Weekend: Jewelry, Fashion Accessories Show, Garden Talk, Lunar New Year Celebration

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA -- Ready to get out and about this weekend? The Fairfax County Weekender has all the scoop on goings-on at area parks and facilities:

Friday, Feb. 3: Stop the Invasion

Garden Talks with Master Gardeners – Plants that Bully: Give invasive plants an inch and they’ll take your yard. Master gardeners will show you native alternatives to grow instead. From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. atGreen Spring Gardens. Ages 16 and up. $10/person. Register online. For information, call 703-642-5173.

Also on Friday:

Lunar New Year: Celebrate the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rooster, with dance performance and crafts for children. From 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Thomas Jefferson Library. Free; no registration required. For information, call 703-573-1060.

Saturday, Feb. 4: Seed Swap

Washington Gardener Seed Exchange: Washington Gardener magazine co-hosts the 12th annual seed exchange with lectures and face-to-face seed swaps. Bring your extra seeds to swap and get expert planting advice. From 12:30 to 4 p.m. at Green Spring Gardens. Adults. $15/Friends of Green Spring (FROG) member and WG subscribers; $20/person for others. Register FROG/subscriber or other online. For information, call 703-642-5173.

Also on Saturday:

Historic Fairfax County Courthouse Open House: As part of the City of Fairfax Annual Chocolate Lovers Festival, come view important historic records such as George and Martha Washington’s wills and watch mock trials. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Historic Fairfax County Courthouse. Free; no registration required. For information, call 703-385-7949.

Better than Bling: Just in time for the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day, find unique designs, independent-label fashion accessories and handcrafted jewelry for every taste and budget. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the McLean Community Center. Enjoy lunch at the on-site café. $5/person admission (pay at site; paid admission includes one hot chocolate while it lasts); children under 13 free. For information, call 703-790-0123.

Soul in Motion: Enjoy West African drumming, song and dance. From 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. at George Mason Regional Library. All ages. Free; register online. For information, call 703-256-3800.

Where Are All the Animals? Explore how animals survive the winter through a puppet show, view live animals and make a craft. From 2 to 3 p.m. at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Ages 3 to 7. Children must be accompanied by an adult. $7/child. Register online. For information, call 703-941-1065.

Survival Strategies: Learn "How to Survive Anything" with New York Times best-selling author and survival expert Tim MacWelch, founder of Advanced Survival Training school in Fauquier County. Books available for sale and signing. From 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Patrick Henry Library. Teens and adults. Free; register online. For information, call 703-938-0405.

Astronomy for Family Fun – Planets: Learn about the planets and moons as well as their effect on us and the rest of the solar system. From 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Ages 4 and up. Children must be accompanied by a registered adult. $6/person. Register online. For information, call 703-941-1065.

Sunday, Feb. 5: Seas the Day!

Caribbean Reef Puppet Show: Join an octopus, ray, shark, lobster and friends in this undersea adventure. After the show, play a game, sing songs and make a craft. From 2 to 3 p.m. at Hidden Oaks Nature Center. Ages 3 to 7. Children must be accompanied by an adult. $7/child. Register online. For information, call 703-941-1065.

Also on Sunday:

Maple Syrup Boil-Down: The maple trees are tapped. Bundle up and watch as sap is boiled down into sweet syrup over an open fire. From noon to 2 p.m. at Colvin Run Mill. Sample syrup over fresh baked cornbread while supply lasts! Ages 3 and up. $5/person. No reservations required; pay at site. For information, call 703-759-2771.

Winter Lecture – Rescuing Eden: Garden historian Carolyn Seebohm shares her book “Rescuing Eden: Preserving America’s Historic Gardens,” a look at rescuing historic gardens from neglect and demolition. A book signing follows the lecture. From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Green Spring Gardens. Adults. $10/person advance registration or $12/person at the door. Register online. For information, call 703-642-5173.

PHOTO of shoes courtesy of McLean Community Center:

Originally from Colombia, brothers Cesar and Roberto make these shoes by hand in their Norfolk, VA studio. Molas is the fabric covering they use which is made by the Kuna Indians who live along the Atlantic coast of Colombia and Panama. Once or twice a year, the brothers visit the tribal Chief and pay him his asking price for the molas supporting this beautiful native culture. See their website for other examples of their shoes at : www.molas4u.com See them in person this Saturday, Feb. 6 at Better than Bling! in McLean.