Sunday, March 20

Carnival The annual Jewish Federation of Howard County Purim Carnival takes place from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Reservoir High School, 11550 Scaggsville Road in Fulton. Event features entertainment by Washington Talent and DJ Doug; the festival includes games, vendors, face painting, crafts, prizes and raffles, a coffeehouse, food and more. Admission is $10 per family or $5 per person. Volunteer opportunities are available as well as high school community service hours. Exhibitor space is available. Proceeds benefit youth scholarships and grants and Jewish families who need help. Information: 410-730-4976.

Dance performance Kinetics Dance Theatre presents "Legend of the Selkie and Friends" at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Howard County Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road in Ellicott City. Tickets are $5. Information: 4104801686.

Classical concert Piano recital featuring David Wasser performing works by Beethoven, Chopin, Prokofiev, Schubert and Liszt takes place at 4 p.m. at Howard Community College's Monteabaro Recital Hall in the Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. Tickets are $15; $10 for seniors; and $5 for students, faculty and staff. Information: 443-518-4800.

Monday, March 21

Passport services The Passport Acceptance Facility at Howard County Library's east Columbia branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way, offers passport applications and photos from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Information: 410-313-7700.

Tuesday, March 22

School news The Howard County Board of Education will hold a community meeting with Conexiones, an advocate group for Hispanic students, at 7 p.m. in the Board Room at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City. Also, the board will hold a community meeting with the Operating Budget Review Committee at 8 p.m. Information: 410-313-6680.

Wednesday, March 23

Legal screening Attorney Victor Berger will host the 60 Plus Wills and Legal Screening Program from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Ellicott Senior Center, 9401 Frederick Road. Services include simple wills, powers of attorney, living wills, small estates and deed changes. Program is open to residents 60 and older. Cost depends on income. Information: 410-313-1400.

Thursday, March 24

Meeting The Howard County Board of Education will hold a luncheon meeting with student leaders at noon in the Board Room at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City. Also, the board will also hold a regularly scheduled meeting at 4 p.m. There will not be an evening session. The meeting begins with a public forum, when members of the public may address the board on any topic other than those for which a formal public hearing process exists. Information: 410-313-7194.

Saturday, March 26

Concert The Columbia Orchestra presents "Young & Eclectic" at 7:30 p.m. at the Jim Rouse Theatre, 5460 Trumpeter Road in Columbia. Ticket are $20; $16 for seniors older than 60; and $10 for full-time students. For tickets and more information, call 410-465-8777 or go to columbiaorchestra.org.

Future

Author appearance The Howard County Poetry and Literature Society presents "An Afternoon with Alice McDermott" at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 27, at the Spear Center, Howard Hughes Corp. Building, 10275 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors and students with ID. Information: 443-518-4568 or hocopolitso.org.

Ice skating show The Columbia Figure Skating Club presents its spring show, "Movie Adventures on Ice," at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. April 2, and 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. April 3, at the Columbia Ice Rink, 5876 Thunder Hill Road. Tickets are $10. Group discounts are also available. Information: 410-813-4026 or go to columbiafsc.com.

Fundraiser The Horizon Councils and Rotary Clubs of Howard County are hosting the third annual "Soup'r Sundae," a family event that features soups prepared by area restaurants as a fundraiser for Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center. Event takes place from noon to 2 p.m. April 3 at the Howard Hughes Corp. building (formerly the Rouse Co. Building), 10275 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia. Admission is $20, $5 for children younger than 12 and includes unlimited soup, bread and ice cream. There will also music as well as arts and crafts activities for children. Tickets are available from Rotary Club members and by contacting cathyvsmith@verizon.net. Tickets will also be available at the door.

Lecture Howard County Library presents author Alexander McCall Smith from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. April 10 at the east Columbia branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way in Columbia. McCall Smith will speak on the topic, "The Very Small Things of Life," as he promotes book 12 in "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series. Registration is required. To register: 410-313-7700 or hclibrary.org.

Open house The Columbia Jewish Community School and Columbia Jewish Congregation will hold an open house April 10. The program includes a bagel brunch, an opportunity to meet officials and staff from the school and synagogue, as well as visits to classrooms. Registration materials and discount coupons will be made available to new families that attend. Directions and information: 410-294-3205.

Dance performance Kinetics Dance Theatre presents its spring dance concert, "Spectrum!," at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. April 10 at Howard County Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road in Ellicott City. Tickets are $10, $5 for seniors and children 12 and younger. Information: 410-480-1686.

Annual walk Special Olympics sponsor its 10th annual "Inspiration Walk" on April 16 at Centennial Park. Proceeds from the event provides funding for a year-round sports training and athletic competition program in 19 sports for more than 500 Howard County children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the walk kicks off at 9:15 a.m. Pre-walk activities begin at 8:30 a.m. and warm-up exercises begin at 8:45 a.m. For more information and donation forms, call 410-740-0500 or go to somdhc.org.

Announcements for the datebook may be sent by mail to The Baltimore Sun in Howard County, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278; by e-mail to howard.events@baltsun.com; or by fax to 410-332-6455.