Chesterton’s European Market Opening Day! Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 8am – 2pm and every Saturday after that through October at Third Street & Broadway (Chesterton, Indiana 46304)

Each Tuesday in May, Mara Wible will offer a different jewelry class at the Chesterton Art Center. Classes are offered at both 5:15 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and will last approximately 2 hours each. Supplies are included.

On May 7, Mara will host a Barrel Weave Bracelet class. This technique is a type of chain maille weave also known as Double Vision. Students should bring flat or bent nose pliers, if they already own the tools. The cost is $25 for members and $30 for non-members.

A Sparkly Wheel Pendant class will be taught on May 14. Students will use a variation of the netting stitch to create a beaded circle pendant, which can then be used in many other designs. Class is $20 for members and $25 for non-members.

It's time to spring clean that garage or basement! A charity yard sale will be held Saturday, May 18th, from 8 am to 3 pm. This sale will benefit Valparaiso men's and women's homeless shelters.

Donate your household items, gently used clothing, furniture, appliances, and children's items to 653 Axe Ave in Valparaiso. Drop off times are Monday through Friday, 10 am to 2 pm, and Saturday, May 11, from 10 am to 1 pm. To arrange for larger items to be picked up, call 219.548.3548.

The sale will be held in the parking lot of the New Creations Men's Center Resale Shop, located at 260 S Campbell St.

The city of Whiting will be transformed into one giant garage sale Saturday, May 18th, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.

Garage Mahal, sponsored by the Whiting/Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce, will feature a variety of treasures and wares at over 200 participating Whiting and Robertsdale homes.

Bargain hunters can pick up a map of the area and garage sales at the Whiting/Robertsdale Chamber office, 1417 119th Street, in Whiting. The listings will also be available throughout the town.

Call the Whiting/Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce office at 219-659-0292 for more details.

On May 18th, from 9am to 9pm, volunteers from Life Bridge, New Song Fellowship and Portage Christian Church will be collecting food donations outside of the Valparaiso Town and Country and Al’s Supermarket in South Haven. The volunteers are a part of the Feed the Need food drive benefiting the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. The churches have held the drive for the past seven years, and have partnered with the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana for three years.

Volunteers stand outside the stores and pass out flyers listing essential food items that pantries and soup kitchens are always in need of like peanut butter, tuna, pasta and canned goods. Shoppers can then purchase these items inside the store and donate them to the volunteers on the way out. In 2012 the drive was held at the Valparaiso and Portage Town and Country. All the items that are collected through the food drive will be donated to the Food Bank. Last year we collected 8,263 lbs of food and toiletries between the two locations.

The Valparaiso Town and Country is located at 1605 Calumet Avenue in Valparaiso and Al’s Supermarket is located at 392 West US 6 in South Haven.