<cal1>Now Through March 16
<cal2>Shakespeare Shenanigans! Wednesdays 11:30-1 p.m. At the Little Theatre of Alexandria in Old Town. Geared for the older adult, participants will discuss, read, and perform scenes from Shakespeare. Non actors welcome. Email Heather Sanderson at bardsplay@aol.com or call the Little Theatre at 703-683-5778, ext. 2.
<cal1>Thursday/Feb. 10
<cal2>Naked Blue. 7 p.m. Part of Second Thursday Music Night at The Athenaeum, 201 Prince Street, Alexandria. Naked Blue, the performing songwriter team, Jen and Scott Smith, and their band, will perform. Contact 703- 548-0035 or www.nvfaa.org.
18th-Century Dance Classes. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Cost is $30/series or $12/class. Learn the dances of Jane Austen, George Washington, and Abigail Adams in Gadsby's Tavern Museum’s historic ballroom. At Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 North Royal Street. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 703-746-4242 or www.gadsbystavern.org.
<cal1>Feb. 12-20
<cal2>"A Midsummer Night’s Dream." Feb. 12, 18, 19 at 7:30 p.m.; Feb. 13 and 20 at 3 p.m. Performed by MVCCT and directed by Tiffany Ford. Tickets are $10/adult; $8/seniors and students. For tickets, call 703-360-0686. At Heritage Presbyterian Church, 8503 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria. Visit www.MVCCT.org.
<cal1>Saturday/Feb. 12
<cal2>Meet John Carlyle and George Washington. Noon to 4 p.m. This program provides visitors with an opportunity to take an interactive house tour combining modern museum interpretation with 18th-century living history vignettes. At Carlyle House Historic Park, 121 N. Fairfax Street, Old Town Alexandria.
Countertenor Thomas Fallon. 8 p.m. Mozart/Rossini arias and Dvorak. Alexandria Symphony Orchestra welcomes Thomas Fallon for evening of vocal selections. At the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, 3001 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria. For tickets, visit www.alexsym.org. Call 703-548-0885.
Movies with a Mission. 4:30 p.m. Free. "The Lion Mountains: A Journey through Sierra Leone’s History." Screening will be followed by a discussion and gallery walk. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. At the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street, Alexandria. Contact 703-746-4356.
Swordsmen’s Rendezvous. 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Swordsmen tours last one hour and include re-enactment of 18th-century swordplay and a display and discussion of 18th-century weapons. Admission is $5, ages 5 and up. At Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 North Royal Street, Old Town Alexandria. Call 703-746-4242.
<cal1>Feb. 12-14
<cal2>Valentine’s Cruises. Cruise along the Potomac River on the Odyssey for $129/person dinner; $64.90/person brunch. Includes champagne, photos, souvenir glasses. Cruise along the Potomac on the Spirit of Washington is $109.90/person dinner; $40.90/person lunch. For reservations, call 866-302-2469.
<cal1>Sunday/Feb. 13
<cal2>Paul Robeson at the Carlyle Club. 5 p.m. Experience the spirit of Black History Month with actor, scholar and activist Paul Robeson, in "Paul Robeson, A Play by Philip Dean Hayes." Following the 90-minute performance, guests will enjoy a two- or three-course meal. Tickets are $40. At the Carlyle Club, 411 John Carlyle Street, in Alexandria. Call 703-746-4356 or visit www.alexblackhistory.org.
Seeds of Independence Program. 2 p.m. Oral History Film Premiere: Segregation & Civil Rights: Mason Neck, Black & White, 1950-1970. Talk by Juan Williams, Civil Rights scholar and author, journalist and commentator for FOX News. Suggested donation: $9/adults; $8/seniors. At Gunston Hall Visitors’ Center, 10709 Gunston Road, Mason Neck. Call 703-550-9220.
Valentine Tea. 1 p.m. Cost is $30/person. Tea and tour of Woodlawn. Tea, finger sandwiches, breads, and desserts with harp music played by Chris Van Dyke. Call 703-780-4000, ext. 26333. Visit www.woodlawn1805.org.
