And nearly a month’s worth of upcoming events

Event listings must reach us (preferably by email to events@rappnews.com) by Monday at noon for Thursday’s paper; an actual street address and a phone number we can publish are also necessary. Please limit listings to 60 words. Many more events are listed on our website at Rappnews.com/events.

Thursday, March 8

Preventing falls: Falls Prevention Summit is 9 to 2:30 at the Washington fire hall. Advice on how to prevent accidental falls will be offered by local professionals. Free; advance registration required. Lunch will be provided. For further information or to register, call 540-829-6405 or email info@agingtogether.org.

Friday, March 9

Author Ed Dolnick: RAAC’S Second Friday at the Library Series features local author Ed Dolnick, who talks about his two acclaimed nonfiction books on stories of art’s underworld. “The Rescue Artist” is a cops-and-robbers story focused on a team of bumblers who stole the Edvard Munch painting “The Scream,” and the eccentric detective who chased them down; “The Forger’s Spell” is the stranger-than-fiction story of a Dutch forger who made millions from his fake Vermeers in occupied Holland. Free; starts at 8 p.m. at Rappahannock County Library. For more information, call 540-987-8677.

Saturday, March 10

Reager School Relay breakfast: Old-fashioned country break-

fast buffet is 7 to 10:30 a.m. at Reager School (beside the Willis Chapel United Methodist Church), Huntly. Cost is $6 ($3 ages 12 and younger). To benefit the Rappahannock Relay For Life. Sponsored by Willis Chapel UMC. Breakfast prepared by Pat Jenkins and Shirley Frye. For more information, call 540-631-6103.

Macedonia Baptist break

fast: Prayer breakfast fellowship is at 9 p.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church, Flint Hill. For more information, call 540-675-3284.

Antiques appraisal: Fourth Annual Antiques Appraisal and Bakery Boutique is 10 to 2 at the small building on the grounds of Sperryville School House (formerly the Link). Sponsored by the Rappahannock Historical Society. Bring your antique treasures for appraisal, sample some special baked goods. Fees: $10 per item or pay $25 for three items. Contact the Rappahannock Historical Society at 540-675-1163 or rapphistsoc@comcast.net for more information.

St. Patrick’s Day Celebration: Rappahannock County Lions Club’s fourth annual St. Patrick’s Day Celebration will be held at the Sperryville fire hall starting at noon. Traditional Irish luncheon of Irish stew and corned beef and cabbage, with Irish music by Charlottesville’s King Golden Banshee band, Irish dancers, singalong and more. Fundraising raffle features a custom-designed stained-glass window of St. Patrick by Rappahannock artist Patti Brennan. Tickets $15 and raffle tickets, at $20, are on sale at the Sperryville Corner Store, Union

First Market Bank and Hillsdale Grocery. The St. Patrick window will be on display at Monkey Business Unlimited in the old schoolhouse (formerly The Link) in Sperryville until March 9. Raffle tickets will be sold at the luncheon, where the winner will be drawn. More information, call Jim Gannon at 675-3657 or email to: gannon54@comcast.net.

Piedmont Softball chili cook-off: Piedmont Softball Association’s 10th annual Chili Bowl Cook-off is 4 to 7 p.m. at Bill Payne Auctions, U.S. 211, Amissville. Open to all. All-youcan-eat chili is $6 ($4 for ages 5 to 10); hot dogs and sodas for non-chili-eaters. Vote for your favorite in basic, exotic and hottest categories. Overall “bestest” chili will take home the PSA perpetual trophy. Also raffles, cake walk and a bake sale. To enter your chili, donate baked goods or for more information on PSA, call 540-5223675 or contact Kyra Moore at jksremoore@comcast.net, Veronica Ward at vrward@comcast or Mauri Payne at mauri@bpauctions.com or phone 540-522-3675. Proceeds benefit PSA’S girls’ softball programs (for which you can also register at the cook-off).

