Send announcements, which are open to the public at no or minimal cost, to The Loudoun Connection, 7913 Westpark Drive, McLean, VA 22102 or e-mail to loudoun@connectionnewspapers.com. Deadline is Friday, two weeks before the event. Photos/artwork encouraged. For more information, contact Matthew Razak 703-917-6457. For additional entertainment listings, visit www.connectionnewspapers.com, E section.
<cal1>Wednesday/May 16
<cal2>Mother's Day Tea. 2-4 p.m., Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. "For Ladies Only" tea and spa day, includes performance by Blue River Singers, manicures and massages. Cost: $2 for members, $4 for nonmembers; tickets on sale May 1. Call 703-430-2397.
Fancy Nancy. 4 p.m., Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Road, Leesburg. Children's book program; wear your fanciest dress and bring along your favorite stuffed animal. Recommended for ages 5-7. Advance registration required, call 703-777-0323 or register online at www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
<cal1>Thursday/May 17
<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. Cost: $8 members, $10 nonmembers, includes transportation and free admission to art museum. Extensive walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure/return times and locations.
Duck, Duck, Goose! 9:30-11 a.m. and 12:30-2 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal's Gap Road, Sterling. See May 14 item for more details.
Fun with Plants. 4:30-5:30 p.m., Sterling Annex Community Center, 22084 Shaw Road, Sterling. For ages 4 and 10. Plant flowers and make wooden animal plant picks to take home to enjoy. The cost is $9 and preregistration, call 703-430-6673.
<cal1>Friday/May 18
<cal2>Jazz Music. 7–10 p.m., Sala Thai, 44640 Waxpool Road, Ashburn. Bobbe Shore and First Call will perform with the Duo. Call 571-223-2423.
National Pizza Day. 3:30 p.m., Sterling Library, 120 Enterprise St. See, smell, hear, touch and taste pizza. Recommended for ages 6-12. Advance registration required, call 703-430-9500 or register online at www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
From Swann’s Castle to Governor’s Mansion: Exploring an Old Southern Estate. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Morven Park, 17263 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. Learn Morven Park’s history from 19th century plantation to early 20th century hunt country estate and working farm. Guided tours include exhibits, carriage collection, Confederate huts, and outdoor walk around property. Adults $5, children $1. Call 703-777-6034.
<cal1>Saturday/May 19
<cal2>Symphony Performance. 7 p.m., lecture; 7:30 p.m., strings workshop; 8 p.m., performance, at Stone Bridge High School, 43100 Hay Road, Ashburn. Loudoun Symphony Orchestra performs "American Fanfare," featuring Charles Williams. Cost: advanced tickets $15 adults, $7 child/student through college; at the door $18 adults, $8 child/student. Call 703-771-8287 or e-mail info@loudounsymphony.org.
250th Anniversary Celebration. All day starting at 10 a.m., offered by the Clerk of the Circuit Court's office in the historic Old Courthouse at the corner of King and Market streets, Leesburg. Open house, includes historical interpreters, presentations, tours and displays. Visit www.loudoun.gov/clerk or call 703-777-0270.
Winds and Wine Festival. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Tarara Vineyard and Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg. Featuring wines, bands, kite-flying demos, craft and food vendors, children's Grape Escape, wagon rides and u-pick asparagus. Cost: $15 per person.
Meet the Author. 2 p.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road. Meet Vita Tucker, author of "Love in the Driest Season." Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
Anniversary Lecture Series. 1-2:30 p.m., Smithsonian Naturalist Center, 741 Miller Drive, Suite G2, Leesburg. "A Bee's Eye View of Pollination, Exploring the Diversity of Bee Species and their Ecological Interactions in Eastern North America," by T'ai Roulston. Free, no children under age 10. Call 703-779-9712.
Butterflies and Dragonflies. 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m., Banshee Reeks, Leesburg. Join the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for a free, family butterfly and dragonfly walk. Contact Andy Rabin at stylurus@gmail.com.
Loudoun 250 Celebration. 3-4 p.m., Leesburg Courthouse Grounds, 18 East Market St., Leesburg. Celebrate Loudoun County's 250th anniversary with a performance by the Loudoun Heritage Players. Call 703-777-7427.
