This will get your head spinning. There will be a back-to-school event this weekend at Indian River Mall. Yes, a new school year approaches. The mall’s “Back to School and Indoor VendorFest” runs 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 30. There will be free school physicals and wellness screenings by the VNA Mobile Health Clinic, across from the Food Court. A parent or guardian needs to be present for the physical if the child is under the age of 18 years. Your child can also learn about bike safety with activities presented by the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. Maximum Velocity Gymnastics will present free demonstrations. Visit booths run by vendors and nonprofit groups. You can drop off new donations at Guest Services for the “Help Kids Succeed” group which is holding a school supply and backpack drive to help out students in need. And you can register to win free prizes. The drawing for that will be at 4 p.m. And, raffles will be held to benefit the Humane Society of Vero Beach. In addition to all this, you can participate in the OneBlood blood drive which will run 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the bus outside the mall. Donors will receive a $20 e-gift card and a OneBlood towel. It also includes a wellness checkup including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count and cholesterol screening. Appointments are encouraged for donating blood. Visit OneBlood.org/donate-now and use sponsor code 68746. The Indian River Mall is located at 6200 20th St., Vero Beach. Call Nikki at 954-815-3083 or visit IndianRiverMall.com. For more information about the free school physicals and health screenings, call 772-567-5551 or visit VNATC.com.
LaPorte Farms will hold its 7th Annual Back to School Family Fun Day from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 30. There will be finger printing for children, face painting, pony rides, corn bin and so much more. A book bag giveaway will be held at 1 p.m. If you’ve never been to LaPorte Farms, this is a good introduction to it. LaPorte Farms is a petting farm in Sebastian. It sits on a 5-acre estate. Currently, it has a wide array of animals you can pet, including alpacas, miniature horses, chickens, rabbits, pot-bellied pigs, a zebra, a donkey and so many more. There are $5 pony rides daily. You can also help feed the animals, but do not bring in your own food to give them. LaPorte regulates what the animals eat and sells animal food bags. There’s a fishing hole and plenty of opportunities for fun photos. The nonprofit organization has many cheery events throughout the year. While the Back to School Family Fun Day runs only a couple of hours, LaPorte’s regular hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekends. It is closed for major holidays, private weddings and parties, and inclement weather. It is handicapped-accessible and service dogs are welcomed. You can purchase hamburgers, hot dogs, fries and onion rings as well as soft drinks. LaPorte Farms is at 7700 129th St., Sebastian. Admission is via donation. For more information, call 772-633-0813 or visit LaPorteFarms.com.
The Mental Health Association of Indian River County will hold a “64th Birthday Par-Tee” golfing event next Wednesday, Aug. 3. It includes two hours of golf, unlimited appetizers and soft drinks served up in the party room. That’s where you’ll also find the cash bar, a huge birthday cake, raffles and more. The event runs 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3, at Big Shots Golf, 3456 U.S. 1, Vero Beach. Fees are $55 per golfer or $330 for a private tee-box for teams of six. For more information, call 772-569-9788 or visit MHAIRC.org.
Rescued dogs and cats from H.A.L.O. pet rescue organization turn abstract artists for the second annual “Pawcasso” exhibition running Saturday afternoon at the Steve Diossy Marine Art Gallery. The event benefits H.A.L.O., which stands for “Helping Animals Live and Overcome.” The organization was created in 2006 and, according to its website, has “reduced euthanasia by 92 percent.” Each work sold at Pawcasso comes with a certificate of authenticity and a picture of the animal artist. In addition, Diossy is donating to H.A.L.O. a portion of his work sold that afternoon. The event runs 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at Steve Diossy Marine Art Gallery, 3247 Ocean Dr., Vero Beach. Call 772-205-2973 or visit HaloRescueFl.org.