Gadsby’s Tavern Museum Society (GTMS) is seeking good-looking and well-behaved canines to compete in the Third Annual Tavern Dog Contest on Saturday, April 17. The competition will be held at Market Square, 301 King Street, in Old Town Alexandria, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Preparing to combat that time of year when 37-percent of all traffic deaths are alcohol related*, free cab rides will be offered to would-be drunk drivers throughout Alexandria, Virginia next Wednesday, March 17th.

Join The Lyceum, Alexandria’s History Museum, for a special book fair for kids on Saturday, March 20. Children’s publisher Usborne Books and Lyceum staff will make history fun at this event for kids and their parents! The fair is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and admission is free.

On behalf of the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission (HARC), the Office of Historic Alexandria and the Alexandria Convention and Visitors Association (ACVA) will co-sponsor a third Civil War Sesquicentennial community planning meeting on Saturday, March 27, from 9 a.m. to noon. The meeting will be held in the North Lodge Room of the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, 101 Callahan Drive, Alexandria, and free parking is available. This meeting is open to all, and public participation is most welcome.

Noted historian and genealogist Char McCargo Bah will give an illustrated lecture on how she successfully traced descendants of people buried at Freedmen’s Cemetery and how these techniques can be applied to any family research. Ms. Bah, who was contracted by the City of Alexandria to conduct this research, will discuss her methods on Saturday, April 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Alexandria Black History Museum. The lecture is free and open to all.

On March 18, 2010, the Alexandria Jaycees, will honor five City of Alexandria employees at its annual Community Appreciation Night. Mayor Bill Euille is scheduled to speak at the event, which is free and open to the public. The City Manager, Chief of the Police Department, Chief of the Fire Department, the Superintendent of Schools, and members of the City Council and Public School Board have been invited to attend as well. The reception and awards program begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Sister Cities Conference Room 1101 of City Hall.

Saturday, March 6 – Park and Recreation Commission Retreat

The Alexandria Park and Recreation Commission will hold a retreat from 8 a.m. to noon in the Community Room at the Station at Potomac Yard, 650 Maskell St. At the retreat, the Commission will discuss and determine priority actions for the next 12 to 24 months. The retreat is open to the public. For more information, call 703.746.5501.

Saturday, March 6 – 29th Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The City of Alexandria will host the Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade beginning at 12:30 p.m. The celebration will include many additional activities, including an Antique Car and Dog Show. For more information, visit www.ballyshaners.org.

Gadsby’s Tavern Museum is pleased to invite you to enjoy their annual Grand Ball – sure to be the finest 18th-century ball of the 2010 dance season!

The City of Alexandria’s Department of Transportation & Environmental Services (T&ES) invites residents, stakeholders, and members of the public to attend the Contrabands & Freedmen’s Cemetery Memorial informational meeting on Thursday, March 11 at the Charles Houston Recreation Center,