The final, last-minute deadline for Happenings listings is noon Sept. 7 for the Sept. 10 issue. Send arts and entertainment listings to news@jamaicaplaingazette.com. Listings with no end date will be run for 3 months, space permitting. Note: 617 should be dialed before numbers below, unless another area code is given.

Special Events

250th Birthday Party for the Loring-Greenough House, event includes a VIP champagne reception, dinner courtesy of a variety of JP’s finest food establishments and a dance party. Hosted by house owners and managers, the Jamaica Plain Tuesday Club, Sunday, Sept. 19, 7-11 pm, The Loring-Greenough House, 12 South St. Info: www.loring-greenough.org.
Hispanic Heritage Month and Two Hundred Years of Colombia’s Independence celebration. La Babilla will play Colombian folk music and other entertainment. Sept. 30, 6:30pm, JP Branch Library, 12 Sedgwick St. Info: 524-2053.
Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Oct. 15, Connolly Branch Library, 433 Centre St. Info: 522-1960.
Sunday Nights aLive, non-traditional, music-and-arts worship service, featuring live music, singing and community building. Relaxed atmosphere. Dinner served, childcare provided. Last Sunday of every month, 6-8pm, First Church in JP, Unitarian Universalist, Centre and Eliot St. Info: www.sundaynightalivejp.org.

Tours and Talks

Open Garden Day in the community gardens through the Southwest Corridor Park. Collect a stamp for each garden you visit. Sept. 12, 10am-2pm. Info: www.mass.gov/dcr
Walk With Natives, use your cell phone to hear Arboretum staff talk about 18 of our favorite trees and shrubs native to the Eastern United States. Just look for logos hanging from each tree trunk. A map of the tour is available on-line or in the Visitor Center. Regular airtime charges will apply. Through September, Arnold Arboretum, 125 The Arborway. Info: www.arboretum.harvard.edu.
Arnold Arboretum Walking Tours, 60-90 minute tours of the Arboretum, various times, leaving from the Hunnewell Visitors Center, 500 The Arborway. Info/Schedule: http://arboretum.harvard.edu/visitors/tours.html
Loring-Greenough House Tours, learn about the 250-year-old mansion at 12 South St., Sundays, April-December, noon-2pm, suggested donations, Adults, $5; children, $2. Info: 524-5827.

Dance

Spontaneous Salsa Sundays, beginners and intermediates welcome, no partners necessary, Sundays, 2pm, Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St. Info: 816-1369.
Gender-Free/English Country Dance, beginners welcome and encouraged. 2nd and 4th Tuesdays (5th Tuesdays: experienced), 7:30-11:30pm, First Church of JP, Unitarian Universalist, Centre and Eliot Streets. Info: www.lcfd.org/bgfe / 512-5554.

Music

JP Concert Series: 7:30pm, St. John’s Episcopal Church. Ramona Borthwick Quintet, Sept. 2. Pianist Carol Messinaand and mezzo-soprano Ellen Oak will perform a piano-vocal recital, Sept. 9. [plain] song, an art song collective of singers and pianists, performing the Spanisches Liederbuch of Hugo Wolf, Sept. 16, 7pm. Tickets $10. Info: www.jpconcerts.org.
notloB Parlour Concert Series presents Jenee Halstead & Robby Hecht. Sept. 8, 7:30pm. Tashina Clarridge & Jefferson Hamer. Sept. 17, 7:30pm. David Rovics. Oct. 27, 7:30pm. Julie Metcalf and Mariel Vandersteel. Dec 4, 7:30pm. Loring-Greenough House. Info: sites.google.com/site/notlobmusic/
Rick Berlin will have a CD Release show for his upcoming album ,Paper Airplane, on Hi-n-Dry records. Oct. 16, Lizard Lounge, Cambridge. Info: www.rickberlin.com.
Open Mic Mondays, at the Hallway Gallery 8pm, 66a South St. Info: www.thehallwayjp.com.
Boston Landmarks Orchestra, featuring JP musicians, playing Wednesdays, 7pm, through the summer, DCR Hatch Shell, the Esplanade. Info: www.landmarksorchestra.org/520-2200.

