Fun things to do abound in York, Lancaster and Chester counties

Special events

▪ Bethel United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen, 11:30 a.m. Thursday at the church on Curtis Avenue, Rock Hill. Open to the community. Donations accepted. The kitchen is open Thursdays through March.

▪ Camp High Hopes and Boyd Hill Baptist Brotherhood Ministry, Valentine Community Dance, 5:30-8 p.m. Feb. 10 at Boyd Hill Richard E. Sandifer Life Center, 310 Glenn St., Rock Hill. Free to students of all ages. Free food and prizes. Wear red. Nazareth and Union Baptist churches are co-sponsors.

▪ Saturdays in February, Historic Brattonsville will feature special guided tours to interpret African-American history and culture in the Carolina Piedmont at the site 1444 Brattonsville Road, McConnells. “By Way of the Back Door,” 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. tell the stories of the enslaved families and their way of life from the American Revolution to the Reconstruction Era. Ongoing activities include historical cooking over wood fires. Admission: adults, $8; seniors, $7; ages 4-17, $5. Details: chmuseums.org.

Fundraisers

▪ York Cougar Bands winter Fish Fry, 3-8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at York Middle School, Devinney Road. Plates, $10 and include all-you-can-eat fish, fries or baked potato, coleslaw and hush puppies. Proceeds go to the band’s trip to Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York where they will perform in Carnegie Hall.

▪ Epiphany Lutheran Church’s 10th annual Chocolate Festival, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 3 at the church, 2370 W. Main St., Rock Hill. The event includes, Chocolate Cafe cupcakes, bake sale, ice cream, chocolate delights, chocolate chili, wine tasting and bounce house. Admission is free.

▪ Haven Men’s Shelter 11th annual Super Bowl Party and fundraiser, Feb. 4 at Magnolia Room at Laurel Creek, 4017 Laurel Creek Drive, Rock Hill. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The event includes multiple television screens, open bar, oysters and tailgate fare. Tickets: $60 in advance; $65 at the door. For tickets: thehavenmensshelter.org or 803-328-0052.

▪ Beth Shiloh Presbyterian Church Relay for Life team spaghetti dinner fundraiser, 5-8 p.m. Feb. 23. Tickets, $10; ages 6-12 and seniors, $8 and age 5 and younger, free. Eat in or take out. Tickets are available in advance or email bspc1184@hotmail.com to hold tickets at the door.

Meetings

▪ MaxAbilities of York County, 7 p.m. Thursday at the administration building, 7900 Park Place Road in the East York Industrial Park, off S.C. 5, in York. Open to the public.

▪ Rock Hill branch of the NAACP general meeting, 9 a.m. Saturday at Bannon Hall, across from St. Mary Catholic Church, 902 Crawford Road, Rock Hill.

Entertainment

Allison Creek Bluegrass hosts Southern Express, a traditional bluegrass band, 7 p.m. Feb. 1 at Allison Creek Presbyterian Church, S.C. 274 at Allison Creek Road, York. Doors open at 6 p.m. Food service at 6:30 p.m. Details: AllisonCreekBluegrass.com.

Seminar

Plant expert and author Allan Armitage is the keynote speaker Feb. 24 for the 13th Joy of Gardening Symposium at the Gateway Conference Center, Richburg. Armitage, professor of horticulture emeritus at the University of Georgia, has written 16 books including his most recent, “Of Naked Ladies and Forget-Me-Nots: Stories Behind Common Names of Some of our Favorite Plants.” He will lead a breakout session on “Great Perennials for the Piedmont” and his books will be available for sale. Other presenters include Patrick Larkin, executive director of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden; Bill Rogers of Winthrop University, an authority on native birds; Clemson Extension horticulture agents Paul Thompson and Andy Rollins; and Todd Beasley, director of horticulture and facilities at Stowe Garden. Admission, $65, includes lunch, shopping with garden-related vendors and a door prizes. Details: symposium.yorkmg.org/registration.

