Senior events for October 2024
COLUMBIA BASIN — The summer is finally over and fall activities are in the air. There are a few things seniors in the Basin might enjoy this month:
Lowriders, lucha and local fun make UMANI Festival a success
MOSES LAKE — Third Avenue in Moses Lake was a colorful place to be Saturday, with brightly-clad dancers, lowrider cars gleaming in the September sun and wrestlers in gaudy masks body-slamming each other in a ring. “It was amazing,” said Columbia Basin Allied Arts Director Shawn Cardwell, one of the organizers of the event. “Best year ever.” The third annual UMANI Festival, a celebration of Hispanic heritage in Moses Lake, was the best-attended so far, Cardwell said. There were performances by the CeAtl Tonalli traditional Aztec dance troupe and the world-renowned La Muchacha from Colombia, as well as other entertainers from closer to home. There were games and crafts for the whole family provided by the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center and workshops in music, dance and art at The Obra Project. But much of the energy came from the lowrider car show and the lucha libre wrestling.
Grant to support continued work of collaborative curation by WSU, partners, Native nations
The National Council on Library and Information Resources has awarded $334,000 to Washington State University, institutional partners, and nine Native American nations to extend their work advancing collaborative curation between Native communities and non-Native repositories. The funding is part of CLIR’s “Digitizing Hidden Collections: Amplifying Unheard Voices” grant program for digitizing rare and unique content stewarded by collecting organizations in the United States and Canada. Launched in 2021, the program supports efforts to digitize materials that “deepen public understanding of the histories of people of color and other communities and populations whose work, experiences, and perspectives have been insufficiently recognized or unattended,” according to the CLIR website.
Female pirate inspires award-winning screenplay
PULLMAN — The first time Ruth Gregory encountered the famous cross-dressing female pirate Anne Bonny, the 18th-century swashbuckler was about two inches tall and made of plastic. That’s because Gregory, an associate professor in Washington State University’s Digital Technologies and Culture Program, found an action figure of Bonny at a hobby shop. Intrigued by the idea of a female pirate being immortalized in toy form, she immediately bought it. “I was like, wait – what? There was a female pirate, and she’s an action figure?” Gregory said. “So, I bought the action figure, and I still have it. Then I started researching her to see if I could find more information.”
‘Under the Sea’
Old Hotel benefit auction has a maritime theme Saturday
OTHELLO — Art lovers – and others – are invited to take a dive Saturday. “Under the Sea” is the theme of the Old Hotel Art Gallery’s annual benefit auction and although it’s not required, attendees are encouraged to dress accordingly. “We’ll be having a costume contest,” said gallery director Samantha Copas. “Something under the sea: mermaids, a ship’s captain, or just beach wear.”
Students travel to the Wanapum Heritage Center hosts 25th Archeology Days
The Wanapum Heritage Center hosted its 25th annual Archeology Day events Oct. 9 and 10. The first day of the event was dedicated to students with various schools attending including Wahluke School District, Yakama Nation Tribal School, Toppenish Pre-school, Connell elementary, home-schooled students from various towns and several others.
November starts, Moses Lake Farmers Market ends
MOSES LAKE – As autumn comes to a close, people are composting their pumpkins, preparing for colder weather to come and celebrating at the Moses Lake Farmers Market weekly conclusion at McCosh Park. The final market day, Oct. 25, brought people of all ages in costumes to trick-or-treat vendors and vote on the best decorated pumpkin. Local businesses had everything from fresh veggies to unique crafts.
Local talent takes over at Moses Lake Museum
MOSES LAKE — The members take over the museum this month, as the Moses Lake Museum & Art Center’s Members Exhibition showcases local talent on tap. “The show features a wide variety of art in different styles,” Museum Communications Coordinator Natalia Zuyeva wrote in an email to the Columbia Basin Herald. “Ceramics, acrylic, watercolor, stained glass and more are present in this year’s show.”
‘Wonderful people’
Fabric Patch community contributes more than $52,000 to fight cancer.
EPHRATA — The Fabric Patch’s breast cancer auction was not your typical fundraiser. There was no expensive venue, no banquet, no volunteers pouring wine or selling raffle tickets. Just a camera, a few dedicated women, and thousands of bidders.
Trimmed and ready
Festival of Trees to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity
MOSES LAKE — Folks who are pining for a Christmas tree will find them all spruced up with lights and decorations at the annual Festival of Trees Dec. 7. The event is Habitat for Humanity of Greater Moses Lake’s biggest fundraiser of the year, said President Rebecca Mabius. It will be held in the Advanced Technologies Education Center at Big Bend Community College. “This year we have 13 trees that will be available for purchase, and they’re donated and decorated by individuals and businesses here in the community,” Mabius said.
