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GAC, books & seedlings

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The “Perk Up the Neighborhood” incentive/competition mentioned in the item below about the Great American Cleanup was NOT offered by Keep Covington Beautiful as part of this year’s cleanup event. Due to a cut-and-paste error, a brief mention of the incentive was inadvertently picked up from a description of a previous year’s event and published in this column. For the official “rules,” see the City’s official, detailed release about the Great American Cleanup published and distributed a week before the event.  bit.ly/40oPFQx)

COVINGTON, Ky. – Consider this weekend nature’s gentle nudge to encourage you to tend to Mother Earth, whether by way of picking up trash, planting a tree, or recycling paper into seed petals.

That’s not to say there’s not a lot of fun going on this weekend – after all, just look at that list of live music – it’s just that you’ll find that there’s much to do this weekend where good times meet doing good. And that’s really the best kind of fun, right?

Learnin’ ’bout bourbon

Put your #2 pencils and notebook in a backpack and head over to Goodfella’s Pizzeria in MainStrasse Village tonight for the Wiseguy Educational Series – Sustainable Whiskey for Sustainable Earth, because you’ve got a thing or two to learn about bourbon and sustainability.

We’re just kidding about the pencils, notebook, and backpack, because the only notes you’ll take are the ones you’ll sip. (Hmm, maybe a hint of caramel? A bit peppery? A touch of clove? Or a toasted oak finish?)

Point is, bourbon is widely understood to consume its share of natural resources in its production. For that reason, it’s important to highlight those in the bourbon community who work to keep our local ecosystems healthy and thriving by maintaining and sustaining the industry.

Christy Commerton from Maker’s Mark will be on hand to talk about their fine line of bourbons and the steps they take to preserve our Native Spirit. (Sounds like a course you’re going to ace, right?)

The mighty little bookstore on the corner

Never underestimate the sheer muscle of an independent bookstore.

Every day, your local independent bookstore carries on in spite of the many who rely solely on the ease of clicking the keyboard and wait to see a book show up at their front door.

Alas, what one misses when they go the soulless mail-order route. Ever notice how time kind of stands still in a little bookstore? In that intimate space, it’s just you and the hundreds of stories on the shelves that you can step into. It’s a veritable portal to story journeys, and that’s to be celebrated. And celebrate, we shall.

Independent Bookstore Day at Roebling Books & Coffee happens Saturday. We suggest you partake: Peruse the shelves, buy an armful of books, get a cup of coffee, and tell the barista, the owner, and anyone who assists you, just how much you appreciate them.

And … if you don’t see the book you want … they’ll order it for you.

Nationwide tidying up

Grab your gloves, Covington. The Great American Cleanup 2023 is on Saturday

The cleanup event is The Cov’s single-largest volunteer event of the year, with hundreds of people beautifying little corners all over the city by picking up litter, planting flowers, spreading mulch, clipping bushes and the like.

If you’re interested in volunteering, you can do so through the above indicated link. Plenty of sites to choose from: Eastside, MainStrasse, Westside, Latonia Elementary Garden, Lewisburg, Peaselburg, Monte Casino, Hotel Covington, Mutter Gottes, Community Montessori, Austinburg, and Goebel Butterfly Garden.

As if clean and tidy isn’t enough of an incentive, $4,000 is up for grabs: Whichever neighborhood picks up the most trash will get the cash in the Perk Up the Neighborhood event. The City’s Solid Waste and Recycling Division, Rumpke Waste and Recycling, and Keep Covington Beautiful will provide trash bags, gloves, tools, hand sanitizer, disinfectants, trash bag removal, snacks, and a giveaway for every volunteer. All you’ve got to bring is commitment and energy.

Community celebration

Looking to establish a nice canopy of trees to rest your weary self beneath in the coming years? Then you’ll want to stop by the Linden Day Community Celebration at Historic Linden Grove Cemetery & Arboretum on Saturday, ’cuz they’re just giving ‘em away.

You can take away two tree seedlings per vehicle, scoring the likes of a Roughleaf Dogwood, Kentucky Coffeetree, Eastern Red Bud, Silky Dogwood, Pawpaws, or a Bald Cypress.

Stick around for plant sales, history and tree tours, giveaways that aren’t trees, live acoustic music, and some tree planting.

A craft for all seasons

The All Seasons Craft Show at the Zembrodt Education Center on Saturday will feature local artisans, snacks, drinks, and raffles.

The best part? It’s free. Well, actually, the best part is that proceeds from the table sales will benefit the Zembrodt Education Center’s students and the amazing programs they offer at the Center.

Wildly happy for spring

If Saturday’s Grow Wild Spring Festival at Redden Gardens doesn’t get you in the mood for spring, nothing will.

There’s a garden swap for tools, pots, plants, seeds, and all range of other cool gardening accoutrement, awesome food and drinks, beer from Darkness Brewing, plants and handmade goods for sale, demonstrations, and more.

Petals that won’t wilt

Just before Saturday’s Spring Festival at Redden Gardens, Art Equals is going to be on hand to show you how to take old papers and recycle them into handmade paper decorated with flower petals and seeds.

Poetry and Paper Making in the Garden at Redden Gardens on Saturday is an earth-friendly event where you’ll see how shredded documents and an old blender can be used to make a paper party you won’t soon forget.

Add seeds and create a paper that can be planted in your own garden for a pop of colorful wildflowers. Added bonus – you get to try your hand at a floating poem.

Live music

Tonight: K-Pop Mixtape at Madison Live … Live Music with Aprina at Keystone Bar & Grill … Missy Werner Band at Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant … Lee Dixon Smoke Justis.

Friday: Cal Scruby – The Casino Tour at Madison Theater … Your Ol’ Pal Don Pruett & His Close Personal Friends at Wunderbar … Live Jazz with Amore Jazz at Juniper’s … Linus Tate at Smoke Justis … Houseplant at Madison Live … Village Elder, Waning, and Star Guided Vessel at Pandemonium.

Saturday: The Eternal Now with Blackwater and Form of Aggression at Madison Live … Gina & Johnny at Smoke Justis … Anita Graef at The Carnegie … Heidi’s Arcade Live Spring New Wave Party at Wunderbar … Ohio is for Covers at Strasse Haus. 

Sunday: Arlie at Madison Live … Viva Voices Children’s Choir and Youth Chorus at The Carnegie.

Miscellaneous

Tonight: Thirsty Thursday Bingo Night at Frosthaus … Dynamics of Flow exhibit at The Carnegie.

Friday: Prom for a Purpose at Hotel Covington … Final Look Art Exhibit: Alors at 11 E. 5th St. … Dynamics of Flow exhibit at The Carnegie.

Saturday: Covington Farmers Market at 3rd & Court streets … MainStrasse Village Food TourDynamics of Flow exhibit at The Carnegie … Scarlet Begonia’s Flower Truck Saturday Pop-Up at Pike Street Diner … Micro Wrestling Federation Invades Covington at Hits Indoor Baseball & Sportsplex … Braxton Brewing’s 8 Year Anniversary Celebration.

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