Events

Andy Warhol’s Silver Clouds Opens at Artisphere Tonight

By Ethan Rothstein

Andy Warhol's Silver CloudsAndy Warhol’s famous Silver Clouds exhibit is open starting tonight at Artisphere.

The cultural center, at 1101 Wilson Blvd, will be hosting the exhibit’s 150 inflated silver balloons — on loan from the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh — until Sunday, Oct. 20, and it will host a kickoff party for the event tonight (Thursday) from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Silver Clouds will be presented free to the public in Artisphere’s Terrace Gallery. The clouds, which are filled with a delicate balance of air and helium, are free for visitors to walk among and touch.

The exhibition will be complemented by a series of public programs, including a commissioned dance performance and interactive workshop by Dance Exchange. Spanish new media artist Sergio Albiac will also be creating a commissioned generative portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama inspired by Andy Warhol’s signature portraiture.

Photo courtesy of Brandon Pass and Artisphere

Arlington Agenda (Sept. 9-15)

By ARLnow.com

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.

Tuesday

Woman with bikeBikeArlington’s Two Wheel Tuesday*
Courthouse Plaza (2100 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Information session for would-be bike commuters includes tips on bike types and maintenance, how to find a good route to work and how to ride comfortably in traffic.

bentuftsposterHelp Ben Tufts Concert
Iota Club and Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7:00 – 1:00 a.m.

A long line-up of local musicians perform to benefit Ben Tufts, a fellow local musician whose drum set was stolen from a truck in D.C. last month.

Wednesday

wednesday_442x619Ric Edelman’s Mind Over Money Seminar*
Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel (2800 S. Potomac Avenue)
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

New York Times bestselling author Ric Edelman demonstrates how financial decision-making is all about psychology, and that behavioral finance determines why you handle money the way you do.

Thursday

Dawson-Bailey HouseHistory Talk: Dawson-Bailey House
Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.

Historian Karl VanNewkirk presents a visual history of the Dawson-Bailey House, thought to be the second-oldest home in Arlington County.

thursday_716x619Arlington Aachen Student Exchange Info Meeting*
Westover Branch Library (1644 N. McKinley Road)
Time: 7:15 – 8:15 p.m.

Learn about hosting a German student this fall, and/or going to Aachen, Germany next summer. Arlington families have enjoyed this low-cost and memorable home-stay exchange for over 20 years.

Friday

536538_371433976305287_1356794886_nLive Music: Blue Label
Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland Street)
Time: 9:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.

Local cover band Blue Label, comprised of members from various prominent local cover bands, performs at Clarendon Grill.

Saturday

Wine-Tasting-2Twisted Vines Wine Tasting to Benefit Arlington Free Clinic
Twisted Vines Bottleshop and Bistro (2803 Columbia Pike)
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Guests will taste five wines of Austria, enjoy cheese and charcuterie and participate in a discussion led by Klaus Wittauer of KWSelections. A portion of the proceeds will go to Arlington Free Clinic.

Sunday

sundayVintage Crystal: Sip and Salsa
220 20th Street S.
Time: 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Crystal City’s signature wine and food tasting event, Sip and Salsa, boasts the region’s only Metro-accessible, inside-the-Beltway outdoor wine festival.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

Shirlington Oktoberfest to Return Oct. 5

By ARLnow.com

Shirlington Oktoberfest (courtesy photo)The annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest will return to Shirlington on Saturday, Oct. 5.

The 14th annual event, held along Campbell Avenue, will run from noon to 7:00 p.m., though beer taps will close at 6:00.

Admission for beer drinkers is $25 and includes a four ounce tasting glass and 10 drink tickets. Additional drink tickets can be purchased for $1 apiece, with a five ticket minimum. Non-drinkers and children can enjoy the festivities for free.

More than 100 types of beers from more than 50 local and international breweries will be served, according to event organizer Capitol City Brewing Company. There will also be German-inspired entertainment and food.

“Beer enthusiasts can listen to live Alpine folk music as they sample select handcrafted beers and enjoy authentic German cuisine from a variety of local vendors and Shirlington Village eateries,” Capitol City Brewing said, in a press release.

In advance of the event, Capitol City’s Shirlington location will begin offering two new Oktoberfest beers: Smoketoberfest and Dr. Punkinstein.

Courtesy photo

Mosque and Church to Co-Host Peace Service

By Ethan Rothstein

Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ and the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center of Falls Church will co-host a “Day for World Peace” service this Sunday.

Hosted at the church (5010 N. Little Falls Road) and starting at 10:00 a.m. on Sept. 8, the service’s theme is “Two Faiths, One Creation.” It’s the third consecutive year the two congregations have organized the event, which was started on the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The service will be followed by a social hour, after which many congregants will go to Washington, D.C., for the 9/11 Unity Walk, which starts at noon at Washington Hebrew Congregation (3935 Macomb Street NW) and travels down Massachusetts Avenue.

