WATCH LOCAL THEATRE

Potomac Theatre Company Spring production of “Annie” in the Blair Family Center for the Arts at the Bullis School, 10601 Falls Road. Three weekends of performances, March 14 - 30, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Call 301-299-8571. See www.potomactheatreco.org.

COOL WEEKEND OF JAZZ

The Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival, annual event, Feb. 14-17. Hilton Washington D.C./Rockville Hotel and Executive Meeting Center, 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville. The festival provides live musical performances, workshops and seminars. See www.midatlanticjazzfestival.org/.

WATCH HORSE SHOWS, INDOORS

Potomac Horse Center

14211 Quince Orchard Road, North Potomac, 20878

301-208-0200, www.potomachorse.com

Or sign up for lessons or trail rides.

Watch a horse show indoors:

• Feb. 9, National Capital Equestrian League Adult Show

• Feb. 14, Valentine’s Jumper Schooling Show

• March 2, Potomac Horse Center Client Show

• March 28, Potomac Horse Center Evening Dressage Schooling Show

SKATE, PLAY HOCKEY

Cabin John Regional Park Ice Rink

10610 Westlake Drive, 301-765-8620

www.montgomeryparks.org

www.CabinJohnice.com

Private and group lessons for all ages, open skating times, hockey clinics for all experience levels and special events. Open year round.

Public Skate Sessions through March 30, 2014

Mondays 8-10 a.m. Public Skate

10:15am-12:15 p.m. Adult Skate

12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate

4:30-6:15 p.m. $5 Public Skate

Tuesdays 8:00-10 a.m. Cheapskate

10:15am-12:15 p.m. Adult Skate

12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate

4:30-6:15 p.m. Public Skate

8:15-10:15 p.m. Public Skate

Wednesdays 8:00-10 a.m. Public Skate

10:15-11:15 a.m. Parent & Tot Skate

10:30 am-12:30 p.m. Dance

12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate

4:30-6:15 p.m. $5 Public Skate

Thursdays 8-10 a.m. Cheapskate

10:15am-12:15 p.m. Adult Skate

12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate

4:30-6:15 p.m. Public Skate

8:15-10:15 p.m. Adult Skate

Fridays 8-10 a.m. Cheapskate

10:15-11:15am Parent & Tot Skate (except 2/14/14)

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dance

12:30-2:30 p.m. Public Skate

4:30-6 p.m. Public Skate

8-10 p.m. Public Skate

Saturdays 12-2 p.m. Public Skate

4-6 p.m. Public Skate

8:30-10:30 p.m. Public Skate

Sundays 8:30-10 a.m. Public Skate

12:30-2:30 p.m. Family Skate

4:30-6:30 p.m. Public Skate

KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY CENTER

11315 Falls Road, Potomac, 240-777-6960

Potomac Community Center is Montgomery County’s busiest community center, with open gym activities, arts and crafts, exercise classes, leisure classes, group support meetings and socials, senior adult activities, sports programs, summer camps, programs for individuals with disabilities, children’s holiday parties, volunteer opportunities and more. Facilities include a gymnasium, exercise room, meeting rooms, art room, lounge area, community room and social hall. The outdoor area includes baseball fields and lighted basketball and tennis courts. The center offers table tennis, billiards and foosball, a gymnasium, weight room, social room, meeting rooms, and hundreds of classes through the Department of Recreation.

ALL ARTS ON DECK

Glen Echo Park

7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo

www.glenechopark.org

301-634-2222

Originally a Chautauqua retreat, then an amusement park, Glen Echo National Park now hosts a variety of arts, environmental and history programs. Classes are offered in pottery, painting, photography, glass art, silversmithing, textiles and other arts, as well as in dance, writing and music. Dancing in the Spanish Ballroom is a popular social event.

Also at Glen Echo, Adventure Theatre (adventuretheatre-mtc.org, 301-634-2270) is one of the area’s longest running children’s theater companies, and the Puppet Co. Playhouse (www.thepuppetco.org, 301-634-5380) offers shows as well as was for children to be involved.

CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR

Chinese New Year is Friday, Jan. 31, 2014 and is the year of the Horse. Exhibits and weekend events at Lake Forest Mall Jan. 27- Feb. 9, www.visit shoplakeforest.com

VISIT THE RIVER CENTER

Potomac Conservancy’s River Center at Lock 8, 7906 Riverside Drive, www.potomac.org

Off Clara Barton Parkway between Cabin John and Carderock exits

Potomac Conservancy operates environmental awareness programs out of Lockhouse 8 along the C&O Canal.

Canal Stewards Cleanup, Saturday, Feb. 8, and Sunday, March 9, 2014, 10 a.m. to noon; This clean-up event is part of the Canal Steward Program, engaging volunteers to be caretakers of a site within the C&O Canal National Historical Park. Call 301-608-1188 ext. 215.

EXPLORE WINTER NATURE

Locust Grove Nature Center

Cabin John Regional Park, 7777 Democracy Boulevard, 301-765-8660, www.locustgrovenature.org

Locust Groves offers a variety of nature activities, indoors and outdoors, throughout the winter and rest of the year.

VISIT GREAT FALLS

Great Falls Tavern Visitor Center

11710 MacArthur Blvd.

301-767-3714

Open year round, seven days per week from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

www.nps.gov/choh/planyourvisit/

greatfallstavernvisitorcenter.htm

The Historic Great Falls Tavern has stood at Lock 20 on the C&O Canal since 1831, and now serves as the visitor center at the Great Falls section of the park. Soon after the canal’s ground breaking in 1828 construction began on the original lockhouse. In response to travelers’ requests for shelter and a meal, the locktender here at Great Falls, W.W. Fenlon, asked the Canal Company to build the three-story north wing for a hotel, which opened in 1831. As the inn’s first proprietor Mr. Fenlon presided over lively entertainment like fishing parties, dances and social events in the “ballroom,” in addition to good dinners and a place to sleep.

Easy access to the Great Falls overlook, one of the area’s most incredible views of the Potomac River.

Activities offered year round.