Recreation

▪ Registration for Rock Hill Parks, Recreation and Tourism’s Spring Youth Sports, Jan. 29-Feb. 16. The following are offered: soccer, ages 5-13 as of March 31; baseball, ages 9-13 as of April 30 and girls softball, ages 7-12 as of April 30. Register during office hours at Manchester Meadows, PRT Office (room 390) at City Hall, and at the four recreation centers. The Cherry Park Tower location is temporarily closed. Bring a copy of your birth certificate. Returning players with a birth certificate in the system may register online at cityofrockhill.com/prt if they have a current email address on file. A registration brochure with details is available at cityofrockhill.com/prt. Questions: 803-326-3792 or 803-329-5672. Volunteer coaches are needed: soccer, 803-326-2634; girls softball, 803-325-2585; or baseball, 803-326-3848.

Tax assistance

▪ Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program will open at Rock Hill City Hall in the Wellness Center for free tax-preparation assistance. Volunteers are I.R.S. certified and trained by the SC and NC Department of Revenues. Volunteers will electronically file federal and states income tax returns. It is fast, accurate and secure.

Site locations:

Rock Hill City Hall on the first floor in the Wellness Center, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 1:30-4:30 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday Jan. 29-April 16. No return started after 4 p.m.

▪ Winthrop University in the DiGiorgio Center second floor, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Fridays, Feb. 2-March 30.

▪ York Technical College in Building A, second floor computer lab, 9 a.m.-noon and 1:30-3 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday Jan. 30-April 12 and 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturdays Feb. 3-April 14.

Saturdays in February:

▪ Rock Hill Galleria at 2301 Dave Lyle Boulevard, Rock Hill, 10 a.m.-4 p.m, Feb. 3.

▪ Leroy Springs Recreation Complex, 971 Tom Hall St., Fort Mill, and Clover Public Library, 107 Knox St., 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Feb. 3, 10 and 17.

Bring current year’s tax forms, W-2 and 1099s. Information regarding other income. Information for all deductions/credits. A copy of last year’s tax return. Proof of account for direct deposit of refund (voided check). Social Security or Individual Taxpayer Identification cards for you, spouse and dependents. Proof of identification for yourself and spouse.

Volunteers

▪ Hospice & Community Care will offer a one-day volunteer training session 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Hospice & Community Care Campus, 2275 India Hook Road, Rock Hill. Volunteers offer companionship to patients, provide customer service at the resale shops, serve in the Wayne T. Patrick Hospice House, knit Prayer Shawls, help with fundraisers and community education with flexible schedules. Free and open to the community. Register at 803-329-1500 or 803-895-2273.

▪ Make-A-Wish South Carolina volunteer meeting, 7 p.m. Thursday at Baxter Village YMCA. Details: bbrown@sc.wish.org or 864-250-0702, ext. 112.

▪ Agape Hospice volunteer drop-in, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday at 1326 Ebenezer Road, Rock Hill. Details: 803-329-4544.

▪ Lake Wylie Assisted Living volunteer orientation, 10 a.m.-noon Feb. 7 at 4877 Charlotte Highway, Lake Wylie. Details: 803-831-9900 or 803-526-5774.

Reunions

▪ Rock Hill High School Class of 1954, 1 p.m. Thursday at Golden Corral, 1031 N. Anderson Road, Rock Hill. Members, relatives and friends invited.

▪ Finley High School Class of 1964, noon Saturday at Golden Corral, 1031 N. Anderson Road, Rock Hill. All classmates are encouraged to attend. Details: 803-230-3325, 803-374-1090 or 704-661-7701.

▪ Former Hillcrest Elementary School students, noon Feb. 3 at Tabernacle AME Zion Church, 320 Old Friendship Road, Rock Hill.

▪ Rock Hill High School Class of 1968 50th reunion, April 20-21. Details: rhhs1968.com/index.cfm.

This story was originally published January 25, 2018 at 8:16 AM with the headline "Fun things to do abound in York, Lancaster and Chester counties."