A poster for the ¡Viva Cultura! Festival (courtesy of Centro de Apoyo Familiar)
A festival to showcase Latin American music, folk dance, art and food is coming to Rosslyn next month.
The ¡Viva Cultura! Festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 13, at Gateway Park (1300 Langston Blvd), which is a five-minute walk from the Rosslyn Metro station. The event is set to begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Centro de Apoyo Familiar is organizing the family-friendly event and plans to provide live music, dance performances, exhibitions and food, according to the festival’s website. Folk dance groups representing countries like Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico are expected to perform their traditional dances in traditional costumes as well.
As for the exhibition, Centro de Apoyo Familiar plans to have artisans from the Caribbean as well as Central and South America offering handcrafted items. Exhibitors include a Colombian handmade jewelry store and organizations like the League of United Latin American Citizens. The deadline for becoming an exhibitor is Sunday, July 31, according to the online registration form.
An art exhibition for Latino artists in Arlington is also set. However, registration for it has yet to open, according to the event’s website.
The event will feature a number of activities catered to kids, including face painting, clowns, musical chairs and other games, according to the website. Food trucks selling cuisines from different countries are also expected. Registration for food vendors is still open.
CAF is a nonprofit working in D.C., Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia to provide housing counseling to low-income Latino and immigrant families, according to its website.
Cosplayers at BlerDCon in Crystal City (via BlerDCon/YouTube)
Cosplayers at BlerDCon in Crystal City (via BlerDCon/YouTube)
Cosplayers at Blerdcon in 2018 (photo via Blerdcon/Facebook)
A cosplayer at the 2019 BlerDCon, which takes place in Crystal City (via BlerDCon/YouTube)
A celebration of anime, gaming, comic, sci-fi and popular culture for people of all background is back at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Crystal City starting today (Friday).
The convention, BlerDCon, is being held at 2799 Richmond Highway and is set to run through Sunday. Its first event kicked off at 10 a.m. this morning.
All participants need to be vaccinated and masked while indoors, according to the convention’s website.
The theme for the convention this year is “Homecomin’.” BlerDCon expects that 3,000-4,000 participants — many in costume — will be joining, according to its website.
A weekend pass for the convention costs $65 and is still open for purchase. Registration for Friday and Saturday is open between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., while the hours will end at 5 p.m. on the last day of the convention.
Apart from celebrating Blerd — Black nerd — culture, the convention this year also celebrates its “connection with LGBTQ, the disabled, POCs and the international community,” according to its website.
The inclusive convention, which was also held in Crystal City last year, has already attracted some unintentional attention given current fears about gun violence and the propensity for some cosplaying attendees to also carry fake weapons.
Police were called to the McDonald’s along Route 1 around 12:45 p.m. today for a report, relayed via Alexandria’s 911 dispatch center, about a man seen crossing the road near the restaurant with a large gun, according to scanner traffic.
An Arlington officer, recognizing that the convention was taking place nearby, quickly radioed that the sighting might be related to BlerDCon. There were no reports of anyone being stopped by police, but there was some confusion on the ACPD dispatch channel about what exactly BlerDCon was.
“Black nerds,” an officer responded. “It’s like Comic-Con.”
During the weekend convention, different events are set to be held, including RPG games, comedy shows, cosplay contests and different panels. The first three panels of the convention are on topics such as representation in comics and a Kpop dance challenge, according to a tweet.
Comedian Orlando Jones is set to the convention’s celebrity guest.
BlerDCon is not the only subculture convention that regularly comes to Crystal City. Earlier this year the “furry” convention Fur the More was again held at the Hyatt Regency.
Fourth of July fireworks from the Iwo Jima memorial in 2021 (Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf)
For the first time in a couple of years, Arlington is back to fully celebrating America’s Independence Day.
In both 2020 and 2021, the pandemic led to the canceling of a number of official July 4 events as well as many of the local holiday festivities.
