One of my personal favorite events every year is the annual “Stars, Stripes and Sousa” concert at the Port Clinton High School Performing Arts Center. Band Director Rod Miller grows a beard and dons a replica of a Victorian Era band uniform and leads the Port Clinton High School band along with a few community members and guest soloists in a concert of Sousa marches and other patriotic songs.
Each year there is a special theme, and Saturday’s 7 p.m. free concert honors the veterans of the Korean War, along with all veterans with the medley of military theme songs. A barbecue chicken dinner will be held prior to the concert in the high school cafeteria from 3-6 p.m.

The first of this season’s downtown Port Clinton Art Walks will be next Thursday, May 23, sponsored by the Greater Port Clinton Area Arts Council. Each of the four weekly Thursday events run from 5-8 p.m. with kiosks, booths and tables lined up all over the downtown area. This year, each of the Art Walks will have a theme, and next Thursday’s is “Gone to the Birds.” This year, they are also going to seek out students to share their works with the Art Walkers.

Mike Bobinchuck of Medina is our winner this week in our “Find Wylie” contest. He was chosen from among 84 entries who successfully found our friendly fish in the ad for Sberna Buildings on Page 4B in last week’s Beacon. Mike wins a $25 gas card graciously donated by Friendship Stores. Each week we hide Wylie Walleye in an ad and our readers, when one of them finds him, can either bring in a contest entry cut out of the paper or log onto our website … www.thebeacon.net … and let us know where he is, thus entering, and possibly winning the contest.

PCHS’s popular singing group “Touch of Class,” under the direction of Eric Watts, will be performing its 7th Annual “A Capella in the Park” this Sunday, May 19 at 4:30 p.m. in Lakeview Park. It’s time to break out the lawn chairs and picnic blankets, but in case of bad weather, the concert will be held at the PCHS Performing Arts Center.

Another big event this weekend is the Big Band Hangar Dance at the Liberty Aviation Museum this Saturday, May 18. This event is held in recognition of Armed Forces Day Weekend. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the event goes from 7-10 p.m. The 19-piece Don Zola orchestra, billed as Ohio’s premier big band, will perform along with vocalist Dianne Palmer.
If you have ever seen the movie Memphis Belle, you know this will be a cool event. Military 1940s period dress along with red-white and blue clothing is recommended. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Museum on State Road. For more information, call 419-734-0234.

This will be the 15th year for the South Bass Island Kayak Rendezvous June 7-9. It is billed as the premier kayaking event on Lake Erie. The event is staged annually at South Bass Island State Park.

This is the final weekend for Playmakers Civic Theatre’s production of Noel Coward’s “Blithe Spirit.” The box office is open and tickets can be reserved by calling 419-734-5044 or logging onto www.pcplaymakers.org.

On Monday, May 20 at noon, Magruder Hospital will host an educational luncheon in the Conference Center. Representatives from Magruder’s Lake Erie Sports Medicine will present a program on “Parkinson’s Therapy: LSVT Big & Loud.”  Participants will learn about this effective treatment for physical and vocal issues related to Parkinson’s Disease. This luncheon is part of a monthly education series in the hospital’s conference center, which features a different topic and speaker each month. The luncheon series is open to the public and the cost is $6. The program is free if you do not wish to have lunch. An RSVP for the May program is required by noon on Friday, May 17 by calling 419-732-4061.

Magruder Hospital’s monthly Cancer Support Group will be held on Wednesday, May 22, at 12:30 p.m. in the Conference Center. This support group is for anyone who has been impacted by cancer.  There is a complimentary light lunch provided, so please RSVP to 419-301-4317 by Monday, May 20.

Your new Mobile App is available for you use! It is called “Lake Erie Coastlines” and it’s FREE! Just download it on your iPhone or Android device from the App Store. It is chock full of useful information on local events, things to do and places to go. “Lake Erie Coastlines” … enjoy!