Events

The 26th Annual Community Trash-Off for Orange, Texas, and surrounding communities will take place VIRTUALLY on Saturday, February 27, 2021, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Community Trash-Off is organized by the staff of Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center and conducted by volunteers from Orange, West Orange, Pinehurst, and other surrounding communities.

Online registration can be found here.

While the INVISTA Sponsored Community Trash-off is a popular way to get involved and make a difference, in light of the impact of COVID-19, as well as recommendations from the Stark Foundation and government leadership,  this year’s event will be a virtually organized “clean up” opportunity. The sponsoring organizations would love to come together for a day of community service and fellowship, but the safety of our community members is paramount, especially those who are put in harm’s way by the spread of COVID-19.

This year, each registered participant will be provided with their own kit of tools to effectively participate in the clean-up efforts throughout their community, not for just one day, but year-round. Each kit will contain one reusable bag, one trash grabber, one safety vest, one pair of gloves, and four garbage bags. Our hope is to empower our community to continue clean-up efforts year-round by providing the basic tools required for the job.

Participants will register for a Trash-off kit to be picked up at the gardens by the participant or a representative. Participants will head out into their neighborhood or anywhere they like to walk, collect the litter they see and post a photo on Shangri La Gardens Facebook page or on their personal profile with the hashtag #VirtualCommunityTrashOff2021 #TrashOffFlashOn.

This year, if participants are able to transport their own collected litter to the dumpster at the city of Orange Boat Ramp (follow the signs), that they do so. Litter bag pick-up will be available to those who need assistance.

For further information, email kkrantz@shangrilagardens.org.

The 26th Annual Community Trash-Off for Orange, Texas, and surrounding communities will take place VIRTUALLY on Saturday, February 27, 2021, from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The Community Trash-Off is organized by the staff of Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center and conducted by volunteers from Orange, West Orange, Pinehurst, and other surrounding communities.

Online registration can be found here.

While the INVISTA Sponsored Community Trash-off is a popular way to get involved and make a difference, in light of the impact of COVID-19, as well as recommendations from the Stark Foundation and government leadership,  this year’s event will be a virtually organized “clean up” opportunity. The sponsoring organizations would love to come together for a day of community service and fellowship, but the safety of our community members is paramount, especially those who are put in harm’s way by the spread of COVID-19.

This year, each registered participant will be provided with their own kit of tools to effectively participate in the clean-up efforts throughout their community, not for just one day, but year-round. Each kit will contain one reusable bag, one trash grabber, one safety vest, one pair of gloves, and four garbage bags. Our hope is to empower our community to continue clean-up efforts year-round by providing the basic tools required for the job.

Participants will register for a Trash-off kit to be picked up at the gardens by the participant or a representative. Participants will head out into their neighborhood or anywhere they like to walk, collect the litter they see and post a photo on Shangri La Gardens Facebook page or on their personal profile with the hashtag #VirtualCommunityTrashOff2021 #TrashOffFlashOn.

This year, if participants are able to transport their own collected litter to the dumpster at the city of Orange Boat Ramp (follow the signs), that they do so. Litter bag pick-up will be available to those who need assistance.

For further information, email kkrantz@shangrilagardens.org.

The Orange Convention and Visitors Bureau is thrilled to announce the 19th Annual Art in the Park and 2nd Annual Orange Riverfront Car Show will be returning on Saturday, April 10, 2021, from 9 A.M. to 4 P.M.

Art in the Park will be held in its traditional location at Stark Park and the Orange Riverfront Car Show will be held at the Riverfront Boardwalk and Pavilion. These two events will be within walking distance from one another to provide entertainment for all ages and interests.

Registration forms to be a vendor for Art in the Park may be obtained by visiting www.orangetexas.org or by calling the Orange Convention and Visitors Bureau office. Booth spaces will be reserved and assigned based on receipt of paid registration.

Staff would like to emphasize booths are LIMITED and will be reserved on a “first-come, first-serve” basis.

All vendors will be responsible for following any and all COVID-19 mandated regulations, including but not limited to, regular sanitizing, spacing, and mask requirements issued by the office of the Governor of the State of Texas and recommended by the Center for Disease Control at the time of the event.

Additional information may be obtained from the Convention & Visitors Bureau office at 409.883.1011.

Lutcher Theater will host a LifeShare blood drive on Wednesday, February 17, 2021, from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. to help replenish the critically low supply of blood in Southeast Texas. The LifeShare Bus will be on location in the Lutcher Theater parking lot to collect donations. Donors will receive a “Bee Kind – Give Blood” promotional t-shirt, while supplies last.

According to LifeShare, “Someone will need blood every two seconds and just one donation can save up to three lives.” Blood supply shortages negatively affect surgical patients, cancer & chemotherapy patients, treatment of burn, trauma & transplant patients.

LifeShare Blood Center is the SETX nonprofit area/regional blood bank. Blood is donated at the Donation Center in Beaumont, as well as through mobile blood drives at schools, churches, businesses, etc. Even with all of the advances in modern medicine, there is no manufactured substitute for human blood. It must be provided by volunteer blood donors in the community.

“The donation process only takes up to 15 minutes. Donating blood is safe and simple. You cannot get any infectious disease by donating blood. When you donate, a sterile, single-use kit is used to collect your blood. All materials are used once and then discarded. Most people feel a slight pinch with the needle stick & then feel little to no discomfort after that”, assures Alison Smith with LifeShare. Potential donors need to bring photo identification and be able to list current medications. Most medications do not interfere with donating blood. On the day of the drive, it is essential to eat a diet high in iron and increase fluid intake to help ensure the process goes smoothly. Donors may resume regular activity after giving.

For more information about donating blood visit Lifeshare.org.

The blood drive is hosted as part of Lutcher Theater’s Project EnterMISSION, a four-part initiative that offers the following invitations to the community:

Stand – Stand strong and stretch with us as we offer a different approach to programming during this time.
Refresh – Savor our social media and subscribe to our YouTube channel for a series of fun and compelling Lutcher Theater stories and behind-the-scenes episodes.
Connect – Join us as we help those in need with community service projects.
Learn – Engage in arts-integrated educational activities designed for your students and the entire family to enjoy.

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The Orange County Master Gardeners will offer “An Overview of Traditional Native Plants and Herbs for Health and Medicinal Benefits” on Saturday, February 27, 2021, at Cormier Park, 8235 FM 1442 in Orange.

This will be the first in a series on native plants and herbs which will focus on different topics such as herb teas, decoction, and other uses in everyday life. The seminars are FREE and are limited to 12 people in each of the two sessions. Sessions will be (1) 9:00AM – 10:30AM and (2) 11:00AM – 12:30PM. Each participant will be given their own native plant or herb to take home.

Current COVID-19 precautions will be taken with everyone being required to wear a mask that covers both the mouth and nose. Social distancing will be observed along with hand sanitizer and other PPE being available if needed.

All participants must pre-register choosing which session they would like. It will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please email your registration to ocmg1990@gmail.com and state which session you would like along with your name and telephone number. Those not making either session will be put on a reserve list in case of cancellations.

The Master Gardeners of Orange County is a volunteer development program offered by Texas AgriLife Extension Service and is designed to increase the availability of horticultural information and improve the quality of life through horticultural projects in Orange County. Program objectives are implemented through the training and “employing” local volunteers, known as Master Gardeners. They aid Extension by conducting school garden projects; answering telephone requests for horticultural information; establishing and maintaining demonstration gardens; working with special audiences in the community; and designing and implementing community improvement projects, as well as coordinating Master Gardener projects primarily in Orange County.

For more information, visit their website.