About town

OUR LADY OF THE LAKE

• EVENT: Our Lady of the Lake and Rescue Bank of Baton Rouge’s Pet Blessing and Adoption Fair.
• DATE: Sunday.
• TIME: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• PLACE: The OLOL Chapel Lawn, 5000 Hennessy Blvd.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://ololrmc.com.
• DETAILS: Our Lady of the Lake and Rescue Bank of Baton Rouge will host a Pet Blessing and Adoption Fair with the blessing starting at 2 p.m. Pet adoption will be from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will honor the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and of OLOL’s founders, the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady. The Rev. Sam Maranto will administer the blessings.

WOMEN’S COUNCIL

• EVENT: Women’s Council of Greater Baton Rouge’s “Women! A Week-long Celebration.”
• DATE: Sunday through Oct. 7.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.wcgbr.com or [phone].
• DETAILS: The Women’s Council of Greater Baton Rouge will hold its 11th annual “Women! A Week-long Celebration.” The event will have more than 180 activities throughout the greater Baton Rouge area. Most activities are free to attend and all are also open to men and children, but space is limited for some activities. Activity booklets with activities’ information are now available on the council’s website.
• EVENT: Workshop with interior decorator Jeanette Turk, an activity of “Women! A Week-long Celebration.”
• DATE: Wednesday.
• TIME: 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• PLACE: Blend, a wine and tapas bar, 304 Laurel St.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or http://www.jturk.decoratingden.com or to register.
• DETAILS: Jeanette Turk, an award-winning decorator from Decorating Den, will hold a free workshop on transforming rooms from ordinary to extraordinary. Participants will learn how to work with an interior decorator. They will also get to ask Turk questions about decorating their own rooms.

YOUTH OASIS

• EVENT: Youth Oasis Children’s Shelter’s 6th annual Celebrity Waiter Roundup.
• DATE: Tuesday.
• TIME: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• PLACE: Louisiana Rural Life Museum, 4560 Essen Lane.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.youthoasis.org or to purchase tickets/sponsorships.
• DETAILS: The event will raise funds for Youth Oasis Children’s Shelter, which provides emergency shelter and necessary support to local runaway, homeless, abandoned youth who are 10 to 21 years old. It will feature a wine toss, hay pull, wine market, a live auction, wine and beer tasting, cocktails, dinner, dancing and music. Tickets are $60 per person and $100 per couple.

EBR LIBRARY

• EVENT: “Computers without Fear.”
• DATE: Tuesday.
• TIME: 10 a.m.
• PLACE: East Baton Rouge Parish Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone].
• DETAILS: Learn the basics of computers without worrying about breaking anything.
• EVENT: “Introduction to the Internet.”
• DATE: Saturday.
• TIME: 10 a.m.
• PLACE: East Baton Rouge Parish Bluebonnet Regional Branch Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone].
• DETAILS: Learn how to navigate the Internet.
• EVENT: EBook Workshop.
• DATE: Saturday.
• TIME: 2 p.m.
• PLACE: East Baton Rouge Parish Jones Creek Regional Branch Library, 6222 Jones Creek Road.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or to register.
• DETAILS: Learn how to download eBooks and audiobooks. Registration is required.
• EVENT: “Movable Mummies!”
• DATE: Saturday.
• TIME: 2:30 p.m.
• PLACE: East Baton Rouge Parish Pride-Chaneyville Branch Library, 13600 Pride-Port Hudson Road.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or to register.
• DETAILS: Teens are invited to create movable mummies using flexible wires and muslin.
• EVENT: “Introduction to the Online Catalog and Databases.”
• DATE: Monday, Oct. 8.
• TIME: 6:30 p.m.
• PLACE: East Baton Rouge Parish Jones Creek Regional Branch Library, 6222 Jones Creek Road.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or to register.
• DETAILS: Learn how to navigate the library’s online databases. Registration is required.

MASTER GARDENERS

• EVENT: East Baton Rouge Parish Master Gardeners’ Basic Gardening Series.
• DATE: Thursday.
• TIME: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• PLACE: East Baton Rouge Parish Jones Creek Regional Branch Library, 6222 Jones Creek Road.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or to register, call [phone].
• DETAILS: The series is sponsored by the East Baton Rouge Parish Master Gardeners. Topics for this week are “Cool Weather — What to Plant?” and “Composting to Enrich Your Garden.” Registration is required.

