Sunday, June 10
Help a friend in need
A benefit for Roger Torrey and his family will be on Sunday starting at noon at the Cassadaga American Legion, 228 Maple Ave., Cassadaga. The benefit consists of an all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner, DJ for music, Chinese auction, raffles and 50/50 drawing. Torrey was diagnosed with gastric stomach cancer in January and is receiving treatment from Roswell Cancer Institute. For more information, call Jana Potter at 785-4009.
Strawberries, strawberries, strawberries
It's Strawberry Festival time at Merritt Estate Winery, 2264 King Road, Forestville. The Strawberry Festival is a celebration of the area's strawberry harvest featuring fresh strawberry shortcake, chocolate dipped strawberries and Strawberry Festival wine. Enjoy live music, food, wine, wine slush, beer, craft vendors, water dunk tank and a carnival game. There will also be raffles for a Chevy Camaro and a Harley Davidson Kids and Cancer Bike. For the kids, there will be a bounce house and fire truck. This year's festival will raise money for the WNY Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to fund research for a cure for Type 1 diabetes. There will be appearances from John Tavares of the Buffalo Bandits throughout the fest. For more information, visit www.merrittestatewinery.com/straw-festival or call 888-965-4800.
Celebrate Juneteenth
The Juneteenth 2012 Celebration will be at the Chautauqua County Fairgrounds in Dunkirk on Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10 starting at noon both days. This a free event to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation. On Saturday there will be health and wellness vendors, African Dance Troupe of Buffalo, Dunkirk High School Jazz Band, ice cream eating contest, video arcade, crafts, party bouncers, auction and Familiar Spirit of Erie, Penn. On Sunday there will be a Gospel Service at noon and then Gospel Fest including Ladies Elite, New Gospel Sounds, Harmonizers of Faith and Backwood Travelers.
Tuesday, June 12
Nature walk
Walk with a naturalist at the Jamestown Audubon Center and Sanctuary on Tuesday, June 12 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. No reservations are required. Just show up and join a naturalist for a morning walk to see what's happening on the trails at Audubon. The topics will depend on what nature provides and what the naturalist notices. The cost is $5 for members and $7 for non-members. For more information, call 569-2345 or visit www.jamestownaudubon.org.
Wednesday, June 13
History at lunch
The Jamestown Audubon's Brown Bag Lecture Series continues on Wednesday, June 13 with a discussion about an important part of Jamestown's history. Meet at the Fenton Mansion during the lunch hour from noon to 1 p.m. Donations are encouraged.
Thursday, June 14
Anna Bolena
Live at the Met Summer Encore Series presents Anna Bolena at the Fredonia Opera House at 6:30 p.m. Anna Netrebko opened the Met's 2011-12 season with her portrayal of the ill-fated queen driven insane by her unfaithful king, singing one of opera's greatest mad scenes. David McVicar's Met premiere production also stars Ekaterina Gubanova as her rival, Jane Seymour, and Ildar Abdrazakov as Henry VIII. For information, call 679-1891 or visit www.fredopera.org.
Flag Day
Come celebrate Flag Day at the Dunkirk Historical Light House on Thursday, June 14 at 6 p.m. This event and ceremony is presented by the Dunkirk Elks No. 922. There will be refreshments served at the Elks Club after the service.
Friday, June 15
ArtParty
Jamestown Community College's Weeks Gallery, in collaboration with LakeArts Film Festival, will present an ArtParty on Friday, June 15. The ArtParty reception celebrates the opening of the Lake Arts Film Festival's Politics Goes to the Movies programs and the Weeks Gallery exhibition of Barbara Proud's "First Comes Love: Radical Spirits, Civil Rights and the Sexual Evolution." The ArtParty begins at 6 p.m. with the opening of Proud's exhibit. Zili Misik, an all-female, Afro-Caribbean band, will perform at 7:15 p.m. The reception begins at 8:30 p.m. and includes hors d'oeuvres and wine and beer tasting. General admission tickets are $15, premium seating is $25 and student and faculty tickets are $10. Call the box office at 338-1187. For more information, visit lakeartsfoundation.org or weeksgallery.sunyjcc.edu.
Saturday, June 16
The war close to home
Pulitzer Prize winning author and historian Dr. Alan Taylor will speak on Saturday, June 16 at 1 p.m. at the Dunkirk Lighthouse as part of the Chautauqua County Historical Society's 2012 lecture series. He will be discussing the War of 1812, which was chosen because of the 200th anniversary of the war and its connection to local history. One of the first moments of action of the war is believed to have taken place less than a mile to the west of the lighthouse. This event is free and open to the public.
Find a bargain
The Forestville Community Yard Sale will be on Saturday, June 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Maps will be available downtown. Sign up as soon as possible at Cave's Market or Evans Bank if interesting in holding a sale. For more information, call Carol at 965-2675.