Monday, March 12

Donkey Basketball: Rappahannock High School’s class of 2014 and Buckeye Donkey Ball Co. present a "Donkey Basketball" fundraising tournament in which students and faculty – including high school and elementary school principals – will be playing basketball while riding donkeys, in the high school gym starting at 6 p.m. Concessions open at 5:30. Tickets, available at Sperryville Corner Store and RCHS, are $6 in advance ($8 at the door). Ages 5 and younger free. Raffles, donkey rides for ages 10 and younger (for $1) and more. Call 540-227-0745 or 540227-0200 or email Karen Sanborn at kmsanborn@rappahannockschools.us for more information.

Tuesday, March 13

RRCS meeting: Rappahannock Rapidan Community Services holds its board meeting at 1 p.m. at its office at 15361 Bradford Road, Culpeper. Individuals with disabilities who require special assistance to attend should contact Kimberley Martin at 540-825-3100, ext. 3146 (or TTY 540-825-7391).

Relay for Life meeting: Rappahannock Relay for Life meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Rappahannock County High School to go over details; after that, we go back to Washington Baptist church at 6:30 p.m. for the meeting. Open to anyone who’d like to be involved the annual spring event to raise funds for cancer research. For more information, call 540-522-6656.

Wednesday, March 14

Diabetes lecture: This month’s monthly free educational lecture covers diabetes; starts at 1 p.m. at Rappahannock Senior Center with Charity Sillero, R.N., board-certified medical surgical nurse, gerontological nurse and oncology nurse. For more information, call 540-987-8746.

Saturday, March 17

Buffet breakfast: All-you-caneat breakfast buffet at the Washington Volunteer Fire and Rescue is 7 to 11 a.m. Begin your St. Patrick’s Day celebration with a home-cooked breakfast prepared by our fire and rescue personnel. Admission $8 ($4 ages 4 to 10); ages 3 and younger eat free. All proceeds are used to fund daily operations. Call 540-675-3615 for more information.

Leprechaun 5K: Run in the inaugural Leprechaun Launch, a 5K obstacle race at Hoover Fields/clore Trail next to Madison Primary School. Tackle Mount Madison, do the Mountain Cat Crawl, climb Little Old Rag and more. Proceeds benefit the MPS playground drive. Cost for 5K is $30 before Feb. 15, $35 after, and the kids’ obstacle challenge is free. Starts at 8 a.m., with check-in at 7:15. Visit mpsplayground.com or contact Valerie Miller at 540718-6531 for questions or if you wish to volunteer.

Relay for Life breakfast: Country breakfast from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Flint Hill fire hall is sponsored by the Flint Hill United Methodist Church Relay Team as a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Cost is $6 ($3 ages 6 and younger). For information, contact Kitty Lou Day at 540-987-8153 or Mary Bywaters at 540-675-1566.

Sunday, March 18

Shiloh Baptist fundraiser: Shiloh Baptist Church, Woodville, invites you to its annual cemetery program fundraiser at 3:30 p.m. with Rev. Isaac Howard from Mount Calvary Baptist church, Fairfax, along with the Combined Gospel Choir which consist of members from other churches. Lunch served after the 11 a.m. morning service. For more information, call 540-987-8402.

Monday, March 19

Creative movement for

kids: Children’s Creative Movement Class runs for six Mondays starting today, for boys and girls ages 4 to 7. Classes are 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. at Hearthstone School community room, Sperryville, with teacher Kitty Keyser. Cost: $60. For more information, call Hearthstone at 540-987-9212.

Belle Meade after- school: After-school programs at Belle Meade School, 353 F.T. Valley Rd., Sperryville, start this afternoon, 4 to 5:30 p.m., and continue through April 30. Lectures include “Manners and Mind” (see the world through the eyes of the New Yorker magazine, for grades seven through 10); “Introduction to Electric Circuits” (learn the basics of electronic components and circuits used in everyday devices for grades four to seven); and Chess Club (students in grades four through 10 with an interest can learn the basics or enhance their existing skills in study and practice. For more information, call 540-987-8970.

