MARCH 11-14
<cal2>The ninth annual National Capital Boat Show will take place March 11-14 at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. More than 40 dealers will be on hand as well as 150 booths featuring marinas, parts and accessories. Scheduled exhibitors include: saltwater fishing boats, ski boats, pontoons, bass boats, jet boats, runabouts, deck boats, motor yachts and hi-performance boats. Hours are Thursday and Friday, 2-9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults $8; ages 6-16 is $2; 5 and under free. Call 804-425-6556 or visit www.capitalboatshow.com.
<cal1>SATURDAY/MARCH 13
<cal2>The Fan's Choice Sports Product and Memorabilia store in Centreville will host NASCAR's 2003 Rookie of the Year and 2003 Driver of the Year, Ryan Newman's #12 Mobil 1 show car, in its parking lot on Saturday, March 13. The show car will be on site from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the event is open to the public. Great up-close and personal opportunity to see a replica race car of NASCAR's top driver for 2003. The Fan's Choice and Mobil 1 Racing will offer prizes and drawings throughout the day. Thom and Renee Petrella own the store, and it's centrally located in Centreville at 13830 Lee Highway — near Centreville Lanes and in the shopping center behind The Community Bank. Call 703-988-0500 or visit the Web site at www.fanschoicesports.com.
<cal2>The Northern Virginia Model Railroaders Inc. will be holding an open house on Saturday, March 13 from 1-5 p.m. Come and see the action on Northern Virginia's largest fixed operating "HO" scale model railroad. Featuring digital control, sound and smoke. Also, visit the W&OD railroad's real caboose. The club is located in the historic Washington & Old Dominion Railroad station, 231 Dominion Road (on the WO&D Trail) in downtown Vienna. Free admission, however, cash or check donations (at the door) are gratefully accepted. Additional information and directions can be obtained at www.nvmr.org by e-mail at nvmrinc@hotmail.com or by calling 703-938-5157 on the day of the open house.
<cal2>The Lane's Mill Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter meeting is on Saturday, March 13 at 1 p.m. at the Centreville Library. Guest speaker will be Mildred DeBell (past DAR community service award recipient) who will speak on women's history and the history of Centreville. Lane's Mill is a small but active chapter that offers a broad range of programs on historic preservation and natural conservation, education of our nation's youth, promotion of patriotism, and love of our country. Prospective members and guests are encouraged to attend meetings. Contact Jennifer Smith, Chapter Regent, at 703-961-1030 or visit the chapter site at www.dar.org under "chapters".
<cal1>MONDAY/MARCH 15
<cal2>The Greenbriar Woman's Club will hold its regular monthly meeting on Monday, March 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Greenbriar Community Center, 4615 Stringfellow Road, Chantilly. The speaker for the evening will be Attorney Joyce A. Massey on the subject of living wills. Guests are always welcome to attend. For additional information on the club, call 703-378-6009 or 703-266-7032. Membership is open to all women 18 years old and above who live in the Chantilly and surrounding areas. You do not have to live in Greenbriar to join the club. The Greenbriar Woman's Club is a member of the General Federation of Women's Club (GFWC), the largest volunteer organization of women in the world. To learn more about GFWC, go to www.gfwc.org, or its Virginia affiliate at www.gfwc-va.org.
<cal2>A free bread-making class will be held Monday, March 15 at the Hilton Garden Inn, Fairfax. Learn classic shapes including an epi, six-strand braid, mock braid, baguettes and more. Learn about sweet dough from noon to 2 p.m. Take the artisan bread course from 7-9 p.m. The classes are for basic and advanced bakers and include both traditional and bread machine methods. The class is taught by bread baker Michael Jubinsky of King Arthur Flour. The hotel is located at 3950 Fair Ridge Drive, Fairfax. No registration required. Call 802-649-3881.
<cal2>Centreville Toastmasters is the place to improve your communication and leadership skills. The club meets from 7-8:15 p.m. on Mondays at the Centreville Regional Library. Guests are welcome. Prepared speeches, oral evaluations and impromptu speeches (table topics) will be on the agenda. Call Lynn Griesmer 703-263-2468. Upcoming meetings: Monday, March 15, Monday, April 5, and Monday, April 19.
