Quick Steps: How To Post Your Event for FREE on Westlake Patch

Are you organizing a neighborhood yard sale? Maybe you want to share info about an upcoming book club at the library. Or perhaps a big event like the Mother of Twins Annual Sale this weekend.

Community members are invited to post events to the Westlake Patch calendar, free of charge. When you post your event you not only have creative liberty, but you can also access your event in the future if you need to make any additions or changes. [Note: The Westlake Patch calendar is free for personal and non-commercial purposes. It’s not to be used for advertising. If you would like to promote your business on Avon Lake Patch, contact Ad manager Joseph DiDonato at Joseph.DiDonato@Patch.com. He can assist you with any business or display advertisements.]

1.  First things first – you’ll need to log into your Westlake Patch account. Don’t have one yet? Create one here. It’s free and easy.

 2.  Once you’re logged in, navigate to the calendar. You can do this by clicking on “Events” tab under the Avon Lake Patch logo at the top of the home page. On the right-hand side of the calendar page, you’ll see a green box with a white plus sign that says, “Put it on the calendar!” Click this box to go to the event form.

3.  Give your event a title. Be descriptive, but space is limited. Try something like, “Westlake Porter Friends of the Library Book Sale,” or “Garden Club Plant Sale.”

4.  Next, move on to the date and time. If your event occurs more than once or is ongoing, check the box labeled "This event happens more than once or is an ongoing event" under the “Time” field. If your event doesn’t have a specific time, or if it has more than one time, you can leave the "Time" field blank. If your event does not occur more than once, you can skip the next step.

If you have an event that repeats every week or every month, or is ongoing for a certain length of time, choose your option and then enter the ending date if there is one. If your event occurs on a monthly basis, don’t choose “Every month,” unless it happens every month on the same day. (Eg., March 1, April 1, May 1, June 1.) Instead, select “Choose my own repeating dates,” and enter as many dates as you know, using the Patch calendar. You can post up to 15 months of dates.

5.  Now you’re ready to select a location. If your event occurs at a business or organization located in the area covered by Avon Lake Patch, there’s a good chance it’s in our directory. Search the name of your location, like Clague Park or the Westlake Christian Church. If your location does not come up, you’ll have to type in the address by hand, then select it when it comes up in the list. You can click “Add details” to give your location a name.

If you still can’t find your location by entering the address, e-mail Avon Lake Patch editor Lori E. Switaj at lori.switaj@patch.com.

6.  Here comes the meat-and-potatoes of your calendar listing. This is where you’ll write your description. What’s happening at the event? What’s it about? Why is it happening? Be as descriptive as possible and include as many details as you have. Don’t forget to spell check your work, by using the little blue ABC checkmark icon at the top of the box.

7.  If you have a photo or PDF to upload, the next field is where you’ll add it. Click “Choose files to upload,” then browse your computer for your selected files. You may add a caption, but it’s not required. [Note: Copyright laws apply. Please only use images you have ownership of yourself.]

8.  Now let’s categorize your event. You can choose more than one category and more than one feature, but you must choose at least one category.

9.  The last section is for more information. If people have questions or want to get in touch with organizers, is there a website they can visit? Who should they call or e-mail? Is there an admission charge, or a registration fee? And if your event requires a ticket, is there a website people can visit to order their tickets?

Look back over your listing and make sure all of your information is correct and that you’ve filled in any field marked with the * symbol. (Those fields are required.) If you’re happy with the information, click “Post My Event.”

The next page that you’ll see is your event listing, posted live on Westlake Patch!