Sunday, March 27
Author appearance The Howard County Poetry and Literature Society presents "An Afternoon with Alice McDermott" 3 p.m. at the Spear Center, Howard Hughes Corp. Building (formerly the Rouse Co. Building), 10275 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia. Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors and students with ID. Information: 443-518-4568 or hocopolitso.org.
Concert Jared Denhard performs a concert of Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Galician music on Celtic harp and bagpipes 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 28
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 29
Environmental program "The Power of Offshore Wind: Blowing Maryland's Way?" will be held from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Banneker Room of the George Howard Building, 3430 Courthouse Drive in Ellicott City. Hugh Haskell of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, and Keith Harrington of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, will speak. Free. Information: 410-730-4024.
Wednesday, March 30
Breakfast meeting The Howard Technology Council hosts an executive breakfast, "Show me the Money! Part II," from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Center for Business and Technology Development, 9250 Bendix Road in Columbia. Cost is $25. To register or for more information, call 410-313-6550.
Friday, April 1
Retreat The Howard County Board of Education will hold a retreat at 1 p.m. in the Potomac Room at Faulkner Ridge Center, 10598 Marble Faun Court in Columbia. Information: 410-313-6680.
Saturday, April 2
Ice skating show The Columbia Figure Skating Club presents its spring show, "Movie Adventures on Ice," at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, 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.
Financial fair Howard County hosts its annual financial literacy event, "Money Matters: A Fresh Start," from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Howard County Library's east Columbia branch, 6600 Cradlerock Way. The goal of the fair is to provide resources and techniques to residents on how to establish and maintain healthy financial habits. Free. Information: 410-313-3105.
Future
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, 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 be 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.
Free concert The Columbia Bands will hold a concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 10, at River Hill High School in Clarksville. Featured bands are the Columbia Concert Band and Columbia Jazz Band. The concert will consist of a variety of music, ranging from "Gandalf" to "Come Fly With Me." Information: 301-596-9783 or go to columbiabands.org.
Annual walk Special Olympics sponsors its 10th annual "Inspiration Walk" 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.
Film series The Columbia Jewish Congregation's annual film series concludes Saturday, April 16, with "A Late Marriage." Screening take place at the Columbia Jewish Congregation, 5885 Robert Oliver Place, Room 200. Tickets are $9. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; screenings begin at 8 p.m. Refreshments and post-film discussion included. Information: 410-381-4809, 410-997-0694 or SBloch@comcast.net.
Announcements for the datebook may be sent by mail to The Baltimore Sun in Howard County, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore 21278; by email to howard.events@baltsun.com; or by fax to 410-332-6455.