Thursday, Aug. 23

Friday, Aug. 24

•Pizza & Ice Cream Party fundraiser for the Quintown Senior Center, 5-7 p.m., tickets at the door, Hancock Town Hall, Rte. 100, Hancock.

•Old Time Fiddlers hosted by the Pittsfield Historical Society, 7 p.m., Pittsfield Town Hall, Rte. 100, admission by donation.

Fri. & Sat., Aug. 24 & 25

•Thrift Shop run by the Women’s Alliance, Fri., 4:30-6:30 p.m. and Sat., 9 a.m.-12 noon; Federated Church, Rte. 100, Rochester. Two dollars per bag sale both days.

Saturday, Aug. 25

•Randolph Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-noon, Central Street, next to OSSU office.

•Rochester Farmers Market, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., southwest corner of the Rochester park, Rte. 100.

•First Annual PHYC Carnival sponsored by Center for Valley Youth (CVY) and area businesses, games, prizes, food, swing ride, 12 noon–6 p.m., Rochester Town Park. All proceeds benefit CVY’s move into Pierce Hall.

•Kids’ Program with stories and crafts, free, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Pittsfield Library, Rte. 100, on the green.

•Chicken barbecue fundraiser co-sponsored by the Stockbridge Central School PTO and Stockbridge Recreation Committee, 4-7 p.m., Stockbridge Central School, Route 107, Stockbridge. Tickets at the door.

•Ham and Baked Bean Supper sponsored by the Sharon Congregational Church, with homemade breads and blueberry desserts, 5-6:30 p.m., Sharon Elementary School.

•Church auction with furniture, collectibles, antiques, home furnishings, art, toys, firewood, and area gift certificates; begins 9 a.m., Pomfret School, Pomfret Rd., Pomfret. Lunch available. Info: 234-5021.

•11^th Annual Used Musical Instrument Sale produced by Central Vermont Share the Music, Inc., all profits used to provide music scholarship assistance to individuals, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Bethany Church, 115 Main St., Montpelier. Info: call sale sponsors Kevin at GuitarSam at 229-0295; or Jeff at Vermont Musical Instrument Repair at 229-4416.

Tuesday, Aug. 28

•Cancer Support Group: all cancer survivors, sufferers, family members welcome, free, refreshments served, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Gifford Medical Center Conference Center, Markle Room, 44 S. Main St., Randolph. Info: 728-2270.

Wednesday, Aug. 29

•Bingo Night, 6:30 p.m., Old Town Hall, Brookfield. Proceeds benefit town hall restoration.

•Information and orientation session to learn more about becoming a mentor in a program co-sponsored by Safeline and the Incarcerated Women’s Initiative (IWI) of the Community Partnership of Orange and Windsor Counties (CPOW), to support women in transition from Vt. correctional facilities to communities in Orange and Windsor Counties; 6-7 p.m., Ayers Brook Center, Randolph. Info: Nancy at 685-7900 or nancy@safelinevt.org

•Floating Bridge Music School Showcase, 7:30 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, So. Strafford, corner of Rt. 132 and Justin Morrill Highway, presented by Unitarian Universalist Society of So. Strafford. Tickets at the door.

•Biographer Crystal Zevon speaks about her book "I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon," 6:30 p.m., Aldrich Public Library, Barre.

Thursday, Aug. 30

Friday, Aug. 31

•"Nature at Night," an evening of nighttime adventure activities, including learning about summer constellations, exploring the hidden world of native mammals, and looking under the microscope at some of the smallest animals in local ponds and streams; 6-9 p.m., Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich. Info: 802-649-2200.

Saturday, Sept. 1

•Randolph Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-noon, Central Street, next to OSSU office.

•Rochester Farmers Market, 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m., southwest corner of the Rochester park, Rte. 100.

•"Pulling Together for a Cause," a horse and pony pull fundraiser for the Walt Bryan Memorial Diabetes Fund and the American Diabetes Assoc.; also includes 50-50 raffle, 5k run, horse demos and wagon rides; begins 10 a.m., Brykiss Farms (take Exit 3 off I-89 and follow the signs), Gaysville. Info: 234-9242.

•Chicken ’n Biscuit Supper, seatings at 5 & 6 p.m., takeout available, handicapped accessible, United Church of Northfield, on the common. Info: 802-485-7931.

•Pot Roast Dinner with potatoes, gravy, red cabbage, other veggies, rolls, and dessert; 5-7 p.m., United Church of Cornish, Center Rd., Cornish, N.H.

Sunday, Sept. 2

•New World Festival with 100-plus performers celebrating Vermont’s Celtic and French Canadian musical heritage, five performance stages running simultaneously, dance tent, food tent, family tent with storytelling, marionettes, creative activities, music, and dance by young fiddlers and dancers; festival store selling performers’ CDs, 12 noon-midnight, Main St., Randolph. Tickets available at the gate on the day of the festival. For group rates, call Chandler office at 728-9878.

•Bake sale sponsored by Randolph House, 10 a.m. until sold out, in front of Randolph House, Main St., Randolph.

•"Wild Mushroom Hunt: A Morel Sensation," join mycologist Faith Hunt to learn which mushrooms can be eaten and which are better left alone on the forest floor, and enjoy a "mycophagy," an opportunity to taste a variety of cooked wild mushrooms, rain or shine, 1-4 p.m., Morrill Homestead, Strafford. Limited enrollment. Reservations required: call 765-4129.