Dance Party

The Columbia chapter of the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women will sponsor its first "Crafty Extravaganza" from 9:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Nov. 5 at Long Reach High School, 6101 Old Dobbin Lane, Columbia. Artisans and small-business owners are invited to participate in the holiday bazaar and craft show. The bazaar is open to the public. Information: 410-381-1342 or 410-531-1080. Center planning teen dance party The Columbia Association's Columbia Teen Center will hold a Harvest Dance Party from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday at the center, 5853 Robert Oliver Place in Oakland Mills Village Center.

While the city's trendiest denizens - the hipster elite - can usually be found sipping whiskey tonics at Sonar's Taxidermy Lounge, those searching for the best indie dance party in town should look no further than the Ottobar's monthly Underground dance party. The Converse-clad regulars celebrate the party's fourth anniversary Saturday in royal style with the best Britpop, indie, electro and new wave the city has to offer. The party is the creation of Matt Walter and Craig Boarman, who started indie dance nights in Baltimore when they saw a similar party called Mousetrap at the Black Cat Club in Washington.

Guitar master Via This one is for everyone out there who's taken a guitar lesson (or wished he or she had). Guitar master Steve Via will roll into Rams Head Live for a show tonight. Via played in bands with Frank Zappa and David Lee Roth. He also rocked with Whitesnake. Via's one-time guitar teacher (and high school friend) Eric Sardinas will also play. Doors open at 6 p.m. Sardinas plays at 8 p.m. and Via goes on at 9 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance and $28 the day of the show. 21 and over only.

What: Guilty Pleasures Synth-Pop Dance Night Where: The Black Cat, 1811 14th St. N.W., Washington When: 9:30 p.m. tomorrow Why: Admission to this D.C. dance party is just $5, so you can shake it like a fool on the cheap (and without worrying about all of your Baltimore friends and neighbors catching a glimpse of the action). Information: Call 202-667-7960 or visit www.blackcatdc.com.

Nearly 50 young people were arrested on drug charges at a daylong "rave" dance Saturday at Anne Arundel County Fair Grounds, police said yesterday. Raves are large dance parties that usually are held in warehouses or large outdoor locations. Drug use is often rampant at such events, which feature laser lights and electronic "techno" dance music, authorities say. Anne Arundel County Police Sgt. Edward P. Bergin said Saturday's rave - sponsored by Vinyl Lab Productions of Virginia - attracted an estimated 2,500 revelers.

Anne Arundel County will be basking in the glow of Viennese elegance and laughter this weekend, courtesy of the inimitable Johann Strauss. The great "Waltz King" is famous not only for the "ein, zwei, drei" ("one, two, three") fluidity and grace of masterpieces like his "Blue Danube" and "Tales of the Vienna Woods," but also for one of the fizziest, most colorful nights of them all at the opera. It is Strauss' delightful opera "Die Fledermaus" ("The Bat") which will be performed twice this weekend at different venues in the county.

Summer soundsPinchas Zukerman and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra will launch Summer MusicFest with a performance tonight in the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Billed as "a new kind of summer concert experience," the concerts will continue through July 23.Zukerman, the Summer MusicFest artistic director, will lead and perform with the orchestra. Also featured is young Israeli violinist Ariel Shamai.Tonight's concert will showcase the works of Mozart and Mendelssohn.Saturday night's "all-Brahms" concert will feature the fancy fingerwork of Irish pianist Barry Douglas, the Gold Medal winner at the 1986 Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition.