With more than 90 acres of activities, Cox Farms has one of the largest fall festivals in the area. This is your last weekend to ride the five giant slides, go on hayrides, travel through straw tunnels and take on rope swings. New this year are two kids' features: the Kiddie Zone for age 5 and...

There are two ways to get to India from Lorton: You can buy expensive plane tickets and fly for hours, or you can attend the Workhouse Film Institute's celebration of Bollywood. It's the kickoff of the organization's Cinematic Tourist Series, which focuses on different regions and their cuisines. On...

Using bold paint colors and a list of budget-friendly resources, Ellicott City designer Kelly Porter transforms a fusty family office into a modern and colorful space to call her own.

The designer gives her take on brightening a room with color.

Paint colors in Porter's home office, all from Sherwin-Williams. Rhapsody Lilac (SW6828) Brevity Brown (SW6068) Aquatint (SW6936)

( 1 ) DESK http://www.overstock.com $300 ( 2 ) BLUE TABLE LAMP

HomeGoods ( http://www.homegoods.com ) "Great for affordable accessories and accent furniture pieces. They offer different styles [modern, traditional, vintage, etc.], and you can find furnishings for every room in your home. I also like that they bring in new items weekly."

"My biggest challenge is the slanted cathedral ceiling causing an extremely tall wall."

How to fix chimney stains and water marks on wood.

Sales at Rockville Interiors haven't been as robust as in the past, says manager Ilan Fulop. To attract shoppers, the store is offering holiday discounts, marking down window treatment fabrics 20 and 25 percent off retail prices.

These were among sales recorded recently in Prince William County and supplied to The Washington Post by the Prince William County Real Estate Assessments Office. To find sale and assessment records for homes in Prince William and elsewhere in the Washington area, visit...

With vivid colors on the trees and cooling temperatures, fall is a spectacular season for being active outdoors. "No one should feel intimidated by the changing weather," says Barbara Klieforth, president of the board of directors of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (http://www.waba.org)...

Nov. 27, 2007: It's a day Haymarket residents Rich and Sandy Leap will never forget because it marked the first time they heard their daughter's voice in almost a year.

Barry Barnard was recently promoted to Prince William County deputy police chief, a position that has been vacant since 1993, when Jim Sullivan retired. Barnard was the assistant chief of police for administration.

A new tool for the business community could be on the way as Prince William officials and Northern Virginia Community College look to open a workforce development center in the eastern end of the county.

ART EXHIBIT , multimedia works by Lu Wyer Harris and watercolors by Catherine Hillis. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 1-5 p.m. Saturdays, through Dec. 17, Center for the Arts, Caton Merchant Family Art Gallery, 9419 Battle St., Manassas. Free. 703-330-2787 or http://www.center-for-the-arts.org .

Action in the Community Through Service needs volunteers for Operation Turkey, which provides Thanksgiving food baskets to local families. Food donations are needed, as are volunteers to sort the food and distribute the baskets. Financial donations will also be accepted. For information, call...

Dumfries United Methodist Church , 3890 Cameron St., will hold a holiday craft show and bake sale from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, sponsored by the Women of the Dumfries United Methodist Church. 703-221-7440.

The following incidents were reported by Prince William County police. For information, call 703-792-7245.

Animals find shelter in our homes, unnerving millions of people and generating a multibillion-dollar pest control industry.

1. Springtails 2. Box elder bugs 3. Multicolored Asian lady beetles

Gardening tip of the week.

MONTGOMERY CHILD CARE ASSOCIATION 5K RACE AND WACKY FUN RUN The 5K is a challenging rolling-hills loop in Lake Needwood Park. For the Wacky Fun Run, participants are invited to wear costumes or decorate a stroller. There is also a half-mile run for children and beginners. Proceeds benefit the...

The Manassas-based Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative has received $5 million in federal stimulus funds to deploy new technology that will improve the efficiency and reliability of its distribution system, company officials said.

The U.S. Census Bureau has opened a Manassas office and selected managers to support the 2010 Census operations.

Groups across Loudoun County are aiming to collect hundreds of sweat suits for ailing veterans before the holiday season.

News that appeared Oct. 25-31 in The Washington Post that is of interest to readers in Prince William County.

John Chapman is a Loudoun County developer who has made a lot of money building on land that Loudoun Valley High School teacher John DeMary has spent 37 years teaching his students to nurture.

Late in the fourth quarter of Woodbridge's game Friday night at Osbourn Park, quarterback Frank Buckley crouched under center with Michael Herrity lined up as a wing back to his left.

10 AND YOUNGER: Old Dominion Outlaws travel team is having tryouts. http://www.odoutlaws.com ; Coach Pete Lysohir, pete@odoutlaws.com , 571-259-9357.

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, 2-3 p.m., Conference Room 2/3. Potomac Hospital, 2300 Opitz Blvd., Woodbridge. 703-494-5763.