But, for the most part, Independence Day events, parades, and firework shows are back this year in Arlington.
The fireworks on the National Mall are set to start shooting off at 9:09 p.m. on Monday, July 4 and there are plenty of local spots to watch them without heading to the District.
Gateway Parkand the Key Bridge in Rosslyn are both popular viewing spots for viewing and will be open to the public. There’s no seating on the bridge, however.
Gravelly Point, just north of National Airport on the George Washington Parkway, is a National Park Service site and will also be open to the public. No “hard perimeter” or “physical security checkpoints” will be in place, a NPS spokesperson tells ARLnow, though certain areas may be roped off to help with crowd control.
Long Bridge Parkin Crystal City will be open to the public for firework viewing. Arlington County police will be on hand “conducting road closures and providing safety and security” on-site, a county spokesperson tells ARLnow.
Marine Corps War Memorial (Iwo Jima) near Rosslyn is one of the most popular spots to watch fireworks outside of the National Mall. No “hard perimeter” or security checkpoints will be in place, though it might get crowded and certain areas could be roped off.
Mount Vernon Trail along the Potomac River near Roosevelt Island provides “uninterrupted views” of the District’s skyline. Though, the best views are on the trial which is only accessible for bikes and pedestrians.
Prospect Hill Park near Pentagon City is a small county park from which one can view the fireworks, though it is only a half-acre and mostly used by nearby residents.
The View of DC observation deck on top of the CEB Tower at 1201 Wilson Blvd also will not be open this year for fireworks viewing, closing at 5 p.m. on July 4, an employee confirmed to ARLnow. In years past, residents were able to enter their names into a lottery to watch the show 31 floors up, but that isn’t the case this year.
The Washington Golf and Country Club off of N. Glebe Road is again set to have its own fireworks show, though it’s only open to members and their guests, we’re told.
For those looking to head downtown for the fireworks, Metrorail will be operating until midnight, with trains every 20 minutes on the Blue and Orange lines and every 15 minutes on the Yellow Line. Trains will arrive every 7 minutes at the downtown stations serviced by several lines.
Several Arlington communities and neighborhoods are back to holding parades and festive events this year as well:
Bluemont Bell Ringing gives a chance to “young and old” to ring the brass bell next to Fire Station 2 at the corner of N. George Mason Drive and Wilson Blvd.
Fairlington Fourth of July Parade is back for its four rendition after a two-year hiatus. It begins at 10 a.m. next to the old fire station at 3116 S. Abingdon Street.
Douglas Park Fourth of July Parade this year will be the 40th annual. Judging for best parade floats, costumes, and decorated bikes begins at 10 a.m. with the parade starting at 10:30 a.m.
Lyon Village’s 4th of July Parade and Picnicis scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at the corner of Key Blvd and Highland Street. There will be antique cars, police vehicles, and fire trucks.
With all of this going on, there will also be road closures including Arlington Memorial Bridge and Arlington Memorial Circle starting at 6 a.m. on July 4.
Now in its 30th year, the festival is set to again be held at Gateway Park, at 1300 Lee Highway, between 1-7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10.
The event is free to attend but registration is encouraged due to the park’s capacity limit. Registration is set to open on the festival’s Eventbrite page on Monday, Aug. 1 at noon, according to the event’s website.
Music magazine Billboard ranked headliner Cimafunk as one of 10 Latin Artists to Watch in 2019. The musician described his band’s style as a “mix of funk with Cuban music and African rhythms,” according to his website.
The festival this year is set to have “an emphasis on international influences” and the musicians it invited “blend African, Afro-American, and Latino traditions, rhythms and movement with conventional jazz expression,” according to the event’s news release.
The rest of the lineup includes:
Harlem-based Mwenso and the Shakes, a jazz and blues band made of up immigrants from all around the world
Groove Orchestra, a jazz ensemble headed by D.C. multi-instrumentalist Samuel Prather.
