The Silver Spring Penguin

The Penguin newsroom’s Guac Watch 2008 continues, with the avocado predicted to ripen by Friday.

View the avocado’s progress on The Penguin’s Facebook page. Bring your own chips.

Once the visual feast is over, check out these events in Silver Spring:

Thursday

7:00 p.m. Lace ‘em up. Roll ‘em out. The free four- to seven-mile fun run hits Pacers Running Store (8535 Fenton St). In case of bad weather, call (301) 495-7811.

9:00 p.m. Independent comedy makes its way to downtown Silver Spring. “The Awesome Room” comedy showcase kicks it at McGinty’s Public House (911 Ellsworth Dr). Four bucks gets you through the door.

Friday

12:00 p.m. NOAA’s Frank Cantelas and John Jensen, with the Sea Education Association, talk about Alaska’s oldest shipwreck, plus a Klondike Gold Rush passenger ship that sank mysteriously.

It’s all a part of NOAA’s Heritage Week series and “Shipwrecks!” exhibit. Hit it at NOAA’s auditorium (1301 East-West Hwy) — it’s free and open to the public.

8:00 p.m. The Silver Spring Stage (10145 Colesville Rd) presents the comedrama “Seascape”. Tickets run $15 to $18 each.

Saturday

11:00 a.m. NOAA (1301 East-West Hwy) opens its auditorium doors for “Shipwrecks!”, a free exhibit featuring artifacts, robot subs and hands-on activities for the kiddies. The show rolls to 4:00 p.m. each day (including weekends) until Feb 10.

11:00 a.m. The Long Branch Public Library (8800 Garland Ave) celebrates Tet, the lunar new year, old-skool style with traditional Vietnamese music and dance. It’s free.

2:00 p.m. While you’re jamming for Tet at the Long Branch Public Library (8800 Garland Ave), catch a free screening of the film “The Road Home” (China, 1999).

2:30 p.m. The Silver Spring Public Library (8901 Colesville Rd) gets down with a traditional Chinese lion dance to celebrate the lunar new year. The party is free and open to the public.

8:00 p.m. The Silver Spring Stage (10145 Colesville Rd) presents the comedrama “Seascape”. Tickets run $15 to $18 each.

Sunday

11:00 a.m. NOAA (1301 East-West Hwy) opens its auditorium doors for “Shipwrecks!”, a free exhibit featuring artifacts, robot subs and hands-on activities for the kiddies. The show rolls to 4:00 p.m. each day (including weekends) until Feb 10.

2:00 p.m. The Silver Spring Stage (10145 Colesville Rd) wraps up the comedrama “Seascape”. Tickets run $13 to $15 each.

5:00 p.m. Drag cabaret debuts at the “Queery House: Out of the Closet, Into the Basement” show. The feather boas fly at the Quarry House (8401 Georgia Ave). Correction: This event debuts next Sunday, Feb 10.

And don’t forget The Big Show.

Updated Feb 1, 2008, at 11:45 a.m.