E-mail announcements to the Gazette, gazette@connectionnewspapers.com. Photos and artwork are encouraged. Deadline is Thursday at noon for the following week's paper. Call Steve Hibbard at 703-778-9412 with questions.
<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>Friday/Jan. 7
<cal2>”Out in the Silence” Film (2009). 7 p.m. A film about the upheaval in a small Pennsylvania town when a town native (who is also the filmmaker) places an announcement of his wedding to another man in the local paper. At Mount Vernon Unitarian Church, 1609 Windmill Lane, Alexandria. Call 703-721-0595 or gpourchot@yahoo.com.
MPAT Auditions. 7 p.m. Open call for auditions for “Little Shop of Horrors.” At 6450 Landsdowne Centre, Alexandria. Performances are March 24-27. Email resume and photo to mpat.show@gmail.com for early appointment. Prepare one upbeat show song and be ready to read from script. Visit www.metrotheater.org or email mpat.show@gmail.com
<cal1>Saturday/Jan. 8, 15, 22
<cal2>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>Saturday/Jan. 8
<cal2>Stage Play Audition Workshop (8 to 12 years old). 10 a.m. to noon. Monologue/song coaching and/or selection, cold reading techniques using scripts from Annie, small class size (12 max). At St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Alexandria. To register or for more information, email bardsplay@aol.com.
<cal1>Sunday/Jan. 9
<cal2>”Twelfth Night: Noel, Nouvelet!” 6 p.m. Armonia Nova, an ensemble of historical instruments and voices returns for its ninth year at Christ Church to celebrate the joyous traditions of Twelfth Night and the mid-winter solstice, with French music from the 12th-17th C. At Christ Church, 118 N. Washington St., Old Town Alexandria. Also Saturday, Jan. 8, 5 p.m. at Our Savior Lutheran, 825 S. Taylor St., Arlington. Donations welcomed. www.armonianova.org or 571-482-9052.
<cal1>Sundays, Jan. 9, 16
<cal2>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
<cal1>Monday/Jan. 10
<cal2>Tavern Toddlers. 10:30 a.m. to noon. A special program for toddlers (walkers through 36 months) and their caregivers at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St. Tavern Toddlers features a weekly open playtime in Gadsby’s historic ballroom Mondays, excluding Federal holidays, through April 25 between 10:30 a.m. and noon. Cost is $7 for a group of three, which must include one adult, or $30 for purchase of a five-week pass. Visit www.gadsbystavern.org or call 703-746-4242.
<cal1>Tuesday/Jan. 11
<cal2>“Concepts Investors Should Understand.” 10 a.m. Presentation by Herman Bluestone on The Efficient Market Hypothesis; The Real Rate of Return; Investment Costs; Investment Risk; and Strategies for Reducing Taxes. At Hollin Hall Senior Center, 1500 Shenandoah Road, Alexandria. Call 703-765-4573.
The NOVA Community Chorus invites all singers to join for its Spring 2011 season. Rehearsals will start on Jan. 11. This spring the chorus will sing Verdi’s “Requiem,” joining with three other choral groups and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra on March 12 and 13, and Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, to be performed with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic on April 10 and 17. No audition is required. Join by registering for this one-credit class at Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria campus. Rehearsals are 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays at the NVCC Alexandria campus, 3001 N. Beauregard, Alexandria, with some optional extra Saturday rehearsals. The college waives tuition for seniors. Contact Dr. Mark Whitmire, Director, at 703-845-6097 or e-mail: mwhitmire@nvcc.edu
<cal1>Wednesday/Jan. 12
<cal2>DJ Dance Party. 9 to 11 p.m. Admission is $6. With DJ Dabe Murphy. At Nick’s Nightclub, 642 South Pickett St., Alexandria.
<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>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.
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 collectables. 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.
<cal1>Sunday/Jan. 16
<cal2>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/.
<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.
<cal1>Thursday/Jan. 20
<cal2>”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>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.
<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.
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.
<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. 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.