Make-your-own Victorian Valentine. 1 to 4 p.m. Cost is $5/crafter. At Lee-Fendall House and Garden, Alexandria. Visit www.leefendallhouse.org.
<cal1>Monday/Feb. 14
<cal2>Valentine’s Day Mixer. 7 to 11 p.m. Cost is $10/person. Love-inspired artwork, mood music, food and more. Call Matthew Cuenca (matthewcuenca@gmail.com) or Tracy Wilkerson (tlwideas@comcast.net or visit www.TheDelRayArtisans.org. Del Ray Artisans’ gallery is located at the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria.
Burlesque-a-Pades, February Frolic. 7:30 p.m. For 18 and over. Valentine’s Day-inspired production from purveyors of sexy stockings and classy lingerie Secrets in Lace as well as The World Famous Pontani Sisters. Tickets are $29.50 plus standard booking fees. At The Birchmere, 3701 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria. Visit www.ticketmaster.com and www.birchmere.com or call 703-549-7500.
<cal1>Tuesday/Feb. 15
<cal2>Better Feet, Better You. 1 p.m. The newest diabetic/therapeutic footwear from Dr. Comfort. Hermitage in Northern Virginia, 5000 Fairbanks Ave., Alexandria. Call 703-797-3800.
Mount Vernon Genealogical Society. 1 p.m. Free. Presentation entitled "Records of the Civilian Conservation Corps – Record Group 35" by Charles S. Mason. At Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road, Alexandria. Call Harold McClendon at 703-360-0920 or haroldm@erols.com.
Irish Musicians. 8 p.m. John Doyle, Niall Vallely and Cillian Vallley. Tickets are $25/advance; $29/door. At The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., in Alexandria. Reservations can be made at www.sunspotpro.com or by calling 800-404-9049.
<cal1>Wednesday/Feb. 16
<cal2>George Washington Lecture. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12/person; $10/members. Join Dr. Peter Henriques, Professor Emeritus of History from George Mason University, as he presents "Those Who Labor For Me" – A Closer Look at Some of George Washington’s Enslaved Workers. At Gadsby’s Tavern Museum Society. Call 703-746-4242 or visit www.gadsbystavern.org.
Duncan Book Discussion Group Meeting. 7 p.m. The group will be discussing "Reading Lolita in Tehran" by Azar Nafisi. At the Duncan Library, 2591 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria. Call Ruth Hailu , 703-746-1705 ext. 3.
Swing Dancing. 9 to 11 p.m. Cost is $10. With Jim Stephanson and the Blue Dogs. At Nick’s Nightclub, 642 South Pickett St., Alexandria.
<cal1>Thursday/Feb. 17
<cal2>Great Books Discussion Group Meeting. 7 p.m. At the Beatley Central Library, 5005 Duke Street, Alexandria. There will be a discussion of the three "ode" poems by John Keats. Call Bill Scouton at 703-931-3559.
Eighteenth-Century Dance Classes. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Cost is $30/series or $12/class. Learn the dances of Jane Austen, George Washington, and Abigail Adams in Gadsby's Tavern Museum’s historic ballroom. At Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 North Royal Street. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 703-746-4242 or www.gadsbystavern.org.
<cal1>Saturday/Feb. 19
<cal2>Broadway Night. 8 p.m. The Hayfield Choir Boosters present Broadway Night 2011. Complimentary Dessert Reception at 7 p.m. and entertainment by the Hayfield High School Jazz Band. Tickets are $10/adults; $7/students and seniors. At the Rebeca S. Wilburn Auditorium, Hayfield Secondary School.
Steven Gellman in Concert. 8 to 10 p.m. At St Elmo's Coffee Pub, 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Call 703-739-9268.
Genealogist Char Bah. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cost is $5. During Black History Month, discover your own family history with expert techniques for tracing African-American ancestors. At the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street, Alexandria. Call 703-746-4356 or visit www.alexblackhistory.org.
George Washington’s Birthnight Supper and Ball. Cocktails, a unique silent auction, raffle, seated dinner and live music. Hosted by the Neighborhood Friends of Mount Vernon. Tickets are $175. To attend, call 703-799-8647 for reservations. At Historic Mount Vernon.