Rosslyn Business Improvement District, the organizer of the event, has planned to include food trucks at the event, according to the news release. The BID is also planning on arranging lawn games and merchandise sales, as well as having community organizations set up tables at the venue, President Mary-Claire Burick told ARLnow.
Prior to the festival, Rosslyn is also set to host a week of jazz events like pop-up concerts, Burick said. More information on that will be released later this summer. The jazz festival was held last year, for the first time since before the pandemic., but this year’s event promises to be more full featured.
“As the gateway to the D.C. region, we’re proud to bring back this event to the neighborhood in a way that’s bigger than ever before,” Burick said.
For the Blues Festival, Arlington County police are set to close off parts of S. Walter Reed Drive and two other roads for the day. For the 5K, the police will close a substantial stretch of Army Navy Drive, as well as parts of S. Joyce Street in the morning, according to a traffic alert from the county.
S. Walter Reed Drive is scheduled to be closed 9th Street S. to Columbia Pike, while 9th Street S. will close from S. Highland Street to Walter Reed Drive and 9th Road S. will closed from S. Garfield Street to Walter Reed. The roads are expected to be closed between approximately 7 a.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Expected road closures for the 2022 Columbia Pike Blues Festival (map via Arlington County)
The Blues Festival is set to return fully in-person after three years, as we previously reported. The festival is scheduled to take place between 1-8:30 p.m.
Interactive art exhibits and activities, a children play area and artisan vendors are expected during the festival as well.
Other than the music festival on Saturday, other events are planned over the weekend to celebrate the Blues Festival’s 25th anniversary, according to the event’s website.
Live music shows are scheduled at different locations, such as the Columbia Pike Farmers Market and local restaurants, on Friday and Sunday. A heritage walk celebrating Black history is also scheduled on Sunday. And the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse is hosting a free screening of The Blues Brothers on Sunday afternoon.
Road closures for the Zero Prostate Cancer 5k Run/Walk (map via Arlington County)
For the 5K, Army Navy Drive is set to be closed between S. Joyce Street and 25th Street S. from 7:30-11 a.m. S. Joyce Street is set to be closed from 15th Street S. to Army Navy Drive between 6-11 a.m.
The event is a fundraiser to support the nonprofit ZERO – The End of Prostate Cancer. Participants are to meet at the Westpost (formerly Pentagon Row) courtyard at 1101 S. Joyce Street.
A Columbia Pike outdoor movie night (via Columbia Pike Partnership Facebook)
Columbia Pike outdoor movie (via Columbia Pike Partnership)
Columbia Pike summer movie series (via Columbia Pike Partnership)
The 12th annual Columbia Pike Movie Nights is set to begin on Friday, July 8.
The free summer outdoor movie series will run run through Saturday, August 27, according to its website. Similar to previous years, a film is scheduled to be shown on Friday and another on Saturday each week. All screenings are set to begin at sunset between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., according to the Columbia Pike Partnership, formerly CPRO, which organizes the series.
The movies scheduled for Fridays are expected to be shown at next to Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street). Those set for Saturdays are expected to be shown at Penrose Square (2503 9th Road S.).
The movies scheduled are set to be shown in English with Spanish subtitles, according to a press release. All are rated at or below PG-13 and come from genres such as animation, musicals, documentary and others.
The full list of movie screenings is listed below.
Friday, July 8: Soul
Saturday, July 9: Ghostbusters: Afterlife
Friday, July 15: Mulan
Saturday, July 16: Summer of Soul
Friday, July 22: Jungle Cruise
Saturday, July 23: The Way I See It
Friday, July 29: The Secret Life of Pets
Saturday, July 30: Respect
Friday, August 5: In The Heights
Saturday, August 6: Spiderman: No Way Home
Friday, August 12: Encanto
Saturday, August 13: Minari
Friday, August 19: The Princess & The Frog
Saturday, August 20: Hercules
Friday, August 26: West Side Story
Saturday, August 27: Cruella
Amazon and the Washington Forrest Foundation are underwriting the series. The Columbia Pike Partnership is still looking for local businesses to sponsor individual movie screenings, according to its website.
