Commercial/Paid Events: We offer opportunities for promoters of paid ticket events to advertise in GO! listings and display advertising. GO! calendar entry for paid events is $50 for the first 20 words and 25¢ a word above that.

Deadline is Friday before Publication. Send items two weeks before your event by fax 803-359-2936 or email: lexingtonchronicle@gmail.com

benefit sale

Free Health Fair: Oct. 5, 10 am-2 pm at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 2491 Emanuel Church Road, West Columbia. More than 25 vendors representing a variety of health resources available in our community. Lots of free info, and you can have your blood pressure checked. For children there will be a book nook, bouncy house, craft table, and face painting. Each child may choose a book to take home. A light lunch of veggie or turkey chili provided.

Free Shred-it Event: Oct. 12, 10 am-1 pm or until truck filled at Life Springs Worship Center 5630 Platt Springs Road, Lexington. Bring unwanted personal documents for shredding by Shred-It mobile trucks. For more info contact the church office 803-957-2221.

HOLIDAY MARKET: Oct 5, 9 am–2 pm, Lexington United Methodist Church, 309 E. Main St., Lexington. 3rd annual holiday market with 35 local artisans, bake sale, and lots of homemade goodies. Free admission. BBQ chicken with fixings, eat-in or takeout $10.

Huge Churchwide Yard and Bake Sale: Oct. 3, 8 am-3 pm; Oct. 4 8 am-3 pm; and Oct. 5, 8 am-12 noon at Beulah UMC, 161 Beulah Church Rd, Gilbert. All kinds of items for sale. All proceeds to benefit church’s Hwy 378 land development.

PLANT & FLOWER FESTIVAL: Midlands Plant & Flower Festival returns Sept. 20-22, State Farmers Market, 3483 Charleston Hwy., West Columbia. Free admission and parking. Wagons for rent to load purchases or bring your own. Open 8 am-6 pm Friday and Saturday, Sunday 10 am-4 pm.

events

All Aboard for a Cancer Cure: Oct. 26, 12 pm at South Carolina Railroad Museum at 110 Industrial Park Rd, Winnsboro. Enjoy an afternoon ride to the historic Rion Quarry office building where you’ll get off and pick up your sack lunch. Watch out for train robbers! Tickets are $25 per person. To benefit the Alala Cancer Society. Get tickets at www.eventbrite.com/e/all-aboard-for-acancer-cure-tickets-61528204516 or by visiting 3400 Harden St Extension, Columbia by Sept. 27.

PAWS & PRAISE: Annual Blessing of the Animals by St. Peter’s Lutheran Church Sept. 29, 3 pm,  Virginia Hylton Park, Lexington. Bring your pets for a blessing during this outreach event with music. Pelican Snoballs available.

Unplanned: Sept. 22, 4 pm at Midlands Christian Church, 1312 W. Main St, Lexington. The community group, Friends for LaVie, will show the “Unplanned” movie for free. Email friendsforlavie@gmail.com to reserve your seat.

Food and fun

ALZHEIMER’S FUND-RAISER: Oct. 3, 4-6 pm, noon-1 pm, Oakleaf Village, 800 N. Lake Dr. Lexington. $8 per person includes spaghetti, fresh salad, warm bread, dessert. Special Presentation by Dr. Stan McCloy at 6:00 p.m. Call your order/reservations in by Oct. 1, 803-399-0065. Proceeds benefit Alzheimer’s Assn.

BBQ & Bake Sale Fundraiser: Oct. 5, Carryout: 8 am until sold out. Buffet: opens 11 am. Bake Sale: 8 am until sold out. Mt. Hebron United Methodist Men 49th annual BBQ at 3050 Leaphart Rd, West Columbia. Men’s BBQ and women’s bake sale to benefit mission projects and more.

BBQ: Oct 12, 9 am–3 pm, Grace Lutheran Church, 410 Harbison Blvd., Columbia. Get it before it’s gone or you’ll have to wait until next year!

IRMO OKRA STRUT: Sept. 27-28, kicks off Friday at 6 pm at the park at 7507 Eastview Dr., Ir-mo. Terence Young and the Finesse Band headlines theOkra Strut Dance. Parade is Saturday at 9 am followed by the free, all-day festival with arts and crafts; rides and amusements; live bands and festival food. Proceeds benefit local charitable organizations and scholarships. Saturday night headliner is Eddie McCain. Info: www.okrastrut.com .

Lunch & Learn: Oct. 8, 12-1 pm at Shiloh United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 1000 Springhill Rd, Gilbert. Speaker to discuss tax efficient strategies for giving, living, and legacy. $10 for catered lunch. RSVP to 803-359-7586 by Oct. 3.

