Buy a raffle ticket from the Portage Patchers Quilt Guild, and you just might wind up with a handmade quilt under your Christmas tree.
The guild is raffling a queen-size quilt made by its members. The quilt, named “Tropical Breeze,” is 90 by 100 inches and features batik fabric in blues, greens and browns on a stone-colored background.
Raffle tickets are $1 each or six for $5 and may be purchased by calling 330-673-1082 or 330-673-8877. Don’t delay. The drawing is Wednesday.
Gardening symposium
Four speakers will share their expertise at Design & Beyond, a Jan. 18 gardening symposium presented by the Master Gardeners of Summit County.
The event features these presenters:
• David L. Culp, creator of the gardens at Brandywine Cottage in Downington, Pa., who will speak on the topic The Layered Garden: Design Lessons for Year-Round Beauty from Brandywine Cottage. Culp is the author of a book by the same name.
• Debra Knapke, a gardening writer, garden designer and teacher who will speak on the topic Simplifying Your Garden Without Diminishing Your Joy. She is co-author of several books on gardening in Ohio and the Midwest.
• Jim McCormac of the Ohio Division of Wildlife, who will speak on the topic Butterflies and Their Darker Side, the Moths. He is the author of Birds of Ohio, The Great Lakes Nature Guide and Wild Ohio: The Best of Our Natural Heritage.
• Danae Wolfe, Summit County agriculture and natural resources extension educator and a specialist in the threat of invasive plants. She will speak on the topic Go Native!
The Design & Beyond symposium is at St. Sebastian’s Zwisler Hall, 348 Elmdale Ave., Akron. Check-in starts at 8 a.m., and the programs are from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Cost is $40, including materials, a continental breakfast and lunch. Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase books by the speakers and have them signed.
Register at www.summitmastergardeners.org, or call Sherry Beam at 330-342-0969. Registration deadline is Jan. 6. No refunds will be given after Dec. 31.
Events and programs
• Guided Bird Walk, 9-11 a.m. today, Secrest Arboretum, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, 1680 Madison Ave., Wooster Township. Free. cochran.7@osu.edu or 330-464-2148.
• Winter Barn Sale, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, Portage Trail Barn, 151 Portage Trail Extension W, Cuyahoga Falls. Handmade and repurposed items for the home and family. www.PortageTrailBarn.com.
• Pets Visit Santa, noon to 4 p.m. today, Donzell’s Flower & Garden Center, 937 E. Waterloo Road, Akron. Bring a pet for a picture with Santa. $8. 330-724-0505 or www.donzells.com.
• Christmas Wonderland, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Hartung House, 131 Wertz Ave. NW, Canton. Rooms throughout the house are filled with Christmas decorations, including a 1980s Santa’s Village from the Junior League of Canton. Refreshments, visit by Santa and Mrs. Claus. $5. Presented by the Canton Preservation Society. www.cantonpreservation.com.
• Gardeners of Greater Akron meeting, Monday evening, St. George Fellowship Centre, 3204 Ridgewood Road, Copley Township. Christmas party with entertainment by the Copley High School Chamber Singers. Social hour starts at 5:30, dinner at 6:30. $13. Reservations: 330-336-6269. Information: 330-673-3553 or www.ohiogardeners.org.
• Needlework Circle meeting, 6 p.m. Thursdays, Seville Library, 45 N. Center St. 330-769-2852.
• The Spirit of Christmas Past, through Dec. 29, Farnam Manor, 4223 Brecksville Road, Richfield. Participants are served a 19th-century dinner, with historical re-enactors portraying members of the Farnam family. Hours: 6 to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4 to 7 p.m. Sundays. $60; children 12 and younger, $30. Presented by the Ohio Living History Society. Reservations: www.olhs.org or 234-200-6547.
• Deck the Hall: Heaven & Nature Sing, through Dec. 30, Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens, 714 N. Portage Path, Akron. Decorated manor house and grounds, computerized light show set to music, entertainment, gift shop, snacks. Open 5-8 p.m. today, Sunday and Tuesday through Friday, as well as Dec. 21-23 and 26-30. Members: $13.50 for adults, $5.50 for youth; others: $17 for adults, $7 for youth. Children 5 and younger admitted free. Tickets available at the door or in advance at 330-315-3287 or www.stanhywet.org.
• Glow at the Garden, through Jan. 5, Cleveland Botanical Garden, 11030 East Blvd. Holiday celebration includes Garden Express train rides, musical performances, gingerbread house display, holiday plants and decorations. Eleanor Squire Library Book & Print Sale, today and Sunday; thousands of items, including rare and first editions. Glow at the Garden hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. $12; ages 3-12, $8; members and younger children, free. 216-721-1600 or www.cbgarden.org.
Submit notices of classes, programs and events two weeks in advance to mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com or Home and Garden News, Features Department, Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, OH 44309-0640. Please include name and phone number. All events must be open to the public.
Mary Beth Breckenridge can be reached at 330-996-3756 or mbrecken@thebeaconjournal.com. You can also become a fan on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/mbbreck, follow her on Twitter @MBBreckenridge and read her blog at www.ohio.com/blogs/mary-beth.