Literary

Local author Cara Marcus will be discussing and signing copies of her new pictorial history book, Faulkner Hospital, Aug. 27, 1pm, Milky Way Lounge, 284 Amory St., The Brewery. Info: 524-3740.
Connolly Library Book Discussion, “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle” by David Wrableski, Mon., Aug. 30, 7pm, Connolly Branch Library, 433 Centre St. Info: 522-1960.
Early American Cookbook Authors and Slavery: Direct and Indirect Traces of African-American Cooking, with JP resident Mark Zanger, author of The American History Cookbook and The American Ethnic Cookbook for Students, Sept. 9, 7pm, Jamaicaway Books & Gifts, 676 Centre St. Info: twhyte@globalwireonline.org/319-2310
JP Branch Library: Social Justice Book Discussion Group (All meetings at 6:30 p.m.): Thursday, September 16: “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett. Oct. 7: “Oil, Money Politics and Power” in the 21st Century by Tom Bower. November 18: “Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War” by Andrew Bacevich. Dec 16: “Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet” by Bill McKibben. Info: 524.2053
Carpenter Poets of JP: Inspired by the work of poet and carpenter Mark Turpin, a group of carpenters see a connection between carpentry and writing and seek to explore life through the tools they use to build the world around them. Sept. 26, 2pm, Forsyth Chapel, Forest Hills Cemetery. Admission: $5. Info: 524.3354/www.foresthillstrust.org.
Connolly Branch Library: Book discussion for adults, “Musicophilia and Other Tales of Music and the Brain” by Oliver W. Sacks. Sept. 27, 7pm. , Connolly Branch Library, 433 Centre St. Info: 522-1960.

Film

“My Land” documents a Palestinian family facing the destruction of their home. Dr. John Spritzler will discuss the root causes of Middle Eastern policy. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Residents for International Human Rights. Sept. 9, 6:30pm, JP Branch Library, 12 Sedgwick St. Info: 524-2053.
“The Debt of Dictators,” a documentary looking at international lending to authoritarian governments around the world, presented by Jubilee Massachusetts, Fri., Sept. 17, 7:30pm, Video Underground, 385 Centre St., Sept 17, 7:30pm. Info: jubileema.org.
“Mine”, a movie about pets and their owners separated during hurricane Katrina, Sept. 20, 6:30pm, Connolly Branch Library, 433 Centre St. Info: 522-1960.
“The Olmsted Legacy,” a one-hour documentary exploring the formation of America’s great city parks, including Boston’s own Emerald Necklace, through the eyes of 19th Century landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted will have its Boston premiere on Sept. 22, 7pm, the Museum of Fine Arts,465 Huntington Avenue. Tickets $10/$8 for members. Info: 800-440-6975.

Exhibits

The James’s Gate Gallery Presents, “Birds of the Americas,” photos by Eduardo del Solar, through Aug. 29, James’s Gate, 5 McBride St (corner of South and McBride). Info: Brian Patrick Adams, 983-1760/bripatadams@yahoo.com.
The Hallway Gallery, “Glass” featuring a dozen local emerging and established artists, through Aug. 29, The Hallway Gallery, 66a South St. Info: 818-5996/thehallwayjp.com.
Seniors in Art, multiple visual artists’ work on the subject of seniors, through August, Springhouse Retirement Community, 44-46 Allandale St. Info: www.roslindalearts.org/seniorsinart.html.
Handmade Stationary and More, by Mycroft Masada Holmes, through Aug. 31, JP Branch Library, 12 Sedgwick St. Info: 524-2053.
Casting Off: Drawings in 2- and 3-D, JP artist’s Marilu Swett show at Boston Sculptor’s Gallery in the South End. Sept. 1-Oct. 3, Info: bostonsculptors.com
Barks of the Arnold Arboretum, photos by Erik Gehring, through Sept. 26; Reception, Fri., Sept. 10, 6-8pm, Taylor House Bed & Breakfast, 50 Burroughs St. info: erik@erikgehring.com.
Three-Dimensional Drawings, JP artist Luke O’Sullivan presents printmaking and 3-D sculpture, through Aug 29, arsenalARTS, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown. Info: 923-0100/www.aresnalarts.org.
Exhibit of Michelle Audet’s mixed media work. Opening reception on Sept. 2, 6-8 pm, JP Branch Library, 12 Sedgwick St. Info:524-2053. Art on display through Sept. 30.

