Got an event you want the public to see — or need a planning tool for the next year? Check out The Smithfield Times’ new online community calendar.

The community calendar is designed for clubs and other non-profit organizations to promote their events in a concise, easy-to-find and easy-to-read format, and to give readers notice of those events.

Following are guidelines for online content:

•Calendar entries are offered to non-profit organizations to announce public and special events. Internal activities, including regular meetings, are more appropriately advertised through club mailings or other methods of notification.

•Entries are edited for space and content.

•The online calendar will generally include events up to a year in advance to aid in planning.

•If the event has a specific deadline for tickets or other requirements, please make that clear for the reader.

•Items appropriate for the print version of The Smithfield Times will be placed in the appropriate edition for up to two weeks.

Other options

•Calendar items are, of necessity, brief listings of events. In order to help organizations promote their events more effectively, The Smithfield Times advertising department offers special club rates on display ads.

•Yard sales. While The Smithfield Times publishes free listings of civic club yard sales, we encourage organizations to also place inexpensive “Yard Sale” ads in the classified section because people who frequent yard sales look to the classified section each week to plan their Saturdays.

•Inexpensive club ads are also a convenient and effective way to promote a club’s desire for new members, its meeting schedule and appeals to the public for help with various projects.

To add an event or view the calendar, go to smithfieldtimes.com and click on community.