The Perham Focus accepts community calendar items for publication online and in our Thursday print edition, space permitting. Submissions must be made at least a week in advance of the event date, in writing, to either editor@perhamfocus.com or vgerdes@dlnewspapers.com .

Each submission must include the date, time and location of event, whether it is recurring or a one-time happening, and where to go for more information (phone, email and/or website). Also include whether the event is free or paid admission, and how much it costs when applicable.

Vergas Community Blood Drive: The Vergas Event Center will host a community blood drive for Vitalant from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. To schedule an appointment please contact Pam at 701-261-1632or go online to donors.vitalant.org and use the blood drive code: VERGAS. Sponsored by the Vergas Lions Club.

Defensive Driving Class: A 4-hour refresher, in-person Defensive Driving Class will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. at the ITOW (In Their Own Words) Veterans Museum, 805 W. Main, Perham. Cost is $20. To register please call Denise Lillis at 218-346-3336.

Highway 34 Info Meeting: The Friends of the Lake Country Scenic Byway and Prairie Woods Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) are hosting an informational meeting regarding the Minnesota Department of Transportation's plans for clearing trees along State Highway 34 in conjunction with their 2023 road resurfacing project. The informational meeting will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Jack Pines Resorts’ Conference Center, 53014 State Hwy. 34, Osage 56570. A presentation by IWLA will be given at 6 p.m. Public input is also welcome during the meeting.

Honor Flight Food Truck: Come to United Community Bank in Perham between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and enjoy some Sone's Cajun-Asian Food, with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Honor Flight of Minnesota/North Dakota program. All donations will also be matched by UCB.

Bethlehem Lutheran Fall Dinner: Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Frazee will host its fall dinner and bake sale, starting at 4:15 p.m. Meals available by drive-through or inside the fellowship hall. Turkey steak dinner with all the trimmings, plus dessert, all for a free will offering. Bake sale is inside only. Proceeds go to support the church's mission projects.

Perham Class of 1964 Mini Reunion: The Perham High School Class of 1964 is invited to come to The Cactus in Perham at 5 p.m. for the first of two planned mini-reunions gatherings

Snurdbird Open: Perham's Lakeside Golf Course will host the 19th Annual Midway Snurdbirds Golf Tournament. Registration opens at 8 a.m., with tee off at 10 a.m. This is a 4-person scramble with cash prizes for division winners; hole prizes also available throughout the course. The tournament is used to raise funds for the Midway Snurdbirds Baseball Club. Entry fee is $80. Following play, a brief awards ceremony and raffle drawing will be held. To register to play or donate to the raffle please contact one of the following: Puck Lusti, 218-252-8010; George Baso, 218-639-1267; or Mike Baso, 218-367-9695.

Tile Painting: The Perham Area Chamber of Commerce will host a free tile painting event at NP Park in Perham (next to the post office and MN True North) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. All ages and abilities are welcome.

Blue at the Ballpark Fundraiser: Perham Health invites the community to the Al Krueger Baseball Field in Perham between 4-7 p.m. to take part in a hitting contest and silent auction, and enjoy ballpark food from Spanky's; there will also be door prizes up for grabs. Tickets are $75 per person, and can be purchased online through Sept. 9 at perhamhealth.org/blueattheballpark . Proceeds will support the Town Center and community space updates at Perham Living. Questions? Call 218-347-1308.

Old-Time Variety Dance: Marie and the Boys will provide the music for an Old-Time Variety Dance taking place from 1-4 p.m. at the Frazee Event Center. All are welcome; admission is $5 per person.

LRAC Exhibit Closing Reception: The closing reception for the Lake Region Arts Council's regional art exhibition with guest juror Tasha Kubesh will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the LRAC Main Gallery at the historic River Inn, 133 S. Mill St., Fergus Falls. This exhibition features 18 regional artists and 23 works in multimedia that speaks to the talent in this region. Artist talks start at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Open to the public.

Traveling Art Pub: Disgruntled Brewing in Perham will host a visit from the Traveling Art Pub, 6-8:30 p.m. For ages 16 and up; cost is $40 per person, to produce a 16x20-inch painting of a "Woodsy Bear." Food and beverages available at an additional cost.

Perham Pickleball Ribbon Cutting: The Perham Pickleball Club will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at the KLN Pickleball Courts, 4-7 p.m. with a program at 5 p.m. Invited guests include those who have donated to the project, but the public is also welcome to attend. Rain date is Thursday, Sept. 22.

Honor Flight Food Truck: Come to United Community Bank in Perham between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and enjoy some Baby's Bagels, with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Honor Flight of Minnesota/North Dakota program. All donations will also be matched by UCB.