<cal1>MARCH 15 & 18
<cal2>Freshstart, the American Cancer Society's four-session smoking cessation program for adults, will be held March 15 and 18, 22 and 25, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The class will be held at Pender United Methodist Church at 12401 Alder Woods Drive, Fairfax. The classes will offer information and strategies to help current smokers stop smoking. For the program to be most effective, participants are asked to attend all four sessions. Class size is limited. Contact the American Cancer Society at 703-938-5550 to register.
<cal1>TUESDAY/MARCH 16
<cal2>New Mothers Luncheons are held every Tuesday for mothers and newborn babies to 8 months old. The group meets for lunch, speakers, discussions and fun — a different program every week. Bring a friend or come alone — it's a great way to meet other new moms and babies in the area. Meets Tuesdays from 11:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Il Lupo Italian Restaurant, 4069 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax. Lunch is $20; four-lunch series is $75. Reservations required. Call Rochelle Goldberg at 703-961-9179 or email: eventbuilders@hotmail.com.
* Tuesday, March 16 — "Dollars and Sense: Planning for Your Child's Financial Future," Deana Withrow, Morgan Stanley;
* Tuesday, March 23 — "Babyproofing Your House," Mary Baker, BabyGuard;
* Tuesday, March 30 — "Safety In and Around Your House," Officer Liz Barrington, Fair Oaks Police, Office of Public Safety.
<cal2>Fairfax ReLeaf will be conducting a hands-on tree planting program for the Virginia Run Home & Garden Club on Tuesday, March 16 at 9:30 a.m. at the Virginia Run Community Center. Afterwards, the group will go on-site to Virginia Run Elementary to plant tree saplings. Bring your gloves and shovel. Fairfax ReLeaf is a non-profit, non-governmental organization of private volunteers who plant and preserve trees, restore habitat and improve community appearance in Northern Virginia.
The Virginia Run Home & Garden Club meets every month, September- May, on the third Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Virginia Run Community Center unless otherwise noted. Contact Mary-Rose Woodward, president, at 703-222-2479 or Lvtoocook@aol.com or Judy Kelsen, Vice President, at 703-263-0576 or Judy@kelsen.com
Annual Membership dues are $15 or attend a meeting as a non-member for $5/meeting.
<cal1>THURSDAY/MARCH 18
<cal2>Get screened to reduce the risk of having a stroke. Life Line Screening will be at the Oakton Baptist Church on Thursday, March 18 beginning at 9 a.m. Each screening requires 10 minutes or less to complete. A complete vascular screening package, including the Stroke/Carotid Artery, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Ankle Brachial Index (hardening of the arteries) screenings is $99. Sign up for the complete vascular package; including the osteoporosis screening and pay $125. To schedule an appointment, call 1-800-710-1902. Pre-registration is required.
<cal1>MARCH 19-21
<cal2>Equine Event East, a show featuring thousands of equine products, demonstrations, clinics and seminars along with a variety of horses, will be held March 19-21 at the Dulles Expo Center in Chantilly. The event will include equine experts Jane Savoie, Richard Strake, Nina Fout, Carol Gurney, Dave Seay, Bruce Davidson, Van Manley, Julie Goodnight and more. Hours are from noon to 9 p.m. on Friday, March 19; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 20; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 21. A special Saturday Night Equine Extravaganza is scheduled from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, March 20 with proceeds benefiting the Equine Rescue League and The Rainbow Center for Handicapped Children. A separate ticket is required for this event. Admission to the show is $12/adults and $8/children under 8. Call 410-321-9559 or visit the Web at www.blueribbonshows.com.
<cal1>MARCH 20-APRIL 10
<cal2>The Spring Bunny will be making appearances along with Stuart Little at Fair Oaks Mall Saturday, March 20-April 10. The hours are Mondays to Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Sundays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Fair Oaks Mall Spring Bunny will visit with children on a garden bench surrounded by colorful landscaping. Everyone who visits the Spring Bunny receives a storybook and leaves with lasting memories. Information on photo packages is available at Fair Oaks Mall or visit www.ShopFairOaksMall.com. There is also a Stuart Little Central Park display featuring giant topiaries, floral landscape lush with tulip, pansies, daisies and trees will transform the Fair Oaks Fountain Court into New York Central Park featuring the movie character Stuart Little. Visit www.ShopFairOaksMall.com for more information.
