Submissions to the community calendar need to be in writing and arrive or be brought into The Mount Airy News office before 5 p.m. at least five days before the event should appear in the newspaper. Be sure to include the full name and address of the event; the time, day and date of the event; and a contact phone number in case our staff has any questions. Information may be mailed to: The Mount Airy News, 319 N. Renfro St., Mount Airy, NC 27030; faxed to 789-2816; or emailed to aeldridge@mtairynews.com.

Ongoing

- Dobson Rescue Squad Inc. hosts bingo with cash prizes every Saturday night starting in January. The bingo is at the Dobson Rescue Squad at U.S. 601 and Rockford Road. Early birds start at 5 p.m. Regular pack begins at 7 p.m. The late bingo depends on the number of players. The regular pack is nine games for $20. The players game is $5. A child pack, for children 13 and under, is $5. Concessions are sold on site by Dobson Rescue. For more information, call 374-4100.

- Jamming in Jamsburg in Lambsburg, Va., is held every Friday from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Community Center. Bluegrass, old-time, gospel and other types of music will be playing. Situated at the foot of the Sugar Loaf Mountain and surrounded by the mountains makes a beautiful backdrop for the jam. There’s plenty of space indoors and outdoors. There are concessions with the clean entertainment for the whole family. All musicians and music lovers are invited to come play, dance or just listen and enjoy. Admission is free, and concessions are available.

- The Surry Arts Council presents free fiddle, guitar and banjo lessons for kids downstairs at the Andy Griffith Playhouse every Thursday evening. Master musician Jim Vipperman teaches fiddle at 5:30 p.m., and guitar and banjo at 6:15 p.m. No sign-up required, instruments are available for use during the lessons. For more information, call 786-7998.

- A Jam Session will be held every Thursday from 7 to 10 p.m., free at the Andy Griffith Playhouse.

- A Jam Session will be held every Saturday from 9 to 11 am, free at the Downtown Cinema Theater.

- WPAQ 740 AM presents a live radio broadcast every Saturday from 11 am to 1:30 p.m. at the Downtown Cinema Theater.

- Every Thursday evening, the American Legion Post 123 hosts Bingo at the American Legion Hall at Veterans Park, 691 W. Lebanon St. in Mount Airy. Cash prizes total up to $2,400 being paid. Early Birds start at 6:30 p.m. and regular games start at 7 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. Free coffee is offered and drinks and snacks are sold. Everyone is welcome. For more information, call 710-7322.

- If you or a family member is struggling with substance abuse, help is a phone call away. Twin City Area Narcotics Anonymous Helpline is available 24 hours a day at (800) 365-1035 or at www.teana.org. Call or visit the Web site for meeting schedules and additional information. This is a 12-step recovery program.

- Catch a tribute to “The King” on the second Saturday of each month at the Andy Griffith Playhouse. Professional tribute artist Jimmy W. Johnson brings a unique Elvis performance. Showtime is 3 p.m. Prices for the shows are as follows: first 10 rows are $25, last 10 rows are $20, balcony seats are $15. Contact the Surry Arts Council to reserve tickets at 786-7998.

- The Ararat Ruritan Club, Va., has dances every Saturday from 7 to 10 p.m. Admission is $5. Children under 12 are free. On Dec. 31, 2 Young 2 Old and Jerry George and Snow Creek will be performing. For more information, call (276) 251-5436.

- The Disabled American Veterans meets the fourth Thursday of each month at the National Guard Armory in Mount Airy at 7 p.m. Meetings are open to all members and their families.

- Join the Foothills Arts Council for The Artists Forum on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. This is an informal artists group for anyone interested in exploring their creative side. These discussions are presented free at the FAC building, 129 Church St., Elkin. For more information, call 835-2025.

- The Woman’s Club of Mount Airy meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The club is seeking new members. The Woman’s Club of Mount Airy is a member of the General Federation of Woman’s Clubs of North Carolina. It is a service organization which gives back to the community in many ways including scholarships for local students and projects around Surry County. Anyone interested in attending a meeting should contact Wendy at 786-5747.

- Clayworks is having open studio for ceramics in Elkin on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to noon on Front Street. This is for adults who would like studio time to work on their own projects with or without instruction. The cost is $145 for 12 sessions. Start any date, work on the project of your choosing. To register, call the Yadkin Valley Craft Guild at 835-2717. For more information, visit www.yadkinvalleycraftguild.org.

- Every Thursday, the Mount Airy Public Library will have Game Night at 6 p.m. The library will have games like Scrabble, Boggle, Uno, Life, Sorry, Yahtzee, Trivial Pursuit and other games available to play.

- The Beulah Ruritan Club will have a dance every Friday from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Admission is $5. Children under the age of 12 are free. For more information, call 352-3383.

- Meetings will be held each Thursday at Bojangles from 6 to 8 p.m. for those healing from a broken marriage.

