Events

Fall Heritage Festival Comes to Gulf Branch on Saturday

By ARLnow.com

They’re going to be partying like it’s 1859 at the Gulf Branch Nature Center (3608 N. Military Road) this weekend.

“Bring the kids and be immersed in 19th century Virginia life,” beckons county parks spokesperson Nate Spillman. “This is a great outdoor event for the whole family!”

The fun includes watching blacksmiths in action, touring a log cabin, as well as making your own apple cider, corn husk dolls and hand-dipped candles.

There will also be old-timey music, historical interpretation, folks dressed up in traditional 19th garb and more. Tickets are $5 per perform, with a maximum of $20 per family. Kids 3 and under are free.

The event it being held on Saturday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

The parking lot will be closed, but street parking will be available nearby. For more info call 703-228-3403.

See other weekend events around Arlington here.

Condoleezza Rice To Appear at Pentagon City Costco

By ARLnow.com

Condoleezza Rice has been making the television rounds lately, promoting her new memoir. Last night, she made an appearance on the Daily Show. Today she’s appearing at the Pentagon City Costco.

The former U.S. Secretary of State will sign copies of “Condoleezza Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me” from noon to 2:00 p.m.

The book is a candid look at Rice’s childhood and adolescence in Birmingham, Ala. during the civil rights movement.

Bacon Week Starts at 3 Restaurant

By ARLnow.com

A bacon martini. Maple bacon ice cream. Bacon on a stick. Pork wrapped in bacon.

Today is the beginning of Bacon Week at 3 Restaurant in Clarendon, and the eatery has a ramped up the creativity to generate a three-course bacon menu. There’s also a bacon happy hour from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and a bacon-making class at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 16.

The restaurant’s affinity for all things bacon has even earned it a segment on an upcoming Travel Channel special called “Bacon Paradise.”

Bacon Week runs through Oct. 21.

See photos of some of the dishes here.

Arlington YMCA Plans Haunted House

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington branch of the YMCA is planning a haunted house later this month.

The kid-oriented event is will be held at the Madison Community Center (3829 N. Stafford Street). It will feature ghost stories, Halloween treats, ghoulish games, and other spooky fun.

Tickets cost $5 per person, with $5 off for families of four or more. Proceeds go to the Y’s summer camp and after school mentoring programs.

A haunted house for children 5 and up will be held from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29. Organizers will dial up the fright from 7:00 to 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30, for kids 11 and up.

Clarendon Grill Plans Grand Reopening Party

By ARLnow.com

Clarendon Grill (1101 North Highland Street), which recently reopened after extensive renovations, will be hosting a “grand reopening party” Saturday night.

The event will feature local 80’s rock tribute band Toxic Mouse. No word on a set time, but the band will likely take the stage at some point between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.

HiBall Events is handling promotion for the bash.

Weekend Event Roundup

By ARLnow.com

If you’re staying in town for Columbus Day weekend, consider yourself lucky. The forecast calls for perfect warm and sunny weather, and there’s plenty of events around town to keep one busy.

Tonight, we already told you about the Capitals Rock the Red Season Opening Party at The Front Page in Ballston.

Tomorrow, you already know about the Burst @ Artisphere event, presented by Pink Line Project and Brightest Young Things.

You may not know about the Arlington History Bike Tour, a “leisurely” 23-mile ride past some of the notable historic points in Arlington.

Two notable events taking place just outside Arlington on Saturday may be of interest. Rustico in Alexandria will be holding its annual Oktobeerfest from noon to 6:00 p.m. — which may of interest to Ballston residents who are waiting with bated breath for Rustico Ballston to open (as soon as Oct. 25, we’re told).

On Saturday night, the Friends of the David M. Brown Planetarium will be holding a benefit concert at the State Theater in Falls Church. Cobra Collective will headline the show.

Finally, on Sunday, Artisphere will hold its grand opening. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will be followed by a free open house featuring music performances and art installations. An open house will also be held on Monday.

Happy Columbus Day!

Caps Kick Off New Season Tonight

By ARLnow.com

Arlington’s hometown professional sports team is kicking off a new season tonight.

