• Another exciting weekend coming up for Indianapolis. Dig-IN at White River State Park, the last weekend of IndyFringe, the Feast of Lanterns, and much more. Remember when people used to call it Indiana-No-Place?
• Speaking of the Feast of Lanterns, Emerson Heights neighbors are having a cookie sale at the Feast, with proceeds going to maintenance of the neighborhood entrance columns on Emerson and Michigan. Who doesn’t love cookies . . . and helping out our neighbors?
• Fortville resident R. Brian Robbins has just published a new fantasy novel, Curse of the Jack O’Lantern, published by Tate Publishing. The book is available online at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
• The 6th Annual Friends of the Poor Walk will be held Sept. 28 at Washington Park, 3130 E. 30th St. across from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul food pantry. Registration begins at 9 a.m. Along the route of the walk, there will be four stops providing information about poverty, a prayer to end poverty and hunger, and actions people can take to make a difference. Proceeds go to support the food pantry. For more information, visit www.svdpusa.net/fop/. Paper registration is available at the distribution center, 1201 E. Maryland St. and the food pantry at 3001 E. 30th St.
• The Indianapolis Symphonic Band will perform their third outdoor band concert at Fort Harrison State Park on Aug. 24 at 7:30 p.m. until 8:15 p.m. at the park sledding hill. The 45 minute concert will feature popular music from such noted composers such Anderson, Sousa, Mancini, Williams and others. The concert is free, but the normal IDNR $5 gate fee applies.
• Beech Grove Safety Day is on Aug. 24 from 9 a.m.-1 a.m. at Sarah T. Bolton Park. The Beech Grove Professional Firefighters Association hosts this special event. See fire trucks, ambulances, and many more vehicles, and get to know the first responders.
• Greenfield hosts a Sister Cities 5K Run/Walk on Aug. 24 on the Pennsy Trail in the heart of the city. Proceeds go to support the Sister Cities delegates. Registration is at 7:30 a.m., run begins at 9:15 a.m. Visit www.sistercitiesofgreenfield.org for more information and registration online. Meet at the Sister Cities of Greenfield Pagoda, 111 S. Pennsylvania St. in Greenfield.
• It will be a busy weekend for the many book lovers on the east side. The Benton House Book Sale Aug. 23-25, and two great events at Bookmamas. On Aug. 23, the book launch for Angela Eden’s memoir If You Were Me, at 2 p.m., on Aug. 25 at 1:30 p.m. Bernard DeKoven launches his book The Well-Played Game. After this weekend, you’ll need to get more bookshelves — or consider building an addition to the house for all your new treasures.