ANIMAL ALLIANCE

• EVENT: Companion Animal Alliance’s “Let the Dogs Out” benefit dinner.
• DATE: Thursday.
• TIME: 6:30 p.m. for cocktails and 7 p.m. for dinner.
• PLACE: Viking Cooking School Outdoors at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, 201 Lafayette St.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or http://www.CAABR.org or to purchase tickets.
• DETAILS: The event, “Let the Dogs Out,” will feature chef Kelley McCann, executive chef for Galatoire’s Bistro. It will raise funds to pay for better living conditions at the Companion Animal Alliance animal shelter. In particular, the benefit will help the shelter complete outdoor areas where dogs can play. Tickets are $150 each for dinner seating and $200 each for chef’s table seating, which is limited to 50 seats.
• beautiful black girls
• EVENT: Beautiful Black Girls Inc.’s 2012 Phenomenal Women of Excellence Award Gala fundraiser.
• DATE: Friday.
• TIME: 7 p.m.
• PLACE: Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or [e-mail].
• DETAILS: The fundraiser will honor eight women for their excellence and commitment to Beautiful Black Girls Inc., a nonprofit mentoring organization that aims to embrace, educate and empower local African-American girls. The honorees are Agnes Andrews, Allstate Insurance; Precious Delpit, JDE; retired Lt. Col. Linda Colar; Traci Lynn, a fashion jewelry consultant; Kamilla Fair, Fair Properties; Veronica Gray, Seasons Care Services Inc.; Lenore London, London’s Accessories; Nomzamo Iyanu of Nomzamo’s Clothing Boutique; and state Rep. Patricia Haynes Smith, District 67. Diedria Joseph, president and CEO of Topp Knotch Personnel Inc., will serve as keynote speaker. Proceeds will help BGB continue its mission. Tickets are $50 per person and $500 per table of eight. Tickets are available at http://www.beautifulblackgirlsinc.org.

CORN MAZE

• EVENT: LSU AgCenter and Burden Horticulture Society’s annual Corn Maze.
• DATE: Saturdays through Oct. 27.
• TIME: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• PLACE: Burden Center, 4560 Essen Lane.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone].
• DETAILS: The LSU AgCenter and the Burden Horticulture Society will host the annual Corn Maze each Saturday with the last day being Oct. 27. Corn maze activities will include paint-a-pumpkin, a straw mountain and hayrides. Admission is $5 per person. On Oct. 27, there will also be a bonfire, hot dogs and music from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. with admission $10 per person.

HILLTOP ARBORETUM

• EVENT: LSU Hilltop Arboretum’s “PlantFest! 2012.”
• DATE: Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7.
• TIME: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.
• PLACE: LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.lsu.edu/hilltop or [phone].
• DETAILS: The 29th edition of “PlantFest!” will have more than 5,000 plants representing 600 different species for sale with some being native and others imported. Professionals will help with gardening problems, and vendors will sell books, garden tools, ironworks, woodcrafts and more. Concession stands selling food and cold drinks will also be available. The LSU Hilltop Arboretum accepts cash, checks, Visa and MasterCard. Those purchasing plants will be exempt from city and state taxes. Friends of Hilltop members will also get a 10 percent discount.

BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE

• EVENT: Boys Hope Girls Hope Baton Rouge’s “Bowl for Hope” event.
• DATE: Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 7.
• TIME: Two-hour bowling sessions Saturday (school teams and families); 2:30 p.m. Sunday (businesses and organizations).
• PLACE: Circle Bowl, 8788 Florida Blvd.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.bhghbr.org or [phone].
• DETAILS: The annual benefit will help Boys Hope Girls Hope Baton Rouge with its mission to provide needy children with a residential setting and opportunities for an advanced education. School teams and families will bowl Saturday and businesses and organizations will bowl Sunday to compete for the Inaugural B2B Championship trophy. Each bowler will get a free T-shirt. The benefit will also have giveaways. Participation is $35 per person and $300 per five-person team. All Star Automotive and Circle Bowl are the sponsors. To sign up, visit BHGHBR’s website.

