<cal1>Ongoing
<cal2>Children enter a world of fantasy and fables when costumed interpreters weave three tales together during Mount Vernon's storytelling session, "Once Upon a Time at Mount Vernon," held every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Storytelling sessions will take place in the Hands-On History Room in the Donald W. Reynolds Education Center. "Working Together" is the theme for January's storytelling sessions. During the 20-minute session, children learn Aesop's fables and listen to stories about George Washington's life! The storytelling program is recommended for children ages 3 to 8. Parental supervision is required. "Once Upon at Time at Mount Vernon" is included in regular Estate admission: adults, $15; youth ages 6-11, $7; and children under 5 are admitted free.
<cal1>Every Friday
<cal2>Grown & Sexy Happy Hour and Comedy Show. 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Hosted by comedian Ed Blaze. Ladies free until 9 p.m. Men $10/$15. At Weyone Lounge, 5801 Duke St. # E100, Alexandria, located in the back of Landmark Mall. Call 202-321-0867.
<cal1>Jan. 12 to 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/Jan. 13
<cal2>Wintry Mix. 6 to 9 p.m. Free. Cool candy buffet, artist-made snowflakes and an art-inspired modern dance performance by Karen Reedy Dance. Juror’s talk by Amy Cavanaugh Royce and Briony Evans Hynson from Honfleur Gallery at 7 p.m. At the Second Thursday Art Night, Torpedo Factory art Center, 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. Visit www.torpedofactory.org; call 703-838-4565
<cal1>Friday/Jan. 14
<cal2>Union 206 Film Night: “Brazil.” 8 to 11 p.m. Free. Union 206 Studio presents a free showing of the film, “Brazil.” At 206 S. Union St., Alexandria. Visit http://www.union206.com
”Oliver.” 8 p.m. Tickets are $25/person. Hosted by the Bailey’s Crossroads Rotary Club. Proceeds will be donated to Fisher House Foundation. At the Little Theater of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria.
<cal1>Saturday/Jan. 15
<cal2>Sock Hop. 7 to 10 p.m. Enjoy Rat Pack music and dance the night away. Entry fee one pair of new socks. At the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. Contact Constance Springer Zabowski or Celeste Zabowski at 703-407-6992 or www.TheDelRayArtisans.org or cspringer43@gmail.com.
American Balalaika Symphony in Concert. 8 p.m. Peter Trofimenko and The American Balalaika Symphony present Midwinter Music of Love, a musical exploration of love in all its many variations, as presented by great composers from around the world, including Arensky, Brahms, De Senneville, Kabalevsky, von Weber, Hanley, Tabachnikov, Petrov, Zubkov and more. Tickets are $20/advance; $25/door; $15/seniors and students. At the Rachel M. Schlesinger Concert Hall and Arts Center, NOVA Community College, Alexandria Campus, 3001 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria. Visit www.ABSorchestra.org.
Steven Gellman in Concert. 8 to 10 p.m. At St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub, 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Call 703-739-9268.
Alexandria Coin Show. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Alexandria Coin Club is sponsoring a Coin Show featuring 50 tables with a wide variety of coins, currency and numismatic collectibles. Prizes will be given to the first 500 people who show up at the show. An instruction period is included for those new to collecting. Additionally, there is a raffle for Gold & Silver coins. At the Hampton Inn on the corner of the Beltway and Rt. 1 (5821 Richmond Hwy.). Visit www.members.cox.net/alexandriacoinclub.
Art League’s Patrons’ Show Tickets Go on Sale. 10 a.m. This is the Art League’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Tickets are $175 each and the event features between 500-600 works of original art donated by artists, and the number of tickets sold matches the number of works donated. On the evening of the Patrons’ Show drawing, tickets are randomly drawn and when the name of each ticket-holder is announced, they may select a work of art that they wish to add to their collection. Tickets can be purchased at The Art League Gallery, 105 North Union Street, Alexandria.
Chantry a Cappella Choir. 7:30 p.m. The concert features Epiphany-themed music by Victoria, Lassus, Handl, Palestrina, Bach, Cornelius, Willan and Poulenc. Tickets $30 regular, $15 student. At St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 8009 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria. Call 202-625-2855 (for Chantry) or visit www.chantrydc.com.
Concert. 7 p.m. Free. In “Hamavdil,” Agudas Achim Congregation’s band, Ein Lanu Z’man (We Have No Time) will present a special concert celebrating the separation between the Sabbath and the rest of the week. The band, featuring strings, piano, guitar, bass, percussion, vocals and English Concertina, specializes in making Jewish music from the distant past to the present fresh and inspiring. At Agudas Achim Congregation, 2908 Valley Drive, Alexandria. Contact Elisheva Dienstfrey at 703-998-6460.
Pinewood Derby Workshop. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Old Town Hardware will be holding its third-annual Pinewood Derby Workshop. Cub Scouts are invited to bring their Pinewood Derby cars to the store to have craftsman Jesse Cathell rough cut their designs. Scouts are required to have the car design traced on their cars. There will be sanders and hand tools available for the Scouts to perform additional work on their cars.
