Carmello’s of Historic Manassas, Va. is offering a Christmas Eve dinner, Thurs., Dec. 24 from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and New Year’s Eve a la carte dinner on Thurs., Dec. 31 with seatings from 4:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. (Two-hour seatings are booked for parties of two to six people; larger parties have two and a half hour seatings). Complimentary Portuguese sparkling wine is served with all seatings. Late seatings receive party favorites if they stay until midnight. Children 10 and younger can eat free from the kids’ menu. Menu prices vary. For reservations, go to www.carmellos.com.

XMAS EVE MENU:
Appetizers – Family-Style House Appetizer, Brick-Oven Oysters Rockefeller, Spitada De Camarao, Mini Beef Wellingtons, Risotto Fritters, Calamari Fritti, Lobster Bisque, Roasted Butternut Squash

Salads - Autumn Mesclun Salad, Chopped House Salad, Caesar Salad

Nature Visions Photo Expo (NVPE) will showcase nature photography at its best at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, Va. Sat., Nov. 14 and Sun., Nov. 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.

Metropolitan Youth Theatre students of the Metropolitan School of the Arts (MSA) of Alexandria and Lorton, Va. will present its student-directed and produced performance of Jason Robert Brown’s “Songs for a New World” on Fri., Nov. 6 at 8 p.m., Sat., Nov. 7 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sun., Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. at the W-3 Theatre at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Va. Tickets are $20 per person and can be purchased online at www.metropolitanarts.org.   

This production is completely student run and performed by Metropolitan School of the Arts high school students studying to have careers in theatre. Chad Vann of Alexandria, Va. is the director, while Sam Cornbrooks of Springfield, Va. is the producer. James Woods of Northern Virginia is the music director.