Written by: Amanda Blake
In two weeks, Southern Adventist University students will pack their bags and begin leaving Collegedale for summer break. Although the university campus might grow quieter as spring winds down, the city will not.
Since the Accent is not regularly active during the summer, the student newspaper researched and contacted local event organizers to learn more about what is happening in the City of Collegedale in the upcoming months.
Library Events
In a phone interview with the Accent, Collegedale Public Library assistant director Sarah Richardson described the library’s upcoming events.
Next week, the library will organize two activities related to Earth Day. First, it plans to partner with Collegedale’s Parks and Recreation Department on Monday to perform a park cleanup. On Tuesday, the library will host an Earth Day origami workshop. These events can be viewed on the library’s online calendar.
Several of the institution’s May events, however, have not yet appeared on the calendar. One such activity, family bingo, is scheduled for May 7 in the Collegedale Municipal Building’s West Room.
“Family bingo is very, very popular,” Richardson said. “We normally have around 100 people who come for it. It’s really competitive, [with] lots of cool prizes. We love to see families come out for that.”
The next day, the library plans to launch its salsa garden by allowing kids to plant produce onsite. Later in the summer, the library will host an event on how to make salsa from ingredients grown in the garden.
“We have a garden almost every year. I don’t know that we’ve ever done a follow-up event where we’ve done some sort of cooking,” Richardson said, “so this is kind of an exciting first for us.”
On May 23, the library plans to host a Disney-themed trivia night for families. Then, the library will launch its big summer book sale on the following Monday, May 27. On June 7 and 8, shoppers can fill a large paper bag with any books, audio books, or magazines they select from the sale. Each bag, regardless of its contents, will cost $6.
Starting May 29, community members can register for the library’s annual reading challenge for kids, teens and adults. This summer, to celebrate the challenge theme “Adventure Begins at Your Library,” various sections of the building will be decorated as distinct biomes, such as the ocean, desert and forest.
Those who complete the first phase of the challenge, 20 days of reading (or listening to) a book for at least 20 minutes, can claim a prize and pick out a book at the library. They can also enter their name in a prize raffle. Completion of the challenge a second time yields another entry in the raffle. In the past, the library has partnered with local businesses to provide quality raffle prizes, such as Amazon Fire tablets and tickets to activities including bowling, skating or the zoo.
In both June and July, Creature Features, a local organization emphasizing the educational value of interacting with animals, will visit the library. Pre-registered visitors will be able to meet a collared peccary named “Tortilla,” as well as a wallaby.
“I’m really excited to see Creature Features again,” Richardson said. “They came this past year and brought their baby kangaroo. It was really exciting … just seeing the kids and families light up, getting to experience being with the animals. That’s really a lot of fun.”
For the first time ever, the library will host a murder mystery date night on July 30 in the West Room. An outside organization will orchestrate the occasion and transform the event space, and participants are encouraged to dress up. Admission, handled by Parks and Recreation, will cost $5.
“We’re going to have kiddos in one space, doing a movie, hanging out,” Richardson explained, “and then we’re going to have parents in another area participating in a murder mystery party. … We really see a need in our community for events that cater to both [adults and kids]. We’re going to try something like this for the first time, and I think it’s going to be a really big hit.”
Those interested in learning more about upcoming events at the library are welcome to grab a printed calendar from the library’s front desk or view the library’s online calendar. According to Richardson, however, the most up-to-date event information can be found on the library’s Facebook page.
She added that community members do not need a library card to participate in library events. However, the institution will be offering $5 library cards this summer.
“In the past it’s been $10,” she said, “but this year we received money from the county in order to lower the library card rates. That [reduced rate] for our summer card will start June 1 and will go all the way through Aug. 31.”
Markets at The Commons
The Commons in Collegedale is a cultural and recreational center, as well as a private event venue, that regularly hosts farmer’s markets and vendors.
According to a text response to an Accent inquiry, The Commons plans to host six public events from May to September: Mother’s Day Market on May 11, Healthy Taste Vegan Food Expo on May 19, Ready for Summer Market on May 24, Freedom Festival (including music, food and fireworks) on July 3, Summer Market on Aug. 17 and Ready for Fall Market on Sept. 14. Each event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and information about events at The Commons can be found on its Facebook page.
Church Events
The Accent tried contacting each church located in Collegedale by phone and email.
The Collegedale Korean Seventh-day Adventist Church responded by email, stating: “We are a very active church, and so week by week we are planning new activities and events that people can join. But all our public events are put onto our online calendar: cksda.church/calendar.”
The church added that each Saturday it provides a potluck, and a post-collegiate group meets at 2:30 p.m. in its parking lot to go hiking, weather permitting.
Rosa Ashley, church secretary for Collegedale Community Church, also sent an email, stating that the church’s online calendar, found on its website, contains information about upcoming events. However, Ashley highlighted two events: a Vacation Bible School held from June 3-8 and a 4th of July social held on July 3.
