Kent-area community calendar | Oct. 18

Events

Recycling Collection: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 20, Hogan Park, 24400 Russell Road, Kent. The city of Kent’s annual fall recycling collection event. Appliances, scrap metal, electronic waste, batteries, Styrofoam, refrigerators and freezers, toilets, sinks and mattresses will be accepted along with concrete, rocks, asphalt and brick. These items should be placed on a tarp, plastic sheet or in buckets to speed up unloading. Confidential Data Destruction will provide free shredding of up to three file-sized boxes of documents per vehicle. For a complete list of accepted items, visit KentWA.gov/talkingtrash. Grants from the state Department of Ecology, King County Solid Waste Division and the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program are funding the event.

South King County Candidate Forum: 5:30-8 p.m. Oct. 26, Kent Memorial Park Building, 850 Central Ave. N. Presented by APACE (Asian Pacific Islander Americans for Civic Empowerment). Featuring candidates from legislative districts 30, 31, 33 and 47. Doors open and food served at 5:30 p.m. Forum begins at 6. Free. Public welcome. Learn more at apacevotes.org.

Kent Clean Streets Walkabout: 10 a.m.-noon, Nov. 10, downtown. Community litter pickup event. Volunteers are asked to meet at the Wild Wheat Bakery Cafe & Restaurant, 202 First Ave S.

Benefits

CAToberfest: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 20, Renton Technical College, 3000 NE Fourth St., Renton. South County Cats hosts its 11th annual feline festival and fundraiser. Silent auction, kids activities, speakers, exhibits, art contest, cat-themed marketplace, food. Free. Donations of canned cat food or cash appreciated. Proceeds support South County Cats Spay/Neuter Assistance Organization. For more info, visit southcountycats.org.

Shoe drive: Through Oct. 31. Auburn Mountainview High School’s swim team collecting new or used pairs of shoes of any kind through Oct. 31 as a program fundraiser. Goal is to collect 2,500 pairs of shoes. Shoes can be dropped off at Pugerudes, 118 Railroad Ave. S., Kent.

32nd Annual Holiday Craft Market: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 2; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 3, Kent Senior Activity Center, 600 E. Smith St. City of Kent hosting large creative gift boutique. Juried show features 70 booths of handcrafted one-of-a-kind gifts, free onsite parking, the Figgy Pudding Café and Bake Sale, hourly door prizes compliments of the Craft Market artists and live Christmas entertainment both days. No admission fee. Proceeds benefit senior center programs and services. For more information about the Holiday Craft Market, call 253-856-5162.

Faces of KentHOPE gala: 5 p.m. Nov. 3, Renton Pavilion, 233 Burnett Ave. S., Renton. Festive dinner and evening of entertainment benefiting homeless women and children. Program includes a local celebrity dance competition coached by Allegro Dance Studio, prizes, live auction and dessert dash. Host a table of 8 for $400 or single seats for $75 each. Sponsorships available. Contact Gloria, kenthope4homeless@gmail.com. Learn more at kenthope.org.

Hope For Families: 11:30 a.m. Dec. 6, Golden Steer restaurant, 23826 104th Ave. SE, Kent. Willow’s Place and partners present event to help support struggling families. Sponsored by Reber Ranch, Home Street Bank and Catalyst Travel. Free per person if you bring any new or gently used donation of: sleeping bags; blankets; blow-up mattress; coats and jackets all sizes, new and used; gloves; hats; scarves; shoes; and new this year, school supplies. Donations can be made payable to Willows Place, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization #27-3846934. For reservations and more information, contact Sally Goodgion at 253-852-0880 or email catalysttravel@hotmail.com. RSVP no later than Dec. 5.

HEALTH

Bloodworks Northwest drives: Appointments can be made by calling 1-800-398-7888, or visit bloodworksnw.org.

Alzheimer’s Association: Meetings on the first Wednesday of the month, from 6:30-8 p.m., at Kent Senior Activity Center, 600 E. Smith St. Caring for someone with memory loss? Do you need information and support? Family caregiver support groups provide a consistent and caring place for people to learn, share and gain emotional support from others who are also on a unique journey of providing care to a person with memory loss. For information, call Michael Bower at 206- 569-7287, or alz.org.

