Loudoun: 10/10

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

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/Oct. 10

<cal2>Benefit Auction. Begins 5:30 p.m., Embassy Suites Dulles North. Loudoun Convention and Visitors Association's second annual benefit auction, Cruisin' the Caribbean-Steel Drums for Scholarship Funds. Cost: $25 per person, includes food and drinks, live band, live and silent auction. Benefits the association's scholarship fund. Call 703-771-2170, Ext. 17.

<cal1>Thursday/Oct. 11

<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.

Birding in the Fall. 3:30-5 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling. Look for the birds as they migrate south for the winter. Discover how the hawks and songbirds make this hard, long journey. Ages 6-8. $10.50 per child. Call 571-258-3700.

Flying with Words-Poetry for Everyone. 4 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place and 7 p.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road. Jorge Argueta’s books are heartwarming bilingual English-Spanish stories that are the favorites of Latin-American children and of children and adults from all cultures. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.

<cal1>Friday/Oct. 12

<cal2>Open Skate Night, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Douglass Community Center, 405 E. Market St., Leesburg. Children and adults can bring their Rollerblades for a night of skating on the community center’s outdoor rink. Call 703-771-5913. Fee: $1.

After Hours Teen Center. 7-10 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Cascades. Candy bingo for middle- schoolers. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.

Fabulous Friday. 7-9 p.m. at Fitwize4Kids. For first-third grades. Riverside Presbyterian Church. To RSVP call Beth, 703-444-3528 or visit www.riversidechurch.com. Cost: $10.

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. Includes guided tours include exhibits, carriage collection, Confederate huts and outdoor walk around property. Cost: adults $5, children $1. Call 703-777-6034 or visit www.morvenpark.org. Meet at Coach House Visitors Center.

<cal1>Saturday/Oct. 13

<cal2>Fall Craft Show. 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Free admission and open to the public. Interested vendors, call Erik Onate, 703-430-2397, Ext. 123.

Yard Sale. 8 a.m.-noon, Crossroads Church, 43454 Crossroads Drive, Ashburn. Crossroads Mothers of Preschoolers will be holding a yard sale. Clothing, toys, books, videos, furniture, maternity, layette and other items will be available. All items will be half price from 11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Woodblock Printmaking. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., The Loudoun Academy of the Arts Foundation, 222 South King St., Leesburg. Students will draw on a plank of wood, creating a relief, which is then used to transfer the image onto paper. Each print is pulled individually. Cost: $80. Visit www.loudounacademy.org or call 703-777-8043.

Fire Safety Fun. 11 a.m., Rust Library, 34 D Catoctin Circle, Leesburg. In recognition of Fire Safety Week, learn about fire safety and what a firefighter wears from two Loudoun County Firefighters. Recommended for ages 3 and up. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.

Birding Banshee, 8 a.m., Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve. Join the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Friends of Banshee Reeks at the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve for the monthly bird walk. Bring binoculars. Contact Joe Coleman at 540-554-2542 or jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org.

Star Party. 7:30 p.m., Blue Ridge Center, 11661 Harpers Ferry Road, Purcellville. Come to an evening of star gazing with Kevin Boles in the meadows of the Blue Ridge Center. Meet just before dusk to set up telescopes and consult star maps. Bring a flashlight. The entire family is welcome. Visit www.blueridgecenter.org or call 540-668-7640.

Star Wars Roadshow. 1-4 p.m., Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn. The DC Metro Area Star Wars Collecting Club (DCSWCC) presents the 2nd semiannual Star Wars Roadshow. Bring Star Wars stuff for an expert analysis and appraisal. Meet Jedi, stormtroopers and maybe even Darth Vader. Free give aways and door prizes. Visit http://www.dcswcc.com.

Jeb Stuart in Loudoun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling. Guided tour with historian Steve Meserve. Visit battle sites near Snickersville, Mountville and the Loudoun Valley, as well as Bloomfield, Union, Oakham, Rector's Crossroads and Ashby's Gap to see places Stuart stayed while conducting operations in Loudoun County. Bring a bag lunch or buy a lunch at a stop. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Register by Oct. 12. Call 571-258-3700. Cost: $35 per person. Call 571-258-3700.

Autumn Owl Prowl. 7-9 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling. Explore the dark woods looking for owls. Learn to walk the nighttime trails without lights, spot bats, call owls, identify insects and other night animals during this naturalist led walk through the forest. Cost: $5 per person. Call 571-258-3700.