Black History Month Cruise. The Spirit of Washington is offering an educational lunch cruise, aimed to remember those who have influenced African-American culture. A DJ will provide live entertainment in tribute to notable African-American artists such as Duke Ellington, Marvine Gaye, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis and Diana Ross to name a few. The lunch cruise will feature the Grande Buffet with assorted salads and sides, entrees like the Wild Alaskan Salmon, Herb-Roasted Chicken, Three-Cheese Pasta Al Forno and desserts like the New York-style Cheesecake and Sweet Chocolate Mousse Truffle. The cruise boards at 11 a.m. and cruises from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost is $40.90 per person and guests can make reservations at 866-302-2469.
<cal1>Feb. 19-21
<cal2>George Washington Birthday Celebration Weekend. A city-wide celebration including the country's largest parade celebrating George Washington, a 10k race, the Birthnight Banquet and Ball, historic sites offering free admission, and more. Throughout Old Town, Alexandria. Call 703-991-4474 or visit www.Washingtonbirthday.Net/events.
<cal1>Sunday/Feb. 20
<cal2>Dream Wedding Event. 3 p.m. Bridal fashion show, wedding vendors, complimentary appetizers, photo booth, auction of bridal services. At the St. George Gallery, 115 N. Alfred St., Alexandria. Proceeds benefit VITAL VOICES Global Partnership, an international, non-profit organization that works with women and human rights. Visit www.VitalVoices.org.
Abigail Adams Historical Re-Enactment. 4 p.m. Free. The Colonial past meets the present when Abigail Adams and Benjamin Stoddert, the first U.S. Secretary of the Navy, discuss matters of their lives and concerns through an hour-long historical re-enactment at the Lyceum on the eve of President’s Day. At the Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street, Old Town Alexandria.
President’s Day Concert. 3 p.m. Free. The 40-member Harmony Heritage Singers will present a barbershop concert at Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, 1909 Windmill Lane, Alexandria. A free-will offering will be taken to support the work of United Community Ministries. Contact Ron Brandt, 703-765-4779, brandtron@verizon.net.
"Ready for Spring" Event. 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Find products like Airbonne, doTerra, lia sophia, Miche Bags, Thirty One and Willow House. Purchases will benefit the Lee Fendall House Museum and Garden. Contact Jeri Hesson at 703-350-2385 or jeri.hesson@cox.net.
Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic. 3 p.m. Free. At Bishop Ireton High School, 201 Cambridge Road, Alexandria. Pre-concert lecture at 2:15 p.m.
Marine Chamber Orchestra. 2 p.m. The Compleat Percy Grainger. At the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, NVCC, 3001 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria. Call 703-845-6156 or www.schlesingercenter.com.
Folk Singer Pierce Pettis. 7 p.m. With special guest Rj Cowdery. At Church of the Resurrection, 2280 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria. Tickets are $18 general, $15 in advance at FocusMusic.org.
<cal1>Monday/Feb. 21
<cal2>Surprise Birthday. Free admission. Celebrate the 279th birthday for George Washington. Daily from Feb. 19 through Feb. 21, the party features "General Washington" receiving birthday cheers, 18th-century music and birthday gifts presented from his 18th-century friends. On Saturday, Feb. 19, and Sunday, Feb. 20, have a taste of Washington’s favorite breakfast — hoecakes swimming in butter and honey with "the General" himself! The weekend leads up to a grand holiday party for the first president on Monday, Feb. 21, with free admission, military demonstrations, the new "Surprise Birthday Party" celebration, and a wreathlaying ceremony at Washington’s tomb. Visit www.MountVernon.org. At Mount Vernon.
Meet Woodrow Wilson. 11 a.m. Free. President Wilson will be brought to life by actor Brian Hilton, who will discuss his views on events of the time of his presidency, 1913 to 1921. At The Lyceum, Alexandria’s History museum, 201 South Washington Street, Old Town, Alexandria. Visit www.alexandriahistory.org or call 703-746-4994.
