Waco-area news briefs: Western Belle Farm's pumpkin festival continues

Richfield Class of '72

The 1972 Class of Richfield High School will celebrate its 70th birthday on October 12 with an indoor picnic at the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Local artist and classmate Deborah Reed-Propst is painting a 12 X 6 foot whimsical "Rams at a Picnic on Lake Waco" mural to celebrate the occasion.

Email for more information.

Pumpkin festival

Western Belle Farm, 7929 Heritage Parkway, West, is hosting its 2024 Pumpkin Festival Sept. 21 through Nov. 3.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, plus 1 to 8 p.m. Fridays in October

General admission tickets cost $16.49 per person and are available at .

The festival features a hayride around the farm, pumpkins to choose from, a four-acre maze, pumpkins displays, petting zoo, a Zip line, live music and taking a roll in the round bale rollers.

Baylor Club gala

The Baylor Club's Greatest Show marks 10 years of the Baylor Club at an Oct. 12 gala.

The black tie/circus chic event is from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Baylor Club, 1001 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Tickets are $150 and available at eventbrite.com .

RSVP to 254-710-8080.

A portion of proceeds benefit the Cameron Park Zoo.

Free legal clinic

Greater Waco Legal Services will present its monthly free legal clinic starting at 6 p.m. Monday at Heart of Texas Goodwill, 1000 E. Waco Drive.

To make an appointment, call 254-733-2828 or email legalservices.org .

Food manager certification

Monday is the deadline to reserve space for a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Professional Food Manager Certification Training course on Oct. 14 and Oct. 21 at the McLennan County Extension Office, 4224 Cobbs Drive.

The cost is $125, which includes training, materials, and ServSafe National Food Manager Certification Examination. The certification will be valid anywhere in Texas for five years.

Transportation plan

The 2050 Waco Metropolitan Transportation Plan will be available for review at public meetings from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Hewitt City Hall, 200 Patriot Court; from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the Waco Transit administration building, 301 S. Eighth St., Suite 100; and from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 15 at the South Waco Community Center, 2815 Speight Ave.

The Waco Metropolitan Planning Organization develops a long-range plan every five years. Each plan spans over 25 years, anticipates future transportation needs.

Allende talk

Novelist and writer Isabel Allende, whose books have been translated into more than 40 languages and sold more than 77 million copies, will speak from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Wednesday at Baylor University's Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center, 901 S. University Parks Drive.

Her talk, "The Power of Stories: An Afternoon with Isabel Allende," is this year's Beall-Russell Lecture in the Humanities.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Big Boy in Marlin, West

Union Pacific's Big Boy steam engine will make two Central Texas stops Wednesday as part of the nine-state "Heartland of America Tour," one at 11:45 a.m. at the Wood Street railroad crossing in Marlin, and one at 1:45 p.m. at the Broadway Street crossing in West.

Each stop will last about 30 minutes, and arrivals may be a little later or earlier than expected.

Attendance is free.

East Terrace 150th

Historic Waco will hold a 150th birthday celebration for East Terrace House, 100 Mill St., from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Thursday.

Tickets cost $20 at historicwaco.org and include admission to the dedication of a memorial garden which will take place at 5:30 and admission to the following party where the local band The Morticians will perform.

Gates open at the Nell Pape Garden Center at 6.

Mental health first aid

The Heart of Texas Behavioral Health Network will hold a free session on mental health first aid from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at 6500 Imperial Drive.

The class will teach attendees how to understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges among adults.

To register, contact Joshua Valentine at joshua.valentine or 254-652-7135.