UPCOMING EVENTS: As posted in the June 16 BRAVO

- 2011 Annevar Celebration Featuring a quilt show, pie-baking contest, tractor pull and barrel racing, 4 p.m. today through 6 p.m. Sunday in Ravenna. Most events and activities are free of charge. For more information, visit www.ci.ravenna.ne.us .

- Free Family Fun Night , 4-8 p.m. today at KidZone — Kearney Area Children’s Museum, 5827 Fourth Ave. 698-2228; www.kearneykidzone.com . Admission is $5, ages 12 months and up. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Free admission.

- Dancers of the Plains Powwow Exhibition featuring the Otoe-Missouria tribe of Oklahoma, Friday and Saturday at Great Platte River Road Archway, 3060 E. First St., I-80 exit 272. 237-1000.

- Boombox Dance presented by Platte Valley Dance Club, 8-11 p.m. Saturday at Kearney Eagles Club, 17 W. 24th St. Admission is $5 per person. Music provided by Kirby and Ronda Andersen.

- Todd Burpo , author of New York Times bestseller “Heaven Is For Real,” 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Sunday at The Tassel Performing Arts Center, 1324 Tilden St., Holdrege. 308-995-2717; www.thetassel.org . Admission is free, but a ticket is required for entry. Call 308-999-9012 to get tickets.

- Wagons West Celebration , 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 25 at Trails and Rails Museum, 710 W 11th St., 234-3041; www.bchs.kearney.net . Free admission. The event feaures a fiddle contest, history and education exhibitors, food and hands-on family activities.

- Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall July 1-4 at Great Platte River Road Archway, 3060 E. First St., I-80 exit 272.

- Independence Day Celebration featuring live music, food vendors, children’s games and fireworks, 5-10 p.m. July 3 at Viaero Event Center, 609 Platte Road, Kearney. 338-8011; www.kearneyevents.com . Free admission. Cactus Hill at 5 p.m., Thudwinker at 7:30 p.m., fireworks about 9:30 p.m.

- Echoes of Independence featuring a historic celebration of our nation’s independence as it would have been done 100 years ago, 2 p.m. July 4 at Harold Warp Pioneer Village, 138 E. Highway 6, Minden. 800-445-4447; www.pioneervillage.org . General admission is $9.50, $5 for children ages 6 to 12 and free for children ages 5 and younger. Open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. The event includes old-fashioned carnival games and a traditional band concert with The Maverick Band.

Calling all quilter and book lovers… Author of Elm Creek Novels ...

If you like to quilt, crochet, knit and appreciate a good book while you are curled up in a blanket, this is the event for you! The New York Times best-selling author of the Elm Creek Quilts novels, Jennifer Chiaverini comes to Peoria, IL to benefit Project Linus.

Project Linus is a National not for profit organization based in Central Illinois that provides love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gift of new handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer “blankeeters.” Project Linus believes that the need for a sense of security, warmth and comfort has no borders. Since March of this year, Project Linus and their network of “blanketeers” have provided and distributed over 12,000 blankets to aid in recovery efforts for the earthquake in Japan and tornadoes in Alabama and Joplin, MO. Peoria Civic Center, Illinois

Chiaverini asked for help from her readers, Project Linus volunteers, and the community to determine the gender of expectant mother Sarah’s twins. To cast their “votes,” readers and volunteers created quilt blocks from a provided pattern, using red fabrics if they wanted Sarah to have two girls, blue fabrics for two boys, and purple for a boy and a girl. After quilters from around the world contributed more than a thousand quilt squares, Jennifer tallied the votes and is preparing to announce the winner on Friday, July 22nd!

Chiaverini will be sharing excerpts from her soon to be released book, The Wedding Quilt. Quilts made from the “votes” will be on display, and she will announce the gender of Sarah’s twins!

Tickets are available for $50 per person. Your ticket price includes keynote speaker Jennifer Chiaverini, dinner, viewing of quilts from the nationwide contest and supporting a great cause, Project Linus. Tickets are available at www.projectlinus.org or call 309-585-0686 for more information.

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