Join other local readers on the third Thursday of the month as we discuss interesting books for everyone to enjoy.

May reading selection: The Wangs vs. the World, by Jade Chang

Stop in at the Willowbranch Library or call 904.381.8490 for this month’s book selection.

This program is for children birth to 5 years with an adult caregiver. The program includes stories, books, fingerplays, nursery rhymes, and songs that promote language development, vocabulary building, and comprehension.

Virginia College in Jacksonville will host a Spring Fling for the community Friday, March 17 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the campus located at 5940 Beach Blvd. The event is free and open to the public with food, giveaways and spring-themed activities for all ages, including an Easter egg hunt, games and a bounce house. Attendees are also invited to enjoy program-related activities, campus tours and face painting by Cosmetology students.

This is an ongoing class that meets every Friday for all artists levels. The class will focus on pastels, materials and techniques.

Students will work from a live model and still life setups on a rotating basis using various types of soft pastels and supports. Check our website for the recommended supply list.

Questions can be directed to Kevin Arthur @ 904-327-7439

About Riverside Arts Market

A Program of Riverside Avondale Preservation (RAP) the Riverside Arts Market celebrates the arts and our Northeast Florida community. The weekly market features live music, food, art, fresh produce under the canopy of the Fuller Warren Bridge. For more information, including directions and a calendar of events, visit riversideartsmarket.com.

Members $10, Non-Members $15, Ages 6 through 12, Registration required

Join us on the third Saturday of each month for studio classes. This class will focus on the natural beauty of the Cummer Museum’s historic gardens. Students will visit the galleries to view works inspired by nature. Then they will learn about “plein air” painting as they work from direct observation in the gardens. Projects will be completed within one class period. For further information, please email [email protected] or call 904.355.0630.

March is Women’s History Month. Come celebrate with us and explore two of the most famous female pilots ever; Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart. Test out your own piloting skills- with a paper airplane, of course! For children ages 5-12.

A Marriage Course which will be starting in March for all married couples or singles who have lived together for at least a year.  This is a seven-week course with a dinner and two-hour class covering building strong foundations, solving conflicts, communication, finances, forgiveness, the impact of families, sex, love in action and commitment.  This class will be free starting on Monday, March 6, at 6:30 pm  with an introductory class to see if this class would be for you.  The dinner each evening would be $6 and the homework booklet $5. Reserve a space by calling or texting Barbara Sapp at 904-955-9773.

The YMCA of Florida’s First Coast and the Tampa Metropolitan Area YMCA are going head-to-head again in the 2017 Treadmill Tuesday Rematch – a competition between the Tampa Bay and Northeast Florida communities for the greatest distance traveled on a treadmill in 12 hours.

This free event takes place Tuesday, March 21 from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and is open to YMCA members and nonmembers across the entire Tampa Bay and Northeast Florida communities.

Everyone in the community is invited to participate in the competition by completing a 30-minute treadmill workout at any of the First Coast YMCA branches or by posting a photo on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, using #TreadmillTuesday and @FirstCoastYMCA.

The Community Women’s Bible study, which has been going on for over 25 years at Ortega Presbyterian Church, will begin a new series on Tuesday, January 31, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the church library.  This series is led by lifelong resident of the Avondale area, Audrey Ainsworth, and will utilize teaching by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, which gives an overview of the Sermon on the Mount: How to Live a Kingdom Life in a Fallen World.  Women are welcome to join the study. The church building is located in old Ortega, at 4406 Longfellow Street, near the intersection of Algonquin Avenue and Longfellow Street.