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Past Blessing Junk Warehouse Sale - Hand-painted furniture, primitives and antiques. Runs through Saturday. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., 11210 E. Dishman-Mica Road (across from Harvest Foods), Spokane Valley. (509) 499-5099.

Premier Home Improvement Show - Ninth annual event with nearly 200 vendors, presented by the Spokane Home Builders Association. Today, noon-7 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Spokane Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana Road. $7/general, free/age 12 and younger. (509) 532-4990.

The Art of Rustic Furniture Making - With Harry Felton of Lewistown, Mont., explore the history and design of handmade furniture today, 6-8 p.m. Then on Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., learn how to use traditional hand tool functions, learn basic wood joinery with regard to function and design then practice making the joints. Each participant will design a wood bench and cut, shape, plane, fit and assemble it. Registration required. Artisans at the Dahmen Barn, 419 N. Park Way, Uniontown, Wash. $85. (509) 229-3414.

Funky Junk Antique and Crafts Market – Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Oden Hall Grange, 7 miles northeast of Sandpoint, off Highway 200 on Sunnyside Road, Sandpoint, ID. $2 admission. (509) 465-3945.

Green Okanogan Alternatives Fair - Topics include alternatives in energy, housing and agriculture. Presentations, demonstrations and discussions on topics such as alternative fuel, solar greenhouses, energy and alternative building techniques. Event opens 10 a.m. each day, with a dance on Saturday to Sister Monk Harem from Seattle at 7:30 p.m., dinner available at 6 p.m.; Sunday has tour of alternative homes in the area, meet at Cultural Center at 10 a.m. Saturday - Sunday. Community Cultural Center, Tonasket. $7/dinner, $5/dance. (509) 486-1328.

Music in Historic Homes - Allegro presents “Music in Historic Homes” as a glimpse into the past. The events take place in historic homes from Spokane’s early days. Sittings at 3, 4:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m. Each sitting includes a 40-minute concert followed by a tour of the home with information about its history. Guests are then invited to visit and enjoy refreshments. Wednesday-Thursday. Canfield House, 1301 N. Sherwood St. $20. (509) 455-6865.

Washington State Quilters - Featured speaker is Linda Ballard from Palo Cedro, Calif. Ballard has appeared on “Simple Quilts” several times, has taught at Houston’s International Quilt Festival, cruises, numerous conferences and camps. Meeting times are 1 and 7 p.m. Thursday. Mukogawa Fort Wright Commons Building, 4000 W. Randolph Road. $7. (509) 435-3889.

Linda Ballard Quilting Workshop - “Peppermint ‘n Sassafras” focuses on quilting tips, techniques and fun. Skill level is beginner plus to advanced. Presented by Washington State Quilters. Preregistration required. Next Friday. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Hampton Inn, 2010 S. Assembly Road. $58, includes lunch. (509) 435-3889.

Linda Ballard Quilting Workshop - “Earth, Wind and Fire” is a controlled, scrap quilt class that will feature three different patterns within the quilt while fine tuning technique. Presented by Washington State Quilters. Pre-registration required. April 26. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Hampton Inn, 2010 S. Assembly Road. $58, includes lunch. (509) 435-3889.

Garden

Palouse Empire Plowing Bee - History buffs will enjoy this trek into the past. Come see agriculture as it used to be. Horse-drawn equipment makes its way through the fields plowing and planting the crop. Runs through Saturday. Palouse Empire Fairgrounds (four miles west of Colfax on Highway 26), Colfax. (509) 397-3049.

Japan Week Opening Celebration Displays – 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Inland Empire Water Garden and Koi Society will share information and history; noon-2 p.m., Gonzaga University Japanese name writing; 1-3 p.m., Flower Demo by Lee McLeron, Saga sensei; 1-3 p.m., Paper dolls demo by doll makers from Nishinomiya, Japan. Saturday. River Park Square, Kress Gallery on third floor, 808 W. Main Ave. Free. (509) 747-5333.