<cal1>Tuesday/Feb. 22
<cal2>Quilting Lecture. 12:30 p.m. Free. Pictorial Art Quilter Laura Wasilowski presents "I Quilt, Therefore I Am" to Mount Vernon Quilters Unlimited. MVQU meets at Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road, Alexandria. Contact: MVQUPresident@gmail.com.
<cal1>Wednesday/Feb. 23
<cal2>Swing Dancing. 9 to 11 p.m. Admission is $6. DJ Dance Party with DJ Dabe Murphy. At Nick’s Nightclub, 642, South Pickett Street, Alexandria.
Abrakadoodle Innovative Art Class. 1:30 p.m. At the Hermitage in Northern Virginia, 5000 Fairbanks Ave., Alexandria. Call 703-797-3800.
<cal1>Thursday/Feb. 24
<cal2>"Oscar Night" Gala Benefit. 7 to 10 p.m. An evening of Hollywood glitz and glamour, featuring an Oscar Raffle, Silent Auction and Cocktail Buffet, the event promises to be a sellout! The event will raise funds for the CAC, a public-private partnership dedicated to the elimination of child abuse. Tickets are available at www.oscarnight.@eventbrite.com or 703-746-6008. Ticket start at $125 each. At Belle Haven Country Club, 6023 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria.
Story Time. 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Designed for young children and caregivers, features story time and a craft. Fee is $3/family. At the Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden. Call 703-548-1789. Visit www.leefendallhouse.org.
<cal1>Saturday/Feb. 26
<cal2>Ensemble Gaudior. 7:30 p.m. Ensemble Gaudior presents "Barroca Nova" (Music in the Key of Light) – chamber music by Scarlatti, Leclair, Buxtehude, and Handel among others. At St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 8009 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria. Call 703-395-2899 or visit www.ensemblegaudior.com.
Prohibition Night Fundraiser. 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tickets are $45/advance; $55/door. At Lee-Fendall House Museum & Garden, 614 Oronco St., Alexandria. Call 703-548-1789.
U.S. Army Concert Band. 7:30 p.m. Free. With guest artist Steve Houghton, percussion. At the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, NOVA Campus, Alexandria. Visit www.usarmyband.com.
Lecture. 1 p.m. Cost is $10. Historian Carroll R. Gibbs presents, "Whirlwind Coming: African Americans in the District and Alexandria during the Civil War." At Fort Ward Museum, 4301 West Braddock Road. Call the Museum at 703-746-4848 to make reservations. Visit www.fortward.org.
<cal1>Monday/Feb. 28
<cal2>"Alexandria and the Civil War: Pride and Shame in Black and White." Reception at 6:15 p.m., Dinner ($25 members/$30 nonmembers) at 6:45 p.m.; Program 7:15 p.m. Dinner reservations required. With Ronald Beavers, Civil War Historian; Andy Evans, Community Activist and Comedy Counselor; Lillian Patterson, Retired Curator, Alexandria Black History Museum; and Laura Trieschmann, Director, Survey and Documentation at EHT Traceries. Special Guest, Barb Winters, author "Letters to Virginians." Holiday Inn Eisenhower Metro Center, 2460 Eisenhower Avenue. Contact Sherry Brown, 703-548-7089 or agendaalexandria@aol.com.
<cal1>Wednesday/March 2
<cal2>Summer Camp Fair. 5:30 to 8 p.m. Free. Some 50 exhibitors will represent a wide range of camp programs, including day and overnight camps. Sponsored by the PTA Council of Alexandria. At the cafeteria of TC Williams, Minnie Howard Campus, 3801 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Contact Marianne Hetzer at alexptaccamp@comcast.net or 703-823-3367.
<cal1>Friday/March 4
<cal2>Louisiana Dance Party. 8 p.m. Popular dance instructors Ben Pagac and Debbie Shaw will be on hand to provide free lessons in the art of swing, cajun and zydeco stepping. There will be King Cake and Mardi Gras beads for all, and drinks will be plentiful at the cash bar, along with light snacks. Tickets are $15/advance; $20/door. With the bands Junkyard Saints and Squeeze Bayou. Tickets at www.hungryformusic.org. At the Torpedo Factory Art Center, 105 N. Union St. on the Potomac River in Old Town Alexandria.
