In brief: Happenings in the North Hills area

Ross schedules parade, fireworks for June 29

Ross will hold its Independence Day Parade from 2 to 3 p.m. June 29 on Perry Highway.

The parade will start at St. John Church and end at Brandt’s Funeral Home.

The festivities will continue from 5 to 10 p.m. on the municipal building grounds, 1000 Ross Municipal Drive. There will be food trucks, a petting zoo, live music. The evening will end with a fireworks display.

For additional details, visit ross.pa.us or call 412-931-7041.

Free concerts lined up at Ross Park Mall

Ross Park Mall, 1000 Ross Park Mall Drive, will host a series of Wind Down Wednesday events featuring local acoustic musicians throughout the summer.

People are invited to unwind from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on select Wednesdays near entrance No. 1 by L.L. Bean or on the patios of Wigle Whiskey, Plaza Azteca or The Cheesecake Factory. The three eateries will offer happy-hour options, and L.L. Bean will provide yard games for attendees.

In the case of inclement weather, the performance will take place inside the mall, near Starbucks.

Wind Down Wednesday kicked off June 11 with Darren Miller. Here is the remaining lineup:

• June 25: Bill Purse

• July 9: Abby Abbondanza

• July 23: The Rust Project, Acoustic Duo

• Aug. 6: Dan Styslinger

• Aug. 20: Samantha Sears

• Aug. 27: Scott Blasey

Summer movies planned for Ross parks

Parks and Recreation officials in Ross released their summer lineup of Movies in the Park.

All movies start at sunset.

• July 19: “Goonies” at Scharmyn Park

• Aug. 16: “Snow White” at Denny Park

Richland to screen family-friendly movies

Free family-oriented movies will be shown during the summer in Richland Township Community Park, 214 Estates Drive, at the pavilion area across from the barn.

The movies start at dusk, between 8:30 or 9 p.m. Bring a lawn chair or blanket.

Popcorn and bottled water will be sold. A small box of popcorn costs $1, and a large one is $2. Water is $1.

Here is the remaining lineup:

• June 26: “The Wild Robot”

• July 10: “Dog Man”

• July 24: “Moana 2”

• Aug. 14: “IF”

In the event of rain, movies will be canceled.

Participants, sponsors sought for 5K/walk

The North Boroughs 5K and Walk benefiting North Hills Community Outreach and the Northgate Cross Country Team is scheduled for 8 a.m. Aug. 9 at Greenstone United Methodist Church, 939 California Ave., Avalon.

The 1-mile walk will start at 8 a.m. and runners in the 5K will start at 8:15.

The cost is $35 for the 5K and $20 for the walk, plus a small transaction fee.

Registration opens at 7 a.m. on the day of the race for those who need to sign up or pick up their bib.

Participants are encouraged to stick around after the race for door prizes and giveaways.

This is a pet friendly event.

To view and download a course map and for details on how to become a sponsor, visit nhco.org/north-boroughs-5k.

For questions, email Angie at amspess@nhco.org.

Arts center plans summer solstice bash

The North Hills Arts Center invites the community to celebrate the longest day of the year with a Summer Solstice Raku Party from 6 to 10 p.m. June 20.

The rain date will be June 21.

Participants can purchase a bisque pottery piece made by one of the center’s potters, glaze it and then watch it reach 2,000 degrees in the outdoor kiln.

While you wait for your piece to be fired, you can enjoy live music and refreshments, receive a free tarot card reading and view the Art for Animals gallery show, which runs through July 3 and benefits the Great Pyrenees Club of Western PA.

Spash pad open for fun

The splash pad, located at 1081 Van Velsor Drive in Richland Township Community Park, is open for the summer, weather permitting.

Hours, which are subject to change, are from 10 a.m. to noon, 1 to 3 p.m. and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Annual fishing tourney set for July 12-13

Ross police officers are teaming up with the Parks and Recreation Department for their annual free Fishing Tournament in Evergreen Community Park, 3430 Evergreen Road.

This year’s event will be held July 12 for children ages 5 to 17 and July 13 for adults, seniors and those with special needs.

