Club events
15 March | Rotary Club of Houma, Louisiana
Cast Iron Cookoff
At this food fest in downtown Houma, dozens of amateur cooking teams compete to make the best dish using cast-iron cookware. Attendees can sample as many dishes as they like and vote for their favorite. An overall People’s Choice winner is crowned, with additional honorees in the categories of meat/game, seafood, dessert, and lagniappe (a Cajun term meaning “a little extra”). A portion of the proceeds supports students who are facing food insecurity.
15 March | Rotary Club of St. Petersburg, Florida
Salty Sands Rotary Run
Whether it’s a 5K, 10K or a 1-mile run/walk, there is a distance for every type of competitor at this event. Athletes and their family members, young and old, as well as members of the community come out to race and support others. Each year the commemorative T-shirt is a different color, and medals are awarded to winners in various age groups. Local businesses sponsor the event which showcases music along the course and snacks at the finish line.
20 March | Rotary clubs of Chicoutimi and Rive Nord Du Saguenay, Québec
St. Patrick of Saguenay
In its third year, this annual event will feature at least six local microbreweries offering a taste of their beers (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), with a food truck on hand to feed the crowd. More than 400 participants have attended the event each year. The proceeds benefit local projects, including providing back-to-school backpacks for local children and baskets of food at Christmas for families in need.
Tell us about your club’s upcoming event: Write to magazine@rotary.org and put “calendar” in the subject line.
29 March | Rotary Club of Cambria, California
Viva Gala
The club’s annual gala dinner returns to the oceanfront San Simeon Lodge with the theme Black-Tie Tie-Dye! Guests are invited to show up in a formal gown or tuxedo, a swirly Grateful Dead T-shirt, or perhaps a creative combination of the two styles. Background music will range from Jefferson Airplane to Johann Strauss, to encourage dancing of all kinds. Organizers expect to raise tens of thousands of dollars through ticket sales, raffles, and a live auction, with proceeds supporting local and international projects.
29 March | Rotary Club of Edinburg, Texas
Bayou Brewfest
Cajun food, craft beer, and live music draw hundreds of people to this annual festival, which the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce recently named the town’s best community event. This year, the fest, which benefits local projects, will kick off the club’s centennial celebration (it was chartered 10 January 1925). The revelry takes place at the downtown Promenade Park Amphitheater.
10 April | Rotary Club of Tyler, Texas
Young Citizens Club Banquet
The brainchild of Edgar H. Vaughn, a charter member of the Tyler club, the Young Citizens Club has celebrated outstanding youths in Smith County since 1930. Every year, a committee of teachers and counselors recognizes two students from each participating middle school, high school, and college. Selections are based on scholarship, honesty, service, citizenship, dependability, sportsmanship, courtesy, thriftiness, and leadership. This year’s banquet honors more than 80 students, who will receive certificates.
11 April | Rotary Club of Boca Raton, Florida
Future Stars
Singers and dancers from schools in South Florida show off their talents in this annual competition, held at Spanish River High School’s Countess de Hoernle Theatre. Performers must pass an audition to earn a spot on the stage; all who do receive a medal, and judges give awards to the top three acts in several categories. Participants pursuing study in the performing arts are eligible to apply for college scholarships administered by the club and funded by Future Stars sponsors. The event is free to attend.
13 April | Rotary Club of Myrtle Beach-Chicora, South Carolina
Waves of the Future
This annual celebration showcases a variety of artistic performances by Horry County students from kindergarten through high school. Hundreds of attendees pack the Carolina Opry Theater to cheer on vocal and instrumental ensembles, dance crews, theatrical groups, and other acts. Since it began in 2013, the event has raised more than $300,000, much of which has supported local school arts programs.
17 April | Rotary Club of Missoula, Montana
In Tune Missoula
Local bands provide the entertainment for this annual gala at the Zootown Arts Community Center. The event honors area music teachers and raises money to ensure that middle school students from low-income families have access to music education programs. Attendees enjoy appetizers and drinks and can bid on items in a silent auction.
19 April | Rotary Club of Southwest Wichita Falls, Texas
Sporting Clay Shoot
Now in its 17th year, this popular clay shooting event typically attracts about 80 participants, from first-timers to seasoned sharpshooters, who compete to win prizes. The event is held on the grounds of the Northwest Texas Field and Stream Association, which sets a challenging course for competitors. The entry fee includes lunch, plus a dinner provided by local nonprofit Ribs Inc.
19 April | Rotary Club of University Sunrise, Seattle
The Big Taste
Guests will explore Northwest wines, beers, spirits and ciders in the 10th year of this fun tasting event that supports local nonprofits. With at least 20 vendors offering their best products, it’s a true sampler’s paradise. Live music from club member Tom Ranken and his band will keep things hopping and local food trucks will offer tantalizing fare. Held in an old airplane hangar, part of a decommissioned military installation that in 1924 was the start and end of the first flight around the world, the venue offers plenty of room to mingle. Bring friends and make it a party!
25 April | Rotary Club of Alamo Heights, Texas
Alamo Heights Night
Since 1987, thousands of people each year have enjoyed this fun, family-friendly, safe outdoor block party with great food, drink, entertainment, games & rides, part of San Antonio’s annual 10-day Fiesta celebration. Held at the University of the Incarnate Word, the event features bands on multiple stages and a variety of games and rides for kids of all ages. The event has raised more than $2.4 million that has been donated to charities and paid for scholarships and projects in support of the local community. The one-night event is supported by more than 400 volunteers from local businesses and non-profit organizations as well as uniformed security, and four free park-and-ride locations make it easy to get to the event.
26 April | Rotary Club of East Lake Sunrise, Florida
Cruisin’ The Park
This car show and community festival is now in its 18th year. It includes fun outdoor activities for children through the YMCA Healthy Kids Day, professionally judged antique and show cars/trucks with trophies for category winners, and appearances by our local Interact’s robotics club, the Sheriff’s Department Canine Unit, and the East Lake Fire Rescue. There will be live entertainment, barbeque, a silent auction, and live raffles throughout the day, as well as sponsorship booths set up to provide giveaways and to share information about lcoal organizations. The event, including parking, is free to the public, volunteer-operated and gives 100% of the proceeds to charitable organizations.
26 April | Rotary Club of Port Perry, Ontario
Spring Gala
The club’s annual gala dinner, which moves this year to the scenic Mill Run Golf Club in nearby Uxbridge, features a four-course meal, live music, and silent and live auctions. The fundraiser developed from an art festival that the club began in the 1990s. The past 12 galas alone have raised more than CA$460,000.
27 April | Rotary Club of Minnesota Pride, Minneapolis
4th Annual Drag Brunch
Attendees will enjoy a drag show and brunch with mimosas at a local ballroom, as well as a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, a heads-and-tails game, and a wine/liquor pull. Event sponsorships and ticket donations are also available. Proceeds support the club’s partner organizations that provide shelter, food, and support for homeless youth in Minnesota, who are disproportionally from the LGBTQIA+ community. The Minnesota Pride Rotary Club is a community of LGBTQ+ people and allies where everyone is welcome.