Soup Samples Benefit Habitat for Humanity
Cookin’ to Build, held from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4, at the Murfreesboro Civic Plaza, will offer an opportunity for those wanting to support Habitat for Humanity. Visitors can purchase a one-of-a-kind bowl, hand painted at The Pottery Place by community residents of all ages, for $15 and enjoy unlimited chili, soup and stew as well as drinks and desserts.
Booths representing local organizations and Habitat supporters will cook their favorite dishes. Also, The Flea Market Hustlers will perform.
All proceeds benefit Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity. For more information, call (615) 890-5877.

Gazing to the Heavens
First Friday Star Parties, presented by the MTSU department of physics and astronomy, continue this semester, with the next installment beginning at 6:30 p.m., Nov. 4. Dr. John Wallin will discuss his work contributing to Galaxy Zoo, a site that brings together scientists and amateur astronomers from all over and users masses of people to help classify “astronomical” amounts of astronomy data.
The First Friday events at MTSU meet in room 102 of Wiser-Patten Science Hall and after an opening lecture move to the MTSU Observatory outdoor telescope.
For more information, call (615) 898-2130.

Keltons Holds Fall Family Fest
Kelton’s Hardware and Pet Store will hold its first ever Fall Family Fest at its location at 2870 Old Fort Pkwy. on Saturday, Nov. 5, from 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Everyone will receive one professional family photo from Kristin Leisman Photography, free hot dogs and Coke, free pet product samples, free face painting and balloons and access to the free dog wash. NutriSource and PureVita, both providers of natural and organic pet foods, will be on-site to provide free samples.
The store will offer several sales for customers as well, buy one gallon of paint, get one for $1; 29 percent off everything you can fit into a five-gallon bucket and more.
For more information, call (615) 893-5125 or visit keltonsinc.com.

Confucius Say, Watch Chinese Film
MTSU’s free Sunday-night Chinese Film Festival series continues through Nov. 13 courtesy of the College of Mass Communication and the Confucius Institute.
Each movie will begin at 6 p.m. in Room 103 of the John Bragg Mass Communication Building. Following each movie, Liu Jue, a mass-comm master’s degree candidate, will lead a question-and-answer session.
All movies in the series have English subtitles and are free and open to the public.
A post-Cultural Revolution family in Beijing struggles over 30 years with their relationships in the changing Chinese society in Sunflower, the Nov. 6 film at MTSU.
On Nov. 13, Still Life depicts two people’s desperate search for their respective spouses before a town is destroyed to build a Yangtze River dam.
This is the festival’s 13th semester. For more information, call Spires at (615) 898-2217 or (615) 494-8696.

Youngsters can Encounter Animals
The City of Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department presents programs each week that allow local children to get up close to various animals.
Saturdays, Nov. 12, 19 and 26, all ages can look at a different animals, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Wilderness Station at Barfield Park. These sessions are free to attend.
On Wednesdays, beginning at 9:30 a.m., toddlers age 1–4 learn to play and sing, and take home crafts with nature themes. Reservations are required for these and are $3.
At 10:30 a.m. a program geared for older kids, ages 3–6, Growing Up Wild explores nature to foster an interest and appreciation of wildlife and the natural world.
For more information, call (615) 217-3017.

Feast Fearlessly
Are you already thinking about the extra pounds you’ll put on during the holiday season? Linebaugh Public Library will host Tracy Wilson’s talk about “Fearless Feasting: Eat Mindfully & Joyfully during the Holidays” on Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. Wilson, a licensed Thai massage therapist and health coach, will provide practical strategies (in this time of national focus on obesity and related health risks), to help stop emotional eating and yo-yo dieting. Enter the holiday season with the right attitude toward food and feasting.
Wilson will be speaking in the upstairs Reading Room of the library. This event is free and open to the public.
Linebaugh Public Library is located at 105 W. Vine St., Murfreesboro. For more information, call (615) 893-4131 or visit linebaugh.org.

Ride ‘Em!
The Volunteer Ranch Horse Association will sponsor a competition in Murfreesboro including a variety of categories including roping, cutting, sorting, ranch riding and more.
All owners of ranch-type horses are invited to participate in this friendly but competitive atmosphere.
The competitions will be at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum, 304 W. Thompson Lane.
For more information, contact sarah.d.smith@att.net or (615) 438-8611.

Author Suma Clark Celebrates MTSU Centennial
Middle Tennessee State University officially began on Monday, September 11, 1911, with 18 faculty members and 125 students. Traditions of Excellence, by Suma M. Clark, describes the opening ceremony of the new normal school, the first in the state. The students “wanted to be something in this world.” The staff knew their mission—to establish standards or “norms” for teachers while appeasing politicians who opposed the effort.
At the upstairs Reading Room at Linebaugh Public Library on Tuesday, November 15, at 7 p.m., Suma Clark will share some of the many stories and special moments presented in this commemorative work. She will have copies of her book for sale and signing. Clark’s talk will coincide with Linebaugh’s hosting of a display provided by MTSU for the entire month of November. The display will be housed in the Reading Room.
Linebaugh Public Library is located at 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro.

Selebrity Spelling Bee
Ernest Burgess, Sam Tune, Tony Dover, Barb Ford, Vincent Windrow, Leslie Akins, Gloria LaRoche, Steve Peterson, Kristin Demos, Senna Mosley, Mitchell Murphree, Toby Gilley and Gayle Ray will all spell publicly on Nov. 15 at Patterson Park Community Center as part of the 2011 All-Star Celebrity Bee to benefit Read To Succeed.
Tickets also include dinner, catered by Five Senses, at 6 p.m., with the spelling bee following at 7 p.m.
Read To Succeed says “Literacy Matters!” and its many local programs include Reading in the Schools Day, Reading Rally, Express Yourself High School Arts Conference, One Book Community Read, UNPLUG & Read, Imagination Station, Families That Read, Succeed, Read To Bee, and the Read To Succeed Adult Literacy tutoring program. Visit readtosucceed.org for more information or to volunteer.
For more information on the event, visit celebritybee.readtosucceed.org.

Strings at Central Magnet School
Central Magnet School Strings presents Autumn Revelries at 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 17.
The program includes music by American composers performed in honor of veterans in addition to winter-themed music as the days are becoming colder. Central Magnet is located at 701 E. Main St.
Donations of $3 are welcomed to help purchase music, strings and bows for the students.

Support Sorority’s Scholarships
The Rutherford County Alumnae Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority presents the Crimson & Cream Ball, An Evening of Elegance, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19, at Doubletree Hotel, 1850 Old Fort Parkway, Murfreesboro.
Everyone is invited to come out and have a ball with the Ladies of Delta Sigma Theta at this formal occasion benefiting its local scholarship fund.
For more information, call (615) 202-9639.

Mark’s Merry Mission Marketplace
Merry Mission Marketplace, held from 6–8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov 30, at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, will feature gifts including hand-crafted silver lamps, bird-feeders, quilts and jewelry made by local artists, custom-designed clothing and bags, premium pecans, bath and body products, Christmas ornaments, cookbooks, fair-trade coffee and more.
Proceeds from the sale benefit non-profit organizations including Thistle Farms, The Franklin County Adult Activity Center, The Alzheimer’s Association, The Lions Club, 147 Million Orphans, and other agencies. International fair-trade retailer, Ten Thousand Villages, will have a large booth at the event. For more information, call (615) 895-1803.