- Jam sessions will be held every Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Willis Gap Community Center. Jammers of all skill levels are invited to attend. Enjoy a night of fun, food, friends and fellowship while hearing bluegrass, old-time, country and gospel music. Admission is free.

- The Wings of Glory Christian Bikers Ministry will meet the first Monday night of each month at Prime Sirloin in Mount Airy. Fellowship will begin at 6 p.m. and the meeting will start at 7 p.m. Anyone who rides a motorcycle or who would like to join with helping is invited to attend. For more information, call Wayne Todd at (336) 200-0359 or Patsy Payne at 648-5055.

- The Conservatory of Dance & Theatre in downtown Galax, Va., will present its fifth annual production of “The Nutcracker” at 6 p.m. on Dec. 10 and at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Dec. 13 at the Galax High School Auditorium. Tickets are on sale. Reserved tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children 13 and younger. General admission is $1 for adults and $4 for children. Discounts are available for civic, church and school groups of 10 or more.

- The Mount Airy Public Library will have “Wii Wednesdays” beginning at 3:30 p.m. each Wednesday. In order to play, players will have to have a library card in good standing. Thursday nights are “Game Night” at the library starting at 6 p.m.

- Through Jan. 11, 2010, the Mount Airy Art League has artwork for sale at the Mount Airy Public Library. For more information, call (276) 755-3040.

- Bring children ages 4 to 8 to the new Hands On Children’s Gallery at the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History for holiday crafts, stories and activities. Reservations are strongly encouraged. Limited to the first 20 registrants. The cost is $10 per child. For more information or to make a reservation, call the museum at 786-4478 ext. 229.

- “Eating Great When Money Ain’t” is a four-week program that teaches how to prepare easy, healthy, low cost meals. Physical activity will be included each week along with tasting of recipes. Classes will start Jan. 5 and be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the N.C. Cooperative Extension Office, 210 N. Main St., Dobson. Parents or caregivers in Surry County who are eligible for or receive Food Stamps are encouraged to attend. This program is free, but participants must register. For more information and to register, call 401-8025.

- The Surry Arts Council is pleased to present new clogging workshops and classes taught by Samantha Wilhelmi, a very talented young clogger. These clogging lessons are perfect for all ages and dance abilities, from beginner to advanced. Workshops will be held before the monthly Old-Time Dances in the Old-Time Music Hall, below the Andy Griffith Museum in Mount Airy, 218 Rockford Street, starting on Saturday, Jan. 2, 2010 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The workshop is free with the purchase of a dance ticket. The dance starts at 7 p.m. and admission is $5. Popular old-time dance band The Slate Mountain Ramblers will provide the music for the dance. The Old-Time Dance and Clogging Workshop are held on the first Saturday of every month. Also, starting on Feb. 4, 2010, Samantha will be teaching clogging classes every Thursday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Surry Arts Council dance room. This class is perfect for all beginners as well as more advanced students, and all ages are welcome. The cost of the class is $25 a month. For more information, call the Surry Arts Council at 786-7998 or visit www.surryarts.org.

- In January the Mount Airy Public Library will have Science Thursdays again, for grades 3-5 at 3:30 p.m. There will be science workshops, with the following programs that include, Jan. 7, Nature’s Footprints; Jan. 14, Goods From the Woods; Jan. 21, Water Works; and Jan. 28, What’s Your DNA? Class size is limited. For more information, call 789-5108.

Jan. 11

- The Surry County Genealogical Association will meet at 7 p.m. in the teaching auditorium at Surry Community College in Dobson. The speaker will be John Edwards, who will talk on murder or mysteries in family history. This meeting is free. Come learn the history of the county and the genealogy of the people. For more information, call 755-9462 or email EPDJ1@embarqmail.com.

Jan. 11 and 12

- The Surry Arts Players present the play “Gideon,” which explores the relationship of an ordinary man with God through the story of Gideon, a judge in the Old Testament. The director is looking for 18 men, six women, and one boy to fill roles for the play. There will also be opportunities for those interested in doing behind-the-scenes work. Auditions for actors as well as those wishing to be stage hands will be held at the Andy Griffith Playhouse at 6:30 p.m. Those auditioning will read an excerpt from the script and do not need to have anything prepared beforehand. Performances of “Gideon” will be on April 9-11, 2010. For more information, contact the director of the play, Riley Fillingame, at 368-2689 or the Surry Arts Council at 786-7998.

Jan. 12

- The Lambsburg Community Center, Va., will start a college class on the Book of Romas through Foothills Christian College at 6 p.m. For more information, call 648-2078 or email pberrier@hughes.net.

- The location of the regularly scheduled Carroll County School Board meeting has been changed to Oakland Elementary School, 4930 Pipers Gap Road, Galax, Va., The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. For more information, call the Carroll County School Board Office at (276) 728-3191 or (276) 236-8145.

- The Friends of the Mount Airy Public Library will present a program “In the Footsteps of Daniel Boone” featuring award winning author and storyteller Randell Jones at noon in the multipurpose room at the library. This program is free and is funded by the North Carolina Humanities Council. Attendees are welcome to bring a lunch and drinks will be provided. For more information, contact the Mount Airy Public Library at 789-5108.

