[Archived] Weekly Event Announcements: February 5 – 11, 2011

Saturday, February 5 - Green Building Workshop Series
Attend the first Eco-City Alexandria Green Building Workshop to learn do-it-yourself improvements that save energy and increase comfort for your home, apartment or small business. The workshop is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Sister Cities Conference Room 1101 at City Hall, 301 King Street. A raffle for an energy efficient door prize will occur at the end of the workshop. For more information, call the Office of Environmental Quality at 703.746.4065 or visit www.alexandriava.gov/Eco-City. RSVP to erica.bannerman@alexandriava.gov to reserve your space at the workshop. To learn more about the City's green building initiatives, visit www.alexandriava.gov/GreenBuilding.

Saturday, February 5 – Recruiting Day
If you’re interested in portraying the lives of persons who experienced the Civil War, don’t miss Recruiting Day at Fort Ward Museum & Historic Site, 4301 W. Braddock Rd.  From noon to 3 p.m., soldiers and civilians of the 3rd U.S. Regular Infantry, Company K, will be on hand to talk about a soldier’s uniform and equipment, demonstrate drills, and explain the roles of military and civilian reenactors. At this free event, visitors can also inquire about how to join local reenactment units and learn what kind of clothing and equipment a novice reenactor requires. For more information, visit www.fortward.org or call 703.746.4848.

Saturday, February 5 - “Family Faces, Family Place Workshop 
Bring in your family photographs to an informal, free workshop that will help you learn how to develop your family tree.  Join historian Elaine Hawes as she guides you through the process of deconstructing old family photographs to gain new insights into your family’s past.  Learn about clues offered by different photographic processes, clothing styles, poses, and accessories that can help you put a date, and maybe an identity, to your old photos and offer insights about your ancestors’ lives. The workshop is hosted by Alexandria Library’s Special Collections Department, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Barrett Branch Library. For more information, please call 703.746.1706. 

Saturday, February 5 – Black History Month Children’s Program: Play Date with Pride
Culture Kingdom Kids, a mobile cultural arts program that produces children’s events with a cultural twist, presents Play Date with Pride at the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St., from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Celebrate Black History Month at this interactive workshop for children ages 5 to 12 and enjoy hands-on creativity such as storytelling, crafts, and music and dance activities. Parents must accompany children, and reservations recommended. Cost is $5 per child. For more information, visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call 703.746.4356.

Monday, February 7 – Tavern Toddlers
Join us for 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 any time 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. For more information, please visit www.gadsbystavern.org or call 703.746.4242.

Tuesday, February 8 -- SBDC Business Financing Seminar 
The Small Business Development Center will offer a seminar on "Business Financing" as part of its Start, Manage, Grow series. The seminar will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St.  Admission is free, but registration is required.  For more information, call 703.778.1292 or visit www.alexandriasbdc.org.

Wednesday, February 9 - Parent Workshop: It’s Never Too Early or Too Late to Talk to Your Kids
A workshop on the topic “It's Never Too Early or Too Late to Talk to Your Kids: Preventing Risky Behaviors – Teen Pregnancy, Substance Use, and Gang Involvement” will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at George Washington Middle School Media Center, 1005 Mt. Vernon Ave. Registration is required.  For more information, contact Becky at 703.746.5030 or rebecca.griesse@alexandriava.gov.

Thursday, February 10 – 30th Anniversary of Alexandria’s Battered Women’s Shelter
Please join the Friends of the Commission for Women in commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Alexandria Battered Women’s Shelter, by enjoying Alexandria’s MetroStage performance of “His Eye is on the Sparrow” by Larry Parr, and directed by Gary Yates. A reception kicks off the event at 6:30 p.m., the performance will begin at 7:30 p.m., and a live auction will take place during intermission. Tickets are $75 ($40 of which is tax deductible), and proceeds will benefit the Alexandria Domestic Violence Program. Visit the website for event information and online ticket purchases. If you have questions, please e-mail friendsofalexwomen@gmail.com.