Mayors Prayer Breakfast: Oct. 31, 7:30-9 am at The Stadium Club at Lexington County Baseball Stadium. Former MLB Pitcher Jonathan Johnson will be the featured speaker. Tickets are $10 for the buffet breakfast. Tickets avail. online at: https://squareup.com/market/lexington-county-blowfish/item/mayors-prayer-breakfast-1 or call 254-3474 for more info.

harvest events

Swansea Harvest Fest: Oct. 26, 5-8 pm at Swansea Sports Complex, 616 I.W. Hutto Rd, Swansea. Join the Town of Swansea for trunk-or-treat, music, food, games, and a costume contest.

lessons/training

Attracting Bees to the Garden: Oct. 7, 1 pm at Gaston Branch Library, 214 S Main St, Gaston. Plant a garden that attracts pollinators.

Healthy Garden Soil: Oct. 2, 11 am at Chapin Branch Library, 129 NW Columbia Ave, Chap-in. Learn how to create and maintain healthy soil in your garden. The focus will be on small vegetable gardens and ornamentals.

Health Education Class: Oct. 3, 5-6 pm at Chapin Good Samaritan Clinic, 1808 Chapin Rd., Chapin. Free class called ‘Never too late to be fit’ by Anne Turner. Learn warm up, cardio, movements, muscle strengthening and stretching exercises you can do at your own pace, in your own space. Space is limited so RSVP to Susan Boland at 803-358-8339 ext. 4 or susan.goodsamaritansc@gmail.com .

GAL Training: Free 30-hour volunteer Guardian ad Litem training teaches about the Family Court system, how to recognize abuse and neglect and how to communicate with children, foster parents and every party involved in the case. For more info and how to become a GAL volunteer, visit http://gal.sc.gov or call 803-957-6484

meeting

Friends for LaVie:

Sept. 22, Oct. 27, and Nov. 24 at 4pm at Midlands Christian Church, 1312 W. Main St in Lexington. This community pro-life group supports LaVie Pregnancy Care Center through talents, abilities, or donations of items. The group is open to everyone and donations are welcome. For more info email friendsforlavie@gmail.com .

Music/theater

Big Time Band: Oct. 3, 6:30 pm at Icehouse Amphitheater. This free concert will feature Big Time Band from Lexington. This interactive party band has a song list that covers almost every genre of music. This is a rain or shine show. No lawn chairs or outside food and drink permitted.

Dixieland Jazz Concert: Oct. 6, 2:30-5 pm at the Lourie Center, 1650 Park Circle, Columbia. The Carolina Jazz Society will perform jazz, ragtime, and swing. Bring a snack and soda for yourself or bring munchies for the hospitality table. $10 adults, free to 18 and younger. For info call Red Smith 803-432-1504.

GOSPEL SINGING STEAK SUPPER: Oct. 5, 4-6 pm, Midland Gospel Singing Center, 705 Martin Smith Rd., Gilbert. Adults $9, children $4, includes drink and dessert. Gospel singing at 6 pm with the Shelton and the Pine Ridge Goys. Proceeds benefit the singing center. Info: Brenda Crosby,

(803) 719-1289.

Tokyo Joe: Sept. 26, 6:30 pm at Icehouse Amphitheater. Week 3 of Lexington Live brings back Tokyo Joe for a free concert. This local favorite is influenced by Billy Joel and Elton John. This is a rain or shine show. No lawn chairs or outside food and drink allowed.

reunions

Kleckley-Cleckley Family Reunion: Oct. 6, 1 pm at the Kleckley Reunion Grounds in the Lexington area. From Sunset Blvd. onto Corley Mill Rd., the drive entrance is approx. 2.1 miles on the right. May bring a covered dish to share and a folding chair for the picnic and program of the 72nd annual reunion. Questions may be emailed to Clay at crkleckley@aol.com .

Schule History Reunion: Sept. 21, 10 am at Union Lutheran Church, 4077 Highway 378, Leesville. Celebrate the Schule family and hear guest speaker Louise Riley. Learn about Schule Veterans of the Confederate War. Please bring family/friends, family photos, and Schule history! Catered lunch by Shealy’s BBQ. Cost for lunch/facility is $18 per adult, $12 for children under 8 years old. Registration at 10am, lunch served around noon. For more info call Larry O. Schule 532-2314.

OUtdoor fun

Criscione Family Golf Tournament: Oct. 17, 11 am at the Golden Hills Golf Club. Tournament proceeds help local cancer patients with daily living expenses. Registration will be at 11 am and shot gun start at 12 noon. Visit www.cancerofmanycolors.com for entry and sponsorship info. For questions or more info call Paulette Criscione at 957-1048.

History Walks: At 12,000 Year History Park on Congaree Creek: Sept. 21 and 28, Oct. 12 and 19, at 10 am Battle of Congaree Creek Trail Tour; at 1 pm First Fort Congaree and 18th Century Trade Trail Walk. For more info or to request a special tour or program call John Jameson 850-322-5636 or Doug Patterson 803-730-8909.

VETERANS DAY PARADE: Nov. 3 (rain date Nov. 10), downtown Lexington, honoring 100th anniversary of American Legion Post 7 and Auxiliary. Free entry in parade. Contact Sharon Willis, 785-1454, for parade application.