Jan 14

- The Mount Airy Public Library will be hosting another Creative Writing workshop for teens and adults. Led by SCC instructor Sarah Wright, the class will begin at 6 p.m. Bring a pencil, some paper and your imagination with you. This event is free.

Jan 19

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s Picture Books book club meets to watch the film of the January book selection, Seabiscuit, at 6 p.m. The books are available for checkout at the library. The movie is free.

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s Book Chats book club will meet at 1 p.m. to discuss books that the members are reading. This even is open to anyone and is free.

Jan. 28

- The Community book club will meet at 7 p.m. at the Mount Airy Public Library.

Jan. 30

- The Northwestern Regional Library will sponsor the Quiz Bowl for area high school students. Quiz Bowl takes place at the Andy Griffith Playhouse on at 10 a.m. Come support your local team.

Feb. 1-15

- Beginning Feb. 1, the Mount Airy Public Library will be starting a Presidential Trivia contest, with a $50 Pages Bookstore gift card as the prize. Contest entry question forms will be available at the front desk at the library. Contest ends on Monday, Feb. 15. Those entry forms with the correct answers will be eligible for the drawing to see who wins.

Feb. 8

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s next visiting author will be Annis Jackson at noon to discuss her latest book “Into the Twilight.”

Feb. 16

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s February Picture Books book/movie selection is Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts. The books will be available for checkout at the library and the movie will be shown at 6 p.m. This event is free.

Feb. 22

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s Book Chats book club meet at 1 p.m. to discuss books that the members are reading. This event is open to everyone and is free.

Feb. 25

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s Community book club meets at 7 p.m.

March 2

- The Mount Airy Public Library will be participating once again by celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday with Read Across America Day. The library will have guest readers of Dr. Seuss stories beginning at 9 a.m. and the last reader is scheduled for noon. Police Chief Dale Watson, Sheriff Graham Atkinson and local storyteller Brack Llewellyn are signed up to read.

March 8-11

- Teen Tech Week will be celebrated at the Mount Airy Public Library with programs each night that would interest teens including local college senior Sarah Hegler will demonstrate what she has learned while studying Interactive Design and Animation using computer graphics. There will also be a Battle of the Bands using the library’s Wii on Tuesday. They will pick the one song that each group will perform and the best score wins. On Wednesday they will have a Wii Dance Dance Revolution Party. All events begin at 6 p.m. and are free.

March 16

- The March meeting of the Mount Airy Public Library’s Picture Books book club will be held at 6 p.m. The book/movie for March is Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks. Copies of the book are available for checkout and the movie is free.

March 22

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s meeting of the Book Chats book club will be held at 1 p.m. This event is open and is free.

March 25

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s March Community book club meeting will be held at 7 p.m.

March 26

- “Go Fly A Kite Day” will be held at the Mount Airy Public Library. Participants are encouraged to design and make their kites that they fly on the library lawn. This event will begin at 3:30 p.m.

- April is National Poetry month. The Mount Airy Public Library is encourage English/Language Arts teachers to submit poetry entries by their student, to be read by the students at the library. Poems should be submitted by teachers to the library on March 26. We invite the students to come to the library to read them on April 20 at 6 p.m.

April 24

- The Mount Airy Public Library will be having our annual yard sale to benefit the Young Adult section of the library from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Anyone who would like to donate items for the yard sale to bring them to the library on April 23.

April 12-17

- National Library Week will be celebrated at the Mount Airy Public Library. The library will be announcing our essay contest winners during this week and beginning our Spring Book Sale. All money raised during the book sale will help fund projects throughout the year.

April 13

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s Picture Books book club meets to watch the movie My Sister’s Keeper at 6 p.m. The book will be available for checkout at the library and the movie is free.

April 20

- The Mount Airy Public Library will have student Poetry Readings at 6 p.m.

April 22

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s Community book club meet will be at 7 p.m.

April 25

- The Friends of the Library have invited the Miss Julia series author, Ann Ross, to visit the library at 2 p.m. Come hear Ms. Ross talk about her much-loved series for free.

April 26

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s April meeting for the Book Chats book club will be at 1 p.m.

May 11

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s own teen theatre group, The Dewey Decimal Players, will be presenting Fairytale Theatre at 3:30 p.m. This event helps us celebrate Children’s Book Week is for all ages and is free.

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s May meeting of the Picture Books book club to watch the May movie at 6 p.m. The May movie/book is Julie and Julia. Books are available for checkout at the library.

May 13

- The Mount Airy Public Library will have visiting children’s book author Sarah Sullivanat the library. She will be leading a writing workshop for older elementary students. This workshop is free.

May 24

- Mount Airy Public Library’s Book Chats book club meet at 1 p.m. to discuss the books they are currently reading. This event is open to everyone.

May 27

- The Mount Airy Public Library’s Community book club meets at 7 p.m.