<cal1>THURSDAY/FEB. 20
<cal2>Amnesty International, Fairfax branch, will meet at the Fair Lakes Barnes & Noble on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome for discussion of cases of political and religious oppression around the world. The group will plan for a delegation to the Amnesty USA General Meeting, April 4-6, in Pittsburgh. Call 703-830-4194 for information, or write aigroup528@lycos.com. Contact Alice Foltz, Centreville, 703-830-4194.
<cal1>FEB. 20-23
<cal2>The Spring Capital Home & Garden Show presented by GMC will be held Feb. 20-23 at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. The show features 675 exhibits encompassing two halls.
Three celebrity TV personalities will provide expert advice and tips of the trade when they appear.
* Vern Yip of "Trading Spaces" (a McLean, Va., native) will appear on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Friday, Feb. 21 at noon, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.
* Erica Glasener, host of HGTV's "A Diary Garden" will appear three times each day on Saturday and Sunday.
* HGTV's "This Small Space" contributor and Style At Home magazine editor Karl Lohnes will reveal "Designer Secrets" all four days.
There will be exhibit areas on dream gardens, decorating, garden & outdoor, cooking, kitchen & bath, pools & spas, remodeling and dream gardens. Other features include daily "how-to" workshops conducted by local experts, 12 dream gardens, demonstrations at the Green Thumb Theater and cooking stage.
Show hours are Thursday, Feb. 20, 5-10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, Feb. 21-22, 10-10 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 23, 10-6 p.m.
Admission is $9/adults, $3/children ages 6-12. Call the hotline at 202-969-2976.
<cal1>SATURDAY/FEB. 22
<cal2>The St. Timothy School Spring Craft Fair will be on Saturday, Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Chantilly. There will be more than 100 crafters selling their homemade crafts for St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day and for Spring. For more information or to see how you might be able to participate, contact Kelly Schmank at 703-222-9893 or Karen Yee at 703-803-0460 for details, or log onto sainttimothyschool.org.
<cal2>Escape winter and create your own new spring look at The Orchid Pagoda on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Learn new ways to get in shape for Spring's new clothes and see a trunk show of the latest Casall of Sweden spring/summer activewear line. Pair new Spring outfits with stunning sterling silver or semi-precious stone jewelry created by Kathy Ginsberg of Alexandra Michael Designs.
At noon time, experience a free introduction to Pilates mat class and Pilates equipment class demonstration. Tours of the studio with Pilates, yoga, therapeutic massage and Gyrotonic information will also be available throughout the event. The Orchid Pagoda is located at 8626 Lee Highway, Fairfax. Call 703-207-9120 or go to www.orchidpagoda.com.
<cal1>SUNDAY/FEB. 23
<cal2>Those who appreciate good music and tales of the past will enjoy traditional African American music, Appalachian music and storytelling at Sully's "Banjos, Bones and Tales" on Sunday, Feb. 23 at Sully Historic Site. Local musician and teacher Cass Harris will perform at 1 p.m., featuring the history of the banjo and Appalachian music as well as African American music. At 2 p.m., visitors will listen as a costumed interpreter weaves a tapestry of African American stories and brings the past to life. At 3 p.m., Ralph Lee Smith plays Appalachian music with the dulcimer and bones, while recounting local lore and oral traditions of the past. The cost is $5 per person for each concert. Storytelling at 2 p.m. is free. Call 703-437-1794.
<cal2>Nature, Winter and Hot Chocolate will take place at the Webb Sanctuary of the Audubon Naturalist Society, Clifton, on Sunday, Feb. 23 from 1-2:30 p.m. Discover nature's tricks of winter survival, in a walk around the sanctuary, followed by a hot chocolate warm-up. For children accompanied by adults. Fee: $5-$8. Call 703-803-8400. Located at 12829 Chestnut Rd., Clifton.
<cal1>MONDAY/FEB. 24
<cal2>The Centreville Toastmasters Club meets twice a month at the Centreville Regional Library, from 7-8:15 p.m. on Mondays, Feb. 24, March 3, March 17. Toastmasters will help members speak confidently, listen effectively and think on their feet. Guests are always welcome. Contact Lynn Griesemer, 703-263-2468, greeze@juno.com.
The Greenbriar Garden Club meets on the fourth Monday of each month (except June, July, August and December) at 7:30 p.m. in the Greenbriar Community Center, 4615 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly. The club is open to all from Greenbriar and surrounding communities. Call Toni Moriarty at 703-449-0168.
