RESTON FESTIVAL Reston, VA | 7/11 - 7/12 Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Reston Town Center, 11900 Market St., Reston.

Alexandria Birthday Celebration Alexandria, VA | 7/11

Artscape Baltimore, MD | 7/17 - 7/19 More than 150 artists, fashion designers, craftspeople and musicians will take part in Baltimore's massive arts festival this year. One of the area's biggest summer draws, it features music on three outdoor stages, family events, food, film screenings and exhibitions. Moving Perspectives: Shahzia Sikander and Sun Xun

Moving Perspectives: Shahzia Sikander and Sun XunWashington, DC | 7/18 - 11/8 Traditional art forms and old media, ranging from drawing and calligraphy to, ahem, newsprint, collide in an intriguing new show at the Sackler. Multimedia works by a pair of contemporary artists (one Pakistani-born, one Chinese-born) explore the transition from the page and canvas to the video screen. Loudoun County Fair

Loudoun County Fair Leesburg, VA | 7/26 -8/1 This fair is the first, and soon agricultural fair season will be in full swing. That's good news for fans of funnel cake, monster trucks, pie-eating contests and chainsaw-art --and by "fans" we mean everyone. Chincoteague Wild Pony Swim

Chincoteague Wild Pony SwimChincoteague, VA | 7/29 The annual journey back to childhood is held the last Wednesday of July, and the exact time is not announced until the day before because of tidal conditions. But really, you want to get there as early as you can if you want to claim a decent spot. Reston Asian Festival

Reston Asian Festival Reston, VA | 8/1 - 8/2 This year's festival focuses on the diverse cultures of India, with special attention being paid to authentic regional foods, arts, crafts and entertainments including Bollywood and bhangra dancing.

Renwick Craft Invitational 2009 Washington, DC | 8/7 - 1/3/10 The fourth in the museum's biennial exhibition series that honors the creativity and talent of contemporary craft artists features the work of ceramic artist Christyl Boger, fiber artist Mark Newport, glass artist Mary Van Cline and ceramic artist SunKoo Yuh.

Comcast Outdoor Film Festival North Bethesda, MD | 8/14 - 8/21 The annual festival has some real heavy hitters this year. Kicking off with "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," it also includes "The Dark Knight," "Twilight" and "Slumdog Millionaire." Don't forget to bring a blanket.

Metro DC Dances Washington, DC | 8/15 This exciting showcase of local dance talent includes performances by Aysha Upchurch, the Life, Rhythm, Move Project, City Dance II, DCypher Dance Collective, Furia Flamenca, Shang Dance Productions and Urban Artistry.

Heaven and Hell Columbia, MD | 8/23 Metal history takes center stage at Merriweather when members and former members of Black Sabbath, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice take the stage as Heaven and Hell. Once thought to be a one-off band for a Sabbath nostalgia tour, Heaven and Hell has proved to have legs. This time around, the boys are promoting new material, their April release, "The Devil You Know."

The Lord of the Rings -- The Two Towers Vienna, VA | 8/28 - 8/29 If you caught Wolf Trap's presentation of the "Fellowship of the Ring" with the score performed by a full orchestra, then you know what to expect here: a live orchestra, chorus and soloists accompanying the film's presentation on huge high-definition screens. If you didn't, then be glad that it's a trilogy.

Maryland Renaissance Festival Annapolis, MD | 8/29 - 10/25 Your seasonal spot for swordplay, medieval crafts, turkey legs and cheesecake on a stick is setting up in its usual spot in Crownsville. On opening weekend, Aug. 29-30, kids 11 and younger get in free.

Since Darwin: The Evolution of Evolution Washington, DC | 9/12 - 7/18/10 Abraham Lincoln wasn't the only one born 200 years ago. This year is also the bicentennial of Charles Darwin's birth. The National Museum of Natural History is celebrating his 200th and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his groundbreaking work "The Origin of Species" with an examination of the role Darwin's theories have played in unifying the biological sciences.

Kennedy Center Open House Arts Festival Washington, DC | 9/12 The Kennedy Center marks its 38th birthday with a celebration highlighting American and European street performers. Artists include circus standouts L'Arsenal form Montreal. This year, the open house will be at the same time as the Multicultural Children's Book Festival, which includes authors, illustrators, readings and performances.

Sargent and the Sea Washington, DC | 9/12 - 1/3/10 This collection of more than 80 paintings and drawings depicts seascapes and coastal scenes from the early career of John Singer Sargent (1856-1925), and it includes masterwork "En Route Pour La Peche (Setting Out to Fish)." Many works were inspired by summer journeys from the expatriate's home in Paris to the French provinces of Brittany and Normandy and to Capri, Italy.

Takoma Park Folk Festival Silver Spring, MD | 9/13 The family-friendly festival features food, kids' activities and dance and musical performances on seven stages. A juried craft show and sale and community tables round out one of the best and longest-running area festivals.

International Children's Festival at Wolf Trap Vienna, VA | 9/19 - 9/20 International and local artists and performers alike come together for this two-day festival of art for all ages. In addition to staged musical and dance performances by groups from Georgia, Serbia and Spain, the festivities include interactive arts and education tents.

National Book Festival Washington, DC | 9/26 More than 70 award-winning authors, illustrators and poets will appear at the festival, the first time it's been presided over by the Obamas. Although there have been some obvious breaks from the previous administration, this seems like one Bush initiative that President Obama plans to embrace.