Community Notes
Dahlgren
Kiddie Mart
There will be a Kiddie Mart at Potomac Elementary School Gym on April 21 from 8 a.m. - Noon. This is a yard and vendor sale (not limited to kid items; anything you want to sell is welcome!). To participate, contact Channing Thompson at 540-663-3322 to rent a table for $10. All proceeds benefit the SOAR Program for student and teacher incentives. Thanks for your support!
Caledon Art Show
Caledon Natural Area in King George will host an art event on Saturday, April 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This "Trash to Art" free event will invite all artists and interested persons/groups to participate in a beach trash pick-up, followed by a trash-to-sculpture contest at the park pavilion. Transportation will be provided to the beach and all participants will be provided with trash bags for collecting litter (no flora or fauna). More info will be available soon. For more information, contact Carrol Morgan at xmorganhotmail.com, 540-760-6928.
Virginia Renaissance Faire Opens May 12
The Virginia Renaissance Faire will open for its 11th year on Saturday, May 12 for five weekends of historical fun and merriment. Set on the grounds of beautiful Lake Anna Winery, 5621 Courthouse Rd., Spotsylvania, VA, the Faire is open on Saturdays and Sundays, May 12 to June 10, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., rain or shine. Admission is $9 and free for children five and under.
This season will focus on new and wondrous inventions and scientific discoveries of the late 16th Century, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Our Village of Stafford features period costume, shopping, music, hands-on historical crafts and re-enactments, archery, and jousting displays for children and adults, as well as food and drink.
Leave behind the 21st Century and learn to swing a sword and carry a pike in military drill, practice your long bow skills and learn the fine art of seamanship. Guests may dance the Maypole, attend the Court of Common Pleas, and learn all about the fashion of the period or how a knight suits up for the joust. Children's activities abound and include crafts such as making a horn book, spinning, weaving and leatherworking as well as a knighting ceremony by the Queen.
The Virginia Renaissance Faire is filled with craftsmen, food purveyors and, of course, spirits in the town Pub or Wine Garden. For more detailed information, a list of weekend themes and directions, visit the website at www.VaRF.org or call 703-508-5036.
Call For Artists - Potomac River Regional Art Show
The Ninth Annual Potomac River Regional Art Show, to be held July 13 to August 5 at the Town Center in Colonial Beach, Va., is now open for artists to enter their works. The show is sponsored by the Colonial Beach Artists Guild and the Colonial Beach Chamber of Commerce. Each artist may enter two pieces of art work, and the first 85 pieces registered will be accepted. All accepted art pieces will be judged after hanging for cash awards totaling at least $1,000. The guild is honored to have Jennifer Glave and B.J. Kocen of Richmond, Va. as judges for this year's show. The registration process consists of filling out an official entry form and sending it by U.S. Postal Service to the address below. The show brochure which includes the entry form can be obtained as follows: (1) download from www.colonialbeachartistsguild.org, (2) in person at several art-related venues in Colonial Beach or (3) by mail through a phoned request to 804-224-7200 or a mailed request to 100 Taylor St. #101, Colonial Beach, VA 22443.
Indian Head
Clothing Swap
Come join a free clothing swap on Fri., Apr. 27 from 12:30 - 5 p.m. and Sat., Apr. 28 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Bethel Baptist Church off Ripley Road in Indian Head. For more info, call 301-743-2363.
Annual Spring "Fishin' Buddies" Derby
Charles County's Parks Division will sponsor the 2012 annual Spring "Fishin' Buddies" Fishing Derby at Gilbert Run Park in Dentsville, on Saturday, May 5, from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Anglers will compete by teams, which must include one adult at least 21 years of age and one child between the ages of 6 and 15. Each team must supply their own rods and bait. Trophies will be awarded in the two age divisions. Bank anglers will compete separately from those who fish from a boat. Local businesses have donated numerous fishing-related door prizes. All teams are eligible for the door prize drawings.
The entry fee is $7 per team. Pre-registration is required since participation is limited. Entry forms are available at Gilbert Run Park or the main office of the Department of Public Works on Radio Station Road in La Plata, Md. Registration forms are due in the Department of Public Works' main office by noon on Wednesday, May 2. For more information or to receive an entry form, call the Department of Public Works, Parks & Grounds Division, at 301-932-3470 or 301-870-2778 weekdays between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
Annual Bike to Work to be Held May 18
Leave your car behind and cycle to work on Friday, May 18, for Bike to Work Day 2012. The continually growing event has launched a new website and has opened online registration. The first 11,000 bicyclists who register and attend will receive a free Bike to Work Day t-shirt and become eligible to win great prizes.
Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) announced cyclists can join "commuter convoys" with experienced cyclists leading the way. And they can pedal to any of the 59 pit stops across the National Capital Region where refreshments, entertainment and giveaways will be part of the celebration. Cyclists can register, find pit stop locations and learn how to join a commuter convoy at www.biketoworkmetrodc.org.
To publish information on your event in "Community Notes," call or email the Naval Support Activity South Potomac public affairs office at 540-653-8153 or jeron.hayesnavy.mil.