Club events
Tell us about your club’s upcoming event: Write to magazine@rotary.org and put “calendar” in the subject line. To be considered for inclusion in Rotary magazine’s print edition, submissions must be received at least five months before the event.
8 August | Rotary Club of Lititz, Pennsylvania
Craft Show
More than 400 vendors display and sell their handmade wares in downtown Lititz at this outdoor event. A town tradition for nearly a half century, the show is expected to draw more than 50,000 people. After filling their shopping bags with crafts, visitors are encouraged to dine at a nearby restaurant; those short on time can grab a bite from several food trucks stationed along the streets. Proceeds from the show benefit local nonprofits and scholarships.
15 August | Rotary Club of Edwardsville, Illinois
Criterium Festival
This festival features a series of high-speed bike races that draw hundreds of cyclists seeking to win a portion of the $15,000 prize purse. There are also free races for kids and a casual community ride. All races take place on a closed street circuit in downtown Edwardsville. Participants and spectators can enjoy live music and food and drinks throughout the day; a kids’ zone includes an art tent and games. Proceeds benefit local and international projects.
15 August | Rotary Club of Gloucester, Massachusetts
Pancake Breakfast
For more than 45 years, the club has served up stacks of flapjacks at this annual breakfast. The Saturday morning event kicks off the two-day Gloucester Waterfront Festival at the historic Stage Fort Park, where English settlers arrived in 1623. Funds raised through the breakfast have supported club projects ranging from the installation of a playground at the park to the donation of generators to a school and a medical center in Rwanda.
20 August | Rotary Club of Quesnel, British Columbia
Seniors Trip to Barkerville
This outing, which the club has organized since 1962, brings more than 100 senior citizens to an old mining town that was at the center of an 1860s gold rush and is now a living history museum. The expedition starts with tea and biscuits at the Quesnel branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, followed by a bus ride to Barkerville, where participants can explore dozens of restored buildings. The experience includes a boxed lunch and a ticket to a performance at the town’s theater.
21-22 August | Rotary Club of Superior, Wisconsin
Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival
At this annual event, dozens of teams paddle dragon boats, a type of watercraft that originated in ancient China, in a bay off Wisconsin’s northern coast. The festival begins on Friday night with a 5K run/walk followed by sprint boat races in which the vessels are illuminated by glow sticks. On Saturday, a series of traditional 400-meter boat races are held. Both days feature food trucks, a beer garden, and music. Event proceeds benefit local nonprofits, including Second Harvest Northland.
28-30 August | Rotary Club of Amherst, Massachusetts
Town Fair
The club’s annual fair is a beloved summertime activity in the quaint New England college town of Amherst, where poets Emily Dickinson and Robert Frost once lived. For three days, the town common is filled with carnival rides and attractions, including a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, and a climbing wall. Food and drinks will be on sale. Proceeds from the fair benefit local nonprofits and scholarships.