Parking is free at both locations and audience members are welcome to bring their own chairs or blankets for seating. Leashed pets are also allowed, according to the event’s website. However, alcohol is prohibited.
In case of bad weather, the partnership is expected to post updates on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages, as well as the event’s website. Such updates are set to be posted at 3:30 p.m. on the day of each screening.
Sean Doolittle is set to host a storytime event at Central Library (via Arlington Public Library)
Children can meet a Washington Nationals player as part of an Arlington Public Library storytime this weekend.
Sean Doolittle, pitcher and player ambassador for the Nats, is scheduled to host a storytime event at Arlington Central Library on Saturday (June 18).
The storytime is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. in the main auditorium inside the library at 1015 N. Quincy Street. This event is set to kick off the library’s annual Summer Reading Program.
Doolittle is set to read stories to the participants and sign autographs afterward. The autograph signing is limited to one item per child only, according to a news release from the library.
The event is being held on a first-come, first-serve basis until the auditorium — which has a capacity of up to 180 people — is filled, Arlington Public Library spokesperson Henrik Sundqvist said. He added that this storytime is the “event of the year” for the library.
The Summer Reading Program rewards children, teenagers and adults for reading over 30 days between June 1 and Sept. 1. During the program, Arlington Public Library has scheduled various events at different libraries, including storytimes, talks and handicraft lessons.
Those who complete the challenge will get a free book or a book coupon to be used at any Friends of the Library bookstore, according to the program’s website.
Additionally, the Nationals will offer a limited number of vouchers for two tickets each to anyone who has completed the challenge, according to a news release. The vouchers can be redeemed at any regular or value Nats game in August and September, according to the program’s website.
The Friends of the Arlington Public Library, another program sponsor, has also pledged to donate $1 for each person completing the challenge to Potomac Conservancy, a nonprofit advocating for clean water in the Potomac River.
Audience members watch a concert at Fridays at the Fountain in June 2021 (courtesy of National Landing BID)
The food stand operating at the concert venue in 2021 (courtesy of National Landing BID)
Musicians playing at Crystal City Water Park in 2019 (courtesy of National Landing BID)
A series of outdoor summer concerts is starting tonight (Friday) in Crystal City.
NaLa Fridays at the Park, formerly known as Fridays at the Fountain, is set to be held at Long Bridge Park (475 Long Bridge Drive). The concert series is set to run through October, according to the event’s website. One concert is scheduled for each Friday between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
This year is set to be the first time the concert series is being held at Long Bridge Park instead of Crystal City Water Park, its usual location. The organizer, the National Landing Business Improvement District, changed the venue because the water park is currently under construction, BID spokesperson Ashley Forrester told ARLnow.
Construction on the water park is expected to be completed in 2023.
The concerts are set to feature local bands and musicians, according to the event’s website. It is free to attend. Reesa Renee, a neo-soul and funk singer, is scheduled to perform at tonight’s series kickoff.
Applications for bands and musicians to perform are still open online. Performers are asked to play for 2.5 hours, according to the application survey.
Unlike in previous years, no alcohol will be allowed in the concerts, said Forrester. Alcohol is prohibited at Arlington County parks.
Food trucks are still set to serve the crowds, however. Fine Dining to Go, which provides various types of cuisine from around the world, is set to run the food trucks this Friday, said BID marketing manager Colleen Rasa. Participants are welcome to bring their own food to the venue, according to the event’s website.
There is some seating at the venue and organizers say they will be giving out a limited number of picnic blankets each week to audience members. Attendees are also welcome to bring their own chairs.
Arlington Pride Festival 2022 poster (image via Polished Kreative)
One of the first of several Pride Month events in Arlington is happening this coming Thursday (June 9) in Crystal City.