Youth/Families

Sand and Water Play with Story Time Join hands-on fun exploring sand and water, music, story time, and activities. Ages 2-6 with an adult companion. Sept. 1, 9:30-10:30am, the British School of Boston, 416 Pond Street. Info/RSVP: 522-2261, ext. 41, admissionsbsb@britishschool.org. Rain date: Sept. 2, 9:30-10:30am.
DCR Park Rangers present kids activities, Tuesdays, Johnson Playground near Green Street Station; Wednesdays, Stony Brook Playground/Spray Deck, 10am-12pm, through Sept. 9. Info: www.mass.gov/dcr/events/swc.pdf.
Urban Nutcracker 2010 Youth Cast Auditions, The holiday dance classic with an inner-city edge is back for its 10th Anniversary. BalletRox is seeking experienced young dancers ages 8-18. Dancers with training in ballet and urban dance encouraged to audition. Two years previous dance experience required. Auditions held Sept. 12. : $10 (TWDC students, $5). Info: www.balletrox.org
Family pajama storytime, featuring stories and songs. Sept. 27, 6:30pm, Connolly Branch Library, 433 Centre St. Info: 522-1960.
Halloween Party & Parade, Oct. 29, Connolly Branch Library, 433 Centre St. Info: 522-1960.
Hyde Square Task Force Programs, Music Clubhouse Drop-In, ages 10-18, Mon.-Fri., 3-8pm, Info: Aimee, 524-8303 x312; Open Dance Workshops, presented by the Hyde Square Task Force, Ages 10-13: Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm; 14-18: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30-7:30pm. Info: Barbara, 524-8303. Cheverus Building, 365 Centre St.
Toddler Drum Circle, a weekly gathering of toddlers 1-5 and parents to play, dance and drum, coordinated by Cornell “Sugarfoot” Coley, Saturdays, 9:30am-10:30am, Spontaneous Celebrations, 45 Danforth St., $5 fee. Info: 617/298-1790/afrolatin@onebox.com. Classes resume Sept. 11.
Art, Woodworking, Sewing Classes, for children ages 2-18, after-school & weekends, Eliot School of Fine and Applied Arts, 24 Elliot St. Info: www.eliotschool.org/524-3313.
Connolly Branch Library, Wednesdays, 10:30am: Children’s Films. Connolly Branch Library, 433 Centre St. Info: 522-1960.
JP Branch Library, Toddler/Preschool Storytime: Tuesdays, 10:30am (beginning Sept. 14) For children ages 18 months – 5 years. Baby Lapsit: Wednesdays, 10:30 am (beginning Sept. 15) For children ages 6-18 months. Kids Club: Wednesdays, 4 pm (beginning Oct. 6) For children ages 6 and up. 12 Sedgwick St. Info: 524-2053.

Classes/Workshops

Stonybrook Fine Arts, offers jewelry making, welding, stone carving, foundry and more for teens and adults. Saturday shop time for jewelry, welding, mold making, sand blasting and ceramics also available, Stonybrook Fine Arts, 24 Porter St. Info: www.stonybrookfinearts.com.
Life Drawing, drop in class, pay at the door, Tuesdays, 7-9pm, The Eliot School of fine and Applied Arts, 24 Eliot St. info: www.eliotschool.org.
Art, Woodworking and Sewing, Bookbinding and more at the Eliot School, classes start throughout the year. Days, evenings, weekends. The Eliot School of fine and Applied Arts, 24 Eliot St. info/course listings: www.eliotschool.org.

Calls to Artists

Open Mic Night at Jamaicaway Books & Gifts will be will be hosted by acclaimed poet Beatrice Greene. Both amateur and experienced writers and poets are welcome to begin signing up to perform family-friendly pieces that are less than five minutes long. Sept. 2, 7pm. Info: twhyte@globalwireonline.org/319-2310.
Voices Rising Women’s Chorus is holding open rehearsal auditions, Sept. 14 and 21, 6:30pm, First Church Boston, 66 Marlborough St. RSVP/Info: auditions@voicesrising.org.