Send announcements, which are open to the public at no or minimal cost, to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102, e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com or fax to 703-917-0991. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, call Matthew Razak at 703-917-6457. For additional listings, visit www.connectionnewspapers.com.
<cal1>Wednesday/Feb. 14
<cal2>Dance Party. Annual Valentine's Day party and dance at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling, 2-4 p.m. Includes light refreshments, snacks, disc jockey Sky Dantinne and door prizes. Tickets $2 for members in advance; $4 for nonmembers and at the door. Call 703-430-2397.
Snug in the Snow. Ages 6-9. Winter animals know how to keep from freezing, do you? Figure out how they keep snug in the snow, take a frosty hike and enjoy some warming hot chocolate. Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal's Gap Road, Sterling, 3:30-5 p.m. Cost $10.50 per person. Call 571-258-3700.
<cal1>Thursday/Feb. 15
<cal2>Family Movie Night. Ashburn Library, 7 p.m. Watch “Charlotte’s Web,” rated G. Recommended for all ages. Bring your pillows and blankets and a favorite snack. 703-737-8105.
Museum Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the National Building Museum and the Octagon House. Lunch on own at Old Post Office. Price $11 per member, $13 nonmembers and includes transportation and admissions. Extensive walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure and return times and locations.
<cal1>Friday/Feb. 16
<cal2>Park Pals. Ages 2-4. 9:30-10:30 a.m. Discover the outdoors at Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestals Gap Road, Sterling, with a grown-up friend. Look for tracks, listen for bird calls, look under logs and more, while focusing on monthly themes. Cost $7 per child. Call 571-258-3700.
Toddler Treks. Ages 1-2. Join other parents and their little ones on a hike to discover birds, squirrels, trees and more. No unregistered siblings. Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal's Gap Road, Sterling, 11-11:45 a.m. Call 571-258-3700 to register. Cost $4 per adult.
Theater. The Potomac Falls High School Drama Department presents three one-act comedies: Six Days to Melissa, Audience and Attention-Deficit Disorder, 7:30 p.m., 46400 Algonkian Parkway, Sterling. Tickets are $5. Call 703-444-7542, Ext. 37.
<cal1>Saturday/Feb. 17
<cal2>Master Singers. The Master Singers of Virginia perform Rachmaninoff's "Vespers," at St. James Episcopal, 14 Cornwall St., Leesburg, 8 p.m. Performance in the original Russian. $15 adults, $12 seniors/children. Call 703-655-7809 or visit www.msva.org.
Curious Naturalists: Where is Everyone? Ages 6-10. Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal's Gap Road, Sterling, 1-2:30 p.m. Where is the wildlife in winter? How are we like those animals? Search for signs of the animals and discover how they survive the cold. Cost $10.50 per person. Call 571-258-3700.
Seasonal Songs and Stories Around Campfire. All ages. Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal's Gap Road, Sterling, 4- 5:30 p.m. Learn through Native American stories and fun songs and enjoy toasting marshmallows around the fire. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Call 571-258-3700 to register. Cost $4 per person.
Theater. The Potomac Falls High School Drama Department presents three one-act comedies: Six Days to Melissa, Audience and Attention-Deficit Disorder, 7:30 p.m., 46400 Algonkian Parkway, Sterling. Tickets are $5. Call 703-444-7542, Ext. 37.
Tractorpalooza! Heritage Farm Museum, 21668 Heritage Farm Lane, Sterling, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free admission for children who bring in their own toy tractor. Includes tractor race track, tractor scavenger hunt and children's art gallery, a tractor movie, refreshments and door prizes. Talk to local farmers.
Jazz Music. Every Saturday, Swing Speak will perform American jazz, Latin and rhythm and blues, at Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg, 12 p.m. No entertainment cover charge. Tasting fee is $5/featured wine selection, $10/winemaker’s select. Call 703-771-7100 or visit www.tarara.com.
Beginner's Bird Walk. 9-11 a.m. Preregistration required. Learn what to look and listen for and get tips on identification. Group will meet at the new Bles Park in eastern Loudoun. Bring binoculars and a field guide if have one. To register, contact Andy Rabin at 703-723-6926 or Lynn Webster at 540-882-3823 or lmweb@earthlink.net.
Hands-on Science. 1-3:30 p.m. Preregistration required. Join the teacher naturalist at the Smithsonian Naturalist Center in Leesburg for "hands-on science" about the fossils, minerals, birds, butterflies and bones you might find in your backyard. The museum is open to visitors age 10 and older. To register, contact teacher/naturalist Mimi Westervelt at 703-779-9714.
