Welcome to Getting Local With Jane, our weekly roundup of upcoming local events of interest to Jane Austen fans. If your own town isn’t mentioned this week, keep checking back; you never know when you might get lucky.

Many of JASNA’s regional groups are planning spring and summer events; check the JASNA website, which has links to the regional websites, for details on these events. Some events are open to the public, and some only to members; but if you’re not a member yet, why not?

March 15, 2009, Jersey City, New Jersey: Imagine Atrium Bookstore’s Ultimate Book Club gets “Lost in Austen”:

Our list of activities for the afternoon include:

Dining on authentic Jane Austen Food (based on recipes from The Jane Austen Cookbook)

Jane Austen Quizzes & Games

Enjoying classical piano music accurately reflecting the musical milieu of Jane Austen’s period and social sphere

Watching and discussing our favorite scenes from popular Jane Austen Movies

Costumes optional

Thanks to Alert Janeite Karen L. for the link.

http://bookclub.meetup.com/1197/calendar/9881794/

March 16-19, 2009, Rochester, New York: Brighton Memorial Library has a four-day celebration of Jane Austen, which sounds like a party to us!

The gala kicks off with a screening of Sense and Sensibility at 6:45 p.m. Monday, March 16.

A discussion of Austen’s life and work will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 17.

Students from the Kanack School of Music will perform music from the Regency period at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 18.

The four-day event will conclude at 6:45 p.m. Thursday, March 19, with a showing of the film Pride and Prejudice.

All events are free.

Thanks to Alert Janeite Lisa for the link.

March 19, 2009, Forest Grove, Oregon: An All Austen Evening at Pacific University

As part of Women’s History Month, Professors Chris Wilkes, Cheleen Mahar and Pauline Beard will share their love of Jane Austen in an evening of discussion, film clips and English tea items: Thursday March 19 7.00-9pm. in the Library Conference Room. Sponsored by the English Club, the evening will include dispelling the myths of the lonely little spinster Jane, the adaptations of her novels to film, and investigating the foods mentioned in her novels.

Thanks to Alert Janeite Tess G. for the link.