* Monday, Feb. 24 — "Restoring the Established Landscape." Many of the homes in Greenbriar (and surrounding communities) were built in the 1960s through the 1980s. Buying these older homes, new homeowners often find that the shrubs and trees on their property have grown leggy and sparsely foliated, and/or out of proportion to surrounding plants and structures. Arborist Peter Deahl will share principles and techniques of shrub and tree pruning along with other tips for rejuvenating old plant material to get them back to a more natural, vigorous, and healthier state.
<cal1>TUESDAY, FEB. 25
<cal2>The New Mothers Luncheon Group in Northern Virginia offers an opportunity for mothers and their infants (up to 8 months old) to get together for lunch, a speaker and fun. The group meets every Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Restaurant 7, located at 8521 Leesburg Pike, Tysons Corner. Reservations are required for all luncheons. Contact Rochelle Goldberg at 703-961-9179 or at eventbuilders@hotmail.com.
The schedule is as follows:
* Tuesday, Feb. 25 — "Making the Transition from Work to Home (and back?)." Susan DeRitis, Family and Home Network.
* Tuesday, March 4 — "Planning for Your Child's Financial Future." Susan Kim, American Express Financial Planning.
* Tuesday, March 11 — "Mudpies." Location TBA. Additional cost for the mudpies.
* Tuesday, March 18 — "Safety In and Around Your House." Officer Liz Barrington, Fairfax County Police, Crime Prevention.
* Tuesday, March 25 — "Getting Back In Shape after the Baby." Charity Moreno and Patrick Avon, Sergeants Fitness Program.
<cal2>Bob and Dannah Gresh, authors of two books for teens, will be hosting a two-day sexual purity conference in the Centreville area. Dannah wrote the best-selling book entitled "And the Bride Wore White." More than 70,000 girls have embraced Dannah's message in either book or conference form.
She will be speaking to girls about living a life of sexual integrity and giving them the "seven secrets to sexual purity." An event for both boys and girls will be held Friday, March 7, from 7:30-10:30 p.m., at Chantilly Bible Church, 4390 Pleasant Valley Road in Chantilly.
Then Dannah will address the girls on Saturday, March 8, from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at Centreville United Methodist Church at New Braddock Road and Route 28 in Centreville. Bob Gresh will be speaking to young men at the Chantilly Bible Church on Saturday, March 8, from 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The guys' event is a high-contact, aggressive event to help them learn "seven winning strategies in the sexual gameplan."
A closing rally, with both boys and girls, will be Saturday, March 8, from 6:30-8 p.m., at Chantilly Bible Church. Some 15 area churches are joining together to host the conference, and it's open to the public. Pre-registration is required by Feb. 25. Register through any of the following church youth ministries or by calling Judy Wear at 703-802-3025.
Participating churches include:
Centreville Baptist, Centreville Presbyterian, Centreville United Methodist, Christ the Redeemer Episcopal, Chantilly Bible Church, Clear River Community, Church of the Apostles Episcopal, Truro Episcopal, Church of the Epiphany, Southview Baptist, New Life Christian Church, Pender Methodist, Christian Life Center, Church of the Holy Spirit and Mt. Olive Baptist Church.
The registration fee is $35 and includes a conference kit and lunch on Saturday (provided by Chick-Fil-A). Bob and Dannah Gresh's message has been featured on such radio and TV programs as Focus on the Family, FamilyLife Today, New Man, Christian Parenting Today and the 700 Club.
<cal1>WEDNESDAY/FEB. 26
<cal2>The Clifton Horse Society will host a photo seminar on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. with professional photographer Meikka Cutlip at the Clifton Town Meeting Hall, 12641 Chapel Road, Clifton. The seminar will cover composition, film and processing. RSVP by Feb. 24 to Sid Newman, e-mail sonewman@starpower.net or 703-968-6615.
<cal1>FEB. 28-MARCH 1
<cal2>Centreville Baptist Church is sponsoring a conference on Addictions from Feb. 28-March 1.
Topics include:
* How You Got Where You Are;
* What Keeps You in Bondage;
* Giving Up on Self;
* Freedom From Fear ... and more.
The church is located at 15100 Lee Hwy., Centreville. The cost is $30 per person. Pre-registration is required. To register, call 703-830-3333, ext. 126.