<cal1>Sunday/Feb. 18
<cal2>Theater. The Creative Youth Theater Foundation, in collaboration with the Loudoun Youth Initiative, presents "Normal," an original theater production about teens and bullying at Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Road, Ashburn, 3 p.m. The show is geared toward teenagers ranging in age from 12-18, their parents and community members. There will be a half-hour question-and-answer session with cast members. Free. Call 703-737-8335.
<cal1>Monday, Feb. 19
<cal2>Deer Tracking Walk. Ages 5 and up. Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling, 10-11:30 a.m. Search for signs and sightings of white-tailed deer; discover their habitat and typical behavior. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Call 571-258-3700 to register. Cost $4 per person.
Treasures of the Park. All ages. 1:30-3:30 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestals Gap Road, Sterling. Explore the log cabin and historic house; make a nature craft; investigate the fox, footprints, shells and play old-time games; and dress in colonial-era clothes at Lanesville. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Open house, no registration required. Cost $4 per person. Call 571-258-3700.
<cal1>Tuesday/Feb. 20
<cal2>Woods in the Winter. Ages 3-5. Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal's Gap Road, Sterling, 9:30-11 a.m. and 12:20-2 p.m. Explore the winter woods for signs of life. Search for insects, birds, and more. Snow date Feb. 27. Cost $10.50 per person. Call 571-258-3700.
Children's History. Explore history with Rust Library, 4 p.m. Includes stories and games that will excite children about the world around us. Recommended for ages 4-6. Registration is limited and begins two weeks prior to the program. Call 703-771-5624.
<cal1>Wednesday/Feb. 21
<cal2>Casino Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Charles Town, W.Va. Includes slots and simulcast horse racing. Lunch on own. Price $7 per member, $9 nonmembers and includes transportation and $5 cash back, subject to change. Minimum walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure and return times and locations.
Senior Movie. See Pirates of the Carribean 2, starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, rated PG-13. Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, 1:30 p.m. Cost $2, includes popcorn and soda. Call 703-430-2397.
<cal1>Thursday/Feb. 22
<cal2>Cupid's Valentine Breakfast. Start the day with breakfast with the whole family at Lucketts Community Center42361 Lucketts Road, Leesburg, 7-8 a.m. Cost $4. Call 703-771-5281.
Bilingual Story Time. All are welcome to this Spanish bilingual story time presented by Barbara Davila in her most animated voice at Cascade Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, 4 p.m. Recommended for all ages. Call 703-444-3228.
Gardening Expo. The Capital Home and Garden Show at the Dulles Expo Center, 4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, 5-9:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. Visit www.CapitalHomeShow.com for tickets.
<cal1>Friday/Feb. 23
<cal2>YMCA Fund-raiser. The 19th Annual Chocolates Galore & More benefiting the YMCA Loudoun County, from 7-11 p.m., at the Lansdowne Resort, 44050 Woodridge Parkway, Lansdowne. Ticket $50 in advance, $55 at the door. Call 703-777-YMCA or visit www.ymcawashdc.org.
Gardening Expo. The Capital Home and Garden Show at the Dulles Expo Center, 4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. Visit www.CapitalHomeShow.com for tickets.
Archaeological Lecture. 7 p.m., at Ida Lee Park and Recreation Center in Leesburg. Hosted by the Loudoun Museum, Christopher C. Fennell’s lecture, "African American and German Heritage in the Loudoun Valley: Communities, Conflicts and Cosmologies," will present new insights into the social relationships within Loudoun County during the 18th and 19th centuries. Call 703-777-7427 or e-mail info@loudounmuseum.org.
<cal1>Saturday/Feb. 24
<cal2>Blood Drive. Ages 18 and up. Sterling Annex, 22084 Shaw Road, Sterling, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. For details or to schedule appointment, call 1-800-Give-Life.
Anniversary Ball. The Loudoun County Chapter of the American Red Cross is celebrating 90 years of service to the Loudoun community with an anniversary Ball at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Contact the Loudoun Red Cross chapter, 703-777-7171 or www.redcross.org/va/loudounco.
How to Search for (and Find) Wildlife. Ages 5 and up. 1-2:30 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestals Gap Road, Sterling. Discover the simple skills that naturalists use to find the animals in their homes. This class will interest adults as well as children. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Theme: Putting It All Together. Call 571-258-3700 to register. Cost $4 per person.
