Happenings around the Perham area, March 2-12

The Perham Focus accepts community calendar items for publication online and in our Thursday print edition, space permitting. Submissions must be made at least a week in advance of the event date, in writing, to either editor@perhamfocus.com or vgerdes@dlnewspapers.com .

Each submission must include the date, time and location of event, whether it is recurring or a one-time happening, and where to go for more information (phone, email and/or website). Also include whether the event is free or paid admission, and how much it costs when applicable.

Grieving Together With Hope: New Creation Lutheran Church of Perham will host a grief group for women who have experienced; miscarriage, stllborn, infant loss, or infertility, from 6 to 7 p.m.

Homeschool Hangout at Otter Cove: All area home-schooled students are invited to the Otter Cove Children's Museum, 105 W. Lincoln Ave., Fergus Falls, from 9 a.m. to noon, for a "Homeschool Hangout" event hosted by Elevate OTC. For more information call 218-998-5437 or email ottercoveff@gmail.com .

Solinger Exhibit Reception (rescheduled): All are invited to the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center for the exhibit closing reception for "Deep Roots: Sustaining a Living Community," from 4 to 6 p.m. Artist and photographer Jon Solinger will also be giving a talk about his exhibit, which features photographs about life on small farms in rural west central Minnesota. Light refreshments will be available. Free and open to the public.

Otter Cove Early Explorers: Parents of infants and toddlers are invited to come to the Otter Cove Children's Museum, 105 W. Lincoln Ave., Fergus Falls, between 8-9 a.m. for a special opportunity for young learners to play and explore the museum; older siblings may come along, but please play gently. No pre-registration required. Call 218-998-5437 for more information.

Aspire Women's Summit: The Wel Collective will present its 2nd Annual Aspire Women's Summit at The Cactus in Perham from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event features keynote speaker Kerry Petsinger, a high performance coach and creator of "Mornings that Matter," a research-based, 10-minute morning mindset routine to start each day feeling unstoppable and help women reach their goals. To learn more about this event, and/or purchase tickets, please visit welcollective.org/aspire .

Finn Creek Museum Annual Meeting: Come to the New York Mills Senior Center at 1 p.m. for the annual meeting of the Finn Creek Museum. Discussion will include changes for the coming year, the 2023 Finn Creek Festival, and the museum's plans for the future. If you have any interest in becoming a board member, this is the perfect time to come and see what we're all about. A potluck will be provided by the board of directors following the meeting.

Lund Boats Tours: Elevate OTC is hosting a special "Nosey Neighbor" investigation into how boats are built, with free tours of the Lund Boats faciility in New York Mills at 1 and 2 p.m. Limit of 10 people per tour; sign up at elevateotc.org .

Coffee Talk: Stop in at the New York Mills Public Library at 10:30 a.m. for a "Coffee Talk" about community volunteerism, while enjoying a cup of hot java from Farmer's Daughter Rustic Bakery. Free and open to the public; hosted by Elevate OTC and the New York Mills Public Library.

Art for Lunch: Come to the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center for a lunchtime creative break from noon to 1 p.m. Artist and Cultural Center Artistic Director Cheryl Bannes will lead this one-hour class on "Fabric Baskets for Spring." Cost is just $5 to cover all materials used. Bring your own lunch and enjoy a beverage courtesy of the Cultural Center. Questions? Call 218-385-3339, or visit the website at kulcher.org .

Square Dancing: The Park Rapids Friendly Squares will host a dance at the Century School, 501 Helten Ave., Park Rapids, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. The caller will be Myron Hollatz, and there is a potluck lunch after the dance. Spectators are welcome. For more information contact Karen at 218-252-3853.

BookEnds Online: The Wadena County Historical Society is hosting an online BookEnds presentation with Matt Goldman, New York Times bestselling author of "Carolina Moonset." Simply go to  wadenacountyhistory.org  at 11:30 a.m. to join the live webinar! You can ask questions of the author, share your insights with fellow attendees...all from the comfort of your home! This BookEnds event, like all BookEnds events, will also be available for archived viewing at  wadenacountryhistory.org  after the live webinar. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Five Wings Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

Head Games Foreigner Tribute: A Center for the Arts in Fergus Falls will present "Head Games: A Tribute to Foreigner," at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at fergusarts.org ; cost is $28 for adults, $15 for students.

St. Paul's Spring Gala: St. Paul's Lutheran Church and School in Perham will host its annual Spring Gala from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with a silent auction, raffle drawings (including a gun raffle) and musical presentation. Open to the public.

St. Henry's Fun Fair: St. Henry's Area School of Perham will host a Fun Fair from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with live and silent auctions, raffle drawings, bingo and other games, food and more. Fun for the whole family.

