Events

Taste of Arlington is One Month Away

By Ethan Rothstein

Taste of Arlington 2012Taste of Arlington, the annual street festival in Ballston, returns on May 18.

The event, hosted by the Ballston Business Improvement District, will close down Wilson Blvd and part of N. Stuart Street to accommodate about 50 restaurant booths, two live music stages, a beer and wine garden, three golf putting holes and a rock climbing wall.

Among the restaurants being featured are Willow, the yet-to-open Kapnos, World of Beer, Big Buns, Pete’s Apizza, Circa and Red Rocks, among others. The restaurants will compete in competitions for best appetizer, best entrée and best dessert. The beer and wine garden will also feature national and local breweries like Port City in Alexandria, Devil’s Backbone, Flying Dog and Starr Hill, plus wine and sparkling wine from Barefoot.

The event will go from noon to 5:00 p.m., rain or shine. Tasting tickets can be bought online 10 for $30 before May 1, and 10 for $35 after that. Tickets for unlimited beer, wine and champagne, plus seats to watch the tasting up close can be had for $100, and $110 after May 1,  in the VIP champagne tent. Starting April 23, Harris Teeter locations in Arlington will also be selling ticket packets at a discount.

Before the event, at 10:00 a.m., there will also be a 5k organized by Girls on the Run, open to runners of all ages.

Disclosure: Ballston BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser. File photo

E-CARE Recycling Event Set for Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Metal recycling at E-CARE (photo via Arlington County DES)Arlington County will hold its twice-yearly Environmental Collection and Recycling Event (E-CARE) on Saturday.

The event is held every spring and fall at Thomas Jefferson Middle School (125 S. Old Glebe Road). The E-CARE on Saturday is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

“E-CARE is an event where Arlington residents can safely dispose of household hazardous materials and recycle bikes, small metal items, shoes, clothing and bed frames among other things,” according to an event listing.

Among the hazardous household items that can be disposed of at E-CARE are: automotive fluids, car care products, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), corrosives (acids/caustics), fire extinguishers, flammable solvents, fluorescent tubes, fuels/petroleum products, household cleaners, lawn and garden chemicals, mercury, paint products (25-can limit), photographic chemicals, poisons (pesticides), propane gas cylinders (small hand-held or larger), and swimming pool chemicals.

Materials not accepted for disposal include: asbestos, explosives and ammunition, Freon, medical wastes, prescription medications, radioactive materials, and smoke detectors.

A full list of other items that will be accepted — including bicycles, electronics, clothing, eyeglasses and hearing aids — is available on the E-CARE website.

Arlington Agenda (April 14-20)

By Ethan Rothstein

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County.

If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form. Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Monday

Arlington Central LibraryMeet Synetic Theater’s Artistic Director
Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Meet Synetic Theater‘s Artistic Director, Paata Tsikurishvili, who directs and stars in many of the theater’s productions. He’s also taught at Georgetown, Catholic and American Universities.

Looking UpOpen Mic Poetry
Busboys & Poets (4251 Campbell Ave.)
Time: 8:00-10:00 p.m.

Poet Angelique Palmer, winner of the Newbie Slam Champion award at the Beltway Poetry Slam in 2011, hosts an open mix poetry night at the Shirlington coffee shop. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Thursday

More beers have been added to the tap selectionAllagash Tap Occupation
Fire Works Pizza (2350 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 5:00-11:00 p.m.

Maine-based brewery Allagash takes over taps at Fire Works with its Red Howes, Odyssey, Confluence, Interlude, Blonde, Black, Saison and White beers. Sampler sizes available.

Rocklands Shed Your Coat LogoPig-and-Oyster Roast for Charity
Rocklands Barbecue & Grilling Company (3471 Washington Blvd)
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Rocklands hosts a benefit for Doorways for Women and Families. Tickets are $35, 100 percent of the proceeds go to doorways, and tickets are good for oysters, pulled pork and beer.

Engine #9Live Music: Engine #9
Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland Street)
Time: 10:00 p.m.

Dover, Del.-based “drum and turntable remix show” Engine #9 plays for the dancers at Clarendon Grill. Cover charge is typically $5.

Saturday

Poor Old ShineLive Music: Poor Old Shine
IOTA Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 8:30 p.m.

Poor Old Shine, a grassroots band from Connecticut with a fiddle and a banjo among its instrumentation, plays the stage at IOTA. Tickets are $12.