Classical Music. 2 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Potomac Falls. A musical afternoon of live singing and a demonstration of Indian musical instruments. Recommended for all ages. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
Walk. 8:30 a.m., Morven Park Equestrian Center, 41793 Tutt Lane, Leesburg. The 4th Annual Walking for Water 5-10K walk to raise funds to construct wells in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Visit http://www.wisdomspringinc.org/walkingforwater.html.
Folk Music. 6 p.m., UUCL, 20460 Gleedsville Road. Equality Loudoun and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Loudoun bring Emma’s Revolution to perform in Leesburg. A before party with the artists and silent auction will be held. Tickets: $15 at the door for the concert only, $17 in advance including the before party, and $12 for members of UUCL and Equality Loudoun.
Fighting and Frolicking. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Morven Park, 17263 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. Historical interpreters portraying Confederate soldiers and local civilians recreate a Civil War encampment from 1861/62. Cost: adults $5, children $1. Visit www.morvenpark.org or call 703-777-6034.
Farm Tour. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Loudoun County farms. Free, self-guided driving tour to participating Loudoun County farms and wineries. To request a brochure, e-mail info@LoudounFarms.org or call the Loudoun County Office of
Economic Development at 703-777-0426 or LCVA at 1-866-771-7697. Tour information and map can also be found at www.LoudounFarms.org.
Art Bazaar. 11 a.m.-8 p.m., National Conference Center, Lansdowne. The National Islamic Arts and Culture Foundation launches its first Islamic Arts Expo and International Bazaar. Visit www.niacf.org.
<cal1>Sunday/May 20
<cal2>Open House. 1-4 p.m., Ashburn Fire and Rescue, 20688 Ashburn Road. Includes refreshments and entertainment. Free. Call 703-729-0006.
Winds and Wine Festival. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tarara Vineyard and Winery, 13648 Tarara Lane, Leesburg. See May 19 listing for more information.
Wine Tasting. 12-5 p.m., Willowcroft Farm Vineyards, 38906 Mount Gilead Road, Leesburg. Featuring wines from the Blue Ridge area. Cost: $7. Call 703-777-8161 or visit http://www.willowcroftwine.com.
Sunday in the Preserve. 1 p.m., Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, Leesburg. Join Phil Daley of the Friends of Banshee Reeks and the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for a free informal, family walk around the preserve. Call the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve at 703-669-0316.
Travel through Time in the Winmill Carriage Collection. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Morven Park, 17263 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. Guided tour through a collection of 19th century horse-drawn vehicles, including coaches, sleighs, carts, buggies and a hearse from the 1800s. Cost: adults $5; children $1. Meet at Coach House Visitors Center. Visit www.morvenpark.org or call 703-777-6034.
Laser Tag. 5:45-8 p.m., Riverside Property, corner of Cascades Parkway and Middlefield Drive. Laser tag for all. Cost: $10 and includes pizza. Visit www.riversidechurch.com or call Daniel or Barb at 703-444-3528.
Jazz for Juniors. 2 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Includes children's popular songs from television and children's movies that have been transferred into jazz tunes. Recommended for all ages. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
Farm Tour. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Loudoun County farms. See May 19 listing for more information.
Baseball. 5-11:30 p.m., Douglass Community Center, 407 East Market St., Leesburg. See the Washington Nationals take on the Baltimore Orioles at RFK Studium in Washington, D.C. Cost: $25 per person and includes a ticket to the game. To register, contact the Douglass Community Center at 703-771-5913 or e-mail dcc@loudoun.gov.
<cal1>Tuesday/May 22
<cal2>Me and My World. 4 p.m., Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Road, Leesburg. Learn about Dolly Madison who was famous for her ice-cream parties and the ice-cream freezer, which was patented one day in May back in 1840's. Recommended for ages 4-6. Advance registration required, call 703-777-0323 or register online at www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
Storyteller. 4 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Storyteller Gary Lloyd will read "Chocolate-Covered Fairytales." Recommend for ages 4-8. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.
<cal1>Wednesday/May 23
<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. Cost: $7 members, $9 nonmembers, includes transportation and $5 cash back, subject to change. Minimum walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure/return times and locations.