Programs

AAA Driver Improvement Program: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Oct. 27, Wesley Homes Lea Hill, 32049 109th Place SE, Auburn. Refresher course on defensive driving skills. The course gives practical guidance for traffic accident prevention and enhances driver safety and confidence. Course completion qualifies drivers 55 years of age and over for automobile insurance premium discounts. Cost: $18 per person. Pre-registration required. For enrollment information, call 206-243-3564.

Tire Rack Street Survival Teen Driving School: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 11, Pacific Raceways, 31001 144th Ave., Kent. Northwest Region SCCA hosting safety program. Open to licensed and permitted drivers ages 15 – 21. Forms, schedules and more information can be found online at streetsurvival.org. Cost is $95 per student, and some insurance companies offer premium discounts to graduates.

Entertainment

Accesso ShoWare Center, 625 W. James St., Kent. 253-856-6777. Order at accessoshowarecenter.com. Events include:

88 Degrees & Rising Tour: 7 p.m. Oct. 27. Featuring Rich Brain, with Joji, Keith Ape, Higher Brothers, Kohh, Niki, August 08 & Don Krez. Tickets: $39.60-$59.50.

Disney on Ice presents Dare to Dream: Nov. 1-5. Times vary. Ticket prices vary.

Russ I See You Tour Part 2: 9 p.m. Nov. 15. American Hip-Hop recording artist, singer-songwriter and record producer performs. Tickets: $39.50-$49.50.

Newsboys United Fall Tour: 7 p.m. Nov. 16. Grammy-nominated and platinum-selling band performs. Ticket prices vary.

SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Performances are 7:30 p.m. at Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center, 10020 SE 256th St.

Kaki King, The Neck is a Bridge to the Body: Oct. 19. Hailed by Rolling Stone as “a genre unto herself,” composer and guitarist Kaki King is a true iconoclast. Over the past 13 years the Brooklyn-based artist has released 8 extraordinarily diverse and distinctive albums. Tickets: $25 general, $22 senior, $15 youth

Magical Strings 32nd annual Celtic Yuletide Concert: 3 p.m. Dec. 2. The Boulding Family’s musical celebration of the holiday season is a treasured tradition in Kent. Once again, Pam and Philip Boulding are joined by their children, grandchildren and guests for an afternoon of enchanting Yuletide music. Tickets: $26 general, $24 senior, $15 youth

Kent Senior Center

600 E. James St., Kent. Hours: Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday. 253-856-5150. kentwa.gov.

Daytime Dance Bands: 1:15-2:15 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, 30, with Randy Litch. Free. Evening Dance Bands: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, 30, Randy Litch. Cover $4. Refreshments served by Farrington Court, Judson Park, Stafford Suites, Weatherly Inn. For more information, call 253-856-5164 or visit kentwa.gov/SeniorActivityCenter/”

Kent Parks Deli & Café: 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday- Friday. Entrée, sides, vegetable, salad bar, homemade bread, soup, dessert, coffee, tea and milk. Only $7. All ages. Upcoming menu: Oct. 22, Swedish meatballs over egg doodles; Oct. 23, baked ham and scalloped potatoes; Oct. 24, deli specialty sandwich: BLT; Oct. 25, Swiss steak; Oct. 26, specialty quiche.

Hamilton, the Musical Discussion Group: Third Tuesdays of each month, Nov. 20, Dec. 18. 9 a.m. pre-show, 10 a.m. discussion. Group meets to discuss the lyrics and music of the 46 songs featured in the Broadway production, which recently played at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre. Prior to the discussion which is open to all ages, the group explores a myriad of clips and information from YouTube, other Hamilton web sites and the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society.

Galleries, studios

Centennial Center Gallery: 400 W. Gowe St., Kent. Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Closed weekends and holidays. For more information, call 253-856-5050 or visit artscommission@kentwa.gov.

Museums

Greater Kent Historical Society: 855 E. Smith St., historic Bereiter House, Kent. Hours: noon-4 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday, and by appointment. Admission: suggested $2 donation; no tickets are required for entrance.