What’s happening in our community (updated March 9)

Librarian Maria Simon leads story time. (WCDPL image)

Wood County District Public Library hosts family storytime, Thursdays

Families are invited to enjoy storytime indoors at the Wood County District Public Library on Thursdays from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Attendees can visit the Bowling Green library Children’s Place for picture book readings, songs, games, and activities.

For any questions, contact the Children’s Place at 419-352-8253 or email woodkids@wcdpl.org.

BG Rotary to talk finances with Julie Croy of MoneyDo, Thursday, March 12

Bowling Green Rotary members are pleased to welcome Julie Croy to its meeting this Thursday, March 12. Croy leads MoneyDo, specializing in daily money management.

Croy brings the practical experience of having serving under powers of attorney, being a court-appointed guardian, and as a bookkeeping of multiple family businesses. She uses her skills and attention to detail to help bring clarity and order to the increasingly complex matters of daily finances. MoneyDo is based in Waterville.

Rotary meets every Thursday at 11:45 a.m. at the Bowling Green Country Club. For more information, including membership, email bgrotary@icloud.com.

Burger to play variations on ‘The People United,’ March 15

Pianist Cole Burger will perform  Frederic Rzewski’s “36 Variations on El Pueblo Unido Jamás Será Vencido
(The People United Will Never Be Defeated)” Sunday, March 15, at 3 p.m. in Bryan Recital Hall in the Moore Musical Arts Center on campus.

Click to view the livestream of the free Faculty Artists Series concert.

Library to host graphic novel discussions for kids & teens, Mondays

Students ages 5 through 11 and up are invited to the Wood County District Public Library for discussion about early reader graphic novels. The “Graphic Novel Book Discussion” will meet on the Mondays listed below at 6 p.m., in The Children’s Place at the Bowling Green library, 251 N. Main St.

Copies of the graphic novel for each month are available at the library. Attendees are encouraged to read the selected books and come to discuss them and other graphic novel favorites.

Discussion books include:

  • March 9: The Fix-Its Power Up with Power Drill by Sarah Lynne Reul
  • April 13: Everyone Gets a Turn by Marianna Dubuc

No registration is required. For more information, call (419) 352-8253 or email woodkids@wcdpl.org.

Make new ‘Fiber Friends’ with weekly creative program at WCDPL on Tuesdays

The Wood County District Public Library, 251 N. Main St., invites all knitters and crocheters to join “Fiber Friends,” every Tuesday at 10 a.m., in the second floor programming room.

Fiber Friends is a social program that meets every week to chat and create. People of all skill levels are welcome. Even if someone has never picked up knitting needles or a crochet hook, they can learn the basics to get started on their newest hobby.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their current project or start a new one. Coffee will be provided.

No registration is required. For more information, call 419-352-5050 or email woodref@wcdpl.org.

Just Baby ‘N Me storytimes at library on Tuesdays

Just Baby ‘N Me is a lap-sit storytime ideal for babies. This unique storytime will be on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m.in The Children’s Place at the Bowling Green Library.

This lap-sit storytime is great for babies from birth through early walkers (12 months). The focus during storytime is on rhymes, songs, finger plays, and exploring short books together, and is meant to facilitate interaction between you and your baby to develop their language and early literacy skills.

Margie Harris to speak at Exchange Club meeting, Tuesday, March 10

Margie Harris will be the guest speaker for the Exchange Club’s meeting on Tuesday, March 10.

Harris will share information on the impact of First United Methodist’s food pantry and community meals. The drive-thru pantry is held every first Friday of the month from 10 – 11:30 a.m. at the church. Community meals are generally held on the third Saturday of each month from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Harris will also discuss a new collaboration in progress to establish a winter warming center for Bowling Green. There is currently no warming site in the city.

Guests are always welcome to join club members for lunch from noon – 1 p.m. on Tuesdays in Beckett’s back room to learn more about the club and its projects. The cost for lunch is $13 per person.