<cal1>Sunday/Jan. 16
<cal2>Card-Making Party. Noon to 4 p.m. Create one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted greeting cards. At the Del Ray Artisans Gallery at the Nicholas A. Colasanto Center, 2704 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria. Visit www.TheDelRayArtisans.org or contact Theresa at tkulstad@verizon.net.
Martin Luther King Jr. VIC Choir Festival. 7 p.m. The Mount Vernon High School Choir, led by Judi Belzer, and the Walt Whitman Middle School Orchestra, led by Timothy Gaffga, will be performing as part of the 16th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. – VIC Choir Festival. At Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 8710 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria. Contact Judy Belzer at 703-619-3100 or jabelzer@fcps.edu.
Bach Vespers. 6 p.m. These Vesper services are based on the principles of "ancient-future" worship, which incorporates the rites and elements that go back centuries if not thousands of years – candles, incense, sung Scripture, cantor-lead singing and recitation, and ancient hymns. At Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2701 Cameron Mills Road, Alexandria. Visit www.wpc-alex.org
Singer/songwriter Peter Mayer. 7 p.m. With special guest Sterling Trio. Tickets are $18 general, $15 in advance at FocusMusic.org. At Church of the Resurrection, 2280 N. Beauregard St., Alexandria.
PTA Council Reflections Arts Festival. 4 to 6 p.m. Free. To showcase and recognize the artistic talent of ACPS students and to congratulate the city-wide winners of the 2010-2011 PTA Reflections Art Program. At T.C. Williams High School cafeteria, 3300 King Street, Alexandria.
<cal1>Monday/Jan. 17
<cal2>Free Tours. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. In honor of the birthdays of Gen. Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee and his son, Gen. Robert E. Lee, the Lee-Fendall House Museum and Garden will be offering free tours.
<cal1>Tuesday/Jan. 18
<cal2>Mount Vernon Genealogical Society. 1 p.m. The meeting will feature a presentation entitled “The 'www' of German Genealogy." The program will be presented by John T. Humphrey, CG. At the Hollin Hall Senior Center, Room 112, 1500 Shenandoah Road, Alexandria. Visit http://www.MVGenealogy.org/.
Mount Vernon Lions Dinner. Social 6:30 p.m.; Dinner 7 p.m. The speaker will be Lion Brindisi Chan from District 22C about Lions activities. Held at Pema’s Restaurant. Call Andrew Corsillo at 703-960-4973.
Auditions. 6:45 p.m. The Alexandria Singers, the area's premier pops chorus, are holding auditions for all voice parts. At the Lincolnia Center, 4710 N Chambliss St., Alexandria. Email audition@alexandriasingers.com to arrange an audition, and visit alexandriasingers.com or call 703-941-SING (7464).
<cal1>Wednesday/Jan. 19
<cal2>Swing Dancing. 9 to 11 p.m. Admission is $10. With the band, Atomic Swing Club. At Nick’s Nightclub, 642 South Pickett Street, Alexandria.
Square Dance Lessons. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Free. From the Boomerangs Square Dance Teaching Council. At Lincolnia Center, 4710 North Chambliss St., Alexandria. Call Nancy at 703-573-8378.
Most Loved Antique Toys. 9:30 a.m. Mount Vernon Antique Arts Association will host “Most Loved Antique Toys” by Marvel Luykx. At Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road, Alexandria. Reservations required.
Call 703-765-4573.
Concert. 6 p.m. Admission is $5. Tizmoret, the Jewish a cappella group from Queens College Hillel in New York, will be presenting a concert. Tizmoret will be performing classic Jewish melodies, American pop music and contemporary Israeli tunes. At Agudas Achim Congregation, 2908 Valley Drive, Alexandria. Contact Elisheva Dienstfrey at 703-998-6460.
<cal1>Thursday/Jan. 20
<cal2>Floral Designs for Entertaining. 10 a.m. Free. Presentation by Marianne Raub, of Helen Olivia Florist, Alexandria, on creating floral designs for entertaining in your home. Sponsored by the Garden Club of Waynewood. Fellowship Hall of Plymouth Haven Baptist Church, 8523 Forth Hunt Road, Alexandria. Call 703-549-4245.
”Measure for Measure.” 7:30 p.m. Free. Performed by the American Shakespeare Center. At Pendleton Hall, Episcopal High School, 3900 W. Braddock Road, Alexandria. Visit www.episcopalhighschool.org or call 703-933-4135.
<cal1>Friday/Jan. 21
<cal2>Swing Dance. 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Third Friday with the Mount Vernon Swing Band. At Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road, Mount Vernon. Cost is $4. Call 703-765-4573.