<cal1>Saturday/March 5
<cal2>St. Patrick’s Day Celebration and Parade. Free. Old Town is Irish for a day with the Fun Dog Show at 10:30 a.m. in Market Square, classic car competition at 10:30 a.m. along King Street and the parade at 12:30 p.m. Throughout Old Town, Alexandria. Call 703-237-2199 or visit www.Ballyshaners.org.
Mardi Gras Celebration. 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Cost is $40/person. Hosted by the Mount Vernon District Democratic Committee. Del. Scott Surovell is a confirmed speaker. Congressmen Gerry Connolly (D-11) and Jim Moran (D-8), Supervisor Gerry Hyland, and other local Democratic leaders from Mount Vernon District are invited to speak. At Don Beyer Volvo, 7416 Richmond Highway, Alexandria. Visit www.mvdemocrats.com.
<cal1>Thursday/March 10
<cal2>Pat Wictor. 7 p.m. Part of the Second Thursday Music at The Athenaeum, 201 Prince Street, Alexandria. Tickets are $10. Call 703-548-0035 or nvfaa.org.
<cal1>Saturday/March 12
<cal2>Movies with a Mission. 4:30 p.m. Free. "Good Fortune." This film explores how massive international efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa may be undermining the very communities they aim to benefit. Screening will be followed by a discussion and gallery walk. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. At the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street, Alexandria. Contact 703-746-4356.
Scout Day. 1 to 3 p.m. Fee is $10/Scout. Scouts will learn how to explore their own family histories through oral history, story-telling, and games. At Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden. Call 703-548-1789 or visit www.leefendallhouse.org.
Swordsmen’s Rendezvous. 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Swordsmen tours last one hour and include re-enactment of 18th-century swordplay and a display and discussion of 18th-century weapons. Admission is $5, ages 5 and up. At Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 North Royal Street, Old Town Alexandria. Call 703-746-4242.
<cal1>Saturday/March 26
<cal2>Rae Pica In Person. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Will be speaking on "The Whole Child: Thinking, Feeling, Moving." Sponsored by Children Together at the First Baptist Church in Alexandria. Visit www.children-together.com or www.movingandlearning.com.
<cal1>Sunday/March 27
<cal2>Community Lodgings Spring Event. 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Community Lodgings’ 6th Annual Spring Event, "Spring Forward to Union Street," to raise awareness and funding for Alexandria’s homeless. To purchase tickets, call 703-549-4407. At Union Street Public House, 121 South Union Street, Old Town, Alexandria. Visit www.communitylodgings.org.
Scrapbooking Workshop. 1 to 3 p.m. Join scrapbooking expert Claudia Lopez-Viñas for this hands-on scrapbooking workshop. Materials will be provided. Cost is $7/person. RSVP to 703-548-1789. At Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden. Visit www.leefendallhouse.org.
<cal1>Wednesday/April 6
<cal2>"Alexandria, Virginia: Southern Town, Yankee Citadel" Lecture. 7:30 p.m. Cost is $10. James Barber, historian at the National Portrait Gallery, describes Alexandria during the Civil War. At The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., Alexandria. Call 703-746-4994 or www.AlexandriaHistory.org
<cal1>Saturday/April 9
<cal2>Movies with a Mission. 4:30 p.m. Free. "Promised Land." Though apartheid ended in South Africa in 1994, economic injustices between blacks and whites remain unresolved. As revealed in this award-winning film, the most potentially explosive issue is land. Screening will be followed by a discussion and gallery walk. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. At the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe Street, Alexandria. Contact 703-746-4356.
<cal1>Saturday/April 16
<cal2>78th Annual Historic Garden Tour of Alexandria. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This Alexandria tradition offers the opportunity to be invited into some of Old Town's finest private homes and gardens. Many of the area's historic sites offer special activities, including Carlyle House, which hosts its Herb Sale, with historical plants plus crafts. Call 703-746-3301 or www.VaGardenWeek.org