St. Mark’s hosts weekly community meals on Wednesdays

St. Mark’s hosts weekly community meals on Wednesdays. Doors open from 4:30 – 5 p.m., and the dinner is served from 5 – 6 p.m. There are trivia, devotion, and service presentations at 6 p.m. All are welcome.

Wood County District Public Library to offer ‘Introduction to Family History,’ Wednesday, March 11

The community is invited to join the Wood County District Public Library for an “Introduction to Family History” class on Wednesday, March 11, at 2 p.m., in the first floor meeting room. This informative program will give people a basic overview of how to get started on family research as well as some tips and tricks to get the most out of research tools, with a focus on the resources provided by the library.

“I think genealogy research can be intimidating to some people, but our hope with this class is to plot out a path that feels both manageable and exciting,” explained local history librarian Marnie Pratt. “We really just want people to be able to uncover their family’s great stories.”

The event is free and open to the public and no registration is required. For more information, call 419-352-5050 or email woodref@wcdpl.org.

BG Kiwanis to host Dr. Andrew Schocket for American Revolution presentation, Thursday, March 12

The Bowling Green Kiwanis Club is pleased to welcome Dr. Andrew Schocket, professor of history and American culture studies at Bowling Green State University, as the featured speaker at its meeting on Thursday, March 12.

The meeting will be held at noon in the Slater Family Ice Arena Lounge on the BGSU campus. The public is invited to attend, with lunch available from 11:30 a.m. for $17.

In his presentation, “The American Revolution,” Schocket will explore the historical significance of the Revolutionary era and its lasting influence on American political culture and society.

For more information about the Bowling Green Kiwanis Club or to learn how to become a member, visit www.kiwanisbg.org.

Weekly ‘Queer Coffee’ event to be hosted at Grounds For Thought on Sundays

“Queer Coffee” is held at Grounds For Thought, 174 S. Main St., every Sunday at 2 p.m. This event aims to be inclusive for anyone who is in the LGBTQ+ community, allies, friends, and family. Attendees can play board games, chat about life, and sip on coffee, tea, or lemonade.

BG DSA to host free store, Thursday, March 19

The BG DSA will host its free store at Howards Club H, 210 N. Main St., Bowling Green, Thursday, March 19, from 6 – 9:30 pm.

Items that are accepted and provided are: coats, gloves, hats, clothing for all ages, socks and underwear, larger size clothing, shoes, harm reduction supplies, toys for children, books, shelf stable food, kitchen items, household items, and hygiene products.

BGSU IN THE ROUND events to continue in March

There will be two BGSU IN THE ROUND outdoor gathering experiences in March. The first is a StoryWalk of “Bud Finds Her Gift,” a new children’s book by Robin Wall Kimmerer. This will open Sunday, March 1, and run all month long at the 577 Foundation in Perrysburg. The second outdoor gathering experience is titled “Plants Teach Us: Collage Artmaking” by Marce Dupay, teaching professor in the BGSU School of Art. This will take place at Wintergarden/St. John’s Nature Preserve in Bowling Green on Saturday, March 21, from 1 – 3 p.m.

There will be a community reads gathering at the 577 Foundation on Thursday, March 19, from 6 – 7 p.m. The event will feature “The Sacred and The Superfund,” and essay from “Braiding Sweetgrass,” which Lucinda Hunter, teaching professor in the BGSU Department of English, will introduce.

BGSU would like to thank the 577 Foundation and Bowling Green Parks & Recreation for their partnership in these community events.

These events are free and open to the public.

Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, best-selling author of ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ to speak on BGSU campus, Friday, March 27

Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer, plant ecologist, educator, and best-selling author of “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants” will speak in Kobacker Hall in the Moore Musical Arts Center at BGSU on Friday, March 27, at 5:30 p.m.

Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. Her first book, “Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses,” was awarded the John Burroughs Medal for outstanding nature writing, and her other work has appeared in “Orion,” “Whole Terrain,” and various scientific journals.

