<lst>Casseroles & Cantatas III will be held Friday, May 17, at 6:30 p.m., at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 5649 Mount Gilead Road, Centreville. There will be a $5-per-person door charge to help cover expenses for this adults-only (21 and over) potluck event. Last names A-F, bring a dessert; G-Q, main course; R-Z, salad/appetizer. Call 703-803-7500 for more information.
Joey and Maria's Comedy Italian Wedding will be held Saturday, May 18. Seating begins at 7 p.m., show begins at 7:30 p.m. Interactive dinner theater at Holiday Inn Tysons Corner, 1960 Chain Bridge Road, McLean. $49.50 includes complete Italian wedding dinner and champagne toast. For reservations, call 1-800-944-JOEY. The show will also be performed on Saturday, June 8 and June 15.
A night of mystery and intrigue will be offered at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant in Reston, Sunday, May 19, and Sunday, June 2. The Sterling Playmakers will serve up the murder mystery, and the audience will decide who did it by dessert. Cocktails are at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and an arrest by 8 p.m. The price per person is $58.50. For reservations, call Christina J. Park at 703-467-0821 or e-mail msbanqtscj@aol.com
The Mount Vernon Wine Festival and Sunset Tour celebrates the history of wine in Virginia with evening tours of the mansion and wine cellar and an appearance by George Washington himself. Visitors may bring a blanket and relax on the lawn as they listen to jazz and sample wines from 16 Virginia wineries; Friday, Saturday and Sunday; May 17-19, from 6-9 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person, and party platters to serve six are available for $45. There is also a Sunday-only cruise package aboard the Miss Christin tour boat. which will travel round-trip from Old Town Alexandria to the Mount Vernon estate.
Tickets may be purchased through TicketMaster at 703-573-7328 or 202-432-7328, or at the Mount Vernon main gate ticket window, which is open seven days a week. For more information, call 703-780-2000
The 15th Annual Taste of Arlington street festival will bring food, entertainment and family fun to Ballston, May 19, noon-5 p.m. The event will feature a sampling of over 30 area restaurants as well as rock bands, swing music, crafters, an inflatable planetarium, an Internet cafe, Taste of Science tent with children’s activities, and more. Admission is free. Ticket books for six tastes are $15 in advance, $20 at the gate. Call 703-841-7768, or visit www.TasteofArlington.com for more information.
Chef Curtis Ross, who once cooked for movie actor Will Smith and now serves customers throughout Northern Virginia, is offering a series of demonstrations and cooking classes at Whole Foods Markets in Northern Virginia.
His demonstrations will feature the regional cuisines of Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa, where he has traveled, collecting recipes and local ingredients from chefs, cooks and villagers
The demonstrations are as follows:
Whole Foods Market, 143 Maple Ave. E., Vienna,
Mondays, May 20, from 7-8:30 p.m.
Register at 703-319-2000. Fee, $10 per class.
Whole Foods Market, 11660 Plaza America Drive, Reston,
Saturdays, May 25, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Register at 703-736-0600. Fee, $10 per class.
Whole Foods Market, 7511 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church,
Thursday, May 23, 7-8 p.m.
Register at 703-448-1600. Fee, $10 per class