Ankeny Event Planner: Annual Stream Cleanup, Perennial Plant Sale, Earth Day Fair and More

You could find all these events in our events calendar, but we at Ankeny Patch thought we would make it easy for you by putting the highlights of this week all in one, convenient place.

Here's what is going on in Ankeny the week of April 16-22:

Monday

• The will meet today at noon at the . The Public Affairs committee conducts candidate forums and legislative briefings.

• The will meet tonight at 5 p.m. at . The purpose of the Teen Advisory Group is to involve teens in the functioning of the library. The group is open to students in grades 6-12. To join, get parent permission and simply attend the meeting!

• The Ankeny City Council and the Ankeny School Board will meet tonight in regular session. The school board will hold its meeting at the starting at 5 p.m. The full agenda can be found here. The city council will meet at at 5:30 p.m. You can find its agenda here.

• will hold its tonight at 6:30 pm. All adults who enjoy reading young adult or juvenile literature are welcome to attend and participate in discussing their favorite titles.

• The PTO will meet tonight at Crocker at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday

• Interested in becoming a member of the Ankeny Young Professionals? The group will hold its at 11 a.m. today at the .
  

• Do your kids love reading? Take them to Kirkendall Public Library at 3:15 p.m. today for this month's Read to a Rodent. Pre-registration is required so make sure you visit the children's desk at the library prior to the event.

• Join members of the for a r, located at 225 E. First St. Attend and see what the business has to offer the community!

• It's Tuesday and it's dinner time - where to go? Think about having dinner at Wendy's tonight. From 5-8 p.m., a portion of all proceeds will go to benefit the Southeast Elementary PTO.

• and will both hold vocal music concerts tonight at each school. At both schools, second grade students will perform at 6 p.m. and fifth grade students will perform at 7 p.m.

Wednesday

• A on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and its impact on Iowa’s small to mid-sized employers at 8 a.m. today at . The three-hour session is intended for healthcare providers, human resource managers, insurance producers, small and mid-sized business owners, social workers and those who want to learn about healthcare reform. For information on how to register, .

• The will hold its today at the Pinnacle Club at Otter Creek Golf Course. The event begins with networking at 11:30 a.m. followed by lunch. This month's featured speaker is Renee Hardman, senior vice president of human resources at Bankers Trust. Registration for the event is $20.

• Books and a Bite will be held this afternoon at Kirkendall Public Library. The program is a book group for kids in third through fifth grade. Books and a Bite starts at 3:15 p.m.

• Kirkendall Public Library will hold its Sit and Knit program tonight at 6:15 p.m. All ages and skill levels are welcome for a relaxing and informal evening of knitting. Participants can bring a project in progress or beginners can learn the basics. Crocheters are also welcome. There is no cost to attend the program.

Thursday

• The Student Activities and Environmental Science Club at will host an this morning from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The fair will be held on the east side of Building 5. In the event of rain, the event will be moved to the quiet lounge inside Building 5.

• This morning, take the little ones to Tot Time at the . Tot Time is a time set aside for kids and moms/caregivers to gather, play and get to know one another. Tot Time is held in the library meeting room and begins at 10:15 a.m.

• Join Chamber members for . The event will be held at 12 p.m. at 111 N.W. Ninth St. Come check out what offers the community!

• The Ankeny Young Professionals will hold at the tonight from 5-7 p.m. Come enjoy free beer, refreshments and a relaxing night of networking with other members.

• will offer a today at 5:30 p.m. This class is designed for people with little or no experience using the Internet. Participants will learn how to use a browser for basic navigation on the Internet. They'll also learn about getting connected, Internet terms, navigating the Internet, browser menus and search engine basics. Pre-registration is required by calling the reference desk at 515-965-6460, ext. 5.

• The Ankeny library also will host tonight, which starts at 7 p.m. The featured book for this is event is "Cutting for Stone" by Abraham Verghese. Everyone is welcome and books are available at the library.

Friday

• The will continue its production of "Father of the Bride" tonight at 7:30 p.m. This classic production from the 1950s tells the story of a father who isn't dealing very well with his daughter's pending nuptials. As the family draws closer to the wedding, hilarity ensues. Shows also will be held at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday and continues through April 29.

Saturday

• The will hold it's today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature more than 50 crafters and vendors, as well as live demonstrations. There also will be a bake sale, concessions and on-site Schwan's ice cream sales. Admission is free but all proceeds go to benefit ACA.
  

• Join the Ankeny Stormwater Stakeholders Group for the sixth annual event this morning and help clean up the watershed at North Creek Park. Please meet at North Creek Park, located at Northwest 13th Street and Irvinedale Drive. Participants are welcome at any time between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. for more info about the event.

• A will be held today from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 422 S.E. Trilein Dr. This is a one-day only sale of exclusively homegrown plants, most of which are priced in the $2-4 range.

Sunday

• Today, nestled in Ankeny's Prairie Trai development. From triple-pane windows to reclaimed wood accents, this Net Zero home powers itself through solar energy, yet looks and acts like a regular Iowa home. The open house will be held from 1-4 p.m. for more information.

• Going through a divorce? holds a each Sunday. The group meets at 3 p.m.

Week-Long Events

• Are your kids fans of story time at the ? If so, story time is scheduled every morning at the library. You can check out our for details on when story time is held and how you can register your kids for the fun event.

• The Ankeny Art Center will continue its third and final exhibit in its K-12 Art Exhibition at 9 a.m. each day this week with works of art by students from the . The exhibit will run through April 28. Bondurant, North Polk, and Ankeny Schools are all participating in the exhibition. The Ankeny Art Center’s K-12 exhibits are part of the facility's extended outreach programming, intended to introduce and familiarize students with the gallery setting.