<cal1>SATURDAY/MARCH 20
<cal2>Your Life: A Story Waiting to Be Told. Find your own metaphor and key to unlocking the story of your life and your personal path to success. Free Sterling Harris talk and demo. Meets in Centreville Saturday, March 20 from 6-7 p.m. Call 703-615-9033. Or visit sterling@resurgenthinking.com
<cal1>SUNDAY/MARCH 21
<cal2>Several local families will host the first annual SOS (Sell Your Stuff) Yard Sale to benefit the Multiple Sclerosis Society on Sunday, March 21 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will take place in Centreville at the Sully Station 1 Community Center on Sequoia Farms Drive. Items will include furniture, housewares, baby and children's toys and clothing. All proceeds go to The MS Society and all sales are tax deductible. Call 703-585-6944.
<cal2>The Centreville Barber Shop will hold a potluck fund-raiser, Sunday, March 21, from 2- 4 p.m., at Centreville Fire Station 17 on Old Centreville Road. Two of the barbers, their families and friends are participating on the Coconutz Relay for Life team which is raising money for the American Cancer Society. The public is invited to bring a covered dish, salad or dessert and a check to the American Cancer Society. It's also a farewell party for the barber shop, which will be closing on March 31.
<cal2>Explore Popes Head Creek on Sunday, March 21 from 1-4 p.m. The Popes Head Creek watershed is currently the subject of the Fairfax County watershed management planning process. Take a driving and walking tour of the watershed from Clifton up to the headwaters in Fairfax City. Walking portions will be mostly easy on level paths. Car pooling from the starting point at Clifton Elementary School. Free, but advanced registration required at 703-737-0021 or Cliff@AudubonNaturalist.org.
<cal2>Model Trains will be running on Sunday, March 21 from 1-4 p.m. at the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum. The Northern Virginia NTrak model train club will host their monthly display. Cost is $2 for adults and $1 for children ages 4 -10. The museum is located at 11200 Fairfax Station Road. Call 703-425-9225.
<cal2>Storyteller Noa Baum explores the variety of Jewish experience through folktales, literary adaptations and personal stories on Sunday, March 21 at 1 p.m. at the Centreville Regional Library. Trained in theater and education, Baum has been performing and teaching in schools, libraries, and festivals since 1982; her audio recording of stories, Far Away and Close to Home, won the Parents' Choice Recommended Award. Tickets are free. Call toll-free 888-621-2230.
<cal1>MONDAY, MARCH 22
<cal2>"The Cold War Museum" will be presented by speaker Francis Gary Powers Jr. following a brief meeting of the Friends of Fairfax Station on Monday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the Fairfax Station Railroad Museum. Powers, son of the famous U-2 pilot, Francis Gary Powers Sr. and founder of the museum, will give an update on the museum. Check out www.coldwar.org. The Fairfax Station Museum is located at 11200 Fairfax Station Road. Call 703-425-9225.
<cal1>SATURDAY/MARCH 27
<cal2>The brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Zeta Upilon Lambda Chapter, will host their annual Black and Gold Scholarship Ball on Saturday, March 27 from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Fair Lakes Hyatt Hotel. A donation of $6 per person is required. All profits support the scholarship fund. Contact Lawrence Davis at 703-830-0813.
<cal2>Strengthen the eco-warrior in you. Gain resilience. Develop real immunity to stress, excuses and insults. Build better communities. Make more of a difference in the world. Weekend workshop in Centreville on March 27-28. Cost is $150. Call 703-803-4051 or visit sallyramsden@bigfoot.com.
