SANTA AT GIRARD FREE LIBRARY: Santa Claus will visit the Girard Free Library at 6 p.m. today. Santa will arrive by firetruck. The Grinch will also be there. The public can take photos with Santa and the Grinch in the Christmas tree lane or mini Whoville. In addition, the public can decorate holiday cookies.

RAILROAD ASSOCIATION OPEN HOUSE: The Youngstown Model Railroad Association will host an open house from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and Dec. 13 and 14 at the club at the corner of Raccoon Road and Four Mile Run Road in Austintown. Model trains of all shapes and sizes will be displayed. The association is one of the few clubs in the country that has two complete displays of “O” scale and “HO” scale. A donation of $5 per person is requested, Children age 11 and younger with an adult are admitted free.

HOLIDAY CREATION: The Girard Free Library will host a holiday diamond art craft program at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, To register call 330-545-2508.

COMMUNITY CLOSET: Grace Community Closet, Grace Lutheran Church, 162 S. Raccoon Road, Austintown, offers cost-effective clothing for all ages. The closet is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first and third Wednesdays of each month. For more information, call 330-792-5889.

WALK WITH A DOC: Youngstown State University’s Bitonte College of Health and Human Services continues its commitment to public health through the Walk with a Doc program, a free community wellness initiative at the Southern Park Mall.

The program will take place 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday and is led by YSU physical therapy faculty and students. Each session begins with a brief health talk before participants join in a walk around the mall. This month’s health talk is titled “Cold Weather Preparation.”

Walk with a Doc is part of an international nonprofit founded in 2005 to encourage healthier lifestyles through movement and conversation with medical professionals. The walks are free and open to the public. All ages and fitness levels are welcome, and no registration is required.

PARADE VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT: The Youngstown Cityscape is seeking volunteers for the annual Sparkle Youngstown 2025 Holiday parade and tree lighting in downtown Youngstown to take place 3 to 8 p.m. Friday.

Community members are invited to take part. Volunteer duties have included assisting with the parade lineup and staging participants as well as helping to navigate the flow of spectators along the parade route and ensuring the safety of the attendees. Anyone interested can call 330-742-4040. The parade will include 15 marching bands.

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA: Blackstone Funeral Home has partnered for Wreaths Across America and will place wreaths on veterans’ graves at the Girard City Cemetery. The community can sponsor a wreath for each veteran’s grave while paying tribute to fallen veterans. Blackstone’s has sponsored the event for the past six years with 1,300 wreaths placed in 2024. Each wreath costs $17. To order a wreath, call Blackstone Funeral Home at 330-539-5955 or send check to Wreaths Across America, Blackstone Funeral Home, 672 Churchill Road, Girard 44420.