The Washington Capitals will take on the Thrashers in Atlanta starting at 7:30 p.m.

A number of local bars are showing the game, but The Front Page in Ballston (4201 Wilson Blvd) is going all out. They’re hosting a Rock the Red Season Opening Party starting at 5:00. The event will feature a raffle for a pair of tickets to Saturday’s home opener at the Verizon Center.

As always, hard core fans can catch Caps practices at Kettler Capitals Iceplex — “presumably the only NHL practice rink built on top of a parking structure” — during the season. See a list of practice times on the Capitals web site.

Ticket Contest for Saturday’s Artisphere Opening Bash

By ARLnow.com

Do you like viewing art and drinking PBR? Are you high on creativity but low on cash? Well ARLnow.com and our friends at Brightest Young Things want to hook one lucky reader up with a pair of free tickets to the Burst! @ Artisphere pre-opening event Saturday night.

Held at the not-yet-open-to-the-public Artisphere, Burst will feature DJs, elaborate balloon sculptures, a camera crew from TLC following around the creator of the aforementioned balloon sculptures, and UNLIMITED FREE BEER AND WINE (until the bartender cuts you off).

Since we only have one set of tickets (normally $20 apiece) to give away, we’ll do this contest-style.

Here’s the challenge: find an example of “unintentional art” somewhere in Arlington. Photograph it. Email it to arlnowcontest[at]gmail.com by Thursday night. Include your real name, how you want to be identified on the site, the neighborhood you live in, and a Twitter-sized description of the “art” and where you found it.

We’ll show some of the entries and arbitrarily pick a winner on Friday. Good luck!

County, Rosslyn Show Off Soon-to-Open Artisphere

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County and the Rosslyn Business Improvement District held a press conference today to show off Arlington’s nearly-completed cultural center, Artisphere. The venue is a centerpiece of the effort to revitalize the workaday Rosslyn business district.

The $6.7 million, 62,000 square foot facility will open to the public on Sunday — 10/10/10 — at 10:10 a.m. A ritzy opening gala ($250 per ticket) will be held Friday night, while a hipper, cheaper “second opening” sponsored by Pink Line Project and Brightest Young Things will be held Saturday night.

Within Artisphere are three theaters, three formal exhibit spaces, a multi-use ballroom, an expansive outdoor terrace, a bar/restaurant (which is currently lacking a tenant), a two-level Wi-Fi lounge, and a retails crafts store.

The theaters include the 350-seat Dome Theater, a repurposed Imax venue; a 200-seat black box theater that will be the new home of the Washington Shakespeare Company; and the existing, adjacent 367-seat Spectrum theater.

The ballroom will be used for events, regular weekday dance lessons, and weekly late-night concerts that will be held on Saturdays and feature contemporary rock, punk and fusion acts.

The terrace will be used for openings and for private events, especially during the warmer weather months. The Wi-Fi lounge will be open to anyone who wants to hang out, get work done or get food or drinks from the restaurant. (We’re told the bidders looking to manage the restaurant space include several well-known local restaurateurs.)

If you must drive, parking garages under Artisphere and the Spectrum theater offer about 300 spaces that will be free after 6:00 p.m. weekdays and all day on weekends.

Those who crave the limelight take note: a reality show camera crew from TLC will reportedly be at Saturday’s opening event. They’re following a balloon artist who will have three elaborate exhibits on display.

More photos after the jump.

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Saying ‘Thank You’ for Being a Bike Commuter

By ARLnow.com

A mother and daughter are planning to wake up early tomorrow morning to prepare a special treat for local bike commuters. They’re calling it “Yay for Bike Riders Day.”

The plan was hatched by a second grader who told her mom that she wanted to “say thank you to all the nice bike riders she sees every morning on her walk to school.”

From the BikeArlington forums:

We’ll be at the little covered picnic table at the intersection of the Custis and W&OD trails serving juice, muffins, breakfast bars and coffee if I can figure out a place to borrow a presspot from. The purpose is to simply thank all the cyclists who ride the trails each day that we pass on our way to school. If you have a free moment please stop and have some refreshments, or at least say hello – it will make my daughter’s day.

The pair plans to be out on the trail from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. tomorrow.

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