Bluegrass Series. Doors open 6 p.m., music begins 7 p.m., Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road. Features Cliff Waldron and the New Shade of Grass, and Mark Templeton and Pocket Change. Refreshments available at the snack bar. Cost: $13. Call 703-771-5281.

<cal1>Sunday/Oct. 14

<cal2>Open House. 1-4 p.m., Ashburn Fire and Rescue, 20688 Ashburn Road. Includes refreshments and entertainment. Free. Call 703-729-0006.

Book Signing. 2 p.m., Thomas Balch Library, 208 W. Market St., Leesburg. "Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Apparatus History," by Mike Sanders, covers the apparatus history of Loudoun County fire and rescue departments through approximately 200 black and white photographs. Sanders has been a volunteer firefighter and fire truck driver for the Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department since 1999. Call 703-737-7195.

Exploring Fall. 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship. Join Phil Daley as he leads an autumn exploration of the Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship. During this free family hike, look at how plants and animals prepare for winter. Meet at the Neersville Volunteer Fire Station on Route 671 at 10 a.m. Contact Phil Daley at 540-338-6528.

Travel through Time in the Winmill Carriage Collection. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Morven Park, 17263 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. Take a 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. Call 703-777-6034 or visit www.morvenpark.org. Meet at Coach House Visitors Center.

<cal1>Monday/Oct. 15

<cal2>Skyline Drive Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take trip to Shenandoah National Park to view the fall colors along Skyline Drive. Cost: $8 members, $10 nonmembers, includes transportation; park admission $8 per person or free with Golden Age or Access Passport. Pack lunch or purchase at Elkwallow Wayside. Minimum walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure/return times and locations.

Teeny, Tiny Hike. 9:30-11 a.m. and 12:30-2 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling. Look at the world from a bugs-eye view. Cost: $10.50 per child. Call 571-258-3700.

Guitar Duo. 7 p.m., Park View High School, 400 West Laurel Ave., Sterling. The Klasinc and Loncar Guitar Duo will be giving their first concert in Northern Virginia featuring works by Handel, Loncar, Paganini, Albeniz, Gershwin and de Falla. Admission is free. Visit mysite.verizon.net/mloncar1.

<cal1>Tuesday/Oct. 16

<cal2>Improv Night. 7-8:30 p.m. Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road. Come test your skills at the libraries "Whose line is it anyway?" Improv Night. Recommended for ages 12-18. Advance registration required. Register online at www.lcpl.lib.va.us or call 703-737-8100.

<cal1>Wednesday/Oct. 17

<cal2>Midweek Nature Walk. 8-11 a.m., dirt roads between Bluemont and Upperville. Join the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy for a midweek birding trip. Joe Coleman will lead the group on a drive on some of the dirt roads between Bluemont and Upperville looking for migrants and other signs of fall. Meet at the Snicker's Gap Hawk Watch parking lot to car pool. Contact Joe Coleman at 540-554-2542 or jcoleman@loudounwildlife.org.

Me and My World. 4 p.m., Sterling Library, 120 Enterprise St. "What’s a Quark, Noah Webster?" Come learn about Noah and the very first American dictionary includes games and activities. Recommended for ages 4-6. Advance registration required, online at www.lcpl.lib.va.us or phone 703-430-9500.

Library Concert. 7 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Cascades. Roger Bruno and Ellen Schwartz of Too Human will perfrom. Recommended for the family. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.

Senior Movie. 1:30 p.m., Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place. See "Evan Almighty," starring Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman, Lauren Graham, John Goodman and Jimmy Bennett. Rated PG. Cost: $2, includes popcorn and soda. Call 703-430-2397.

<cal1>Thursday/Oct. 18

After Hours Teen Center. 7-10 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Cascades. Halloween party for high-schoolers. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.

Caterpillar Climb. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Douglass Community Center, 407 East Market St., Leesburg. Come climb on two huge cat machines. Cost: $5 per child. Call 703-771-5913 to register.

<cal1>Friday/Oct. 19

<cal2>Pumpkin Carving. 6:30-8 p.m., Douglass Community Center, 405 East Market St., Leesburg. All ages are invited to the Annual Family Pumpkin Carving. Each pumpkin is $5; prizes will be awarded. To register contact the Douglass Community Center at 703-771-5913 or e-mail dcc@loudoun.gov.

Improv Troupe. 7-8 p.m., Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Leesburg. An improv troupe will turn your ideas into songs, sketches and fairy tales. Come dressed in costume for even more fun. Refreshments will be provided. Call 703-771-5281. Fee: $5.