COMMUNITY DAY

• EVENT: Louisiana Black Business Directory’s “The Baton Rouge Community Day Against Violence.”
• DATE: Saturday.
• TIME: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• PLACE: Bayou Café, 5068 Airline Highway.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or http://www.LABBD.net.
• DETAILS: The event is part of the Louisiana Violence Free Zone, Baton Rouge Initiative and will feature “The King of the Grill Bar-Be-Que Cook Off” as well as face painting, arts and crafts, music, food and an anti-violence balloon launch. The Louisiana Violence Free Zone is a campaign to end violence with posters and T-shirts promoting anti-violence messages and positive solutions to conflicts. Admission is free. Registration for the cook-off is $25 per category in advance and $35 per category on the day of the event. Visit LABBD’s website to sign up for the cook-off or to become a sponsor. Information on sponsorship packages is available on the website.

D.S. ANTIQUE VILLAGE

• EVENT: Denham Springs Antique District’s annual Denham Springs Antique Village Fall Festival.
• DATE: Saturday.
• TIME: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• PLACE: Antique District of Denham Springs, along Range Avenue.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.denhamspringsantiquedistrict.com.
• DETAILS: The festival will have more than 150 vendors featuring local and regional crafts, antiques and art. The Centerville Stage and the Train Station Park Stage will have entertainment from a variety of groups including Anita Leblanc and James Taylor, The Old South Jamboree, the SPCA, Odyssey Dance and more. Austyn and Blake of “Swamp People” will also be there to sign autographs and take pictures. There will be food booths.

HUNGARIAN SETTLEMENT

• EVENT: Árpádhon Hungarian Settlement Cultural Association’s “Hungarian Harvest Dance Celebration.”
• DATE: Saturday.
• TIME: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• PLACE: American Legion Hall, 26200 La. 43, Springfield.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.magyars.org, [phone], [phone], [phone] or [phone] or to purchase tickets.
• DETAILS: The celebration will have music from Ernest Breaux and his Poo-Yai Band, a wine auction, Hungarian singing, a performance of the traditional harvest dance and Hungarian food like cabbage rolls, cabbage noodles, Kolbasz (Hungarian sausage) poboys and pastries. Adult tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Admission for children ages 8 to 12 is $5 each; ages 7 or younger are admitted free. For mail order, mail to A.H.S.C.A., P.O. Box 10, Albany, LA, 70711.

SUGARFEST

• EVENT: West Baton Rouge Museum’s “SugarFest.”
• DATE: Sunday, Oct. 7.
• TIME: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• PLACE: West Baton Rouge Museum, 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.westbatonrougemuseum.com or [phone].
• DETAILS: The event includes a tour of the six historical plantation buildings on the museum’s campus, talks with farmers and syrup makers, 19th-century folk art demonstrations, live music, food and the 17th annual Sweets Contest where judges will judge cakes, candies, cookies and cupcakes. The sweets will go on sale after the competition. Admission is free.

AM. ITALIAN ASSOC.

• EVENT: Greater Baton Rouge American Italian Association’s “Columbus Day Festa.”
• DATE: Sunday, Oct. 7.
• TIME: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• PLACE: Belle of Baton Rouge Casino & Hotel Atrium, 103 France St., downtown Baton Rouge.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.GBRAIA.org.
• DETAILS: The festa will include a Little Italy Shopping Village, live music from Lonero and the New Orleans Express, Italian dancing, Italian desserts and drinks, Italian artifacts, Italian 101 with Dr. Joe Recapito, a St. Joseph’s Altar and more. Proceeds will go to the McMains Children’s Developmental Center. Admission is free.

BRAVE HEART

• EVENT: Golf tournament and “Tea Time for Ladies” to benefit Brave Heart — Children in Need.
• DATE: Monday, Oct. 8.
• PLACE: Greystone Country Club, 9214 Greystone Drive, Denham Springs.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or http://www.braveheartchildren.org.
• DETAILS: The 3rd annual golf tournament will benefit Brave Heart — Children in Need with the money being used for the Christmas project. The project provides gift bags to 4,000 children in the state’s foster care system. This year, Whole Foods will host “Tea Time for Ladies,” which will have a variety of teas, cooking demonstrations, holiday ideas and more. The tea time cost $25 per person. The golf tournament includes 18 holes of golf, rides on golf carts, lunch, snacks and door prizes. Cost for the tournament is $135 per person and $500 per team.

