McLean Community Center Calendar of Events for April 2023

The McLean Community Center (MCC) offers the following activities in April 2023. Please check the center’s website, mcleancenter.org, for up-to-date information. Residents of the center’s tax district, Small District 1A-Dranesville, are eligible for discounts on fees. The center is located at 1234 Ingleside Ave.

Presented by The Alden
The Good Humor Men
Saturday, April 1, 7 p.m.
$30 /$25 students and seniors/$20 MCC district residents
For all ages. How about some standup comedy without an edge? Humor that’s light blue at its darkest? This is your jam. Three of America’s funniest stand-up comedians (each with numerous appearances on “The Tonight Show,” “The Late Show” and “The Daily Show”) join forces to showcase their original brand of humor in an evening packed with laughs.

Old Firehouse Center Spring Break Trip
Go Karting
Monday, April 3, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
$90/$80 MCC district residents
Experience a thrill like no other while driving an electric pro-style go kart at indoor racing. Lunch and races are included in the fee. All participants must have an additional waiver signed by a parent or guardian. Bring additional money for extra food as desired.

Old Firehouse Center Spring Break Trip
Paintball
Tuesday, April 4, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
$70/$60 MCC district residents
Join us as we battle through different paintball courses and missions. Wear appropriate outdoor clothing; we recommend long sleeves, jeans and closed toed shoes. Lunch, games of paintball and equipment are included in the fee. A signed waiver is required by for participation. Bring additional money for souvenirs and additional food as desired.

Old Firehouse Center Spring Break Trip
Dave & Buster’s
Wednesday, April 5, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
$70/$60 MCC district residents
Eat, drink, and play games at Dave and Buster’s, one of the best dining and entertainment attractions around. Lunch and a $20 game card with unlimited arcade game play are included. Bring money for additional ticket games as desired.

Old Firehouse Center Spring Break Trip
Fun Land of Fairfax
Thursday, April 6, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
$60/$50 MCC district residents
There will never be a down moment at Fun Land of Fairfax’s premier indoor theme park. Experience tons of arcade games and attractions in addition to laser tag and go karts. Admission and lunch are included in the fee. Bring additional money for snacks, souvenirs and extra game credits as desired. A signed waiver is required to participate.

Presented by The Alden
Foreign Language Movies
Thursday, April 6, 1 p.m.
Free admission
The Alden’s foreign language movie series is curated by Performing Arts Director Sarah Schallern Treff, with more than a little help from you, our audience members! The series has a few surprises thrown in. Schedule subject to change.

Old Firehouse Center Spring Break Trip
Defy Trampoline & Movie
Friday, April 7, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
$70/$60 MCC district residents
We’ll be heading to a one of the most exciting trampoline parks in the area. With the opportunity for casual jumping, testing your bouncing dodgeball skills or testing your ninja abilities, this trip has something for everyone. Lunch and admission are included in the fee. Appropriate exercise clothing required. Bring additional money for snacks and souvenirs as desired.

McLean Earth Day Celebration
NOVA Natives Table @ Spring Fest
Saturday, April 8, 10 a.m.-Noon
Free admission. Registration is not required.
Visit the Plant NOVA Natives table to learn about why native plants and trees are important to our ecosystem and human wellbeing! Match host plants to butterflies on a display board, view pictures of native plants and color and identify the native plants on the coloring banner. Free native plant seed giveaway and games. Sign up for a free Audubon at Home site visit. Pledge to add at least one NOVA native plant to your garden or landscape this year. In addition to free native seeds, take home a list of where to find native plants locally and plenty of brochures and handouts.

McLean Earth Day Celebration
Native Trees of McLean and How to Plant Them
Monday, April 10, 6 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Presented by McLean Trees Foundation. This presentation will discuss the benefits of native trees, how and where native trees grow in nature and McLean’s native trees and the natural plant communities where they flourish. Discussion will include factors to consider when choosing your native trees, suggested native canopy and understory trees for your McLean yard and how to plant them.

Old Firehouse Center Teacher Workday Trip
Indoor Waterpark
Friday, April 14, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
$60/$50 MCC district residents
Let’s go swimming! Join us as we head to an indoor waterpark. What’s better than going down water slides or relaxing in a lazy river/wave pool? Water park admission is included in the fee. Bring at least $20 dollars for lunch, a towel and dry clothes for the ride home. Additional money for snacks and souvenirs can be brought as desired.

Give the Gift of Life
American Red Cross Blood Drive
Friday, April 14, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
McLean Community Center is helping the American Red Cross with Diverse Blood Donations! It is urgent for donors of all ethnicities to support patients in need. Join us and support the community with your lifesaving blood donation. All donors will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card via email. For an appointment, click here or visit www.redcrossblood.org and enter sponsor word: HEARTOFGOLD, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Eligibility Questions: Call 1-866-236-3276. Questions? Contact Melanie Hurley at melanie.hurley@heartogold.org.

