FYI

Carpatho-Rusyn group will present fall Vatra

BOARDMAN

The Carpatho-Rusyn Society’s annual fall Vatra, a bonfire festival, will take place Sept. 15, beginning at noon, on the grounds of Infant Jesus of Prague Byzantine Catholic Church, 7754 South Ave. The Vatra is a Slavic tradition celebrated in the Carpathian Mountains, especially in eastern Slovakia.

Admission is free. The kitchen will be open until 8 p.m., offering homemade Slavic food, including slanina, or smoked bacon, for roasting on the fire and eating with diced tomatoes and peppers on rye bread; stuffed cabbage, pierogi, haluski, kielbasa, vinegar cucumber and sweet onion salad and more.

The event will include genealogical material, including villages maps to trace your ancestors’ roots, and ethnic sales tables with items that reflect the Rusyn and Slovak heritage.

The bonfire will burn into the evening with music, singing and dancing. Slavic folk musicians Dean Poloka, Tom Katrenich, Bob Barko and Company will perform.

Laurel Tambozzi, director of the Eastern European Congress of Ohio, will be the mistress of ceremonies.

There will be a Byzantine Catholic Divine Liturgy at the church at 6 p.m.

For information, call Jim Basista at 330-544-0107 or Robert Demoko at 330 719-4418.

YMCA Spin-A-Thon at Kennedy Square

New Castle, PA

The New Castle Community YMCA is taking its stationary Spin Bikes for a ride in the great outdoors at the third annual Spin-A-Thon fundraiser, which will take place Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the fountain at Kennedy Square, downtown.

More than two dozen Spin Bikes will be in use, and participants will enjoy a festive atmosphere, complete with a DJ, instructors and a local radio station broadcast. Refreshments will be provided for participants.

“The goal is to bring the community together for a fun and engaging event that raises money to help local children,” said Jessica Seminara-Tomczyk, campaign chairperson. “Thanks to the money raised through the Youth Campaign, the Y is able to help thousands of local kids by offering a free lunch program, free swim lessons, program and membership scholarships and other initiatives.”

Individuals and teams are invited to spin for their choice of 30, 60 or 90 minutes. The cost is $40 for 30 minutes, $70 for 60 minutes or $95 for 90 minutes.

Spin sessions start every half hour beginning at 9 a.m. Local businesses are also encouraged to sponsor teams of up to six. Registration is available online at NCYMCA.org or in person at the downtown Y at 20 W. Washington St.

Participants must be 16 years of age or older and medically cleared to exercise. Spinners should wear sneakers and suitable work-out clothing; company or team logos are encouraged.

For information, go to ncymca.org. To register, contact Michelle Swogger at mswogger@ncymca.org or call 724-658-4766.

Lamppost Farm fest with hayrides, cider

COLUMBIANA

Lamppost Farm, 14900 Market St. will present a Fall Festival on Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“We’re inviting the community celebrate the final harvest of the season the way farmers across the globe have done for centuries,” said Steve Montgomery, Lamppost spokesman, “with deep thanks, great food, good music and lots of fun activities for folks of all ages.”

The free event will feature apple cider pressing and apple butter churning; hayrides; a straw climbing tower; yard games and disc golf; educational workshops; live entertainment; and cob-over pizza and grilled meats for purchase.

The Farm Store will be open throughout the event, offering homemade apple butter and cider, as well as high-quality grass-fed/pastured meat and poultry products, Lamppost signature T-shirts and works by local artisans.

Sponsor opportunities are available. For information, call 330-531-4240, stop by the store or go to Lamppostfarm.com.

Lecture on the history of travel at museum

WARREN

Victorian Collections and Coffee, the annual fall lecture series of the Sutliff Museum, will begin Sept. 15 at 9:30 a.m. with a presentation on the history of travel. The speaker will be Mark Holbrook of the Marion Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. Not so long ago, few people traveled far from home. Vacations and travel for leisure were either unaffordable or impractical. New technologies and shifting perspectives on work and leisure changed that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the presentation will explore those changes.

The lecture will take place on the second floor of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library. For information, call 330-395-6575.