Thursday, February 10 – 18th Century Dance Class
In preparation for the Birthnight Ball on February 19, learn 18th-century English country dancing from expert dance instructor at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St. Class is 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and costs $12 per class or $30 for the series of three. For more information, please visit www.gadsbystavern.org or call 703.746.4242.

Coming Soon

Wednesday, February 16 & March 2 - Speak Up, Take ACTion Town Hall Meetings
Want to improve the quality of life in Alexandria? Speak up! ACT for Alexandria, the City of Alexandria, Partnership for a Healthy Alexandria, and Virginia Tech are partnering to develop a better way to inform key decisions in Alexandria – through “quality of life indicators.”  Quality of life indicators are the answers to the question, “What matters most to the people who live in Alexandria?” Save the date for upcoming Town Hall meetings on Wednesday, February 16, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at William Ramsay Recreation Center and Wednesday, March 2, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Charles Houston Recreation Center. Beginning February 7, you can also take five minutes to vote online with ACTion Alexandria at www.actionalexandria.org. For more information, visit www.healthieralexandria.org

Saturday – Monday, February 19-21 - George Washington Birthday Parade & Weekend Festivities
You won’t want to miss the largest parade in the country celebrating the nation’s first president, which takes place on Washington’s Birthday holiday, Monday, February 21, 1 to 3 p.m. in Old Town Alexandria. The parade in one highlight of many events, including an historic reenactment at Fort Ward Park, the Birthnight Banquet & Ball at Gadsby’s Tavern, a 10-K race, a 1-mile race just before the parade, plus free open houses at historic attractions. Visit www.Washingtonbirthday.Net/events for a complete schedule of events. Call 703.746.3301 or visit www.VisitAlexandriaVA.com for more information on entertainment, shopping, dining and nightlife in Alexandria.

Now Registering

Community Emergency Response Team Training
The Alexandria Office of Emergency Management offers residents of the City of Alexandria the opportunity to join with other concerned members of the community to be trained as a member of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).  The CERT program teaches City residents how to help themselves and their neighbors increase their neighborhoods’ disaster readiness by performing essential tasks that aid in disaster recovery and response. The training is free. For more information, call Kim Purcell at 703.746.5259 or visit www.alexandriava.gov/CERT.

Ongoing

Domestic Violence Support Group
Are you a victim of verbal, emotional, or physical abuse from your partner? Don’t suffer alone, join a support group where you can learn tools that will keep you safe and empowered. The support group meets every Tuesday evening and child care is provided. For more information, call 703.746.4911 or visit www.alexandriava.gov/DomesticViolence.

City of Alexandria Farmers’ Markets 
The City of Alexandria is host to the Old Town Farmers’ Market and Del Ray Farmers’ Market every Saturday. The markets feature colorful displays of fresh, locally grown, in-season vegetables and fruit, gourmet coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, meat, bakery items and artisans. For more information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/farmersmarket.

Open through May 1 – “Patriotic and Public Spirited” Commemorative Wares in George Washington’s Hometown
Alexandria prides itself on being the hometown of George Washington and Robert E. Lee, and historic events such as George Washington’s Birthnight Ball and Lafayette’s 1824 visit to Alexandria were cause for great celebration. This exhibition of commemorative ceramic wares, recovered from archaeological excavations or preserved in collections, shows the community’s interest in events and historic places of local and national significance. The Lyceum, Alexandria’s History Museum (201 South Washington Street) is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.alexandriahistory.org or call 703.746.4994.

Open through May 7 – Style and Identity: Black Alexandria in the 1970s, Portraits by Horace Day
At the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 S. Wythe St., view this new exhibition of 32 paintings by Horace Day featuring Alexandria street scenes and portraits of African American Alexandrians. Described as an American scene or regional painter, Day created this body of work at a time when “Black” was becoming “Beautiful,” but when media still promoted stereotypical, demeaning images of African Americans. Day’s portraits reflect the dignity and beauty he saw in his subjects. Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Suggested admission is $2. For more information, visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call 703.746.4356.

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