Tuesday, March 20

Spay and neuter: Rappahannock Animal Welfare League’s affordable spay and neuter services for Rappahannock and neighboring county dogs and cats is a partnership with Shenandoah Low Cost Spay/neuter Veterinary Clinic. Fees range from $50 to $90; clinic starts at 7 a.m. To sign up or for more information, call RAWL in Amissville at 540-9373336 or 540-937-3283 or visit rawldogs.org.

Friday, March 23

Hearthstone variety show: Variety show and dinner fundraiser for Hearthstone School starts at 6 p.m. at the Sperryville fire hall. Tickets ($30; couples $50; $10 ages 13 and younger) include make-your-own pasta buffet, salad, bread, beverage and dessert — and Beatles-inspired musical and artistic performances, with Karen Henderson as emcee, Robert “Smiggy” Smith leading the house band and other local and out-of-town artists. Beer and wine cash bar. Sign-ups/auditions are 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, March 3 in the Hearthstone community room, 11576 Lee Highway, Sperryville. Admission to the show only: $20. Save $5 on advance seats by calling 540-987-9212 (call for more information, or if you’re interested in performing).

Marriage classes start: Join us and Dan Bailey at Reynolds Memorial Baptist Church for a series of classes on “The Art of Marriage” that begins March 23 and continues (7 to 8:30 p.m. Fridays, except for Good Friday) for six weeks. Fee is $50 and class is open to couples of all ages and stages of their relationships. Call Pastor Jon Heddleston at 540-987-9101 for more details, or visit familylife.com.

Improv workshop: Improv teacher and director Gary Jacobs conducts a two-part improvisation workshop Friday and Saturday (March 23-24) at RAAC Community Theatre, Washington. Cost for the 7 to 9:30 p.m. Friday session is $15: an introduction for first-timers and a review for those who’ve had some experience with improv. Saturday’s workshop is 12:30 to 5, with a short BYO lunch break, for $50. Open to high schoolers and adults. Participants may register for either or both sessions. To register, send an email to raactheatre@yahoo.com with the names of those registering and whether attending Friday, Saturday or both.

Sunday, March 24

Blue State Bluegrass

Brunch: Meet your neighbors at the second annual Blue State Bluegrass Brunch, 10 to 1 at the Washington fire hall. Music by Gold Top County Ramblers; special guests are congressional candidates Peyton Williams and John Douglass. Free and open to all, the event is sponsored by the Rapphannock County Democrats. For more information, contact Linda Dietel at 540-675-3826 or visit rappdems.org.

Barrel tasting: Gray Ghost’s annual barrel tasting is Saturday and Sunday (March 24-25) from 11 to 4: Taste developing chardonnay, merlot, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon wines directly from the barrels and experience the art of blending! Bid on an historic Gray Ghost barrel and reserve futures of the intense 2010 cabernet sauvignon. Cost is $15 per person; Gray Ghost signature glass and light hors d’ouevres included. Gray Ghost Vineyards is at 14706 Lee Hwy., Amissville. For more information, call 540-937-4869.

Soup and film: Belle Meade School in Sperryville screens “I Am” at 6 p.m. The movie is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? The filmmaker behind the inquiry is Tom Shadyac, one of Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners and the creative force behind such blockbusters as “Ace Ventura,” “Liar Liar,” “The Nutty Professor” and “Bruce Almighty.” Join us for soup, entertainment and conversation. Suggested donation is $10 ($25 per family). For more information, call 540-987-8970.

Monday, March 25

‘Living with Bears’: Marshall Jones, senior conservation adviser at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) in Front Royal, talks about how we can coexist with the amazing black bear. More information: 540-6353153 or visit samuelslibrary.net. (The library is at 330 E. Criser Road, Front Royal.)