'American Idol' slates Eastwood Mall auditions

'American Idol' slatesEastwood Mall auditions
NILES -- Season six of "American Idol" is approaching and the popular Fox series is searching for the next great singing sensation.
Auditions for Mahoning Valley residents will be at 3 p.m. Aug. 10 at Eastwood Mall. Registration begins at 2 p.m. One performer will win a guaranteed audition in Memphis, Tenn., on Sept. 3 with "American Idol" producers. You must be between the ages of 16 and 29 to audition. The winner is responsible for transportation.
Bug Day at park farm
CANFIELD -- Mill Creek MetroParks will present Bug Day from noon to 4 p.m. Aug. 6 at the MetroParks Farm. Activities include bug games, waxworm races and bug hunts. All participants can earn a "master of bugology" degree. Special displays will feature live and preserved insects and arachnids, both local and exotic. The Farm is on Route 46 across from the Canfield Fairgrounds. For more information, call Ford Nature Education Center at (330) 740-7107.
Artist's work selected
BOARDMAN -- Artist Heidi Garwig of Boardman has had a water media printing selected for the 2006 Juried Ohio Watercolor Society Exhibition, Watercolor Ohio 2006, at the Firelands Association for the Visual Arts (FAVA), 39 S. Main Street, Oberlin. The exhibition will open Sept. 1 and run through Oct. 28.
Sponsored by the Ohio Watercolor Society Inc., a nonprofit organization, this highly competitive juried show annually attracts hundreds of entries from Ohioans. Of 341 works by 198 artists, 74 have been chosen.
Gospel dinner-concert
HARTVILLE -- Hartville Kitchen will host a Southern Gospel dinner-concert Aug. 17 with Ivan Parker.
Parker was voted Favorite Lead Vocalist by the readers of The Singing News magazine six times and Favorite Male Vocalist eight times.
Reserve seating is $32 and general seating is $27. Ticket price includes meal. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at the Hartville Kitchen offices or by calling (330) 877-9353.
ArtFest approaches
ALLIANCE -- The 42nd annual ArtFest will be held July 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Campus Lakes at Mount Union College.
Sponsored by the Alliance Art Center, Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce and Mount Union College, ArtFest features original works by area artists in various mediums including watercolor, oil, acrylic, ceramics, fine crafts and other media from photography to printmaking. More than 40 artists will have works on display and for sale.
For more information, call the Office of Public Affairs and Marketing at (330) 823-6063.
Crafters, demonstratorssought for Harvest Days
NEGLEY -- Beaver Creek State Park and its volunteers are inviting crafters and demonstrators to Harvest Days at Beaver Creek Oct. 7 and 8 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Formerly known as Pioneer Craft Days, this year's event will include activities and venues all weekend long. Highlights include a 5K run, rubber ducky race, photo contest and numerous children's activities.
Space rental fee is $50 for both days. Crafts and fine art must be handcrafted, and public demonstrations of your craft are strongly encouraged. Applications can be picked up at the Pioneer Village, Wildlife Education Center and the main office at Beaver Creek State Park or by calling Todd Metz at (330) 402-6906 or Becky Jones at (330) 549-3438. The application deadline is Sept 1.
Historic train rides
HARTVILLE -- The Lake Township Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with The Midwest Railway Preservation Society and the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, will offer train rides from the historic downtown Hartville Railroad Depot on Aug. 19. President William McKinley rode the same line, making his stop at the Hartville Depot while attending board meetings at Congress Lake.
There will be three passenger cars and a caboose running eight 45-minute excursions. The first run will begin at 9:30 a.m., and the last run will be at 4:30 p.m., and the runs will alternate northbound and southbound from the Hartville Depot. Tickets are on sale now at Hartville Hardware, Hartville Chocolate Factory, Maple Street Gallery (in the Hartville Depot) and J & amp;B Auto Service in Uniontown. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children (under 12). All caboose tickets are $15. Babies in laps ride free.
New this year will be the addition of vendor tables. Spaces are available at $25 per day. Call the chamber for more information at (330) 877-5500.