CHRISTIAN WOMEN

• EVENT: Baton Rouge Christian Women’s Connection “Pink-Out” luncheon.
• DATE: Tuesday, Oct. 9.
• TIME: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• PLACE: Oak Lodge Reception and Conference Center, 2834 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd.
• FOR MORE INFO: [phone] or [e-mail] or to make a reservation.
• DETAILS: Baton Rouge Christian Women’s Connection will hold the luncheon in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which is October. The luncheon will feature Symil LeDoux, executive director of the American Cancer Society, and Darlene Washington, of Lafayette. Washington served the U.S. for 16 years in the Navy. Participants should wear pink and invite any breast cancer survivors they know. Reservations are required before Friday and will include a free nursery.

FHL GALA

• EVENT: Foundation for Historical Louisiana’s 14th annual Old Governor’s Mansion Gala, “Masquerade at the Mansion.”
• DATE: Thursday, Oct. 11.
• TIME: 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
• PLACE: Old Governor’s Mansion, 502 North Blvd.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.fhl.org or [phone] or to purchase tickets.
• DETAILS: The fundraising gala will benefit the Foundation for Historical Louisiana, a nonprofit organization working to preserve the state’s architectural and cultural heritage with preservation advocacy and educational work. The gala will have music from the band Stormy, a silent auction in The East Room, a costume contest and samples of Louisiana and Spanish delicacies. Spanish-inspired attire is recommended. The auction will have more than 120 items ranging from spa services to jewelry. Tickets are $100 per FHL member and $125 per guest. Admission for those under age 35 is $50.

GARDEN SYMPOSIUM

• EVENT: 2012 Southern Garden Symposium.
• DATE: Friday and Saturday, Oct. 12 and 13.
• TIME: Daylong events.
• PLACE: Various locations in the St. Francisville area.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.SouthernGardenSymposium.org, [e-mail] or [phone] or to register.
• DETAILS: The 2012 Southern Garden Symposium will include social events, gardening lectures and workshops. Featured speakers will be Dean Norton, Mount Vernon’s director of horticulture, Heidi Sheesley, owner of Treesearch Farms in Houston, and Lynette McDougald, a floral design instructor from Mississippi State University. On Friday, the symposium will have a series of workshops at various locations in St. Francisville, a demonstration by McDougald at Afton Villa Gardens, a picnic lunch at Afton Villa Gardens and the 2012 Speakers’ Gala at the Rosebank Plantation. Tickets for Friday are $75 per person, which includes admission to workshops and the picnic lunch. Gala tickets are $50 per person. Saturday will start with coffee and refreshments at 8:30 a.m. at Hemingbough followed by lectures and afternoon tea at Evergreenzine. Tickets for Saturday are $75 per person, which includes refreshments, lectures, lunch and tea. Admission for both days is $130 per person.

KIWANIS CONTEST

• EVENT: 2012 Kiwanis Talent Contest applications.
• DATE: Contest application period is open for the event that will be Saturday, Oct. 20, at the LSU Assembly Center.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.brkiwanis.org or [phone] or to get entry forms.
• DETAILS: Students in pre-kindergarten through high school can enter the contest. Winners have been singers, dancers, soloists, musical groups, musicians and others. Entry forms are available at http://www.brkiwanis.org or by calling [phone]. Contestants must check in 20 minutes before their division starts. First- through fourth-place winners will receive prizes. The contest will take place during the 63rd Kiwanis Pancake Festival with admission $5 in advance and $6 at the door. The pancake festival will raise funds for Baton Rouge Downtown Kiwanis, which supports more than 35 community projects.

LSU AGCENTER

• EVENT: LSU AgCenter’s release of the Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar.
• FOR MORE INFO: http://www.LSUAgCenter.com/GetItGrowingCalendar or [phone] or to purchase a calendar.
• DETAILS: The LSU AgCenter is releasing its 2013 Get It Growing Lawn and Garden Calendar, which will have a mixture of garden photos and advice for Louisiana gardeners. The calendar is $11.95 and available at the LSU AgCenter’s website, bookstores, garden centers and gift shops.