Dinner Dance. A Polish-American dinner dance at the Knights of Columbus "Barn," 401 W. holly Ave., Sterling. Features live music by Joe Shelko Band. Proceeds benefit the Good Samaritan Council 6175's scholarship program and local charities. Dinner served at 7 p.m. and includes stuffed cabbage, kielbasa, pierogies, sauerkraut, salad and refreshments; dancing from 8:30-11:30 p.m. Cost $50 per couple. For tickets call John Thomas, 703-430-6519.
Gardening Expo. The Capital Home and Garden Show at the Dulles Expo Center, 4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. Visit www.CapitalHomeShow.com for tickets.
Knots for Everyone. Ages 8 and up. Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling, 12:30-2:30 p.m. Learn some basic knots, play some knot races if time allows. Ropes provided. Call 571-258-3700. Cost $14 per person.
Jazz Music. Every Saturday, Swing Speak will perform American jazz, Latin and rhythm and blues, at Tarara Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg, 12 p.m. No entertainment cover charge. Tasting fee is $5/featured wine selection, $10/winemaker’s select. Call 703-771-7100 or visit www.tarara.com.
Searching for Birds of Prey. 2:30 p.m. Preregistration required. Join a winter raptor search sponsored by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Audubon Naturalist Society. After meeting at Rust Nature Sanctuary in Leesburg, drive the back roads of Loudoun County with frequent stops to find and identify the many birds. To register, contact Laura Weidner at lweidner@loudounwildlife.org or 540-554-2747.
Piano Ensemble. The Fairfax-Loudoun Music Fellowship will hold its 20th annual Piano Ensemble Festival, at Stone Bridge High, 43100 Hay Road, Ashburn, at 7:30 p.m. Includes six grand pianos, 230 students from elementary-high school and a piece composed by Robert Vandall. Free, but donations accepted. Call Beverly Teague, 540-882-4071 or Jane Webb, 703-729-1544.
<cal1>Sunday/Feb. 25
<cal2>Master Singers. The Master Singers of Virginia perform Rachmaninoff's "Vespers," at Our Savior's Way Lutheran Church, 43115 Waxpool Road, Ashburn, 7 p.m. Performance in the original Russian. $15 adults, $12 seniors/children. Call 703-655-7809 or visit www.msva.org.
Gardening Expo. The Capital Home and Garden Show at the Dulles Expo Center, 4368 Chantilly Shopping Center, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12 and free for children 5 and under. Visit www.CapitalHomeShow.com for tickets.
Lecture Series. From 3-4 p.m., at the Visitor Center at Morven Park, Leesburg. Sponsored by Mosby Heritage Area Association. This final lecture will highlight Old Virginia and the New South, 20th Century Virginia. Tracy Gillespie, director of historical operations at Morven Park, presents “Give Us a Farmer Governor!”: Westmoreland Davis, Agriculture, and Virginia Politics in the Early 20th Century. Free to the public. Call 540-687-6681 or visit www.mosbyheritagearea.org.
<cal1>Tuesday/Feb. 27
<cal2>Museums Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit Natural History, Gallery of Art, American Indian, Air and Space or African Art/Sackler/Freer museums. Lunch on own. Price $8 per member, $10 nonmembers and includes transportation and free admission to art museum. Extensive walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure and return times and locations.
<cal1>Wednesday/Feb. 28
<cal2>Mardi Gras Luncheon. Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dress in purple, green and/or gold and wear a mask. Includes beads, music and Creole dish. A lunch donation and sign up required. Call 703-430-2397.
Casino Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Charles Town, W.Va. Includes slots and simulcast horse racing. Lunch on own. Price $7 per member, $9 nonmembers and includes transportation and $5 cash back, subject to change. Minimum walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure and return times and locations.
<cal1>Saturday/March 3
<cal2>Youth Orchestra Performance. The Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestra gives a free performance, 4 p.m., at Harper Park Middle School, 701 Potomac Station Drive, N.E., Leesburg. Call 703-771-8287, fax 703-771-8211 or e-mail info@loudounsymphony.org.
Musical: Japanese Fairy Tales. All ages. Belmont Ridge Middle School, 19045 Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, 7 p.m. Includes Japanese dance, song, drums, costumes. Call Franklin Arts Center for reservations, 540-338-7973.
<cal1>Sunday/March 4
<cal2>Pancake Breakfast. The monthly pancake breakfast at Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, Ashburn Road, Ashburn. Scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, hash browns, biscuits and gravy, juice and coffee. Adults $6, seniors $5, children $4, under 3 free. Contact AVFRD 703-729-0006.
Musical: Japanese Fairy Tales. All ages. Belmont Ridge Middle School, 19045 Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, 3 p.m. Includes Japanese dance, song, drums, costumes. Call Franklin Arts Center for reservations, 540-338-7973.
