Highland Around Town - March 13 edition
Noon Friday, March 15, is the deadline to appear in next week’s “Around Town” listing. We must receive your event in writing with a contact phone number for questions. Submissions will be edited and appear in the week before the event date.
Send event info via email to lifestyle@bnd.com. Questions, call Jennifer Green at 618-239-2643.
Wednesday, March 13 thru Sunday, May 5
▪ ‘Animals Aglow’ Lantern Festival — 6:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis. The first-ever Animals Aglow lantern festival will bring a dazzling spectacle of lights to the Saint Louis Zoo. More than 60 larger-than-life Chinese lanterns and interactive light displays in the shape of plants and wildlife will illuminate paths throughout the Zoo in this nighttime event. Guests can stroll through the Chinese Dragon Corridor tunnel, pose with dozens of giant glowing animals and play with interactive displays like the Moonlight Swings or color-changing Star Stepping Pads. For tickets and information: stlzoo.org/animals-aglow.
Friday, March 15
▪ Aviston Legion Fish Fry — 4:30-7 p.m. American Legion Post 1239, 601 S. Clinton, Aviston. Cod (baked or fried), catfish, shrimp, hush puppies, chicken strips, fries, baked potato, slaw, applesauce. Dine-in and carryout. 618-228-7311 or avistonlegion.com.
Saturday, March 16
▪ Tri-Township Library Book Sale — 9 a.m. to noon. Tri-Township Library, 209 S. Main St., Troy. Book donations accepted during the sale and on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. 618-667-2133.
Sunday, March 17
▪ Spring Equinox Sunrise Observance — 6:30 a.m. Meet at Woodhenge, 30 Ramey St., Collinsville. Meet at the center pole of the Woodhenge Reconstruction on site, just west of Monks Mound, by 6:30 a.m. There will be a 30-minute discussion focused on the discovery, function, and significance of this Pre-Columbian structure. Out of respect for Native American Cultures, no ceremonies will be conducted at this event. This event is open to the public with free admission and parking.
▪ Aviston American Legion Spring Pork Sausage and Roast Beef Dinner — 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aviston American Legion, 601 S. Clinton, Aviston. The menu includes whole-hog pork sausage, roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy, sauerkraut, green beans, applesauce and dessert. Carryout made to order with sit-down dining space available. 618-228-7311.
▪ Friedens Sausage & Kraut Dinner — 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friedens United Church of Christ, 207 E. Center, Troy. Menu includes grilled pork sausage, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sauerkraut and dessert. No substitutions, items available while they last. Cost: $15 per dinner. Drive-thru only. No bulk sausage will be sold until the end of the event. 618-667-6535 or friedens@friedensucc-troy.org.
Wednesday, March 20
▪ World Water Day Photo Contest 2024 Gallery Night — 5-7 p.m. Jerry F. Costello Field Station, 1 Confluence Way, Alton. Photographers of all skill levels from across the region submitted photos from October 2023 through February 2024, and the top-scoring photos will be on display for attendees. The exhibition is a platform for hobbyists and experts to share their captivating views of life along the river. The open-house style event will include a small reception at 5:30 p.m. There will be light refreshments, a cash bar with a selection of wines, and some light fare for visitors to enjoy while taking in the beauty of the exhibit. Free and open to the public. Event info and registration: https://bit.ly/NGRRECPhotoExhibit.
Other area happenings
▪ Giordano Dance Chicago — 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23. Hettenhausen Center for the Arts, 400 N. Alton St., Lebanon. For 60 seasons, Giordano Dance Chicago has served as a prime example of a company that can simultaneously revel in the past and the present. Considered jazz dance royalty, the electrifying performers of America’s original jazz dance company invariably run on high-octane fuel and generate a similarly high-powered response from their audience. For tickets and info: thehett.com
▪ ‘Solar Eclipses in North American Indian History & Prehistory’ — 1 p.m. Saturday, March 30. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Iseminger Auditorium, 30 Ramey St., Collinsville. Archaeologist Rusty Weisman will give a free lecture to discuss the upcoming solar eclipse as well as solar eclipses visible across the North American Landscape during the last 1,000 years. The lecture is by RSVP only due to space limitations: cahokiamounds.org/eclipselecture or 618-346-5160.
▪ 74th annual Belle-Scott Enlisted Dinner — 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 3. St. Clair Country Club, 100 S. 78th St., Belleville. Cash bar at 6 p.m.; dinner and program 6:30 p.m. The event is in honor of the men and women of Scott Air Force Base. Tickets: $125 - includes sponsoring dinner for attendees and one enlisted member; $50 for military members of the Belle-Scott Committee. Register by Thursday, March 21. 618-233-2015 or https://bit.ly/48op8GI
▪ Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site Trivia Night & Silent Auction — 7 p.m. Saturday, April 6. Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site, Interpretive Center Lobby, 30 Ramey St., Collinsville. Doors open at 6 p.m. Evening includes the silent auction, mulligans, 50/50 raffle, used book sale. Cost: $20 per person or $150 for a table of up to 10. This event supports the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society (CMMS) and the Powell Archaeological Research Center (PARC). For reservations: 618-344-7316 or cahokiamounds.org/trivia24.
* * *
Volunteers Needed for Carlyle Lake Christmas Tree Recycling/Fish Habitat Improvement Project
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Carlyle Lake is seeking volunteers to assist with the annual spring Christmas tree recycling/fish habitat improvement project being held Saturday, March 16. The event will take place at the Keyesport Boat Ramp, starting at 8 a.m.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees have collected more than 300 Christmas trees that were discarded after the holiday season. These trees will be used to form fish reef structures in Carlyle Lake, which will provide breeding areas and protection for young fish. The structures also encourage growth of algae and zooplankton, two sources of food for young fish. Recycled Christmas trees make inexpensive and effective habitat for all types of fish.
Volunteers are needed to assist with the placement of the trees, helping Park Rangers build tree reefs, or by supplying boats to place the trees in the lake. These contributions will help improve the fish habitat at Carlyle Lake and ensure better fishing opportunities in the future.
For more information on this project, or if you would like to volunteer, contact the Carlyle Lake Project Office at 618-594-2484, ext. 2, or email at carlylelake@usace.army.mil.
