Out and About is your guide to upcoming events in and around the Riverbank area.
Mississippi rock band 3 Doors Down will perform at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto on Sunday, Jan. 21 at 7 p.m., bringing the Central Valley a very intimate Acoustic Back Porch Jam. This tour is an acoustic translation of the band’s hits. They will play fan favorites like “Kryptonite,” “It’s Not My Time,” and “I Don’t Want to Know.” The tour began this month and will continue through February.
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The Riverbank Library Book Club will meet on Tuesday, Jan. 23 at 4 p.m. to discuss In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Library book clubs provide an opportunity for community members to expand their knowledge of books through meaningful discussion with others. Children can enjoy a straw rockets craft on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 3:30 p.m. Crafters will make straw rockets and test them out to see how far the rockets can fly. Craft programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Riverbank Library. For more information, contact the Riverbank Library branch supervisor, Victoria Holt, at (209) 869-7008.
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TOPS, Take Off Pounds Sensibly, meets every week on Mondays at 9 a.m. at Community United Methodist Church in Oakdale, 1480 Poplar. Visitors are always welcome and the first meeting is free. For more information, contact Audrey Oliver at 209-765-7838. TOPS is an affordable, nonprofit, weight-loss support and wellness education organization where members learn about nutrition, portion control, food planning, exercise, motivation and more.
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The local REO Speechtrain Toastmasters Club gathers for regular meetings every Wednesday morning, 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 a.m., at Perko’s Cafe, Patterson and Oakdale roads, Riverbank. This is a fun way to learn the self-confidence and skills needed for public speaking. All are invited to come and check out the group. The next meeting will be Wednesday, Jan. 24. For more information, call (209) 869-8200.
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Golden Agers weekly dances are open to those 50 and older from throughout the Central Valley at the Riverbank Community Center. Doors open Wednesdays at 9 a.m.; the center is at 3600 Santa Fe St., and first time guests are admitted free. The annual membership fee is $12 and each Wednesday members pay $5 and non-members can enjoy a few hours of music and dancing for $6.
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Come enjoy the 29th Annual Spaghetti Dinner served up by the Escalon United Methodist Church, with the meal set for Saturday, Jan. 27, served from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. All you can eat Spaghetti Dinner includes spaghetti with meat sauce, salad with Italian dressing, garlic French bread, ice cream cup dessert and punch or coffee to drink. Take-out dinners available as well. Tickets are $8 for adults; children 5-12 $4; under 5 eat for free. Escalon United Methodist Church is at Highway 120 at Brayton Avenue, Escalon.
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The annual Riverbank Community Awards Banquet, usually held in late January or early February, has been moved back to March this year, according to members of the Citizen of the Year Committee. In years past, Committee members have begun the selection process by making their announcement in early November, with a submission deadline in mid-December. Almost yearly, however, busy holiday schedules have made postponements necessary. This year, the group hopes to eliminate that stress by moving the entire schedule back. The nomination deadline is now Jan. 31 at 5 p.m.; call 209-863-7153 for more information or to purchase tickets to the dinner.
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Howard Training Center’s 24th Annual Crab Fest 2018 will be held on Friday, Feb. 2 and Saturday, Feb. 3. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and dinner is served at 6:30 p.m. and reservations are required. There is a no host bar and there will be live music performed by Livin’ starting at 9 p.m. Door and raffle prizes as well as an auction and silent auction will take place at the event as well. All the proceeds will support HTC programs and participants. For those that do not delight in crab, there will be tri-tip on the menu this year as a dining option. For tickets and more information call 209-593-5618 or email HTC.Events@howardtrainingcenter.com.
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The First Tee of Central Valley has announced its 2018 Program Schedule. Clinics offering Life Skill and golf instruction for youth ages 6-17 are set to begin on Monday, March 19 at eight golf facilities in four counties. Lessons will focus on the fundamentals of golf as well as The First Tee Healthy Habits and Nine Core Values. The community is invited to an Open House at Modesto Muni golf course on Saturday, Feb. 3 from 10 am to noon. For more information, go to www.thefirstteecentralvalley.org or call Cathy Mendoza, Executive Director, at 209-485-3915.