Rock the Lot with Pride is a “Pride Month kick-off celebration” organized by The National Landing Business Improvement District, at 2611 S. Clark Street, a parking lot behind the Hyatt Regency hotel, between 4-8 p.m., according to the event’s webpage.
There will be food, drinks and merchandise giveaways at Rock the Lot with Pride, according to the website. The Kona Ice and Curbside Kitchen trucks are set to provide food for the event, while mobile cocktail bar Toastworthy is expected to bring its Tequila Truck to the event.
Rock the Lot with Pride is free and open to the public. Registration is now available online. Toastworthy plans to give the first 100 participants a free cocktail, according to the event’s webpage. DJ Chan Don, a disc jockey based in D.C., is set to play live music for the event.
Arlington is also getting its first Pride festival, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 25, at Rosslyn’s Gateway Park (1300 Langston Blvd) between noon and 7 p.m.
The event, hosted by the Polished Kreative, is free and open to all ages, with the theme “Moving Forward Together.” Attendees will be able to enjoy games, food and drinks, live music and entertainment at the festival, according to its website. There will also be a designated area for pets and kids with games, face painting and other activities, according to an Instagram post.
The Arlington Arts Center is set to hold a virtual talk between artist Alexander D’Agostino and historian David K. Johnson about the history of the Lavender Scare, a purge of government employees due to their sexuality during the Cold War, on Wednesday (June 8) at 6 p.m.
The center also plans to make the documentary “The Lavender Scare” available for virtual screening between Wednesday and Tuesday, June 14.
Family Pride Day
The Arlington Art Center organized Family Pride Day on Saturday (June 11) beginning at 10:30 a.m. It is free to the public, according to the event’s webpage. Art-making activities and readings from the Drag Queen Story Hour, where drag queens read stories to children, are set to take place.
Virtual talk with Alex Myers
The Arlington Public Library is set to host a virtual talk with transgender advocate and writer Alex Myers on Monday, June 13, between 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. It is open to people over 12. Those interested need to register for the event.
Pride Month for county employees
On Wednesday, June 15, OUTstanding, a LGBTQ+ employee resource group aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion in the Arlington County government, is set to host a Pride Month Proclamation and Celebration event for county employees to “celebrate living, working and thriving,” according to the event’s poster. The event is scheduled between noon and 1:30 p.m. in Courthouse Plaza at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. It is open to the public and no registration is needed.
Book club discussion
The library’s book club is also set to host a discussion session on books with LGBTQ+ themes and its June selection, “Leaving Isn’t the Hardest Thing” by Lauren Hough. The event is scheduled for Monday, June 27, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. It is set to be held at the Campbell Room in the Shirlington branch library, at 4200 Campbell Avenue. It is only open to adults and registration is required.
Musical performance from Signature Theatre at Lubber Run Amphitheater in 2018 (via Arlington Cultural Affairs)
Dan and Claudia Zanes perform their music (via Arlington Cultural Affairs)
Bumper Jacksons posing with their musical instruments (via Arlington Cultural Affairs)
The Lubber Run Amphitheater free summer concert series is back, with the first show set for this Friday.
A total of 29 performances are scheduled between now and Sunday, Aug. 14.
The amphitheater, located near the intersection of N. Columbus Street and 2nd Street N., is an outdoor, open-air space, run by Arlington County to provide family-friendly shows in the summer.
The first show in the lineup is a concert from Mark G. Meadows, a jazz musician, and his band The Movement, along with singer Kanysha Williams. It is set to take place this Friday at 8 p.m. They are expected to feature songs “Moon River” and “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.”
The series has scheduled jazz, blues and rock performances, as well as theater, orchestra, a marching band and a puppet show. No shows are currently scheduled for Sunday, June 19, as the amphitheater is closed for Juneteenth.
The shows are open to all members of the family. Audience members are welcome to picnic at the venue, although alcohol is not allowed and smoking discouraged, according to a press release.
