“Art Appetizers” Brings Community Together for Cuisine and Culture

Attend “Art Appetizers” from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the McLean Community Center for great food, wine, conversation and community.

This fun filled evening will be held amidst the fascinating and intricate artwork in the McLean Project for the Arts galleries. Admission is $15 per person. For more information, call 703-790-0123.

Puppeteers Tell the Story of Galapagos George

The story of Galapagos George, the last giant tortoise on Pinta Island in the Galapagos Islands, will be performed by the Barefoot Puppets company at 2 p.m. on Oct. 25 at the McLean Community Center. This show, which features music from composer Eric Weinberg, is based on the discovery of “Lonesome George,” a lone tortoise discovered in 1971 on an island in the Galapagos where his species was thought to be extinct.

Kids Learn To Make Puppets at McLean Community Center

Following the Barefoot Puppets’ show, “Galapagos George,” children ages 5 and up and their parents are invited to attend a workshop, led by puppeteer Heidi Rugg, in which children will build and take home their own tortoise rod puppets. The workshop will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center, and admission is $8 per child, accompanied by a parent.

Middle School Dance at Club Inferno

Banish boredom in a flash! If you are a 7th or 8th grade student looking for something to do this weekend, grab some friends and head to Club Inferno, a middle-school only dance party sponsored by the Old Firehouse Teen Center (OFTC). The dance will be held from 7 – 10 p.m. on Oct. 24 at the McLean Community Center. For more information, call 703-790-0123.

Experience ‘Concerts at the Alden’ Theatre Series

The Young Soloists Recital will be held at 3 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Alden Theatre (in the McLean Community Center) as part of the “Concerts at the Alden” series. Admission to this chamber concert and all of the series’ performances is free, and different shows are scheduled until late June 2009. For more information, visit www.mcleancenter.org/alden/.

“Forbidden Broadway” Takes Alden Theatre Stage

“Forbidden Broadway,” a comedic parody of past and present Broadway musicals, will be presented at 8 p.m. on Oct. 29 at the Alden Theatre in the McLean Community Center. In celebration of the production’s 25th Anniversary Tour, its New York cast will perform the show. Tickets are $30 for McLean Community Center members and $37 for the general public. For more information, call 703-790-0123.

RYLA Report at Upcoming Falls Church Rotary Meeting

Peggy Lane, Margaret Benton and Interact Club Officers will present information on the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) to the Falls Church Rotary Club at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 at Harvest Moon Restaurant (7260 Arlington Blvd., Falls Church). RYLA is a program sponsored by Rotary International for youth ages 14-30 that encourages leadership of youth by youth and publicly commends young people who are serving their communities. Dinner is $11 per person, and visitors are welcome. For more information, call 202-268-5089.

‘Mid-Atlantic Plants’ Lecture at F.C. Senior Center

Learn about the numerous plants native to the Mid-Atlantic region, and how to make them thrive through specific growing techniques, in a free lecture from 7:30 – 9 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Falls Church Senior Center, located in the Falls Church Community Center. The lecture is part of the “Growing Green” program, a series of free events and lectures designed by the Falls Church Department of Environmental Services and Urban Forestry Division to educate the public about horticulture, conservation and the environment with the hope that participants will become more “green.” For more information, call 703-248-5001.

Armchair Travel Explores Videos, Books from Comfortable Seat

The public is welcome to travel around the world without lifting a foot through the “Armchair Travel” series, available from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 24 at the Falls Church Senior Center, located in the Falls Church Community Center. A librarian from Mary Styles Public Library will lead participants through videos, books and other printed materials. For more information, call 703-248-5001.

“The Piano Tuner” Book Discussion at M.R.S. Library

Join speaker Daniel Mason on a journey through the Burmese jungle, following fictional British pianist Edgar Drake on his quest to repair a rare piano in 1886. Edgar’s journey, told in the novel The Piano Tuner, will be discussed as part of the Senior Book Discussion Series at 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 28 at Mary Riley Styles Public Library in Falls Church. For more information, call 703-248-5031.

Howl-O-Ween Pet Costume Contest at Bailey’s PETCO

Head to Bailey’s Crossroads PETCO at 2 p.m. on Oct. 25 for the Howl-O-Ween Pet Costume Contest. Registration and pet photography will begin at 1 p.m., and prizes will be awarded. For more information, call 703-845-2780.

Fall Festival at Potomac Crescent Waldorf School

Bring friends and family to the Fall Festival from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Oct. 25 at Potomac Crescent Waldorf School in Arlington. Enjoy games, crafts and children’s activities along with lunch and a Puppet Play. Admission is $8 per person or $15 per family. For more information, visit www.potomaccrescentschool.org.

F.C. Halloween Festival Sets Spooky Mood for Season

The Falls Church Community Center will host the Falls Church Halloween Festival from 6 – 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 25. Carnival games, face painting, a moon bounce, crafts, movies and candy will all be included, along with a Creepy Creature Show at 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Spooky Storytelling at 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Admission to the carnival is free. For more information, call 703-248-5001.

Habitat Restoration Event at Isaac Crossman Park

As part of the Growing Green program, sponsored by the Falls Church Department of Environmental Services and Urban Forestry Division, the Falls Church Habitat Restoration Team will visit and revamp Isaac Crossman Park by removing invasive plants from 10 a.m. – noon on Oct. 25. If you would like to join, please meet at the Van Buren Street entrance to the park at 10 a.m. For further information, call 703-248-5001.

Mike Holleran Talks About “Rotary Cup Challenge” at McLean Rotary Meeting

The weekly McLean Rotary meeting will focus on a presentation, given by Mike Holleran, on the “Rotary Cup Challenge,” a football game pitting the varsity football teams of McLean and Langley High Schools against each other for the Rotary Cup prize. Holleran will moderate the “Challenge” game. The meeting will be held at noon in the Fellowship Hall of Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in McLean. For more information, visit www.mcleanrotary.org.

F.C. Victorian Society to Host Ghoulish Evening

The Victorian Society of Falls Church will host a night of spooky stories and historically hair-raising tales at 8 p.m. on Oct. 24 at Cherry Hill Farmhouse in Falls Church. In addition to the entertainment, refreshments and fortune readings by Madame Penny will be provided. Admission is free if you dress in Victorian garb, but if not, the fee is $4. For more information, call Diane Morse at 703-248-5171 to make reservations.

Sea Chanty Sing Along at Stacy’s Coffee Parlor

The Chantymen, a group of musical performers that “interpret many aspects of marine life between 1775 and 1865” through songs of the sea and sailor songs, as stated by its website, will perform at 7 p.m. on Oct. 28 at Stacy’s Coffee Parlor in Falls Church. For more information, call 703-538-6266.

The Falls Church Episcopal Supports Food Bank

The congregation of The Falls Church Episcopal presented a check for $2,000 to the Falls Church Community Service Council (FCS), a food bank that serves Falls Church area residents by providing short term and emergency needs to struggling families with the goal of self-sufficiency, on Oct. 17. In Falls Church City, the FCS food pantry provided emergency food for 47 residents and helped a total of 29 households between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2008. The donation by Falls Church Episcopal will help residents with groceries, rent and utilities, car repair and assistance in purchasing medicines.