Friends of Manito Duncan Lecture Series - Presentation by Marty Wingate. Tuesday. 7 p.m., Spokane Community College, Lair, 1810 N. Greene St. $5. (509) 456-8038.

Getting Ready for Spring Luncheon - Lunch of soup and salad with guest speaker Phyllis Stephens, who does garden segments on KXLY-TV and radio. Reservations due today. Tuesday. Noon, Southside Senior Activity Center, 3151 E. 27th Ave. $6. (509) 535-0803.

Butterfly and Fragrance Gardens - By Carol Mack, extension educator for Washington State Extension Pend Oreille County. Preregistration is required. Wednesday. 6-8 p.m., Bonner County Extension Office, 4205 N. Boyer, Sandpoint. $10. (208) 263-8511.

Inland Empire Iris Society - Revisions to by-laws. Meeting is men’s pie night (men bring the pies). Open to the public. Thursday. 7 p.m., Manito Park meeting room. Free. (509) 535-8025.

Learn How to Grow Your Own Food - Series of four classes presented by WSU Spokane County Master Gardeners. Held Thursdays, 6-8 p.m., through May 8. Classes are: April 24: Raised Bed Gardening; May 1: Growing Fruits and Berries; and May 8: Growing and Using Culinary Herbs. Refreshments and handouts provided at each class. Preregistration recommended as class sizes are limited. Spokane County Extension Education Center, 222 N. Havana St. $10/class or $35/series. (509) 477-2048.

Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane Meeting - History of the Spokane Lilac Festival Association and presentation of the Lilac Princesses. Potluck luncheon follows program. Next Friday. 10 a.m., Manito Park meeting room, 4 W. 21st Ave. Free. (509) 838-9186.

Inland Empire Bonsai Society - See demonstrations and displays by Roger Snipes. Celebrating Japan Week. April 26. River Park Square, Kress Gallery on third floor, 808 W. Main Ave. Free. (509) 363-0304.

Inland Empire Dahlia Society - Tuber sale. April 26. 9 a.m., Northwest Seed and Pet, 7302 N. Division Ave. (509) 326-1953.

Plant Sale - 28th annual event presented by the Associated Garden Clubs of Spokane. April 26. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Manito Park meeting room and adjacent outdoor area, 4 W. 21st Ave., east of the Gaiser Conservatory. (509) 838-3705.

Spring Compost Fair - Hands-on demonstrations, including a hot compost pile and worm bin. Learn about the types of materials used in composting, how to turn a compost pile and how to choose the right bin. Spokane County residents receive a free bin. April 26. 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Finch Arboretum, 3404 W. Woodland Blvd. Free. (509) 625-6800.

Pets

Northwest Interstate Spring Fling - Sponsored by the Northwest Interstate Quarter Horse Association and featuring classes and competitions in jumping, reining, barrel racing, cutting, roping and pole bending. Runs through Sunday. Spokane County Fair and Expo Center, 404 N. Havana St. (208) 798-0763.

Send a Friend a Goat - Have a real baby goat delivered to your friend’s office, school, meeting, etc. Proceeds benefit Wishing Star Foundation. Call to request day and time for delivery or visit www.wishingstar.org. Delivery Monday through next Friday. $75. (509) 744-3411.

SCRAPS Meeting - Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service is holding a Friends of SCRAPS Dog Park meeting for individuals wanting to help with Spokane County’s first off-leash dog park and also those who want to assist in the development of future dog parks in Spokane County. Thursday. 6-7:30 p.m., La Quinta Inn and Suites conference room, 3808 N. Sullivan Road, Spokane Valley. Free. (509) 477-2532.

Fourth Annual Stallion Showcase and Horse Fair - Exhibitors enjoy free play day classes with prizes with their entry fee of $35 or less per horse, arena time to test drive horses for sale and our popular $100 Jackpot Liberty Class Winner Take All where the horses are turned loose to run free. April 26. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Valley Mission Horse Arena, Bowdish and Mission. Viewing free. (509) 796-2140.