Unless otherwise specified, the concerts are set to take place at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. on Sundays. Bad weather may cancel shows, in which case information will be posted on Arlington Arts’ Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts. Concertgoers can visit the venue’s website or call 703-228-1850 for more information about the schedule of the day.
This summer’s scheduled shows are below.
Friday, June 10: Mark G. Meadows and The Movement, Kanysha Williams
Saturday, June 11: Aaron Myers
Sunday, June 12: Dan and Claudia Zanes
Friday, June 17: Stacy Brooks
Saturday, June 18: Bumper Jacksons
Friday, June 24: David Chappell and Friends
Saturday, June 25: The 19th Street Band
Sunday, June 26: Tale Wise: “Pirates Lost at Sea!”
Sunday, June 26: Arlington Philharmonic (4 p.m.)
Friday, July 1: Griefcat
Saturday, July 2: Elikeh
Sunday, July 3: Mr. Gabe & Holly
Friday, July 8: The Fuss
Saturday, July 9: Joe Keyes & The Late Bloomer Band
Sunday, July 10: Cody Clark Magic: “Railroad Submarine!”
Friday, July 15: Desanguashington
Saturday, July 16: King Soul
Sunday, July 17: Happenstance Theater: “Pinot & Augustine”
Friday, July 22: Wicked Sycamore
Saturday, July 23: Soul Crackers
Sunday, July 24: Rainbow Rock Band
Friday, July 29: Carly Harvey
Saturday, July 30: Veronneau presents Blue Tapestry
Sunday, July 31: Encore Stage & Studio presents “A Sidewalk Stroll!”
Friday, August 5: Avant Bard Theatre, Encore Stage & Studio, Dominion Stage and The Arlington Players
Saturday, August 6: Avant Bard Theatre, Encore Stage & Studio, Dominion Stage and The Arlington Players
Sunday, August 7: Avant Bard Theatre, Encore Stage & Studio, Dominion Stage and The Arlington Players. (6 p.m.)
Thursday, August 11: The 257th Army Band, The Band of the Nation’s Capital. (8 p.m.)
Friday, August 12: National Chamber Ensemble
Saturday, August 13: Karen Jonas
Sunday, August 14: Blue Sky Puppets: “The Three Not So Little Pigs”
The group’s annual gala, normally held in February, was pushed to June after the area recorded a high number of Covid cases due to the Omicron variant.
“We decided to move it to Juneteenth because that is the second African American-recognized holiday,” VaBHMA President Bill Jones said. “So we moved it to June 19 to celebrate Black history and Juneteenth, and then we got a bonus when we realized that June 19 is also Father’s Day.”
The event, which has been held since 2000, is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel (1700 Richmond Highway).
“This is the first time we’ve had a face-to-face event since 2020,” Jones said. “We came back into the ballroom again in 2022.”
Attendees can choose to attend in person inside the ballroom or watch the event from their hotel rooms, according to the gala’s website. There will only be 500 tickets available because of the pandemic, Jones said.
The keynote speaker for the gala is Lynn Toler, former judge on the TV show “Divorce Court.” The master of ceremony is Julius D. Spain Sr., the president of the Arlington branch of the NAACP.
The theme for the gala this year is Black Health and Wellness, in accordance with the national theme for Black History Month in 2022. The theme aims to acknowledge the legacy of Black scholars and medical practitioners in Western medicine, as well as the “activities, rituals and initiatives that Black communities have done to be well,” like building medical schools and community clinics, according to the gala’s website.
The guests of honor and keynote speaker were chosen for their connections to the gala’s theme, Jones said. A seminar on health and wellness in African American communities is slated for the first day.
A determination on when the event will be held next year will be made in November, Jones said.
“There’s a chance that we could also host the 2023 event in June if the [Covid] number’s going to be high,” he said.
Apart from the gala, the association is also planning a health fair later this year to promote important checkups to underserved communities, Jones said. He mentioned field trips to African American historical sites as other possible events the association may hold, as well.