Arlington Agenda (April 7-13)

By Ethan Rothstein

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County.

If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form. Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Monday

Matt Williams (photo via ESPN)Q&A with Nationals Manager Matt Williams
Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2901 Columbia Pike)
Time: 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Nationals manager Matt Williams talks with radio hosts from 106.7 The Fan about. After the talk, Williams will take questions from the audience. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

Tuesday

HomeBuyer's SeminarHomebuyer’s Seminar
Whole Foods (2700 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Coldwell Banker hosts a free seminar in the upstairs café of Whole Foods to help those thinking about buying a new home.

Wednesday

Toastmasters logoToastmasters Club Open House*
CACI Ballston (1100 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Toastmasters International, a worldwide club that helps its members become more confident while public speaking and professionally interacting is hosting an open house for prospective members.

Thursday

Modern Mix logoWomen’s Networking Event
Covet (5140 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Interior designer Erica Peale will share ideas for decorating the home in time for the spring. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Friday

BélO posterLive Music: Haitian singer-songwriter BélO
Artisphere Ballroom (1101 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 8:00 p.m.

Haitian singer-songwriter BélO takes the stage at Artisphere to share his reggae-jazz music and socially conscious message. Tickets are $20.

Saturday

Teen Expo 2014 flyerTeen Summer Expo
Washington-Lee High School (1301 N. Stafford Street)
Time: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

More than 50 employers will converge on Washington-Lee looking for candidates for summer jobs. Information on internships and volunteer opportunities will also be provided.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

Road Closures for Crystal City 5K Fridays

By Ethan Rothstein

Crystal City 5K Friday (photo via Crystal City BID)Parts of Crystal Drive and Potomac Avenue will be closing this evening and the following three Fridays to make way for the Crystal Run 5K Fridays.

Starting at 6:30 p.m. tonight and on the evenings of April 11, 18 and 25, the race will kick off at 2121 Crystal Drive and run 3.1 miles from Crystal Drive, down to Potomac Avenue, up to 12th Street S. and back.

Registration for the races are $20 each or $60 for the series and runners can pick up their packets and bibs by the start line. The races are a USATF-approved course and use the same timing tag as most other races.

Below are the street closures the next four Fridays, starting at 6:00 p.m. and opening back up at 8:00 p.m. Street parking in the area will also be restricted, with “No Parking” signs posted around the course.

  • Northbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 12th Street S.
  • Northbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 26th Street and Potomac Avenue/27th Street S.
  • Northbound lanes of Potomac Avenue between 27th Street and 33rd Street S.
  • One southbound lane of Potomac Avenue between 27th Street and 33rd Street S.
  • One westbound lane of 12th Street S. between Crystal Drive and Long Bridge Drive/S. Clark Street
  • One lane of Long Bridge Drive northbound will be closed for approximately 100 feet (Police will cone a new northbound lane and a southbound lane to maintain access)

Photo via Crystal City BID. Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Rosslyn Summer Movies Will Be Office-Themed

By Ethan Rothstein

Office Space posterThe Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival, the Rosslyn Business Improvement District’s weekly summer film series at Gateway Park, will have a work theme for 2014.

Starting with “Office Space” on May 30, every Friday night will have a movie set in an office of some kind.

The Rosslyn BID said the movies are meant to portray office life as “honest, funny, goofy, and just plain entertaining.”

The full lineup is as follows:

  • May 30 — Office Space
  • June 6 — The Devil Wears Prada
  • June 13 — Horrible Bosses
  • June 20 — Thank You For Smoking
  • June 27 — Two Weeks Notice
  • July 11 — The Internship
  • July 18 — How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days
  • July 25 — Up in the Air
  • August 1 — Nine to Five
  • August 8 — Empire Records
  • August 15 — Miss Congeniality
  • August 22 — Anchorman

Gateway Park is at 1300 Lee Highway, between N. Nash and Lynn Streets. The movies start at 8:00 p.m., but moviegoers who show up early can participate in games and giveaways.

Arlington Agenda (March 31-April 6)

By Ethan Rothstein

Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County.

If you’d like to see your event featured, fill out the event submission form. Also, be sure to check out our event calendar.

Wednesday

Space Taxi coverBestselling Author Visits Child’s Play
Barstons Child’s Play (4510 Lee Highway)
Time: 4:00-5:30 p.m.

