U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins is the featured guest at the Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation’s 30th anniversary on Thursday, Nov. 2. The “Adventures in Poetry” event begins with a noon luncheon at Quail Valley River Club, 2345 Highway A1A, Vero Beach. Admission to that is $150. It then leads into a 6:30 p.m. talk with a question-and-answer and book signing at the Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901 23rd St. Admission to that is $50. For more information, call the Laura (Riding) Jackson Foundation at 772-569-6718 or visit LauraRidingJackson.org.
Enjoy some fresh soup and pick up some beautiful hand-crafted soup bowls created by local artisans at the 31st annual Catholic Charities’ Samaritan Center Soup Bowl event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2, at more than two-dozen locations throughout Vero Beach. The event also dishes out soup. It’s designed to raise funds to help the area’s homeless families. Lunch will be served at various locations from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. For a complete list of the locations serving lunch, visit the Facebook page of “Samaritan Center Soup Bowl” or call 772-770-3039. Dinner will be served from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center, 2205 15th Ave., Vero Beach, and at the Vero Beach Rowing Boathouse, 310 Acacia Road. Lunch and dinner will be served from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Heritage Center, 2140 14th Ave., Vero Beach. The handcrafted pottery bowls for sale cost $20. Soup costs $5 for a bowl or $15 for a quart. For more information, call 772-770-3039 or visit CCDPB.org and click onto events.
The 39th annual Muster and Music Festival will be held this Friday and Saturday at the Navy SEAL Museum, 3300 North Highway A1A, North Hutchinson Island, Fort Pierce. Organizers call this the “patriotic party of the year” as it focuses on the work of the Underwater Demolition Teams which were decommissioned in 1983. The two-day event includes the annual membership dinner, food trucks, a mobile bar, live music, kid-friendly fun, keynote speakers and a tactical demonstration. It begins at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3, with an annual membership meeting. The Navy SEAL Museum Membership Dinner begins at 6 p.m. (free to members and $30 for non-members). Live music will play from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The second day, festivities begin at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, with the 19th Annual Muster 5K Beach Challenge. The museum opens at 9 a.m. with discounted admission of $10 general, $5 for children 6 to 12 years, and free for children under the age of 6. The official muster ceremony begins at 11 a.m. and includes keynote speaker Donald “Kim” Erskine, USN (Ret.), and a tactical demonstration with the U.S. Navy SEALs. A meet-and-greet with Navy SEALS, food trucks, music and more runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. All events are open to the public. Tickets are not required for the outdoor event Friday or Saturday. For more information, call 772-595-5845 or visit NavySEALMuseum.org.
There will be up to 80 vehicles from the 1920s to 1998 on display at the 8th Annual Car, Truck & Motorcycle Show running 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at the First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, 520 Royal Palm Blvd. The event draws hundreds into the church’s parking lot to get a first-hand look at classic vehicles from six area car clubs and individual owners. There are also auto-related vendors on hand. Trophies are handed out for best General Motors, Ford, Mopar (Chrysler) and foreign automobiles. There are also Driver’s Choice and Best in Show awards. The family-friendly event also has activities for the little ones, including face painting and games. Deejay Butch Almberg will supply tunes from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Grab lunch from The Source food truck, which was voted Best Burger in Indian River County. There will also be door prizes and a 50/50 raffle. All proceeds benefit the First Presbyterian Church Men’s Fellowship Charity Fund, which helps fund more than a dozen local nonprofits, including Space Coast Honor Flight, Hope for Families, Dogs for Life and many more. Admission is free. If there is space, you can still register your vehicle on the morning of the event. Cost of advance registration is $15, and on the day of the show, registration is $20. For more information, visit FirstPresVero.org or call 740-803-3519.