Community calendar
APRIL 30
32nd annual Friend Inc. Community Services Benefit Auction: 5 p.m. at Beltzner Hall at Kutztown Fairgrounds, in person and virtual. Bid on art, jewelry, household items, autographed items, gift certificates for local businesses (like hair salons and restaurants), plus desserts. Event tickets, $40, include a catered dinner and drinks. Proceeds fund Friend Inc. programs that help Berks County residents in need. Call 610-683-7791or www.friendinc.org.
Earth Day Spring Cleanup: at Kaercher Creek Park, Hamburg, rain date April 30. Arrive by 8:30 a.m. to signed-in, coffee and bottled water for volunteers, at pavilion. Work 9 a.m. to noon. Free lunch for all volunteers. Dress for weather, wear proper footwear and work gloves. Pick up downed wood and litter, pull or snip back invasive plants, rake, edge and clear walking path. Youth under age 18must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Gate to park side open by 8a.m. To participate, message FriendsofKaercherCreek on Facebook.
Celebration of Brandywine Ministerium Churches: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Mertztown. See what the Brandywine Ministerium Churches are doing. Tying knots on quilts, feeding the hungry, crocheting, knitting, VBS preview, coloring pages, crafts. Also craft vendors, music, food, Bible study, bake sale, succulent planting and fellowship. All proceeds donated to Friend, Inc. Kutztown. Schedule of Events 10 a.m. to 1p.m. Kids’ Crafts, 10to 11:30 a.m. Prayer in Sanctuary, 11a.m. Bible Study, 12to 1 p.m. music by Mike & Linda Hertzog.
MAY 1
Leesport Area Historical Society Museum Open House: 1to 4p.m., 128Main St., Leesport. Quilting and history enthusiast, Judy Bauer, presents her 200-year-old handmade signature quilt from Maidencreek Quaker Meeting House. Signatures include family names such as Parvin, Lee and Lightfoot. Q&A and story of her incredible find. Visit 1858 Schoolhouse, which served community until 1961, features 1940s and 50s classroom and artifacts, including 1750s Quaker marriage certificate.
MAY 2
Basket Bingo: 6:45 p.m. at Kutztown Grange Hall, doors open at 5: 30p.m. $20for 25 games, includes soda, hot dog, door prize. Call for tickets, 610683-7975 or 610-395-3889.
MAY 5
Hamburg Area Historical Society program: 7 p.m. at Hamburg Bible Church, 731 Port Clinton Ave., Hamburg. Darlene Moyer presents 400 Years of PA Dutch History in 40 Minutes.
MAY 8
Mother’s Day All You Can Eat Buffet Dine-In or Take Out: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Virginville Grange. Ham, chicken, filling, gravy, sweet potatoes, corn, green beans, pepper cabbage, lettuce and bacon dressing, applesauce, roll. Plus water, hot tea and coffee, choice of apple crumb pie, coconut custard pie, lemon strip pie, shoofly pie, cakes. $18for adults, $9for children ages 5 to 10, tax included. Limited walk-ins welcome. Preorder whole pies to take home, $11. Dinner reservations, whole pie orders, take out platters due April 24. Call Jenn Berger, 610-823-4813. Strausstown Volunteer Fire Company Breakfast: 7:30 to 11:30a.m. at Strausstown Community Campus, 50East Ave. Full breakfast menu. Proceeds benefit the Apparatus Fund.
MAY 12
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary’s annual Benefit for Birds Spring Campaign and Online Auction Gala: 6 to 9 p.m. at the Folino Estate Winery in Kutztown. Bid on items from local small businesses, restaurants, artists online auction May 12 to June 30. Gala includes hors d’oeuvres, live music, raptor encounters and live auction offering exclusive access to bid on featured items and events. Gala tickets $150 a person. Visit hawkmountain.org/benefit.
MAY 15
Designer Bag Bingo Fundraiser for Special Olympics PA: Doors open at noon, Bingo starts at 1p.m. at the Reading Liederkranz, 143 Spook Lane, Reading, outside under pavilions, rain or shine. To purchase tickets, call Don at 484-3450546.
MAY 18
Found in the Sixties CruiseIn: 7p.m. Airport Diner, Kutztown. Music by Hodge Podge Variety, door prizes, specials. Benefits Canine Partners and other charities.
KUTZTOWN COMMUNITY LIBRARY Appreciating Chinese Opera: May 5 at 6 p.m. via Zoom. The Philadelphia Chinese Opera Society will discuss what Chinese Opera is and how we can better appreciate it. Sign up online on events calendar at kutztownlibrary.org.
Virtual Book Club: May 10 at 7p.m. via Zoom. Discussing “Songs of Trees” by David George Haskell. Sign up on events calendar at kutztownlibrary.org.
Animals of Asia: May 12 at 4 p.m. via Zoom. Learn all about the animals that live in Asia and see them live on Zoom. Sign up on events calendar at kutztownlibary.org.
HAWK MOUNTAIN SANCTUARY Youth Art Exhibit: April 22 to May 22, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. The winners from the Youth Art Month Contest will be on display to celebrate Earth Day and the spring season.
National Go Birding Day Walk: April 30, 8 to 10 a.m. Guided birding walk by Hawk Mountain experts and friends. Visit the Native Plant Garden to meet a naturalist and learn how you can update your home garden with natives. This event is ADA accessible. Registration required. Trail fee for non-members.