Below is the press release for the interfaith service:

A Day for World Peace will be observed on September 8 at an interfaith service involving two congregations — one Muslim, the other Christian. The service will take place at Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ in Arlington, which will be joined by the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center of Falls Church. The theme for the day will be “Two Faiths, One Creation.” It recognizes that all people, regardless of faith tradition, are citizens of a single planet.

This exciting occasion builds on the memorable interfaith service observed on the tenth anniversary of 9/11 in September, 2011 by the congregations of Dar Al-Hijrah and Rock Spring, followed by another in 2012. The service will involve elements from each faith, and after a social hour, many congregants will join the 9/11 Unity Walk in DC, which “seeks to create a world where we are united, rather than divided, by our many faiths”

All are invited to attend: Sunday, September 8, 2013, 10:00 a.m. Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ, 5010 Little Falls Road, Arlington, VA 22207.

For information: 703 538 4886

Band to Stage ‘Endurance Performance’ at Artisphere

By Ethan Rothstein

Bella RussiaA local band, with the help of collaborators, will perform for eight hours straight at Artisphere tomorrow to promote its new EP release.

Bella Russia, based in D.C., will perform Sept. 7 from noon to 8:00 p.m. in Artisphere’s Black Box Theatre, at 1101 Wilson Blvd. The band is releasing its new EP, “Epaulet,” Saturday and — once the marathon concert is over — hosting a release party from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. with performances by other artists and a cash bar.

Visitors will be able to watch the performance from a viewing window above the theater and will only allowed to enter the theater during the afterparty. The Sea Life and Janel and Anthony will be performing during the release party.

“With a live show consisting of manic instrument changes, unexpected arrangements, and blistering instrumentation, D.C.-based Bella Russia falls somewhere between rhythmic avant-indie and progressive instrumental,” according to The Pink Line Project‘s announcement of the event. “On stage, the band layers and builds their driving and occasionally nerdy compositions into sounds that at times seem too impossibly complex to be coming from a trio.”

Photo by Yassine el Mansouri, via Artisphere

Arlington Agenda (Sept. 2-8)

By ARLnow.com

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.

Tuesday

Woman with bikeBikeArlington’s Two Wheel Tuesday*
Courthouse Plaza (2100 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

Information session for would-be bike commuters includes tips on bike types and maintenance, how to find a good route to work and how to ride comfortably in traffic.

tuesday-2Public Speaking Competition
Aurora Hills Library (735 18th Street S.)
Time: 7:15 – 9:00 p.m.

The Crystal City Evening Toastmasters hold their bi-annual speech contest. The organization seeks to help members improve their public speaking skills.

Friday

rhys-darby_1460036cLive Comedy: Rhys Darby
Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 7:30 and 10:00 p.m.

New Zealand native Rhys Darby, best known for playing the band manager on HBO’s Flight of the Conchords, performs standup comedy.

Saturday

ShamrocksFirst Responders Cup Women’s Fastpitch Softball*
Barcroft Sports Complex (4100 S. Four Mile Run)
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

The annual charity softball tournament takes place. Games will be played at the Barcroft Sports Complex and at Virginia Highlands Park, on S. Hayes Street. Attendance is free.

AWLA-Animal-House-flier-2013-FINALAWLA 3rd Annual Fall Fair Animal House
Animal Welfare League of Arlington (2650 S. Arlington Mill Drive)
Time: 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington’s annual open house includes games, a DJ, a BBQ food truck, and adoptable animals.

jazz_thumbs_newponcho

Rosslyn Jazz Festival
Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway)
Time: 1:00 – 7:00 p.m.

The free annual event will feature performances by notable jazz artists as well as food from a variety of vendors.

Sunday

ShamrocksFirst Responders Cup Women’s Fastpitch Softball*
Barcroft Sports Complex (4100 S. Four Mile Run)
Time: 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

The annual charity softball tournament takes place. The championship round will be played at Barcroft Sports Complex on Sunday. Attendance is free.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event

BikeArlington Hosts Event for the ‘Bike-Curious’

By Ethan Rothstein

Zen Around the City flyerNext week, BikeArlington will host an event on the stress-reducing potential of riding a bike.

The event, called Zen Around the City, will be held at Mind Your Body Oasis yoga studio (1750 Crystal Drive) in Crystal City, on Wednesday, Sept. 4 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. It will feature experts in cycling and yoga, a dinner and gift bags with $25 worth of memorabilia.

Zen Around the City is for women only, and includes an optional 30-minute yoga class before it starts. Once the yoga is over, attendees can expect “women-specific advice on getting around on a bike,” and a lesson on the health benefits of cycling.

Billed as an event for the “bike-curious,” tickets are $5 and, as of Thursday, there were only 45 remaining.

Image via Arlington Transportation Partners

Two 5Ks Scheduled in Commemoration of 9/11

By Ethan Rothstein

Medal from the Arlington 9-11 Memorial 5K race(Updated on 8/28/13) The 12th anniversary of 9/11 means the return of two commemorative 5Ks in Arlington.

