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Saturday, Sept. 22

Fall craft show, bazaar: The auxiliary of the Sgt. Jayton D. Patterson USMC VFW Post 4411 will host the fourth annual event from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be a lot of different crafts and tons of vendors. Brunswick stew sale going on, too. Door prizes and more. Come hungry and ready to shop. The post is located at 3385 Beaverdam Road, Franklin.

Virginia Big Game Contest: The 79th annual Bear, Deer and Turkey Contest will be on Saturday, Sept. 22 and Sunday, Sept. 23 on the Southampton County Fairgrounds, 25374 New Market Road, Courtland. Contest will feature Eastern/Western Regional and State Finals. A historical category is included. Game will be scored using the VA Scoring System and will be entered into the Official Virginia Record Book. Entries will be accepted on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The doors open on Sunday at 10 a.m., awards at 3 p.m. This event is sponsored by Virginia Peninsula Sportsmen’s Association and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. For more information, visit our website at vpsa.org or call Michael H. Jones at 371-3335.

Local Writers’ Event: This will be at the Smithfield Branch of the Blackwater Library, 225 James St., from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by the Isle of Wight Writers Group, this free event will pay homage to the 50-plus published authors from Isle of Wight County from the 19th century until today. Feature presentations include Jeffrey Blount and children’s book author Kim Norman at 10, and W. Michael “Mike” Farmer at 11 a.m.

Old-Fashioned County Breakfast: The Smithfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8545 will host the meal from 7 to 10 a.m. in the post at 223 Washington St., across from the library and YMCA. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, biscuits, gravy, hash browns, corn bread, fried salt spot and mixed fruit will be featured. Coffee and juice are included with a $7 donation. An omelet to order is an additional $2. Children age 6-12 are $4 and children under 6 eat free. All proceeds go to support the many activities and programs of the post.

Barbecue: American Legion Post 49 will host this annual event at the Legion Post, 818 S. Church St., Smithfield. Plates will have roasted barbecue pork, beans, coleslaw and hush puppies. Meals will be available from noon to 6 p.m. for dine-in at the Legion, including dessert and beverage, for a requested donation of $9 per dinner or to go plates can be ordered for take away. Tickets available from Legion members or at the door. Proceeds fund Post 49 activities and support veterans programs in Smithfield and Isle of Wight County. For details, contact Bob Hannon at lancesdaddy1@gmail.com or 651-8618.

 

Friday, Sept. 28

Bethlehem Ruritan Jam: The program will be from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the Bethlehem Ruritan Club House, 140 Manning Road, Suffolk. The featured performer will be Mike Evans and The Band-it Band. There is no admission charge, but a tip jar for the band, so give generously. There will be food, soft drinks and desserts available for purchase. For more information, call George Fowler at 617-5955.

 

Saturday, Sept. 29

Cemetery Preservation Workshop: Sign up to learn how to properly clean headstones and monuments. This will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Virginia’s oldest open cemetery. Volunteer spots available to the first 25 registrants. St. Luke’s Education Coordinator Rachel Popp will lead volunteers about learning about and applying authorized headstone and monument cleaning techniques in the Ancient Cemetery. If you are interested and available in volunteering your talents, RSVP via email at rpopp@historicstlukes.org.

 

Saturday, Oct. 6

First Saturdays Artisan Market: Local artisans with unique specialties in stained glass creations, forged metal art, handmade brooms, handcrafted and repurposed furniture, silver jewelry, wearable art, herbal soaps, local writers and books, oil paintings, handcrafted pens, knit and crochet, quilts, folk art, pottery, carved and turned wood, handcrafted knives, Native American crafts, locally grown produce, craft demonstrations and more. The Nottoway Tribe of Virginia History Interpretive Exhibit is also available for view. This takes place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Gallery 1606, 18001 Southampton Parkway, corner of Highway 58 and Main Street. Reservations are required for free vendor space. Free admission. Free parking. For further information, email gallery1606@gmail.com or call 434 658-4454.

 

Wednesday, Oct. 10

Rain barrel workshop: Join Western Tidewater Master Gardeners/Isle of Wight VA Cooperative Extension to learn about and assemble a 55-gallon rain barrel. You will take home your barrel with you, ready for your garden. This will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Isle of Wight VCE Office, 17100 Monument Circle, behind the county offices on Route 258. The cost is $50 per person. Quantities are limited, so contact Extension Master Gardener Michel Lujan at 758-0488 for application information.

 

Thursday, Oct. 11

Tell Me a Story. 10 a.m. This program, geared for children ages 3 to 5, introduces youngsters to the symbols of Isle of Wight and features books, songs and games. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Theme: Pumpkins. Free. Isle of Wight County Museum, 103 Main St., Smithfield. www.historicisleofwight.com. 356-1223.

 

Saturday, Oct. 13

Windsor Town Center grand opening: The Town of Windsor will celebrate the grand opening of its new Windsor Town Center, adjacent to Georgie D. Tyler Middle School. A time for the event has not yet been announced.

 

Sunday, Oct. 14

Isle of Wight County Historical Society: The group will meet 2 p.m. in the Isle of Wight Ruritan Club,, 17011 Courthouse Highway, for a presentation by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Guest speaker will be Marc C. Wagner, senior architectural historian with the VDHR Eastern Region Preservation Office. He will present information on historic registers, surveys, rehabilitation tax credits, historic easements and other programs available to assist local preservation efforts. For details, call 334-9705 or 613-6183 or visit www.iwchs.com.

 

Sunday, Oct. 28

Sundays at Four: The concert series presents “The John Bullard Quartet — banjo, violin, cello and piano” in Christ Episcopal Church, 111 S. Church St., downtown Smithfield. John Bullard has gained international attention for his work in developing and transcribing classical repertoire for the five string banjo. He is joined by pianist Markus Compton, violinist Francoise Moquin and cellist Schuyler Slack. Tickets are $20 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, call 675-5777 or visit www.sundaysatfourva.org. All tickets can be purchased at the door.