<cal1>SATURDAY/MARCH 1
<cal2>The Centreville Regional Art Guild will host a free, open invitation exhibit at Jamie's General Bean coffee shop. The theme is "Foolin' Around," inspired by the holidays of Mardi Gras and April Fool's. Area artists are invited to drop off their work (maximum two pieces of two-dimensional art) on Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m.-noon. There is no entry fee and no commission charged on works sold. Opening reception Sunday, March 2 from 4-6 p.m. Call Beth Latture at 703-802-1640.
<cal2>The Lane's Mill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will meet on Saturday, March 1, at 1 p.m., at the Centreville Library. Lane's Mill is a small but active chapter that offers a broad range of programs on historic preservation and natural conservation, education of the nation's youth, and promotion of patriotism and love of country. A program on geneology will be given. All prospective members and guests are encouraged to attend. Call Lorraine Sims, Chapter Regent, at 703-815-2802 or visit the chapter Web site at www.dar.org under "chapters".
<cal2>A Blood Testing Drive to find a bone marrow match for Bryce Onaran, a Virginia Run resident with chronic myelogenous leukemia, will be held Saturday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be at the Virginia Run Community Center, 15355 Wetherburn Court in Centreville. Contact: bryce@erols.com or visit the Web site www.givemarrow.org.
<cal1>SUNDAY/MARCH 2
<cal2>The Centreville Regional Art Guild will host a free, open invitation exhibit at Jamie's General Bean coffee shop. The theme is "Foolin' Around," inspired by the fun holidays of St. Patrick's Day and April Fool's. This show will feature work that makes people smile. Area artists are invited to drop off their work (maximum two pieces of two-dimensional art) on Saturday, March 1, from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. There is no entry fee and no commission charged on works sold. Opening reception is Sunday, March 2 from 4-6 p.m. Call Beth Latture at 703-802-1640.
<cal1>MARCH 6-9
<cal2>The National Capital Boat Show will take place March 6-9 at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. Some 40 dealers will be on hand with 150 booths of marinas, parts and accessories. What's featured are ski boats, pontoons, bass boats, jet boats, runabouts, deckboats and more. Hours are Thursday and Friday, 2-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Cost is $8/adults; children 6-16, $2; and under 5, free. Call 804-288-5653 or visit www.capitalboatshow.com.
<cal1>SATURDAY/MARCH 8
<cal2>An Irish Social Dance (Ceili) will take place on Saturday, March 8 from 8 p.m. until midnight at the John C. Wood Center, 3730 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax City (next to St. Leo's). Basic dance lessons will be offered from 7:30-8 p.m. The Bog Wanderers will perform live Irish Music. Cost is $12 per person, $25 maximum per family. These dances are fun and for the whole family. Beginners, singles, couples and families are welcome. Ceili and set dances will be featured. Sponsored by the Washington Area Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann, the dances are held every second Saturday of the month during the school year (March 8, April 12, May 10 and June 14). Call Vicki Ryan-Barr at 703-521-4340.
<cal1>MARCH 11-13
<cal2>The League of Women Voters invites residents to help it celebrate Women's History Month by attending one of its March unit meetings, which will focus on a review and discussion of the role of women in history. The meetings will consider women's efforts and exclusion from history from a literary perspective, include a review of the women's movement in the United States, and highlight selections from the writings of persons active in the women suffragist movement and from Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own."
The League's meetings will be held at 15 locations throughout Fairfax County, on March 11 to 13, including the Reston Museum on Lake Anne Plaza on Wednesday, March 12, at 7:30 p.m. and the Beacon Street Restaurant at 13041 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway in Fairfax on Thursday, March 13 at 6:45 p.m. Daytime meetings are also scheduled. The meetings are open to guests, free, and no registration is required. Call 703-658-9150 or visit the League's Web site at: www.lwv-fairfax.org for further information and
other meeting locations.
<cal1>SATURDAY/MARCH 15
<cal2>An Antiques Show will be held at George Mason University on Saturday, March 15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, March 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be 120 quality dealers featuring room settings decorated in the finest period American and European furniture and decorative arts. For sale is primitive and folk art, wicker, quilts, linens and vintage clothing, antique maps, oils and prints, rugs and tapestries, porcelains and more. Admission is $6.50; children under 12 free. The show is presented by Hospice of Northern Virginia in conjunction with Soroptimist International of Fairfax County. Held at the George Mason University Field House, 4400 University Drive in Fairfax. Call 301-654-6483.