On Saturday, Sept. 7 at 6:00 p.m., the Police, Fire & Sheriff 9/11 Memorial 5K will run for the 11th year. The race starts and ends at the Double Tree Hotel in Pentagon City at 300 Army Navy Drive.

Since its first running in 2002, the 5K has raised more than $400,000 for charities affiliated with 9/11. This year, proceeds will go to Segs4Vets and Project Enduring Pride. Registration is $35 until Sept. 1, and $40 until race day. The race is limited to 4,000 participants.

The following week will be the 9/11 Heroes Run, Saturday, Sept. 14 at 8:30 a.m. The 5K will begin on 23rd Street S. between Fern and Eads Streets,  in Crystal City. Registration is $30, but only those who register before Sept. 1 are guaranteed a race shirt and finishers dogtag.

Proceeds from the Heroes Run will go to the Travis Manion Foundation, set up to help Travis Mills, a quadruple-amputee who was wounded in Afghanistan by an Improvised Explosive Device.

Arlington to Launch Month of Emergency Preparedness Events

By Ethan Rothstein

File photo of a tree down over 6th Street S. near the intersection with S. Buchanan StreetArlington County is rolling out a slate of events in September for Emergency Preparedness Month.

A kickoff event featuring an “emergency preparedness social and photo booth” is planned for Thursday, Sept. 5. That event will take place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at A-Town Bar and Grill at 4100 Fairfax Drive.

Starting Sept. 12, Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse will be hosting Disaster Movie Month, showing classic disaster films until Sept. 30.

There will be three nights of “preparedness trivia” — at Crystal City Sports Pub (529 23rd Street S.) on Labor Day, Sept. 2 at 8:00 p.m.; at Samuel Beckett’s (2800 S. Randolph Street) on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m.; and at Clarendon Grill (1101 N. Highland Street) on Wednesday, Sept. 18 at 8:00 p.m.

A “Power Outage Webinar” will be held online at noon on Friday, Sept. 20.

A community “table top exercise” is planned for Tuesday, Sept. 24 in the Arlington Central Library auditorium (1015 N. Quincy Street). Representatives from Dominion Virginia Power, Verizon, Arlington Public Schools and public safety officials will be on hand for the event, which starts at 7:00 p.m.

In addition to the events, Arlington’s Office of Emergency Management released a list of tips for residents to make sure they’re prepared in case of a natural disaster or emergency:

  • Learn about the emergency plan for your business
  • Test your communication plan with your family
  • Check your emergency supplies
  • Know when to shelter in place and when to evacuate. If you are safe where you are, stay where you are until you get more information. Visit sites.arlingtonva.us/oem
  • Important documents: keep them together, safe and accessible — include insurance policies, photos of your home, home floor plan and personal property inventory. Tip: Put on a flash drive and leave with a family or friend.
  • Medication: ask your doctor for samples — put in your supply kit; Have backup plans for oxygen or batteries.

File photo

Outdoor Movie Season Wraps Up This Week

By Ethan Rothstein

Outdoor movie in Crystal CityThe final showings of two summer outdoor movie festivals in Arlington will be held this week.

Crystal Screen, the weekly showing set up by the Crystal City Business Improvement District at 1851 S. Bell Street, will wrap up tonight (Monday) with Jurassic Park. The 1993 classic is the culmination of this summer’s “Blockbusters” theme. The film will begin after sunset.

Crystal City has already announced next summer’s theme, Flight.

The Rosslyn outdoor film festival‘s final screening of the summer will be Grease. The Rosslyn Business Improvement District will show the original high school musical at dusk at Arlington Gateway Park, rain or shine, on Friday (Aug. 30).

The movie screenings are free to attend.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID and Rosslyn BID are ARLnow.com advertisers.

Celtic Festival Coming To Shirlington

By Ethan Rothstein

Becketts Celtic Festival posterOne day in mid-September, the streets of Shirlington will be filled with bagpipes, dancers, men in kilts and pints of Guinness.

“Beckett’s Celtic Festival” will be held from noon to 7:00 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21 in Shirlington. During the festival, Campbell Avenue will be closed between S. Randolph Street and the Harris Teeter.

The event is being organized by Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub. Owner Mark Kirwan said he saw a dearth of Irish events in the area, and took it upon himself to organize the festival.

“I think I’ve looked around and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere in Arlington that celebrates not just Irish but the Celtic heritage,” Kirwan said. “We just wanted to try to acknowledge the relationship that the Celtic nations have had with the USA. It’s nice to come out and put your kilt on and celebrate your history here.”

Kirwan said there will be a stage set up for bands brought over from Ireland to perform. The U.S. Marshal Pipe Band and several Irish dancing schools will put on displays of traditional Irish music and performance. Vendors will be set up in tents selling Celtic crafts, and classic Irish dishes — like Shepherd’s Pie, bangers and mash, corned beef sandwiches and Irish curry — will be served.

Kirwan said there will be a 40-foot Guinness “gig rig” trailer dispensing beer. Wine will also be sold.

“It’s going to be very much a family-oriented day out,” Kirwan said. The festival will be free for all to enter. “It should be a great day.”

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