Pastimes: Jan. 29 paper

Thursday, Jan. 28

Blackbeard lecture
The Department of History and American Studies at the University of Mary Washington will present the “Chappell Lecture Series: Great Lives” on selected Tuesdays and Thursdays during the spring semester at 7:30 p.m. in George Washington Hall, Dodd Auditorium, and are open to the public free of charge. On Jan. 28, Carter L. Hudgins, distinguished professor of history and American studies at UMW, will lecture on Blackbeard. For more information, call (540) 654-1065 or visit umw.edu/greatlives.

Friday, Jan. 29 - Sunday, Jan. 31

Fredericksburg Boat Show
The 5th annual Fredericksburg Boat Show will be at the Fredericksburg Expo Center from 1 to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The event will feature boats, personal watercrafts, accessories and promotions from dealers. Tickets are good for all three days of the show and cost $7 for adults, $5 for seniors (Friday only) and free for children 12 and younger. For more information, call (540) 548-5555 or visit fredericksburgexpocenter.com or bmgevents.com.

Friday, Jan. 29

‘Zumbatonic’
Zumbatomic is a fusion of the Zumba program’s moves (salsa, cumbia, reggaeton, hip hop and more) and workouts designed for children ages 4 to 12. Classes are held Fridays at 4:30 p.m. at The Playroom of Fredericksburg at 445 Jefferson Davis Highway. The class is free with paid admission to The Playroom, which is $8 per child. To RSVP for the program, send an e-mail to Party@PlayroomFun.com.

Saturday, Jan. 30

Preschool fair
From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the first MOMS Club Preschool Fair will be at John M. Porter Branch Library in North Stafford. Stafford-area preschools will answer questions and help parents and guardians learn about local preschools. Admission is free. A small play area and snacks will be provided for children. Preschools attending include Red Apple Preschools, Ebenezer Church Preschool, Mt. Ararat Preschool, Goddard Schools, Aquia Harbour Preschool, Fredericksburg Christian Preschool, Kindercare Preschool, The Merit School, La Petit Academy and Colonial Academy. For more information, visit eaststaffordmomsclub.webs.com.

Sunday, Jan. 31

Energy Fair
The Rappahannock Valley Garden Club will host an Energy Fair at 1 p.m. with nationally known speaker Jeff Barrie in the James Monroe High School auditorium in Fredericksburg. Before the fair, the club will host a number of public, free screenings of Barrie’s award-winning documentary, “Kilowatt Ours” in local libraries and other locations.

Woodland Walks
Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont will offer free guided nature tours the last Sunday of every month. Tours will start outside the Museum Shop at 2 p.m. Members of the Central Rappahannock Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalist program will lead tours. The walk will cover about one mile of trails and will touch on the historic ruins that illustrate Belmont’s past. Sturdy footwear is recommended. Tours will take place in rain, snow or shine. No reservations are necessary. For more information, visit umw.edu/gari_melchers.

Monday, Feb. 1

Rock climbing adventure
Stafford County Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities is offering a School Day Out — Rock Climbing adventure for youth ages 6 to 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The field trip will be to Peak Experience in Richmond and will depart from the Rowser building, 1739 Jefferson Davis Highway, Stafford. The cost is $51 per child and pre-registration is required. The deadline to register is until full. Visit staffordparks.com or call (540) 658-5116 for more information.

Tuesday, Feb. 2

Bookmobile
The Central Rappahannock Regional Library’s Bookmobile will make stops Feb. 1 in Stafford. It will be at Falls Run from 9:30 a.m. to noon; McKendree Manor from noon to 12:30 p.m.; Hartwood Post Office from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m.; GEICO from 2:30 to 3 p.m. and at Stafford Lakes from 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. For more information, call (540) 372-1144.

Wednesday, Feb. 3

Mah-Jongg Players Group
The Mah-Jongg Players Group meets every Wednesday at John M. Porter Branch Library in North Stafford from noon to 4 p.m. Both experienced players and those who would like to learn to play Mah-Jongg are welcome. For more information, call (540) 659-4909.

Thursday, Feb. 4

APVA meeting
The regular monthly meeting of the Mary Washington Branch Preservation Virginia will be held at 10 a.m. in the theater of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library on Caroline Street in Fredericksburg. The program will be "Discovering Virginia Marker History Using Photography — An Enthusiasts Perspective," by Richard Harrison. The public is invited to attend.

Saturday, Feb. 6

Movie release party
Borders in Stafford at 1240 Stafford Market Place will host a movie release party for children ages 7 to 14 to celebrate all things Percy Jackson. “Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief” will soon be in theaters and is based on the book series “Percy Jackson & the Olympians” by Rick Riordan. The party will be held at 2 p.m. and will feature Olympian-style games, a Demi-God debate and trivia.

Friday, Feb. 12

Tot Valentine Party
Ages 2 to 5 are invited to the Rowser building in Stafford to make crafts, sing songs and play games from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. The cost for Stafford residents is $8; non-county residents pay $10. The deadline to register for this activity is Feb. 6. For more information, call (540) 658-5116.

Monday, Feb. 15

George Washington's Birthday Celebration
George Washington’s Ferry Farm in Stafford will celebrate the birthday of the nation’s first president with Breakfast with George Washington at 9 a.m.; an open house from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the Stone Throw Challenge at 2 p.m. Participants will learn about life at Valley Forge and about growing up at Ferry Farm. There will also be Colonial games, archaeology lab tours and a new Civil War artifact exhibit. Admission is free to the open house. For more information, visit ferryfarm.org.

Saturday, Feb. 20

Elmo Easy as 1-2-3
Borders in Stafford at 1240 Stafford Market Place will celebrate the third birthday of Sesame Street character Elmo with a special story time at 11 a.m. The event is for children ages 2 to 7 and will include reading stories and an art project. This is a not a costume character event.

Monday, March 8

‘Kilowatt Ours’
The Rappahannock Sierra Club invites the public to a free presentation of the documentary film “Kilowatt Ours” at 7 p.m. at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, 308 Hanover St. The film tells a story about energy use in America and how the average family can cut its energy bill significantly and save both money and the environment. A business meeting and social period will follow the film. For more information, call (540) 373-4594.

Sunday, April 25

Dinner show gala
The Stafford Regional Choral Society will present a dinner show gala featuring a salute to the music of Hollywood movies at 6 p.m. in the Seacobeck ballroom at University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. Directed by Barbara Perry, the concert program will feature selections from Hollywood movies. For more information, e-mail info@staffordchoral.org or visit staffordchoral.org.

— Press releases