Five Things To Know This Week

1. The Leesburg Town Council will meet for a work session on Monday, Feb. 27 where they will discuss health insurance, bus shelter updates and the FY 2013 budget. A public hearing will be held on Tuesday, Feb.  28. where the public is invited to comment on the proposed budget as well as a crescent form-based district deferral.

2. Kids eat free at Finnegan’s Irish Pub this Tuesday, Feb. 28 beginning at 5 p.m. Every Tuesday, children under 12 can eat free until 8 p.m. Two free kids meals for each adult meal purchased.  Finnegan’s is located at 1608 Village Market Blvd SE, Leesburg. Call 703-771-2333.

3. Appalachian Trail All-Time Record Holder and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year 2012 Jennifer Pharr Davis will talk about her experiences and her quest for the record at Loudoun Country Day School on Tuesday, Feb. 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The doors open at 6:30 p.m., and seating is limited to 200. In addition to her record-breaking through hikes on the Appalachian Trail, Jennifer has written two books about hiking and a memoir, "Becoming Odyssa". A book signing will follow the program. Call 703-777-3841 for more information. 

4. A free lecture, Benefits of Using Native Plants, will be presented by the Master Gardeners on Thursday, March 1 at 7 p.m. Fauquier County Native Plant Society’ Carrie Blair will be the guest speaker. She has been studying trees since 1975 and has taken courses in deciduous forest ecology, wetland plants and seasonal wildflower identification. Blair became a Fauquier County Master Gardener and docent at the State Arboretum in 1995. In 2010 she became a Virginia Master Naturalist. She maintains five acres of forest and meadow around her home in Marshall, VA. The event will take place at 30 Catoctin Cir SE, Leesburg, VA 20175 (lower level conference room).

5. Leesburg’s First Friday is scheduled for this Friday, March 2. Stroll around historic downtown Leesburg where you'll be able to enjoy numerous live music performances (bluegrass, rock, classical ...), art exhibits, wine tastings, lectures, a comedy show, charity events and more. Over 45 specialty shops, art galleries, antique shops and restaurants are open until 9 p.m. or later, many offering free refreshments and/or special sales.