New York Times bestselling author Wendy Mass, who writes the popular Space Taxi series, to deliver a presentation, conduct a Q&A session and sign books. It’s free and no registration is required.

Thursday

Open MicHouse of Steep Open Mic
House of Steep (3800 Lee Highway, Suite D)
Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Cherrydale tea shop House of Steep is hosting what it hopes is the first of monthly open mics for writers, performers and all creative types to perform.

Friday

Cafe AsiaHunger is No Joke Fundraiser
Cafe Asia (1550 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 8:00-11:00 p.m.

90s cover band White Ford Bronco plays at Cafe Asia for its annual “Hunger is No Joke” fundraiser. All proceeds go to AFAC. Tickets are $30 each or $55 for two, and there will be raffles and a silent auction.

Saturday

Artisan Crafts Show
Lyon Village Community House (1920 N. Highland Street)
Time: 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Women Entrepreneurs: Community, Accountability and Networking hosts a crafts fair for female artisans. Woman-owned food businesses will also be represented.

AFAC celebrates 25th anniversaryShred for Bread
Little Falls Presbyterian Church (6025 Little Falls Road)
Time: 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Little Falls Presbyterian is hosting residents looking to shred their documents for free, and soliciting food and cash donations to the Arlington Food Assistance Center.

Sunday

Christy's Shoes fundraiser flyerDoorways Fundraiser at Lyon Hall
Lyon Hall (3100 Washington Blvd)
Time: 3:00-6:00 p.m.

A fundraiser for Doorways for Women & Families, hosted by an Ohio-based foundation, comes to Clarendon. Admission is $30: there will be a DJ, and Lyon Hall will be catering hors d’oeuvres and drinks.

County to Unveil Rosslyn ‘Bikeometer’

By Ethan Rothstein

Rosslyn's Bikeometer (photo via BikeArlington)Several Arlington County officials will be on hand next week to unveil a high-tech “bikeometer,” on the Custis Trail in Rosslyn.

The bikeometer will be on the trail near the intersection of Lee Highway and N. Lynn Street — known as the “Intersection of Doom” — with electronic displays counting “passing bicyclists in real time and cumulative daily, monthly and year-to-date counts,” according to an Arlington County press release.

The bikeometer is the first of its kind on the East Coast and sixth in the nation, according to BikeArlington. The data will be used in future planning for cyclists in the area in addition to providing “a highly visible, engaging and fun view of the volume of bike usage on the Custis Trail in Arlington.”

Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette will be on hand, along with League of American Bicyclists President Andy Clarke, on Tuesday, April 1 at 10:00 a.m. to unveil the bikeometer.

Photo via BikeArlington

Carnaval de Oruro Parade Planned Sunday

By ARLnow.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bDw9cD6dxo

Several streets will be closed near Shirlington on Sunday for the Carnaval de Oruro parade.

The parade is scheduled to kick off at 10:30 a.m. on S. Four Mile Run, between George Mason Drive and Walter Reed Drive. Based on a 2,000+ year-old religious and cultural tradition in Bolivia, the parade will feature music and folk dancers.

Police are planning the following road closures on Sunday:

  • Right lane of southbound Walter Reed Drive near S. Four Mile Run Drive will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Westbound lanes of S. Four Mile Run Drive will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Westbound traffic will be directed onto the Four Mile Run Drive access road.
  • Right lane of northbound S. George Mason Drive near Four Mile Run Drive will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Temporary “no parking” signs will also be posted along the parade route.

ArtFest 2014 to Kick Off Friday

By Courtney Battle

Artfest 2014 (photo courtesy of Arlington Artists Alliance)The Arlington Artists Alliance is organizing a week of art appreciation starting this Friday.

ArtFest 2014 will be held at Fort C.F. Smith Park (2411 24th Street N.) and will run from March 28 to April 4. Festival-goers will be able to enjoy an ongoing art show and attend workshops and demos, according to the organization’s website. This marks the 12th year the Artists Alliance will hold ArtFest, which is free and open to the public.

The Hendry House, a historic 20th century mansion on the park grounds, will host the art show throughout the week. In addition, artists such as Jackie Afram and Fran Simms will conduct workshops on painting with oil bars and watercolor.

An opening reception will kick off the week on Friday, March 28th from 6-8 p.m., at which visitors can meet the artists and enjoy light refreshments.

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