<cal2>Monte Carlo Casino Night. The Northern Virginia Community Foundation will host its annual Casino Night on Saturday, March 27 at Waterford at Fair Oaks. Admission includes casino cash, open bar, food (including dessert buffet) and door prizes. Use your winnings to take a chance in various raffle drawings to win a weekend stay at The Stardust Resort in Las Vegas, or VIP passes to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, or Ride in Lockheed Martin's demonstration simulators for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter & F/A22 Raptor. Tickets start at $100 with sponsorship packages available. Contact Christine Lee at 703-902-3157 or by email at chrislee.nvcf@erols.com.
<cal1>SUNDAY/APRIL 4
<cal2>The Clifton Horse Society is hosting a Spring Tune Up Ride on Sunday, April 4. Ride for 5, 10, 15, or 20 miles through Fountainhead Regional Park, Fairfax Station. Call 703-830-8394 or e-mail wkime@cox.net.
<cal2>The public is invited to attend a parenting workshop titled, "Improve Communications with Your Children." This program will provide five simple, easy-to-remember steps to improve communication with your children. It will be held at Unity Life Center, 14088-C Sullyfield Circle, Chantilly, on Sunday, April 4 from 1-3 p.m. (which is also the day daylight savings time starts). Contact the church office at 703-263-7645.
<cal2>The Prince William Art Society will be holding its sixth annual Spring Show and Sale on Sunday, April 4, at the Canterbury Woods Community Center in Lake Ridge. The show, which features original artwork and fine art reproductions by local artists, is always a popular event. Many works are under $50. The show will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The Canterbury Woods Community Center is located at 12184 Chaucer Lane, Lake Ridge. Contact Michele Frantz at 703-791-5767.
<cal1>SATURDAY/APRIL 24
<lst>The 31st Annual Flea Market sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 893 of Centreville will be held Saturday, April 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Start cleaning out your closets and garages now to be ready for the scouts to come by and haul away your "stuff". The first pickup is scheduled for Saturday, April 3, and will continue for the following two Saturdays. If you do not see the flyer in your mailbox over the weekend of March 27, contact the special hotline to arrange for pickup. Call 703-222-2333 after March 24. Or drop off donated items to the location at The Old Lowe's Hardware Store located at 13955 Metrotech Drive in Chantilly — across from K-Mart and Babies R Us between April 3-17 between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
<cal2>Fairfax Releaf, Fairfax County Tree Commission and the Virginia Run Home and Garden Club are all working together to enhance the appearance of Centreville. A tree planting project will take place on Saturday, April 24 from 9 a.m. to noon. Volunteers are needed to help tree saplings at the intersection of Routes 28 and 29. Meet at the Newgate Shopping Center parking lot near Route 28 ramp onto Lee Highway. Look for the volunteers with orange vests. Bring some basic supplies: empty milk gallon jugs filled with water for watering the trees, shovels, hammers and bags of top soil. Contact co-chairs Mary-Rose Woodward at 703-222-2489 or Lvtoocook@aol.com or Judy Kelsen at 703-263-0576 or Judy@kelsen.com.
<cal1>MAY 22-23
<cal2>Greater Reston Arts Center (GRACE) is calling for volunteers for the 13th Annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, May 22-23, at Reston Town Center. For more information, contact GRACE at 703-471-9242 or, e-mail info@restonarts.org or, visit the GRACE gallery at 11911 Freedom Drive, Suite 110, in Reston Town Center.
The Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, rated as on of the top 10 in America, features artwork to see and to buy from more than 180 of the nation's fine artists, a Children’s Art Zone, two days of musical performances, festival foods and more. Contact GRACE at 703-471-9242 or visit the GRACE Web site, www.restonarts.org.
<cal1>JUNE 5
<cal2>The Seventh Annual Railroad Photography Competition, sponsored by the 10th Annual Manassas Heritage Railway Festival, will be held on June 5 in Old Town Manassas. All entries must have a railroad theme and the competition is open to the public. Entries may be submitted to: Historic Manassas Inc., Attn: Railroad Photography Contest, 9431 West Street, Manassas, VA 20110. Entries are due on Friday, June 4. Contact Gordon Tassi of the Manassas Warrenton Camera Club at gtassi22193@comcast.net or visit www.mwcc-photo.org.