<cal1>Jan. 21 to Jan. 30
<cal2>Alexandria Restaurant Week. 60 restaurants offer a $35 prix-fixe three-course dinner or a $35 dinner for two. The event features fresh food trends, neighborhood finds, and OpenTable Diner's Choice Winners. Participating restaurants include Bastille, La Bergerie, Cheesetique, Pizzeria Paradiso, Tempo, A la Lucia, Columbia Firehouse, Hank's Oyster Bar, Delia's Mediterranean Grill & Brick Oven Pizza and more. 703-746-3301. Menus and online reservations on VisitAlexandriaVA.com
<cal1>Saturday/Jan. 22
<cal2>Speak Up for a Child. 11 a.m. to 12 noon. Fairfax Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is hosting an information session. At the John Marshall Library, 6209 Rose Hill Drive, Alexandria. If you would like to learn more about advocating for abused or neglected children, call 703-273-3526, x22 or email ekosarin@casafairfax.org for more information.
Youth Art Symposium. 2 to 5:30 p.m. Free. Explore different forms of visual and performing arts including dancing, stepping, drama, drawing, painting and candy making. Presented by - The Northern Virginia Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. At the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe Street, Alexandria. Contact Celena Noel at celenanoel@gmail.com
Pinewood Derby Workshop. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Old Town Hardware will be holding its third-annual Pinewood Derby Workshop. Cub Scouts are invited to bring their Pinewood Derby cars to the store to have craftsman Jesse Cathell rough cut their designs. Scouts are required to have the car design traced on their cars. There will be sanders and hand tools available for the Scouts to perform additional work on their cars.
<cal1>Jan. 23 to March 27
<cal2>Brit Wit! Sundays 5-7 p.m. At the Little Theatre of Alexandria in Old Town. Fans of British humor with a longing to perform the Dead Parrot sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus will explore the unique style of British comedy in this class which is bound to tickle your fancy! Class size is limited to 12 and will conclude with an end session performance for family and friends. (British dialects optional!) To register, call the business office at 703-683-5778, ext. 2.
<cal1>Tuesday/Jan. 25
<cal2>Fiber Artist Lecture. 12:30 p.m. Free. Northern Virginia’s Diane Herbort will visit Mount Vernon Quilters Unlimited to present a lecture entitled “And Somehow I Ended up as a Fiber Artist.” MVQU meets at Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road, Alexandria. Contact: MVQUPresident@gmail.com.
”Oliver” Benefit Performance. 8 p.m. Sponsored by the Board of Lady Managers of Inova Alexandria Hospital, with proceeds to benefit the hospital’s Surgical Services. Tickets are $25, $45, and $65 and include Desserts at intermission. At the Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe St., Alexandria. Call 703-548-9485.
Computer Lab Open House. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Meet class instructors including our “One-on-One” Volunteer, learn about the class curriculum, find out about upcoming classes, check out the web page and FaceBook page! At Hollin Hall Senior Center,1500 Shenandoah Road, Alexandria. Call 703-765-4573.
Auditions. 6:45 p.m. The Alexandria Singers, the area's premier pops chorus, are holding auditions for all voice parts. At the Lincolnia Center, 4710 N Chambliss St., Alexandria. Email audition@alexandriasingers.com to arrange an audition, and visit alexandriasingers.com or call 703-941-SING (7464).
<cal1>Thursday/Jan. 27
<cal2>Nutrition Talk. 6 to 8 p.m. With health expert Trish Fortune, the founder and president of Extraordinary You. At The Full Cup, 218 N. Lee St. #206, Alexandria. Space is limited. RSVP to lindsey@thefullcup.com.
Pope-Leighey House Lecture Series. 7 to 9 p.m. “William Thornton and the Creation of the American Architecture.” This talk will examine the designs of Dr. William Thornton (1759-1828) and some of the themes in his architecture, along with a comparison to the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and the Pope-Leighey House. Admission is $25. At The Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street, Alexandria. Respond to 703-780-4000 extension 26321 or woodlawnRSVP@nthp.org.
<cal1>Saturday/Jan. 29
<cal2>Civil War Ball. 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Cost is $45/advance; $50/door. Period attire either in civilian or military. In preparation for the ball, Civil War-era dance classes will be offered at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Jan. 13, 20, and 27. Dance instruction will include the waltz, polka, Virginia reel, and more! Classes are $12 each or $30 for the series. Call 703-838-4242. Online tickets are available under “Shop” at www.gadsbystavern.org. At Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 North Royal Street, Old Town Alexandria.
<cal1>Feb. 4, 5, 11, 12
<cal2>”The Elixir of Love.” 8 p.m. Opera presented by the Repertory Opera Theater of Washington. Conducted by Christopher J. Redden-Liotta; directed by Jennifer Randall; sung in Italian, with English supertitles. At Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill, 3606 Seminary Road, Alexandria. Call 571-403-0814 or www.repertoryoperadc.org.
<cal1>Feb. 12-20
<cal2>“A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Performances are Feb. 12, 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m.; and Feb. 13 and 20 at 3 p.m. Presented by Mount Vernon Community Children’s Theater. At Heritage Presbyterian Church, 8503 Fort Hunt Road, Alexandria.
<cal1>Monday/Feb. 14
<cal2>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>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>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.
<cal1>Sunday/Feb. 20
<cal2>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.
George Washington’s Birthnight Supper and Ball. Features 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.