Halloween Fun. 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sterling Annex Community Center, 22084 Shaw Road, Sterling. Children can dress in costume and bring a flashlight to gather candy-filled Halloween eggs in the safety of a fenced-in playground, followed by games and a costume contest. Call 703-430-6673. Fee: $5 for candy hunt and $5 for contest.

Squirrels! Squirrels! Squirrels! 4:15 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Celebrate National Squirrel Appreciation Week. Learn all the squirrels in the area, their feeding habits, habitats etc. Recommended for ages 5-10. Advance registration required. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.

Tea. 1 p.m., Oatlands, U.S. Route 15. Tea seatings cost is $24.95, plus tax. Teas are held in the historic Oatlands Carriage House. Reservations are necessary, call 703-777-3174 or visit www.oatlands.org.

<cal1>Saturday/Oct. 20

<cal2>Collection Event. 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Northern Virginia Community College Loudoun Campus, 1000 Harry Flood Byrd Highway, Sterling. Household hazardous waste collection event. Open to county residents only. Free. Visit www.loudoun.gov/oswm/hhw.htm for list of acceptable items or call 703-777-0187.

Lanesville Open House. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling. Guided tour of the Lanesville Open House. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required. Free. Call 571-258-3700.

Tea. 1 p.m., Oatlands, U.S. Route 15. See Oct. 19 listing for more information.

Farm Tour. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Loudoun County. Enjoy a free self-guided driving tour down tree-lined country roads to privately owned Loudoun County farms. Tour information is available at www.LoudounFarms.org or request to have a brochure mailed by calling 703-777-0426 or e-mail info@loudounfarms.org.

<cal1>Sunday/Oct. 21

<cal2>Theater Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to see "Dream Girls," at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Baltimore, Md. Cost: $51 members, $53 nonmembers, includes transportation, show, buffet lunch and tip. Minimum walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure/return times and locations.

Woodwind Quintet. 3 p.m., 19357 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. Sha'are Shalom presents Ensemble la Carte for its third annual concert. The concert is open to the public. Donations will be $12 in advance, $15 the day of the concert and $25 for a sponsor; children between 8-12 are free. Call the synagogue office at 703-737-6500 or Robin Gelman at 571-258-0543. Visit CSS at www.sha-areshalom.org/.

Fighting and Frolicking. 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Morven Park, 17263 Southern Planter Lane, Leesburg. Historical interpreters portraying Confederate soldiers and local civilians bring the Civil War to life in a recreated encampment from 1861/62. Visit replica log huts, see authentic objects of the time period and watch demonstrations of musket firing, troops drilling, and campfire cooking. Visit www.morvenpark.org.

Adults $5, Children $1. Meet at Coach House Visitor Center. Call 703-777-6034.

Court and Market Day. Leesburg. Take a step back in time as historic downtown Leesburg brings history to life during Court and Market Day. Includes traders, demonstrators, historians, musicians and other characters that will help bring alive the history and heritage of Leesburg, includes a farmers market, featuring homegrown and handmade products. Visit www.idalee.org or contact Ida Lee Park Recreation Center at 703-777-1368.

Lanesville Open House. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling. See Oct. 20 listing for more information.

Family Stream Day. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Harper Park Middle School, 701 Potomac Station Drive, Leesburg. Children of all ages are invited to learn about local waters and the habitats they support. An interactive, outdoor environmental education event for students. Visit www.loudounwatershedwatch.org.

Farm Tour. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Loudoun County. See Oct. 20 listing for more information.

Sunday in the Preserve. 1 p.m., Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve. 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.

<cal1>Monday/Oct. 22

<cal2>Museums Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Washington, D.C., to visit the Natural History, Gallery of Art, American Indian, U.S. Botanical gardens, air and Space and African Art/Freer/Hirshhorn/Sackler museums. Lunch on own. Cost: $8 members, $10 nonmembers, includes transportation with free admission. Extensive walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure/return times and locations.

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. See Oct. 19 listing for more information.

Nutty Squirrels. 9:30-11 a.m. and 12:30-2 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling. Nests and nuts and furry tails. Explore squirrels' homes, food and climbing ways. Play a nutty game and sing a squirrelly song. Ages 3-6. Cost: $10.50 per child. Call 571-258-3700.

<cal1>Wednesday/Oct. 24

Wool Gathering. 4 p.m., Sterling Library, 120 Enterprise St. Come and join a knitting circle. Bring your own needles and yarn. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.

<cal1>Thursday/Oct. 25

<cal2>Improv Night. 7-8:30 p.m. Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Sterling. Come test your skills at the libraries "Whose line is it anyway?" Improv Night. Recommended for ages 12-18. Advance registration required. Register online at www.lcpl.lib.va.us or call 703-737-8100.

