• Want to help make the park even nicer? Volunteers are needed for the DIG-In Day at Ellenberger Park, 5301 E. St. Clair St., on June 28 from 9 a.m.-noon. The Friends of Ellenberger Park are organizing this to clear the weeds form around the park building. Bring your own pruners and lopers.
• This year’s Feast of Lanterns is in dire need of community support. The event is in jeopardy of cancellation due to a shortage of volunteers. The combination of a lack of volunteers and a lack of sponsor funding is a dramatic blow to the event and the NESCO Board and they are faced with a decision of canceling the event without these two critical pieces. To donate, write checks to the Englewood Christian Church with “NESCO Feast of Lanterns” in the memo and send to: NESCO, c/o Englewood Christian Church
57 N Rural St, Indianapolis, IN 46201. Please contact the Feast of Lanterns Project Manager Melissa Benton at melissa@nearindy.org or call 296-5444 for information on how to help sponsor this East side tradition.
• Irvington United Methodist Church, 30 N. Audubon Rd., will hold its annual Strawberry Festival and Patriotic Concert on June 29. Festivities will feature strawberry shortcake ($4 for “the works”; children 12 and under, $3) served from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on the church lawn. A free patriotic concert, with the Irvington Festival Chorus and handbells, will follow at 4:30 in the sanctuary.
• The Warren Library will have a showing of the wildly popular Frozen (PG) on June 25 at 2 p.m. Free tickets are available on the day of the showing at the Circulation Desk. The library is located at 9701 E. 21st St.
• Speaking of the library, there will be a Bonus Friends Night Booksale on June 27 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Friends of the Library are invited for a special opportunity to purchase new and used books and other items at discount prices. Proceeds support library programs and services through The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation. The sale will be at the Library Services Center, 2450 N. Meridian St. You can become a Friend of the Library that evening as well.
• Did you know that the Signature Food contest for the Indiana State Fair is going on now until July 6 (and no, judging is not open to the public, nice try). The food theme this year is “Reconstructed/Deconstructed” in keeping with the “Year of the Coliseum” theme of this year’s fair. The State Fair Queen Alyssa Garnett, IUPUI Head Basketball Coach Jason Gardner, Jolene Ketzenberger, and other celebs will be noshing and judging. Voting begins June 23 and ends July 6. Visit www.indianastatefair.com for more information.
• The Poets Laureate of Lawrence series continues on June 24 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Lawrence Art Center, 4437 N. Franklin Rd. This month’s poet is Mary Sexson, an award-winning poet. Admission is free.