Library presents Jazz Sunday, Black History Month programs

The Gary Public Library will host a Jazz Sunday concert from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday in the second floor Arts Theater at the Main Library, 220 W. Fifth Ave., Gary. Co-sponsored by the Greater Gary American Jazz Association, special guest will be the Mike Carson Band featuring Mike Carson, sax; Artis Brown, organ; Mike Shell, drums; and Glenn Turner, percussion. Free Jazz Sunday Concerts are presented the third Sunday of each month, September through May. Entrance is on the north side only, free parking in the north parking lot. The library will be closed, no library service available. Seating is limited. In partnership with the City of Gary, the library also will host its annual Black History Month program from 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Main Library. The program is free and open to the public. This year’s theme is “African Americans and Labor: Past, Present, and Future.” Ephrin “EJ” Jenkins, founder and president of Black Labor Week Project, Inc. will be the guest speaker. The program also will feature entertainment by the West Side Theatre Guild Repertoire Dance Company and Baby J Productions featuring Rose Marie Simmons. For more information, call the library at 219-886-2484.

Purdue Extension to host Vegetable Educational meeting

Purdue Extension-Lake County will host the 2025 Vegetable Educational Meeting for vegetable and pumpkin farmers and all interested vegetable growers from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 18 at the Extension office, 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point. Indiana PARP (Private Applicator Recertification Program) and CCH (Commercial Pesticide and Fertilizer Applicator Continuing Certification) credits are available for attendees. There is a $10 fee for PARP credits. Dr. César Escalante, Purdue Extension’s new vegetable pathologist, will share his expertise and answer questions about vegetable diseases and management strategies. The 2025 “Midwest Vegetable Production Guide” will be available for purchase at the event for $15. This essential resource provides up-to-date recommendations to optimize vegetable production. Guides can be purchased with cash or check. Register attinyurl.com/Vegetable-Meeting. Registration deadline is Friday. For more information, contact Rebecca Koetz at 219-755-3240 or email busser@purdue.edu.

Franciscan Health offers free car seat safety event in Griffith

Franciscan Health Trauma Services is hosting a free car seat safety event in partnership with the Griffith Fire Department from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Griffith Fire Department’s Station No. 1, 130 N. Lafayette St. A nationally certified child passenger safety technician will work with participants to teach them how to properly install a car seat. The child who uses the car seat must be present at the appointment in order for the technician to provide appropriate guidance. Women in their third trimester of pregnancy may attend as well. The car seat safety check is free, but advanced reservations are required. Registration is available online at lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/br9khpz/lp/0a7db7e9-176f-463b-b8c0-66b29eabea5f or by calling 219-488-1380.

Dunes Summer Theatre to hold auditions

The Dunes Summer Theatre, Northwest Indiana’s oldest continually producing professional summer theater, announces auditions for its 2025 season. This year’s season includes the following productions: “Misery,” by William Goldman, based on the novel by Stephen King (May 30-June 15); “Outside Mullingar,” by John Patrick Shanley (June 27-July 13); “She Loves Me,” book by Joe Maseroff, music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick (July 25-August 10); The Fifth Annual “Dunes Broadway Cabaret,” (August 15-17); and “Voices From the Heartland: The Third Annual New Plays Festival” (September 17-20). Preliminary in-person auditions will take place at the following times and locations: From Noon to 5 p.m. CT Feb. 22 and 23 at The Holdcraft Performing Arts Center, 1200 Spring St., Michigan City; from 4 to 9 p.m. Feb. 24 at Vickers Theatre, 6 N. Elm St., Three Oaks; and from Noon to 5 p.m. March 1 and 2 at City Lit Theatre, 1020 W. Bryan Mawr, Chicago. Those auditioning should prepare the following: Two contrasting monologues no longer than three minutes in total length; two contrasting musical selections no longer than 32 bars each. (For musical actors only. Accompaniment TBA). To secure an audition time for any location, actors should submit a current headshot and resume to Steve Scott, Artistic Director, at artisticdirectorDAF@gmail.com. Virtual auditions for actors unable to attend in-person auditions will be accepted through Feb. 25. Recordings should be prepared according to the guidelines listed above, and should be sent with an accompanying headshot and resume to artisticdirectorDAF@gmail.com.

American English returns for benefit concert

American English is returning to Theatre at the Center for a concert benefiting the Cancer Resource Center at 7:30 p.m. March 1 at 1040 Ridge Road, Munster. The Beatles tribute band most recently entertained Fab Four fans at Theatre at the Center in June during a sold-out benefit show. The band features Eric Michaels as Paul McCartney, Jim Irizarry as John Lennon, James Paul Lynch as George Harrison, Tony Giangreco as Ringo Starr, and Richard Sladek as George Martin. Tickets are $45 and available at TheatreAtTheCenter.com or 219-836-3255. All proceeds go to the Cancer Resource Center, a program of Powers Health Cancer Research Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the quality of cancer care in Northwest Indiana and surrounding communities. All CRC services are offered free of charge to those affected by cancer, as well as their loved ones. For more information about Cancer Resource Center and its services, visit myccrf.com.

— Staff report