■ The ninth annual Annandale High School Fourscore and More Reunion begins at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, at Camp Friendship. The event is for all Annandale graduates from the 1930s to 1953. Guests are welcome. For more information, call Gladys Logeais Stuhr at 274-5513 or Pat McAlpin at 763-862-1747.
■ The Annandale Kiwanis Club will meet at noon on Thursday, Oct. 1, in the lower level at Southbrook. Paul Downer of the Annandale Advocate will speak about small town newspaper work. All are invited.
■ The Minnesota Highway Safety Center will be offering a 55-plus driver improvement course from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 1 and 2, at the Buffalo Presbyterian Church, 507 County Road 134. This is an eight-hour first time course. There is a fee. Those age 55 and older who complete the course qualify for a 10-percent discount on their auto insurance premiums for three years. For more information or to register, see www.mnsafetycenter.org or call 1-888-234-1294 toll free.
■ The Annandale Farmers Market runs from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Oct. 3, at City Hall Square. This is the final market date of the season.
■ The Timber Dash 5K Trail Run-Walk and Kids Fun Run is Saturday, Oct. 3, at Lake Maria State Park in Monticello. There are three events: the Kids K, the 5K run and the 5K walk. The day begins at 8 a.m. and all events will conclude by noon. Proceeds will held support the Wright County Crisis Nursery. For more information, call 763-878-2325 or see www.timberdash.com.
■ Zion Lutheran Church will host its annual Fall Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. Baked goods, crafts, quilts, white elephants, plants, garden produce and greeting cards will be featured. There will also be homemade pies and barbecues. All are invited.
■ Author and Kimball native Jackie Lea Sommers will visit the Kimball library at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. Sommers was the 2013 winner of the Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult Writing. "Truest," her first novel, was recently published by Harper Collins, and she is working on another novel scheduled for publication in 2017. Teens and adults are invited to hear Sommers talk about her journey as a writer. For more information, contact the library at 320-398-3915.
■ The Cokato Finnish American Historical Society’s annual Fall Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, at The Finnish Pioneer Park. This site is located at Temperance Corner, three miles north of Cokato on County Road 3. This event will celebrate 150 years since the first Finnish settlers came to the Cokato area. An anniversary cake will be served at 10:30 a.m. The program at noon will feature speaker Dave Bajari of French Lake. The historical buildings will be open. There will be a craft and bake sale plus a raffle for several prizes. All are welcome.
■ Minnesota Pioneer Park is hosting the grand opening of the Gordon Memorial Library from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. All are welcome to come for the program, tour the library and enjoy refreshments. Door prizes will also be available. This is a free event.
■ An Artist Fair will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Annandale City Hall. Paintings, jewelry, drawings, photography and more will be on display. See the ad on page 8A.
■ A Red Cross blood drive will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, at T.O. Plastics, 830 County Road 75, in Clearwater. Call 1-800-733-2767 or visit redcrossblood.org to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood.
■ The Annandale History Club will meet at 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, at the Senior Dining Site in Annandale City Hall. Renee Logeais and Jean Skomoroh will tell the history and the present state of the Annandale Food Shelf. All are welcome to join for this interesting program.
■ CLA Estate Services will be hosting a free workshop for seniors on securing one’s estate and retirement planning from 2 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5, at Triple R Grill in Kimball, 37 Maus Dr. Guests will receive a workbook and gain useful information regarding the pros and cons of wills and trusts, how to avoid probate, long-term health care concerns and tax reduction planning. RSVP toll free to 1-866-252-8721.
■ Minnesota Pioneer Park will hold its monthly potluck at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6. The speaker will be from Can Do Canine, an organization that trains service dogs. The public is always invited to the potlucks, which are held the first Tuesday of every month beginning at 6:30 p.m. Guests can bring a dish to share or just come to hear the speaker.
■ Teens and adults are invited to a Genealogy for Beginners class from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Annandale library. Participants can use their own laptop, or one will be provided. Learn to start or expand your family tree using free library and Internet resources. Little or no experience necessary. Class size is limited to 10, and preregistration is required. Call 274-8448.
■ The Annandale baseball program’s second annual Three-Mile Run and Walk is scheduled for 8 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the high school. Participants can begin checking in at 6:30 a.m. There is a reduced price for those who register prior to race day at http://annandalebaseball3mile.zapevent.com. Refreshments and an awards ceremony will follow the race. Each top male and female finisher 39 and under, and the top male and female finishers 40 and over will get $25 Cardinal Cash. A free Gatorade squeeze bottle will be given to the first 50 entrants.
■ The Minnesota Highway Safety Center will be offering a 55-plus driver improvement course from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Star Bank of Maple Lake. This is a four-hour refresher course. There is a fee. Those age 55 and older who complete the course qualify for a 10-percent discount on their auto insurance premiums for three years if they have previously taken an eight-hour first time course. For more information or to register, see www.mnsafetycenter.org or call 1-888-234-1294 toll free.
■ If you or anyone you know is 60 or under and has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, you are welcome to join a group meeting the second Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Saron Lutheran Church in Big Lake. The next meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 13. Specific topics are scheduled along with an open forum. Caregivers welcome. No children please. Call Camille Johnson, 763-350-7401, for more information.
■ The Adoption Support Group will meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Monticello Community Center. The group meets the second Tuesday of each month. All adoptive and prospective adoptive parents from Wright and Sherburne counties are welcome. Child care is available. For more information, call 763-241-2602 or 763-684-2318.
■ The Wright County Lyme Support Group will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, in the Maple Room of Annandale Evangelical Free Church, located on Highway 55 East. The group meets the second Tuesday of the month. For more information, call pastor Art Stenberg at 763-682-3868.
List your community event in this update. Fax it to 274-2301 or e-mail it to news@annandaleadvocate.com.