A Chili Cook-off and Chow Down is 5-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at Grace Ridge Brewery. Admission is $10 a person, with proceeds benefitting South Peninsula Haven House. Voting also will be held for the best chili.

The Kachemak Bay Birders’ next trip will be to the Spit on Saturday, Nov. 18. Meet in the parking lot at the base of the Spit at noon. There will be a good high tide which will make it easier to view birds out over the water. Expect to see rock sandpipers, gray-crowned rosy-finches, quite possibly some raptors, and who knows what might be out there this time of year. Bring binoculars, field guide and a spotting scope if you have one. Dress for the cold. All Kachemak Bay Birding trips are cosponsored by the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. All trips are free and everyone is welcome to attend. The leader for this trip is Michael Craig. For more information contact him at 235-9477 or Lani Raymond at 399-9477.

The Homer Native Plant Society meets at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies. On the agenda is a slide show of summer plants and flowers. Bring your favorite photos of native plants you’ve seen this past summer on a thumb drive. Orchids, carnivorous plants, lichens, mosses, louseworts and other rare plants will be shown. For details, email jwoodring50@gmail.com.

Reggae band Uplift! performs at a fundraiser for Yvonne and Russ Morse on Saturday, Nov. 25, at Alice’s Champagne Palace. Yvonne Morse became paralyzed in a fall at their home in July, and funds will help pay for medical expenses and for the couple to remodel the home and make it more accessible. A silent auction and raffle also will be held starting at 8 p.m. Uplift! performs starting at 9 p.m. People interested in donating items can drop them off at Alice’s or contact Jeannine Armour at jeannine@salmonfestalaska.org.

The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA)holds a free, Fishing Vessel Drill Conductor Workshop in Homer from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Best Western Bidarka Inn. This workshop meets the U.S. Coast Guard training requirements for drill conductors on commercial fishing vessels and is free for commercial fishermen. Register online at www.amsea.org or call 907-747-3287.

The Procrastinators Fair in Homer is a two- day event, from noon to 5 p.m. on Dec. 16 and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Dec. 17 at the Homer Middle School. There will be a kid craft and cookie booth, a free Christmas tree drawing, the things donated by vendors will provide a free drawing every 15 minutes for those who are there. There will be live music, a ton of different booths, and anything that would qualify as a last-minute holiday gift. There will be an area to change diapers and for new moms to relax with their little ones, and free apple cider for everyone. There will be activities and fun physical things for people of all ages to enjoy at the SPARC center. For more information, visit the Procrastinators Fair on Facebook.

The Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council’s Prevention, Response, Operations and Safety Committee meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17, at the Alaska Culinary AVTEC building at 809 2nd Ave., Seward. The public is welcome to attend. For an agenda, directions or more information, call 907-283-7222 or 800-652-7222.

The LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and queer) Teen Support and Discussion Group meets at 4 p.m. every Tuesday at the REC Room, 3957 Neilsen Circle. The private group is for ages 12-18. For more information, contact Anna Meredith at the REC Room, 235-3436, or Irene Saxton-Opatz at the Center, 235-7701.

The Exchange, a syringe exchange program, offers free syringe exchanges the first and third Tuesdays of the month at the South Peninsula Hospital Training Center, 203 West Pioneer Avenue, in the southwest corner of the building. Exchanges are held 5-7 p.m. Upcoming dates are Nov. 21, Dec. 5 and Dec. 19.

Anchor Point Senior Citizens

The Anchor Point Senior Center on Milo Fritz Road is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9 a.m.-noon Friday.

The center serves Thursday night dinners starting at 5:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Bingo is at 6:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m. on Friday nights. The Helping Hands Thrift Store is open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Exercise sessions are at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. For information, call 235-7786.

Friendship Center

Friendship Center Adult Day Services is open 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday with extended hours for special situations. Programs are offered daily, including story time, crafts and musical performances. Call 235-4556.

Homer Senior Citizens

The Caregiver Support Group meets 2-3:30 p.m. the second and fourth Thursday in the senior center conference room. Call Pam Hooker at 299-7198 or Daniel Weisser at 235-4555. Homer Senior Citizens lunch is open to seniors and guests and is served noon-1:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. The lunch menu for this week is: today, roast beef; Friday, fish and chips; Monday, three cheese ravioli; Tuesday, meatloaf; Wednesday, lemon rosemary game hens; next Thursday, closed for Thanksgiving.

Strong Women classes are 1:30-2:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Homer Senior Center. The cost is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers per class. Zumba Gold classes with Maria are 11 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and 1:30-2:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Homer Senior Center. The cost per class is $4 for members, $6 for nonmembers.

Duplicate Bridge meets at 1 p.m. Thursdays. Tai chi classes are Thursdays at 3 p.m. The cost per class is $3 for members and $6 for nonmembers. Call Daniel Weisser at 235-4555.

Pratt Museum

Winter hours: Galleries are open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Closed Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 23.

Current Exhibits:

ROOT by Lynn Marie Naden shows through Dec. 30. On display in the Special Exhibits Gallery, ROOT by Lynn Marie Naden is a sculptural installation premiering at the Pratt Museum, exploring the artist’s roots. The central structure is built up from strips of paper containing community-sourced perspectives on roots.

ROOT International Mail Art Exhibition shows through Dec. 30. On display in the Pratt’s lower level, ROOT International Mail Art Exhibition features submitted artwork from around the world. All works that were sent in for this show are considered a donation and will be on auction November-December to support the Pratt Museum (a tap root of our community), with starting bids set at the cost of postage. Bidding on exhibited works closes with a reception from 5-7 p.m. on Dec. 30.

Upcoming events and exhibits:

Pratt Play Date is from 10-11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 17. Bring your babies and toddlers to enjoy hands-on activities at the Pratt Museum.

The 2017 Quilt Raffle drawing is held from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at the Holiday Recital. Local quilters have pooled their talents to create a stunning new quilt titled Moosin’ Around. It features colorful panels depicting moose in a variety of settings. The Kachemak Bay Quilters and the Patrons of the Pratt Society sponsor the annual Quilt Raffle and tickets are on sale at the Museum.

Kachemak Bay Campus

Marine Vessels Systems class will be held Dec. 1-3 and is taught by Pat Lane. The deadline to register is Nov. 29. It includes use of a new vessel simulator trainer. To register for these community education non-credit classes go to: kbcnoncredit.asapconnected.com/.

KBC’s Winter/Spring course schedule is now online to review at kpc.alaska.edu/academics/schedule/. General Public registration begins Nov. 27; degree-seeking student registration begins Nov. 13-20 depending on admitted year.

KBC offers free GED, ESL, college preparation and life skills courses and individual assistance. Call 235-7743.

KBC Ceramic Student Art Showcase is on exhibit in the Pioneer Hall Commons Gallery, featuring work from this semester’s ceramic classes.