St. Anthony Claret Parish is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year.
To celebrate and honor the faith, friendships and memories that have shaped the parish community, there will be a nine-day novena starting Oct. 18 that will culminate with a weekend full of events for alumni, parishioners and friends.
Highlights include a family celebration at 5 p.m. on Oct. 24 with a Mass and then a reception and finally a gala banquet. On Oct 25, there will be the St. Anthony Claret School Alumni Homecoming Reunion beginning at noon and finishing with a dinner and dance at 7:30 p.m. . On Oct. 26, a community celebration will begin at 11 a.m. with food and festivities for all on the parish field at 1 p.m.
Tickets for Oct. 24 are $100 per person and tickets for the homecoming reunion are $70 per person. For more information, contact Tom Bateman at tjbateman1971@gmail.com
Buy some books to help the library
The Friends of Anaheim Public Library has a two day book sale coming up.
In addition to books, there will be jewelry, curios, knick-knacks, puzzles and more for sale with proceeds helping the Friends group support the library and programs.
The sale will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 17 and 18 at the Central Library, 500 W. Broadway in the basement. Call 714-765-1880 for more information.
Enter the fall home decorating contest
Anaheim Beautiful invites Anaheim residents to join the fun and enter its Fall/Halloween Home Decorating contest.
From traditional pumpkins and scarecrows to witches and spooky lighting, homes decorated for the holiday will be accepted. Entries will be judged on their own merit, including concept, creativity and originality.
Registration deadline is midnight on Oct. 12.
Send the following information to contact@anaheimbeautiful.org: residents’ name, Anaheim address, phone number, email address and photos or video.
Décor must remain fully in place with lights on from dusk to 10 p.m. Oct. 17 through Oct. 31. For more information contact Debbie Herman at missanaheimbeautiful@gmail.com
Fun things to do at local libraries
The Central Library plans some Halloween fun with mini pumpkin painting from 2 to 3 p.m. on Oct. 25. And, there will be activities at the library from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 ahead of the annual Halloween Festival. Call 714-765-1880 for more information.
The Haskett Branch now has a makerspace and media lab for the community.
On Oct. 4, the library opened its new Link Labs – a collaborative environment designed to foster creativity, innovation and exploration. You can be connected to Makerspace, Media Lab and Memory Lab. For more information, call 714-765-5069
Program for ditching grass
You can ditch your property’s turf with a replacement program that is now open.
This is an opportunity to replace your grass with water-efficient landscaping and get a free rain barrel and a chance to win a smart irrigation controller.
You need to apply by Oct. 31 at Anaheim.net/ditchturf to find out about the rebate and program.
Halloween fun in the works
The 2025 Anaheim Fall Festival returns on October 25 at a new location – Center Greens, next to City Hall and the Downtown Anaheim Community Center.
The festival will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will be a day of free family friendly fun, including costume contests, a scavenger hunt, local artists, variety acts, treats, crafts and more.
And then the Anaheim Halloween Parade will happen at 7 p.m. — an Anaheim tradition since 1924. There will be floats, music and more as the parade travels from City Hall along Broadway.
For more details, visit AnaheimFallFestival.org.
Disposing of large bulky items
If you want to get rid of large items, such as couches, old appliances or electronics, the city of Anaheim provides residents with a free bulky item pickup service.
You may dispose of up to 20 items, three times a year. Make a list of items, call Republic Services at 714-238-3300 and schedule a pickup appointment.
Place items for pickup no later than 7 a.m. on the scheduled collection day.
Andrea Manes shares with her neighbors events and news about the Anaheim community. If you have an event to share, contact her at andreadeemanes@gmail.com or 714-815-3885.