Lenten Fish Fry: The Frazee Knights of Columbus are having their annual fish fry dinner fundraisers from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 3, 17 and 31 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Frazee. Each dinner includes fried fish, scalloped potatoes or French fries, green beans, coleslaw, bread and ice cream. Admission is $15 for adults, $10 for kids ages 7-12, and free for kids age six and under. The proceeds will go toward repaying a loan for the church's new roof.

M State Spring Play: Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls will host five performances of its spring play, "9 to 5: The Musical," at 7:30 p.m. on March 3, 4, 10 and 11 as well as a 2 p.m. matinee on March 12, all in the Waage Theatre. This musical theater production is "a light-hearted revenge tale of three office underdogs with big dreams and big schemes, based on the 1980 hit movie “9 to 5” and its titular song. Tickets are available online at mstate.universitytickets.com, through the M State Bookstore at 218.736.1556, and will be sold at the door. Ticket prices are $11 for adults and $5 for students in advance; and $14 for adults and $5 for students at the door; all seats are general admission.

Sit-n-Stitch: A weekly gathering of fiber artists takes place from 5 to 7 p.m., every Thursday at the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center. Free and open to all who are interested in learning about fiber arts, or enhancing their knowledge. All ages and experience levels welcome.

AARP Volunteer Tax Program-Perham: The AARP Volunteer Tax Program will be preparing taxes for senior citizens, as well as those with low to moderate income, Wednesdays at the New Creation Church on Coney Street. The Perham site will not be taking appointments and will be walk in only. It will only be open on Wednesdays only. When arriving at the tax site, bring a photo ID, Social Security card, last year’s tax return and any documents needed to prepare an accurate return. If you are interested in volunteering to answer the telephone, take appointments, assist taxpayers with completing documents, or preparing tax returns, please call the district coordinator, Elizabeth Eidal, at 406-781-5047.

AARP Volunteer Tax Program-Fergus Falls: The AARP Volunteer Tax Program will be open three days a week from Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., at the Salvation Army on Vernon Avenue in Fergus Falls. Tax preparation is by appointment only. You can make an appointment by calling 218-739-9692, ext. 3, during the regular hours listed above; the phone will not be answered outside those hours. Please do not call the Salvation Army because their personnel will not be able to assist with appointments nor to answer tax questions. When arriving at the tax site, bring a photo ID, Social Security card, last year’s tax return and any documents needed to prepare an accurate return. If you are interested in volunteering to answer the telephone, take appointments, assist taxpayers with completing documents, or preparing tax returns, please call the district coordinator, Elizabeth Eidal, at 406-781-5047.

LRAC Artist Cohort Alumni Exhibit: Ten alumni of the 2022 Lake Region Arts Council's Artist Cohort program will be exhibiting their work at the LRAC Gallery in Fergus Falls from now through March 15. Participating artists include Carmen McCullough, Detroit Lakes; Chanda Kraft, Alexandria; Becky Albright, Alexandria; Flacon Gott, Moorhead; Jodi Peterson, Moorhead; Mike Weatherly, Elbow Lake; Nancy X. Valentine, Underwood; Patricia Ann Wahl, Fergus Falls; Ruth Hanson, Vining; and Sean Scott, Battle Lake. Gallery hours are Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.; it is closed from Friday through Sunday. Please email or call before you visit the gallery to ensure that the exhibit is open that day. Call the LRAC office (toll free in Minnesota) at 1-800-262-2787 or 218-739-5780, or email LRAC4@LRACgrants.org .

Baby Bin: Come look through the baby bin at Crosspoint Alliance Church, 600 8th St. NE, Perham, on the first Tuesday of every month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All WIC participants receive one pack of diapers and wet wipes. Everyone may look through our children's clothing, sizes 0-10.

Quilting: The Calvary Cut-Ups quilting group meets from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursdays at Calvary Lutheran Church in Perham. Questions? Contact Brenda Halvorson at 320-493-0802.

Library Storytimes: The Perham Area Public Library hosts preschool storytime every Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. Toddler Storytime with Becky is held periodically on Monday evenings at 6 p.m. Visit perhamlibrary.org or call 218-346-4892 for more information.

Progressive Bingo: Every Tuesday, 6-7 p.m., Thumper Pond, Ottertail.

Tuesday Trivia Night: Billy's Corner Bar & Grill in Vergas will be offering Trivia Night every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Open to the public.

Perham Networking Opportunity: The Nest in Perham will host a one-hour free business networking opportunity on the first Wednesday of every month, starting at 8:15 a.m. Personal introductions, sharing of upcoming events and projects, and a focus presentation. Coffee will be provided by the focus topic presenter.

Mah Jongg at Calvary Lutheran: Men and women are welcome and play Mah Jongg at Perham's Calvary Lutheran Church on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. in the library. No prior experience necessary, as experienced players will teach the game to newcomers.

Old Time Photographs: Stop by the History Museum of East Otter Tail County, at 230 First Ave. North in Perham, and take a trip down memory lane. The museum would like the public's help identifying old photos. Hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 218-346-7676 for more information.