First Friday’s theme is “Artoberfest” in downtown Warsaw. First Friday is sponsored by Lake City Bank, and is Oct. 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. There will be arts and crafts vendors, displays and food from downtown merchants. There will be a classic car cruise-in, and interactive art projects provided by Warsaw schools. Echo’s of the Past, an antique tractor club, will have antique tractors on display. Live music will be provided by German polka band Freudenmacher, located at center stage, and there will be dancing and dance lessons by Deb Collier’s School of Dance. There will be an information center for First Friday at First Christian Church, and a Beading to Beat Autism event. Willie 103.5 will have a live radio remote promoting its annual coat drive, and boxes will be provided for coat donations. Mission Point Church will provide a moonwalk, and there will be pony rides. There will be face painting by Sacred Heart Youth Group. Kosciusko Community Hospital will offer an October Breast Health Awareness booth and educational materials, sign up for free mammograms, healthy recipes and giveaway items. Kosciusko County Master Gardeners will plant daffodils. Downtown Eatery will have entertainment, a beverage tent and a family dining area. People will be able to donate their old crayons to help children in Africa. One Dog At A Time will offer animal thumb print pictures and dog tags. Several area churches will be participating in a wide range of activities and events. Fellowship Mission will promote the kind of donations they need for winter. Lake City Bank will offer a Young Entrepreneur Project. Flyin’ Brian, Oldies 98.3, will offer a live remote. People will be able to purchase boxes of food from Sherman & Linn’s that will be donated to Combined Community Services. Cub Scouts will have its annual popcorn sale. Animal Welfare League of Kosciusko County will offer “Puppy Picasso” and “Kitty O’Keefe” paintings to the public. AWL assistants work with each pet to create a work of art. This work will be framed, under glass, and a person’s pet will be photographed by Al Disbro while doing the art. Participants will receive both the framed work of art and the photograph for a $12 donation to the AWL.If people do not have a pet they can borrow an AWL pet for the painting. AWL also will have its normal adoption of pets arrangement at its tent, and will offer people a chance to have a work of art created by their own pet. The November First Friday is titled “Chili Nights” and is Nov. 4. Applications are available at Warsaw Community Development Corp., Reinholt’s Town Square Furniture, Rex’s Rendezvous and Courthouse Coffee. The Facebook page for First Friday is First Friday Warsaw and email is FirstFridayWarsaw@gmail.com