Ruby's Pantry: St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Perham is hosting a pop-up distribution for Ruby's Pantry from 8-10 a.m. For a $22-per-bundle donation, guests will receive an abundance of groceries. There is no income or residency requirement. Guests will need to bring 2-3 totes or baskets to receive their bundle.

Perham Pickleball Grand Opening: The Perham Pickleball Club invites the general public to enjoy the new KLN Pickleball Courts at a grand opening celebration, 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Open to the community.

Live Music: Darren Quam performs at Disgruntled Brewing in Perham, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 18; Mick Klein performs at Brew Ales & Eats in Perham, 8-11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23; R & R (Romyn Hanks and Rick Shroeder from the band Troubadour) will perform at 1894 in Perham, 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24; The Fladlands perform at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fergus Falls, 10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 25. All are open to the public.

Comprehensive Driving Class: A full, eight-hour driving course will take place on Sept. 21-22, 5-9 p.m. each night, at the ITOW Veterans Museum, 805 W. Main, Perham. Department of Public Safety-approved, in-person class for those age 55 and older, with no tests or workbooks. Must attend both nights; those completing the course will get a 10% reduction in their car insurance premium. Call Denise Lillis at 218-346-3336 to register or for more information.

Feed My Starving Children Mobile Pack: The Perham Boys and Girls Club will host a two-day Mobile Pack event for Feed My Starving Children, Sept. 23-24. Forty-eight teams of 10 will pack about 108,000 meals in two days, in two-hour shifts that follow a 30-minute orientation. The packing shifts on Sept. 23 are 12:30-2:30 p.m., 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. The packing shifts for Sept. 24 are 8-10 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30-3 p.m. Each team will raise $500 ($50 per person) for the cost of the food they pack. If you want to volunteer or donate toward the Perham event, go to give.fmsc.org. If you have any questions, contact Carla Gauwitz at 218-841-1175 or cgauwitz@arvig.net . To learn more about Feed My Starving Children, go to fmsc.org .

Maplewood Leaf Days: The Friends of Maplewood State Park will host a Leaf Days celebration at the park on Sept. 24-25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

Poetry Walk at Green Island: This month, the Poetry Walk at Green Island in Wadena includes poems by Mike Tauber, who grew up, lives, and works in the Pineland Sands/Headwaters area of Minnesota. Much of his life is centered around displaying the value of local, natural ecological systems, and the wisdom of functioning within, preserving, and propagating these systems and their components back downstream. Green Island is located at 850 Scheer Drive, Wadena. It is open daily to the public, free of charge, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

We Are Water: The We Are Water Minnesota-Otter Tail County interactive exhibit will be showcased at the Fergus Falls Public Library through Oct. 10. The exhibit is free to the public and is open during library hours. Visitors are encouraged to browse through the exhibit at their leisure to listen to stories, perform a puppet show, read inspirational messages from locals and have fun exploring the many interactive displays.

Baby Bin: Come look through the baby bin at Crosspoint Alliance Church, 600 8th St. NE, Perham, on the first Tuesday of every month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All WIC participants receive one pack of diapers and wet wipes. Everyone may look through our children's clothing, sizes 0-10.

Mah Jongg at Calvary Lutheran: Men and women are welcome and play Mah Jongg at Perham's Calvary Lutheran Church on Thursdays at 12:30 p.m. in the library. No prior experience necessary, as experienced players will teach the game to newcomers.

Sit-n-Stitch: A weekly gathering of fiber artists will be held every Thursday from 6 to 7:15 p.m. at the Cultural Center in New York Mills. Free and open to all.

Quilting: The Calvary Cut-Ups quilting group meets from 9 a.m. to noon on Thursdays at Calvary Lutheran Church in Perham. Questions? Contact Brenda Halvorson at 320-493-0802.

Progressive Bingo: Every Tuesday, 6-7 p.m., Thumper Pond, Ottertail.

Perham Networking Opportunity: The Nest in Perham will host a one-hour free business networking opportunity on the first Wednesday of every month, starting at 8:15 a.m. Personal introductions, sharing of upcoming events and projects, and a focus presentation. Coffee will be provided by the focus topic presenter.

Tuesday Trivia Night: Billy's Corner Bar & Grill in Vergas will be offering Trivia Night every Tuesday at 7 p.m. Open to the public.

Library Storytimes: The Perham Area Public Library hosts preschool storytime every Tuesday at 10:15 a.m. Toddler Storytime with Becky is held periodically on Monday evenings at 6 p.m. Visit perhamlibrary.org or call 218-346-4892 for more information.

Old Time Photographs: Stop by the History Museum of East Otter Tail County, at 230 First Ave. North in Perham, and take a trip down memory lane. The museum would like the public's help identifying old photos. Hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m.-12 p.m. on Saturdays. Call 218-346-7676 for more information.