Halloween Fun Time. 3:30-5 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling. Get ready for Halloween: help create a spooky story, play spider and bat games and make a bat craft. Ages 6-9. Cost: $10.50 per child. Call 571-258-3700.

<cal1>Friday/Oct. 26

<cal2>After Hours Teen Center. 7-10 p.m., Cascades Library, 21030 Whitfield Place, Cascades. Halloween party for middle-schoolers. Visit www.lcpl.lib.va.us.

Hauntings Walk. 6 p.m., Leesburg Town Hall. The Loudoun Museum’s 17th annual Hauntings walking tours of historic, haunted buildings in downtown Leesburg. This year’s tours feature several new sites, with spooky interpretations of new ghost stories. The Hauntings 2007 tours leave every 15 minutes from the Leesburg Town Hall; the final tour begins at 10 p.m. Cost: $13 for museum members, $15 in advance for nonmembers and $20 at the door. Call 703-777-7427 or e-mail bfriedmann@loudounmuseum.org.

<cal1>Saturday/Oct. 27

<cal2>Cyber Club. 6-10 p.m., Sterling Annex Community Center, 22084 Shaw Road, Sterling. Parents can take a break on Saturday night while the kids have fun with video games, recreational activities, movies and dinner at the C3 Cyber Club. The cost is $64 for one child and $35 for the second. Preregistration is required. Call 703-430-6673.

Hauntings Walk. 6 p.m., Leesburg Town Hall. See Oct. 26 listing for more information.

<cal1>Wednesday/Oct. 31

<cal2>Halloween Dance Party. 2-4 p.m., Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace, 21060 Whitfield Place, Sterling. 8th annual Halloween Party/Dance, includes prizes for costume contest, disc jockey Sky Dantinne, light refreshments and transportation afterwards. Cost: $2 per member, $4 for nonmembers. Call 703-430-2397.

<cal1>Friday/Nov. 2

<cal2>250th Anniversary Celebration. 6-9 p.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. "Appreciation for Loudoun’s Veterans." Visit www.loudoun.gov/clerk or call 703-777-0270.

First Friday. 7-9 p.m. at Claude Moore Recreation Center. For fourth and fifth grades. Riverside Presbyterian Church. To RSVP call Beth, 703-444-3528 or visit www.riversidechurch.com. Cost: $10.

<cal1>Thursday/Nov. 8

<cal1>Friday/Nov. 9

<cal2>Fabulaous Friday. 7-9 p.m. at Claude Moore Recreation Center. For first-third grades. Riverside Presbyterian Church. To RSVP call Beth, 703-444-3528 or visit www.riversidechurch.com. Cost: $10. $10.

<cal1>Wednesday/Nov. 14

<cal1>Friday/Nov. 16

<cal2>Shopping Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Boyd's Bear Country, Gettysburg, Pa. Includes shopping at Boyd's and downtown Gettysburg. Lunch on own. Cost: $10 members, $12 nonmembers, includes transportation. Extensive walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure/return times and locations.

<cal1>Saturday/Nov. 17

<cal2>Lanesville Open House. 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Claude Moore Park, 21544 Old Vestal’s Gap Road, Sterling. Guided tour of the Lanesville Open House. Children must be accompanied by an adult. No registration required. Free. Call 571-258-3700.

Cyber Club. 6-10 p.m., Sterling Annex Community Center, 22084 Shaw Road, Sterling. Parents can take a break on Saturday night while the kids have fun with video games, recreational activities, movies and dinner at the C3 Cyber Club. The cost is $64 for one child and $35 for the second. Pre-registration is required. Call 703-430-6673.

<cal1>Wednesday/Nov. 28

<cal1>Monday/Dec. 10

<cal2>Holiday Lights Trip. The Senior Center at Cascades Marketplace will take a trip to Washington, D.C., to view the Pageant of Peace and visit the Mormon Temple grounds and visitors center. Lunch on own. Cost: $21 members, $23 nonmembers, includes transportation with free admission. Dinner on own at Union Station. Extensive walking. Call 703-430-2397 for departure/return times and locations.

<cal1>Thursday/Dec. 13

<cal1>Friday/Feb. 22

<cal2>YMCA FUND-RAISER. 7-11 p.m., Lansdowne Resort. 20th Annual Chocolates Galore & More, fund-raiser for the YMCA Loudoun County. Includes dessert and hors d’oeuvre competition, dancing, silent and live auction, food from local restaurants and caters. Visit www.ymcadc.org or call 703-777-9622.

The Connection

Loudoun: 10/10

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