movie was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress!!  If you want to check it out, there's a special screening at the Springer Opera House this Saturday beginning at 7:30pm.  Admission is only $10.

So if just the thought of Andy Griffith puts you in the mood for some mountain music, make sure you head to The Barn at Lake Pines Event Center this Sunday from 3-6pm for Bluegrass at the Barn!  They’ll have a featured band as well as “open pickin” if you’d like to join in!  It’s free and they’ll even be serving refreshments.

If you don’t have your running or walking shoes dusted off, you need to get them out of the closet and get ready for Saturday nights big event at Country’s Barbecue!  It’s time for the 32nd Annual Midnight Express 5K and all around big party at the Country’s location on Mercury Drive.  The course spans a little more than 3 miles, traveling through the nearby neighborhood where a couple of thousand folks will be cheering on the almost 3000 racers who are expected to take part!  You don’t have to be a super-racer to join in…run at your own pace or walk.  Everybody who registers get a highly-coveted T-shirt and bbq sandwich after the race.  If you just want to hang out and enjoy the festivities, there’s plenty going on with live music from folks like Peggy Jenkins and Classic Addict.  Don’t forget that all this takes place to help benefit visually impaired folks in our area!  All the pre-race fun starts at 6:00pm and the race, of course, starts at midnight.

You know it’s going to be a fun event when part of the title is Fat Tires!  Throw your mountain bike and helmet in your car and head to Flat Rock Park this Saturday for this family-friendly mountain bike Time Trial series.  It’s going to be held on the Sidewinder Trail, aka The Bunny Loop, and it’s about 2 miles long.  They’ll have 4 categories including Men Beginner, Men Experienced, Women and Kids—the Kids course will be a little shorter.  There’s a picnic after the race and some really good raffles you can get in on.  The reason for the raffle is these series of time trials is actually a fundraiser for a little fellow named Noah who is fighting against leukemia. 

And a perfect way to wind down this weekend?  Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy Jazz on the River at Columbus Civic Center.  This outdoor concert features local, regional, and national jazz and smooth R&B acts. Enjoy the concert as the sun sets from the Columbus Civic Center Courtyard this Sunday from 7:00-9:00pm.  And it’s free!  Just kind of makes you want to say "ahhhhhh."

Now, go have some fun...

shelby