Check-in on both days will be at 8 a.m., and fishing will start at 8:30.

There will be refreshments, bait, prizes and trophies.

Each contestant is allowed to bring one fishing pole and their tackle. Bring a chair if you think you’ll need one. Family members are welcome to attend, and anglers 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Space is limited, and registration is required. Registration is under way and will close at 5 p.m. July 5. To register, visit the Online Registration link under Programs at ross.pa.us.

For details, call Parks and Recreation at 412-931-7041.

Discounted tickets available for area amusement parks

Discounted amusement tickets for several area parks are available at the Ross Township Community Center’s reception desk during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Call 412-931-7055 to confirm the ticket availability for Idlewild & SoakZone ($40, 3 and older), Kennywood ($43, 4 and older) Sandcastle ($35, 4 and older) and Waldameer & Water World in Erie ($42, combo pass, all ages and heights). Discounted tickets to these parks are available by clicking on the Discount Tickets link at ross.pa.us/223/Discounted-Amusement-Tickets.

The Ross Township Parks and Recreation Department is a member of the Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society. Through this partnership, residents can purchase discounted tickets additional parks, including Dorney Park, Hersheypark, Cedar Point, Diggerland, Legoland and Disney World. See the above website for details.

School supplies sought to help children in need

North Hills Community Outreach is seeking donations of school supplies through Aug. 10 for its Back to School project.

Last year, supplies were distributed to nearly 890 students, an increase compared to previous years.

Donations can be dropped off at any of its three offices from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 9 a.m. to noon on the first Saturday of each month at its Allison Park site at 1975 Ferguson Road, Hampton.

Other locations are NHCO Millvale on the second floor of the Millvale Community Center, 416 Lincoln Ave., and at NHCO North Boroughs at Greenstone Methodist Church, 939 California Ave., Avalon.

Items being collected include new backpacks, colored pencils, 24-pack crayons, erasers, glue sticks, highlighters and markers, loose-leaf paper, notebooks, binders, pens and pencils including mechanical ones, pencil boxes and sharpeners, pocket folders, rulers, scissors and Texas Instruments graphing calculators in working order for advanced high school science and math.

Donations also can be ordered from NHCO’s Amazon wishlist and sent directly to its office.

Farmers Market runs through September

The annual Farmers Market at The Block Northway kicked off June 5 and runs through Sept. 25.

The market, produced in partnership with the I Made It! Market, offers a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and homemade treats, handcrafted goods and rotating food trucks from 3 to 7 p.m. every Thursday throughout the season.

Vendors include Jodikinos Farms, Binko’s Pepper Sauce, Couldn’t BEE Better Honey, Nedalgyro, Sweet Florence Candy Co., Glencoe Gourmet, A Sweet Morsel Co., Boyd and Blair and many more.

There will be special themed events each month:

• June 19: Kids’ Safety Event

• July 24: Christmas in July

• Aug. 14: Back to School

• Sept. 18: Pep Rally

• Sept. 25: Coffee With a Cop

The market is sponsored by Jim Shorkey Mitsubishi, SSB Bank, Key Bank, Highmark and AHN.

Sellers are added throughout the season. Interested vendors are welcome to apply at https://bit.ly/4i3rsZb.

Fundraiser to benefit pet-owning veterans extended to July 4

Animal Friends is encouraging the community to help it reach its goal of raising $45,000 to support its Animal Friends for Veterans program.

Benefactors Robert Fragasso and Bill and Susan Follansbee have extended their Memorial Day matching gift challenge to help pet-owning veterans through July 4.

For every dollar donated, an additional 50 cents will be added, up to $15,000.

Animal Friends for Veterans, funded by the Major Ben Follansbee Memorial Fund, helps rescue pets become loyal companions to veterans facing PTSD, isolation and the transition to civilian life.

The program offers pet matchmaking services, pet food assistance, veterinary care, emergency boarding support and more for veterans in need.

For details about the program and to donate, visit ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org/programs-services/animal-friends-for-veterans.

To have your news or event listed in our briefs section, email editor Marje Horvath at mhorvath@triblive.com.