Westmoreland happenings: Pet photos with Santa, Christmas night market, cookie walk, more

Art

The Latrobe Art Center is collecting original poetry works to be displayed on a poster in shop windows in Latrobe, Ligonier and Greensburg. Entries should be less than 25 lines or 300 words long and not contain explicit content or hate speech. The author must live or work in Westmoreland County. Submission deadline is Feb. 25. All entries will be published as long as guidelines are followed. Entries should be emailed in a PDF file to poetryneighborhood@gmail.com. Include your name and address and in which town you would like it to be published.

Christmas

The Diocese of Greensburg’s annual Christmas Night Market will be held 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday at Christ Our Shepherd Center, 2900 Seminary Lane, Unity. There will be music, craft vendors and food trucks. Admission is free. A petting zoo will be available from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Bishop Larry Kulick will celebrate Mass at 4 p.m. and bless and light the Christmas tree at 7 p.m. On the tree will be an ornament representing each of the parishes and Catholic schools in the diocese. For a complete schedule, visit ChristmasNightMarket.org.

Fundraisers

• Pet photos with Santa will be available 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Pipetown American Legion, 158 American Legion Road, Unity. Cost: $10, to benefit One By One Rescue. Free light refreshments will be served. Details: 724-423-9284.

• West Newton First Church of God will hold its seventh annual Christmas cookie walk 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the church, 157 N. Second St. Fill a box with your favorite cookies. Cost: $10 per pound; chocolate-covered peanut butter balls, $9 per dozen.

Meeting

• The Westmoreland County/Laurel Highlands chapter of the American Field Service high school student exchange program will have a Christmas party and optional cookie exchange at 7 p.m. Dec. 15 at the One Room Schoolhouse, on the grounds of AK Hutchinson Elementary School, 810 Welty St., Southwest Greensburg. Exchange students will discuss Christmas traditions in their country. Bring a dozen cookies for a cookie exchange. There will be no meeting in January. Public welcome. Details: Dar Frederickson, 724-787-8863 or darfrederick@aol.com.

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