Presented by The Alden
David Dorfman Dance: (A)Way Out of My Body
Friday, April 14, 7 p.m.
$25/$20 seniors, students/$15 MCC district residents
For ages 13+. David Dorfman Dance's “(A)Way Out of My Body” uses “out of body” experience as a metaphor for our times and our body politic. It’s about “life and death, fragility and joy, trauma and resilience. In other words, it’s about what we’ve all been experiencing in the age of COVID—even though it was choreographed before the pandemic” (Tresca Weinstein, Times Union). Dancers propel themselves through space and time, attempting to pass the barrier of reality and plight into the realm of resilience and joy. This collective story of searching for personal “truths” among fantastical sensations is seen through breathtaking lighting and visual design and gripping choreography by a modern master.

Special Events
Spring Community Parking Lot Sale
Saturday, April 15, 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Free admission
Shoppers can find bargains galore at one of the area’s first, biggest and best community sales of the spring season. The sale offers a wide variety of gently used household goods, electronics, furniture, clothes, appliances and other items. The Kids’ Row is a special area of the sale where children ages three to 15 can use their math and entrepreneurial skills while selling toys, clothes, games and other items.

Presented by The Alden
Chamber Music Series
The Borisevich Duo
Sunday, April 16, 2 p.m.
$10, $7 seniors/students, $5 district residents
For all ages. The Borisevich Duo, featuring pianist Margarita Loukachkina and violinist Nikita Borisevich, is an internationally acclaimed violin and piano duet, frequently performing across the United States and Europe.

McLean Earth Day Celebration
Personal Climate Action Planning
Tuesday, April 18, 1-2 p.m.
Free and open to the public
Join Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination and learn about personal climate action. We will discuss the cause of climate change, climate mitigation and how to adjust to and prepare for the effects of climate hazards. We will highlight actions you can take that will not only reduce your emissions and build your climate resilience but also save you money. Presenters: Kate Daley, Environmental Analyst, Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination and Sara Girello, Climate Mitigation Specialist, Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination.

Presented by The Alden
Macdonald Scholarship Finals
Wednesday, April 19, 8 p.m.
Free admission
Annually, the McLean Community Center recognizes the hard work and talent of young performing artists through the James C. Macdonald Performing Arts Scholarship Competition. Following a preliminary round and this final round of competition, three prizes (1st - $1,200; 2nd - $800, and 3rd - $400) are awarded in each of four categories: Dance, Theater, Instrumental Music and Vocal Music.

Presented by The Alden
Performing Arts Movies
Thursday, April 20, 1 p.m.
Will it be a documentary? A filmed Broadway show? Maybe a monumental concert? Regardless, our performing arts movie series will bring you closer to the arts and your neighbors.

McLean Earth Day Celebration
McLean Earth Day–Act Locally
Saturday, April 22, 9 a.m.–noon
Free admission for MCC district residents; registration is required.
For McLean residents who reside in Small Tax District-1A Dranesville only. This drive-through, outdoor, environmental action event provides a convenient way for McLean residents to better the planet. Several local community businesses and organizations will provide four key facets of environmental health in the spirit of shredding, reusing, recycling and planting.

Presented by The Alden
Windmill Theatre Company of Australia: “Hiccup!”
Sunday, April 23, 4 p.m.
$15/$12 seniors and students/$10 MCC district residents
It’s a perfect, balmy night in the outback. A sleep-deprived camper, a cheeky quokka and an emu with a penchant for creating wild inventions, awake to discover that a koala has come down with a stubborn and ear-shatteringly loud case of the hiccups! The three embark on an epic journey frantically eating, singing and inventing their way towards a cure before the sun comes up. “Hiccup” is a hilarious rocking musical extravaganza about working together, finding friendship and how to, once and for all, stop the hiccups.

MCC Governing Board
Regular Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, April 26, 6:30 p.m.
All meetings are open to the public.
Tax district residents (Small District 1A-Dranesville) who wish to speak at board meetings will be allotted three minutes each. Call the Center at 703-790-0123, TTY: 711, to be placed on the agenda.

Old Firehouse Center Family Events
Sensory Day
Saturday, April 29, noon-4 p.m.
Free for all participants. Preregistration is recommended.
Challenge your senses at the Old Firehouse! This unique and fun event supporting Autism Awareness Month will provide ALL who attend a sensory exploration through taste, smell, sound, sight and touch. This event is free and open to ALL.

For more information, call MCC at 703-790-0123, TTY: 711. For Old Firehouse activities, call 703-448-8336. For The Alden Box Office, call 571-296-8385.

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The McLean Community Center, an agency of Fairfax County Government, is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of disability in all programs, services and activities. We will provide reasonable accommodations upon request. To request special accommodations, call the Center 14 working days in advance of the event.

To request this information in an alternate format, call 711.