Go: Ideas for your weekend — Hazel Dell Parade of Bands, St. Helens anniversary

1. Everyone’s parade

The 51st annual Hazel Dell Parade of Bands celebrates the community of Hazel Dell and the talent of middle and high school marching bands from near and far. This year’s parade is set to the theme of the “Wild, Wild West,” led by retired Clark County Sheriff Garry Lucas as the grand marshal. Spectators can cheer on participating floats, organizations and clubs as they walk along Northeast Hazel Dell Avenue and Northeast Highway 99 starting at 10:30 a.m. May 16. The Lion’s Club will be hosting a pancake breakfast before the parade, from 7 to 10 a.m. at Fire District 6, Station 61, 8800 N.E. Hazel Dell Ave., Vancouver. The pancake breakfast is $6.50, $5.50 for seniors and ages 6 to 12, free for ages 5 and younger. www.facebook.com/HazelDellParade

2. Senior fun

It’s a celebration of seniors, starting with the annual Senior Prom from 6 to 9:30 p.m. May 15. Vancouver Parks and Recreation’s 50 and Better Program presents an evening of dancing and dining with live music by Charles Suniga and the Angels, dinner served by celebrity waiters and a toast at the Luepke Senior Center, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver. Registration is required, and tickets are $15 to $17. 360-487-7100 or www.cityofvancouver.us/parksrec/page/senior-prom-luepke-center

Also, the 50+ Connections Senior Expo runs 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17, offering services, ideas and resources to encourage active and independent lifestyles as individuals and families age. The expo will feature numerous organizations, vendors and programs at Hilton Vancouver Washington, 301 W. Sixth St., Vancouver. Admission is free. www.hsc-wa.org/50-plus-expo

3. 35 years ago

The Mount St. Helens Institute will commemorate the 1980 volcanic eruption with a weekend of events looking at “Mount St. Helens 35 Years Later.” Visitors can spend a day exploring the science of volcanoes 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 16 at Johnston Ridge Observatory, near the mountain. Eyewitness stories and accounts will be shared 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 17 with a series of 30-minute presentations, along with an appearance by Richard Wiatt, author of “In the Path of Destruction” at the Mount St. Helens Science and Learning Center, 19000 Spirit Lake Highway, Toutle. The 35th anniversary on May 18 will feature a commemoration, scientists sharing their discoveries made since the eruption and demonstrations from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., also at the Mount St. Helens Science and Learning Center in Toutle. The events are free. www.mshslc.org or www.fs.usda.gov/mountsthelens

There will also be a Public Remembrance of Mount St. Helens at 6:30 p.m. May 19. The community is encouraged to join a public memory-gathering experience and share stories of Mount St. Helens and Spirit Lake before the 1980 eruption with speaker Susan Saul at Loowit Brewing, 507 Columbia St., Vancouver. Admission is $5. www.mshinstitute.org

4. New paths

Discover a variety of new trails at the fifth annual Metro Trails Fair as part of Trails Public Awareness Day. There will be an indoor campground and city park, presentations on trails across the country, a rock wall, workshops, demonstrations and more. The public event kicks off the American Trails International Trails Symposium. The event runs noon to 5 p.m. May 17 at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland; free. www.oregonmetro.gov or http://americantrails.org/ee/index.php/symposium

5. Words upon words

Clark College Columbia Writers Series presents “Subtext,” a festival of literary arts May 18 through 22. The series begins with a panel discussion on “The Craft of Comics,” from 10 a.m. to noon May 18. Author Nam Le, whose debut book, “The Boat,” earned the Pushcart Prize, will give a reading at 11 a.m. May 19. Poet Mary Szybist, winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Poetry for her book “Incarnadine,” will speak at 11 a.m. May 20. The “Phoenix” art and literary journal celebrates its release at 1 p.m., followed by author Karen Karbo speaking at 5:30 p.m. May 21. The festival finished with “Clark Crossings,” a student and faculty reading, at noon May 22. All the literary events take place in the Penguin Union Building, Clark College, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Admission is free. www.clark.edu/cc/cws