<cal1>MONDAY/MARCH 17
<cal2>The Greenbriar Woman's Club will meet on Monday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m. in the Greenbriar Community Center, 4715 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly. The speaker will be Jodie Romano, director of development, Easter Seals Virginia. The Greenbriar Woman's Club, through its affiliation with the General Federation of Women's Clubs-Virginia (GFWC-VA), has long been a supporter of Camp Easter Seal-East. This camp for children and adults with disabilities was established by Easter Seals Virginia in the early 1980s. GFWC-VA has been a major financial supporter of this camp, providing funds for its initial development and the addition of new facilities through the years. GFWC-VA has committed to raise funds over the next two years to refurbish the camp's main building, Federation Lodge ($50,000) and swimming pool ($45,000), and build an outdoor amphitheater ($75,000). Romano will share information about the camp's programs. All are invited to learn about Camp Easter Seal-East and enjoy fellowship with women who are making a difference in the community. Membership is open to all women in Greenbriar and surrounding communities. Call Barbara Cale at 703-368-7009 or Lee Conley at 703-266-7032.
<cal1>SUNDAY/MARCH 30
<cal2>A Whistling Wind 100 (NSCA) will take place on Sunday, March 30, from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Bull Run Regional Park Public Shooting Center, 7700 Bull Run Dr., in Centreville. Take aim at this contest sponsored by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's Bull Run Shooting Center and Short Flight Shooting Instruction. This will be a National Sporting Clays Association event. For fees and more information, call 703-830-2344.
<cal1>SUNDAY/APRIL 13
<cal2>The April Rain 100 (NSCA) Contest will be held Sunday, April 13 from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Bull Run Regional Park Public Shooting Center, 7700 Bull Run Dr., Centreville. Take aim at this contest sponsored by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's Bull Run Shooting Center and Short Flight Shooting Instruction. This will be a National Sporting Clays Association event. For fees and more information, call 703-830-2344.
<cal1>SUNDAY/APRIL 13
<cal2>The annual bluebell walk will take place Sunday, April 13 at 2 p.m. at Bull Run Regional Park, 7700 Bull Run Dr., Centreville. View a spectacular display of bluebells, with spring beauties and other spring wildflowers, along the Bluebell Trail. The guided hike is free and no reservations are required. Bull Run Regional Park boasts one of the largest stands of bluebells on the east coast. Call 703-528-5406.
<cal1>SUNDAY/APRIL 20
<cal2>A Spring Fling Skeet Tournament (NSSA) will take place on Sunday, April 20, from 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Bull Run Regional Park Public Shooting Center, 7700 Bull Run Dr., Centreville. Take aim at this contest sponsored by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's Bull Run Shooting Center. This will be a National Skeet Shooting Association tournament. For fees and more information, call 703-830-2344.
<cal1>SUNDAY/MAY 18
<cal2>The H&K Law Enforcement Memorial 100 (NSCA) will take place on Sunday, May 18, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at Bull Run Regional Park Public Shooting Center, 7700 Bull Run Dr., Centreville. Take aim at this contest sponsored by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's Bull Run Shooting Center and Short Flight Shooting Instruction. This will be a National Sporting Clays Association event. For fees and more information, call 703-830-2344.
<cal1>SATURDAY/MAY 24
<cal2>The swimming pools open on Saturday, May 24 at 10 a.m. at the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority.
* Downpour! At Algonkian Regional Park, 47001 Fairway Dr., Sterling, VA, 703-450-4655.
* Great Waves at Cameron Run Regional Park, 4001 Eisenhower Ave., Alexandria, VA, 703-960-0767.
* Bull Run Regional Park Pool, 7700 Bull Run Dr., Centreville, VA, 703-631-0552.
* Pohick Bay Regional Park Pool, 6501 Pohick Bay Dr., Lorton, VA, 703-339-6104.
* Upton Hill Regional Park Pool, 6060 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-534-3437.
<cal1>SATURDAY/MAY 31
<cal2>The Prince William Art Society is seeking entries for its May 31 Fine Art and Craft Show. This event will be the art society's largest show of the year and will be held outdoors at Bethel Methodist Church (located on the corner of Minnieville and Smoketown Roads). The show will be judged and juried in both categories by professional artists. Cash awards and ribbons will be presented to winners. Entry forms will be available starting Feb. 10. For more information, call Jewel at 703-878-2246 or Madelyn at 703-670-9437.
For more information about the art society, call 703-590-1437 or check out www.pwcwweb.com/artsociety.