The Messenger is accepting submissions for the Community Calendar. Email your submissions to khoskins@gadsdenmessenger.com. Please include the name, date, time, location and cost of the event, as well as contact information for event coordinators.
February 1
The Greater Gadsden Greeters, a women’s social club, will hold its monthly luncheon on Thursday, Feb. 1 at Rainbow Presbyterian Church located at 3220 Rainbow Drive in Rainbow City. Sign-in begins at 10:45 a.m. with a meet and greet social time followed by the meeting and luncheon at 11:30. Those new to the area (four years or less) wishing more information may visit https://gadsdengreeters.wixsite.com/thegreeters. The Greater Gadsden Greeters is not affiliated with any denomination. All newcomers are welcome.
February 3
Big Brother Big Sisters will present Mardi Gras 2024 Saturday, Feb. 3 from 6 – 9 p.m. at 210 at The Tracks in Gadsden. There will be food, music, raffles and more. Sponsorship levels start at $600 and individual tickets cost $75. Drink tickets will be sold separately. RSVP by January 25 by calling 256-546-5079.
Join in the fun at the 16th Annual Downtown Gadsden Chili Cook-off. Do you cook the best chili? Then prove it and register a team. Do you love chili but prefer to let others cook it? Then be there by noon to enjoy the many different flavors and don’t wait too late, as some teams run out very quickly. Pick up a registration form at the Downtown Gadsden Inc. office at 635 Broad St. in Gadsden.
February 10, 11 & 14
Maraella Vineyards and Winery’s 12th Annual Valentines Dinner and Wine Pairing will be held February 10, 11 and 14 from 5 to 8 p.m. Menu and tickets information coming soon.
February 17
The annual Kiwanis Pancake Day will be held Saturday, Feb. 17 from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Venue at Coosa Landing located at 201 George Wallace Drive in Gadsden. Tickets cost $5.
A Valentine Elvis Concert featuring David Lee will be held at the Pitman Theatre located at 629 Broad Street in downtown Gadsden. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are available and start at $15.
February 18
The YMCA Annual Father Daughter Dance will be held Sunday, February 18, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at 210 At The Tracks located at 210 Locust Street in Gadsden. Cost is $22 per person when purchased online before January 31. Tickets at the door will be $25 per person. Finger foods and sweet treats will be provided. For more information, call 256-547-4947.
April 20
The Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society’s 2024 Ancestor Swap Meet will be held Saturday, April 20 at the Downtown Civic Center in Gadsden. The event began in 1999 as a fundraiser for the society, in which researchers were asked to donate copies of their family history for the society’s family files at the Howard Gardner Nichols Memorial Library, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as the first free standing library building in Alabama. Those files have grown over the years and are now contained in 11 four drawer file cabinets. The society is once again asking local researchers to submit updated copies. All profit from the swap meet are used to maintain Nichols Library, which has been owned and operated by the Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society’s as a genealogical library since 1973. The library is maintained and staffed by volunteers.
Ongoing
Zumba classes will be held Monday nights at 6 p.m. at the Southside Community Center. The cost is $5 a class, but those buying five classes get the sixth class free.
The Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society recently announced the completion of the Clayton Cemetery book, which contains over 350 pages of information on those buried at Clayton Cemetery. Every effort was made to identify those resting in the cemetery. Some buried there may not be included since no official records were kept. For addition information or to pre-order the book, e-mail juliadyoung@comcast.net or hyattrosemary@bellsouth.net.
Nichols Memorial Library, located at the corner of Dwight and Cabot Avenues in Alabama City, is open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for family and history research.
As the home of the Northeast Alabama Genealogical Society, the library contains genealogical information and family files from all areas of Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and other states. The library contains a large collection of military records and Native American research books. On the first and third Thursday of the month from 9 to 10 a.m., Kathy Burttram presents a class on researching family history using Ancestry, Family Search, ThruLines, Wiki and other sources. For additional information, e-mail neagslib@comcast.net.