Little Theatre Earns 43 WATCH Nominations
'Hairspray' is top area production with 22 nods.
With an astounding 43 nominations, The Little Theatre of Alexandria led the way as the Washington Area Theatre Community Honors announced the nominees for the 2012 WATCH Awards Jan. 15 at the Birchmere Music Hall.

Senior Skaters Have High Old Time at Iceplex
Weekly morning skate attracts seniors.
Question: Where can you find 40 people over 55 swooping in circles for an hour early Monday mornings? Answer: The top of an eight story parking garage leased from Arlington County which also serves as home to the Washington Capitals. Explanation: Ice skating.
'25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee'
LTA production spells success.
It's an American institution that millions of children have suffered through — the spelling bee — and contestants in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee are preparing for the county championship in this lively production of the Tony Award-winning musical now playing at The Little Theatre of Alexandria.

Taste the Challenge
1K wine walk promotes Crystal City shopping.
Long distance races require advanced preparation, determination and grit. 1K wine walks, on the other hand, require a willingness to step outside of boundaries and try new tastes.

Inked in Arlington
DC Tattoo Expo draws crowds and bodywork.
Ink aficionados from across the country crowded the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington for the second DC Tattoo Expo, held Jan. 12-15. Organizers estimated that twice as many people were in attendance as the previous year’s event.

‘Fears and Phobias’ Serves Up Diverse Views on Fear
New exhibit at Torpedo Factory runs through Feb. 19.
At the Tornado Factory's new exhibit, "Fears and Phobias," artists were given the opportunity to explore that which makes people afraid or anxious.
Workhouse Theatre Kicks Off Inaugural Season
The Lorton Arts Foundation has announced the inaugural season of its own Workhouse Theatre. Based in the Workhouse Arts Center’s newly renovated building W-3, it is one of only three professional theater companies in Northern Virginia. Workhouse Theatre will launch its season with the play "ART" from Jan. 20-Feb 26, 2012.

"Progeny" at GMU’s School of Art
Beginning Feb. 1, George Mason University’s School of Art and the African and African American Studies Program present "Progeny," a photography exhibition that is the first collaborative effort between Deborah Willis, an artist who received her doctorate in cultural studies from George Mason University in 2000, and her son, Hank Willis Thomas.

GMU's Center for the Arts Presents Aquila Theatre 'Macbeth'
"Fair is foul and foul is fair" in this acclaimed British/American touring company’s rendering of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. In this brutal and chaotic tale, nothing is as it seems and men combat their own madness and fates.

‘Surface Appeal’
At The Art Gallery
This month The Art Gallery of Potomac will present an art exhibition titled "Surface Appeal." The show will feature paintings by artists Millie Shott and Martha Spak.

Robinson Stages Fashion Show
On Jan. 11, the students of the Robinson Secondary School DECA club, a chapter of an international organization aimed at preparing high school students for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management, held its sixth annual DECA Fashion Show, showcasing the designs and fashion-stylings of DECA members at Robinson.

Chocolate Festival Comes to McLean
Inaugural festival to be held Jan. 29 at Community Center.
Like chocolate? The McLean Rotary club, along with the Governing Board of the Community Center, is calling all chocolate lovers to the McLean Community Center on Sunday, Jan. 29 from noon to 5 p.m. for the inaugural McLean Chocolate Festival.

‘Patterns’ Exhibition Opens Online In New Show by Great Falls Artists
Fifty paintings, ceramics, sculptures, photographs, lithographs and other art pieces notable for their striking patterns will be on display through the end of January in an exhibition featuring works by 22 artists who live or work in Great Falls.

Reston Community Players Garner WATCH Nominations
Three productions receive 15 nods for RCP.
The Reston Community Players garnered 15 nominations as the Washington Area Theatre Community Honors announced the nominees for the 2012 WATCH Awards Jan. 15 at the Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria.

Honey Ogens Bakes with Feeling
A hobby turns into a career.
Honey Ogens launched the Honey Bee Baking Company last year from her Glenolden Drive home. She began baking many years ago because it made her feel relaxed and happy. When her children, Matt and Elissa came home from school, she always had home-baked goods ready for them.