In 2022, “Braiding Sweetgrass” was adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith. This new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us.

As a writer and a scientist, Kimmerer’s interests in restoration include not only restoration of ecological communities, but restoration of people’s relationships to land. She holds a B.S. in Botany from SUNY ESF, an M.S. and Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin, and is the author of numerous scientific papers on plant ecology, bryophyte ecology, traditional knowledge and restoration ecology.

As a writer and a scientist, her interests in restoration include not only restoration of ecological communities, but restoration of our relationships to land. She holds a B.S. in Botany from SUNY ESF, an M.S. and Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Wisconsin and is the author of numerous scientific papers on plant ecology, bryophyte ecology, traditional knowledge and restoration ecology. She lives on an old farm in upstate New York, tending gardens both cultivated and wild.

This event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer to speak at City Park, Saturday, March 28

In collaboration with BGSU’s co-hosting community partner, the Wood County District Public Library, Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer speak on Saturday, March 28, at 10 a.m. at the Bowling Green Veterans Memorial Building at City Park.

This event is free and open to the public.

Bowling Green flea market returns monthly

The Bowling Green flea market is a one-weekend-per-month event, September through May. The event has been part of the Bowling Green community for approximately 54 years.

Taking place at Wood County fairgrounds, there are two buildings, Junior Fair and Champions buildings, with vendors and also outside vendors, weather permitting. Parking and admission are always free.

Vendors sell jewelry, crystals, antiques, coins, toys, comics, birdhouses, crafts, ephemera, rock and mineral specimens, fossils, video games, Pokémon, military items, sports items, Tupperware, and more.

2025-26 Schedule:

  • March 28-29
  • April 25-26
  • May 23-24

Hours are Saturday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sunday, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. The season will be closed for June, July, and August.

Readers invited to solve ‘Clues in the Stacks,’ Mondays

Readers are invited to join the Wood County District Public Library, 251 N. Main St., Bowling Green, for a book discussion filled with mystery, suspense, and thrills. Participants are encouraged to read it, solve it, and discuss it every month with the “Clues in the Stacks” book discussion.

Meetings are monthly on the following Mondays at 2 p.m.

Meeting dates and novels include:

  • April 6: The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens
  • May 4: How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristin Perrin

No registration is required. For more information, call (419) 352-5050 or email woodref@wcdpl.org.

Wood County District Public Library to host presentation on digitized historical newspapers, Wednesday, April 8

The Wood County District Public Library has a large collection of digitized historical newspapers, which can be integral to a wide variety of research. On Wednesday, April 8, at 2 p.m., in the second floor program room, the library will give a presentation aimed at teaching patrons how to access and get the most out of these resources.

“The newspaper databases have become so valuable to my work as a historian,” explained local history librarian Marnie Pratt. “I use them for everything from general informational research to family and even property research. It’s very likely I use them every day for something.”

The even is free and open to the public and no registration is required. For more information, call 419-352-5050 or email woodref@wcdpl.org.

Zoar Lutheran Church hosting monthly yoga

The community is invited to experience an hour of movement and mindfulness at “Yoga for Every Body,” a community wellness event held at Zoar Lutheran Church, 314 E. Indiana Ave., Perrysburg.

Led by certified yoga instructor Kasey Kilmer, these sessions are designed for all experience levels and physical abilities. Whether someone is a seasoned yogi or stepping onto the mat for the first time, everyone is welcome. The goal is to create a supportive, non-judgmental space.

Participants are encouraged to bring a yoga mat or towel, though chairs will be available for those who prefer or require chair yoga. Through the sponsorship of the Zoar Foundation, these events are free to attend.

Attendees are asked to RSVP in order to help organizers plan for space and supplies.

Each month, a free-will offering will be collected to support different ministries doing work in local and global communities. Beneficiaries for the 2026 offerings will be announced at a later date.

Upcoming dates:

  • April 12

For more information, contact the Zoar Lutheran Church office at 419-874-4346 or visit www.zoarlutheran.com.