<cal1>Monday/March 5
<cal2>Seeing Is Believing. Ages 3-6. Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal's Gap Road, Sterling, 9:30-11 a.m. Look through an "insect's eye." Can you see as well as a hawk? Make your own bird's-eye binoculars and try them out on the trails. Cost $10.50 per child. Call 571-258-3700.
<cal1>Thursday/March 8
<cal2>Casino Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Charles Town, W.Va. Includes slots and simulcast horse racing. Lunch on own. Price $7 per member, $9 nonmembers and includes transportation and $5 cash back, subject to change. Minimum walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure and return times and locations.
<cal1>Saturday/March 10
<cal2>Five-Mile Run. 15th Annual Van Metre Five-Mile Run and One-Mile Fun Run for Children's Hospital. 8:30 a.m., Broadlands Nature Center, 21907 Claiborne Parkway, Ashburn. Registration is $20, $25 after March 2; children 12 and under $5; corporate team $50 plus $15 per member. Register on the Web: www.runwashington.com or call 703-425-2600, Ext. 2288.
Musical: Japanese Fairy Tales. All ages. Belmont Ridge Middle School, 19045 Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, 7 p.m. Includes Japanese dance, song, drums, costumes. Call Franklin Arts Center for reservations, 540-338-7973.
<cal1>Sunday/March 11
<cal2>Musical: Japanese Fairy Tales. All ages. Belmont Ridge Middle School, 19045 Upper Belmont Place, Leesburg, 3 p.m. Includes Japanese dance, song, drums, costumes. Call Franklin Arts Center for reservations, 540-338-7973.
<cal1>Wednesday/March 14
<cal2>St. Patrick's Luncheon. Annual St. Patrick's Day luncheon at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., with lunch at noon. Dress in green and sign Irish melodies. Cost is regular lunch donation. Call 703-430-2397.
<cal1>Friday/March 19
<cal2>Museums Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit Natural History, Gallery of Art, American Indian, U.S. Botanical Gardens, Air and Space or African Art/Sackler/Freer/Hirshharn museums. Lunch on own. Price $8 per member, $10 nonmembers and includes transportation and free admission to art museum. Extensive walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure and return times and locations.
<cal1>Friday/March 23
<cal2>Peter McCory: The One-Man Band for children and families. At Ida Lee Park Recreation Center, 10 a.m. Advance tickets are $5 for each child with adults free. Tickets at the door are $8 for each child with adults free. Call 703-777-1368 or visit www.idalee.org.
Museum Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to the Air and Space Museum in Dulles. Lunch on own. Price $5 per member, $7 nonmembers and includes transportation and free admission to art museum. Extensive walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure and return times and locations.
<cal1>Saturday/March 24
<cal2>Symphony Performance. Loudoun Symphony Orchestra performs "Creation," featuring special guest soloists, a chorus of select Loudoun County Public School singers. At Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Road, Ashburn. A lecture takes place at 7 p.m., string workshop at 7:30 p.m. and performance at 8 p.m. Advanced tickets $15 adults, $7 child/student, through college; at the door $18 adults, $8 child/student. Call 703-771-8287, fax 703-771-8211 or e-mail info@loudounsymphony.org.
<cal1>Sunday/March 25
<cal2>Symphony Performance. Loudoun Symphony Orchestra performs "Creation," featuring special guest soloists, a chorus of select Loudoun County Public School singers. At Potomac Falls High School, 46400 Algonkian Parkway, Sterling, 3 p.m. Advanced tickets $15 adults, $7 child/student, through college; at the door $18 adults, $8 child/student. Call 703-771-8287, fax 703-771-8211 or e-mail info@loudounsymphony.org.
<cal1> Wednesday/March 28
<cal2>Casino Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Charles Town, W.Va. Includes slots and simulcast horse racing. Lunch on own. Price $7 per member, $9 nonmembers and includes transportation and $5 cash back, subject to change. Minimum walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure and return times and locations.
Pancake Breakfast. Annual pancake breakfast at the Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, 9-10:30 a.m. Includes eggs, bacon or sausage, pancakes, juice and coffee. Tickets $3 per person. Open to the public. Call 703-430-2397.
<cal1>Saturday/March 31
<cal2>Theater Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Middletown, Va., to see Stones in his Pockets at the Wayside Theatre. Includes buffet lunch at Hotel Strasburg. Price $47 per member, $49 nonmembers and includes transportation, Lunch, tax, tip and show. Minimum walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure and return times and locations.