Church festival, veteran events among Clark, Champaign things to do this weekend

Looking for something to do this weekend? Here are some of the events happening in Clark and Champaign counties:

Veterans Day program

The annual Veterans Day program at Ferncliff Cemetery will begin 10 a.m. today at the War Wall.

The event will include Springfield High School’s choir singing the national anthem, a short address by Lt. Col. Paul Kavanaugh of the 178th Air Wing, the playing of Taps by the Marine Corps League, and the roll call of names of all veterans interred in the cemetery in this past year.

Everyone is invited to attend and help honor veterans. The program lasts approximately 45 minutes. Coffee and donuts will be provided. Chairs will not be provided, so feel free to bring your own. Reservations are not required.

Hike with a Hound

The Clark County SPCA will host Hike with a Hound from 4:30 to 7 p.m. today at George Rogers Clark Park. The SPCA will have dogs at the park available for adoption.

Purple Heart Event

The Springfield Marine Corps League, H. Eugene “Doak” Walker Detachment 963 in conjunction with the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Grimes Kohl Post 1031, and the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH), Post 620, will be acknowledging local Purple Heart recipients at 5:45 p.m. today at the VFW Post #1031 to commemorate the National Project Purple Heart’s “Light to Unite.”

The event is open to the public. Honor Flight Network’s co-founder, Earl Morse, will be the keynote speaker. He is from Enon and spent many years working at the Community Based Veteran Clinic as a PA.

The commemoration will be held outside, so dress appropriately. In case of inclement weather, it will move inside. Any former military member that is a recipient of the Purple Heart medal are encouraged to attend. Send notification of attendance, to Marine Roger Smith, Commandant, Dept. of Ohio, MCL, at 937-536-0711 or 2ndtanksvet@gmail.com.

Church Festival

Concord United Methodist Church, 2963 N. State Route 560 (four miles north of Westville), will host a Harvest Festival & Smorgasbord from 4 to 7 p.m. on Saturday. There will be inside dining, crafts and bake sale, and an auction at 7:30 p.m. This event is elevator accessible. For information, call 937-652-3764.

Veterans Day Gala

The Champaign County Arts Council, with the support of Champaign County Memorial Foundation, will host the Veterans Day Gala at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday at VFW Hall, 220 E. Court St. The gala will feature dinner, dancing and the BOB Gray Orchestra. Tickets are $25 and free to veterans. They are available at The Arts Council Office, 119 Miami St., by calling 937-653-7557, or on the website at www.champaigncountyartscouncil.org.

Sanctuary Series

The fourteenth season of the Sanctuary Series continues at 3 p.m. on Sunday at High Street United Methodist Church, 230 E. High St., with Lia Ferrell. There will be a meet-the-artist reception after the show.

Music Director Ferrell will play organ music spanning from the Renaissance to the present. Ferrell completed two years of early music graduate study under Harald Vogel at the North German Organ Academy. She has performed a variety of styles of music in Europe and North America on the organ, harpsichord, and piano.

Admission is free but donations are accepted. For more information call 937-322-2527, or visit www.highstreetunited.org or www.facebook.com/highstreetunited/. The series continues monthly through May.

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