Events

Afternoon Notes: Lyon Hall Opening by Mid-April?

By ARLnow.com

Lyon Hall Opening by Mid-April — Lyon Hall manager Andrew Limberg tells the Washington Post that they’ve passed their inspections and expect to open within two weeks. Writes WaPo’s Julia Beizer: “Let’s give it up for Arlington, right? Crazy stuff happening over there.” More from today’s Going Out Gurus chat (near the bottom).

Pentagon Security Heightened — The Pentagon police agency will step up its screening of visitors and will conduct more random checks of employees, according to the Associated Press. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency will also improve communication protocols at its command center. The new security measures follow last month’s shooting outside the Pentagon Metro station.

Arlington Volunteer Blog Launched — The Community Volunteer Network has launched a new blog. CVN is a social network that brings 20- and 30-somethings together through community service in Arlington.

Bike Show Planned for April 8 — Not-for-profit bike shop Phoenix Bikes is holding a bike show one week from today in Ballston. The third-annual show will feature an art show, a silent auction, a raffle for free bikes donated by local shops, food, and speeches by local movers and shakers in the bike world. More from People-Powered Arlington.

Rosslyn to Screen 90s Movies at Gateway Park

By ARLnow.com

Last year Rosslyn held an “I [Heart] the 80s” outdoor film festival. This spring and summer the weekly film fest is back with a fimiliar theme: “I [Heart] the 90s.”

An unsustainable trend, perhaps, but the decade genre promises to bring some great late 20th century movies to Rosslyn’s Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway), including Clueless, Wayne’s World, Airheads and Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead.

Some generation-defining classics conspicuously missing from the line-up include Reality Bites, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, PCU, Forrest Gump and Clerks (feel free to add your favorite — there are many to choose from — in the comments).

The movies will be screened at Gateway Park after sundown every Friday from April 30 to September 3, rain or shine. There will also be pre-show 90s-themed games and prizes.

Bring low chairs and picnic gear, organizers say, but leave the booze at home, per local law.

The full schedule, after the jump.

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Columbia Pike Prepares for Bicentennial

By ARLnow.com

Columbia Pike’s 200th anniversary is less than two weeks away, and Pike leaders are planning a birthday bash to mark the occasion.

The Columbia Turnpike Company, which built the Pike, was chartered by congress on April 12, 1810, when Arlington was still part of the District of Columbia. The Pike has since been a thoroughfare for soldiers during the Civil War, the site of a freedman’s village, and a location for a World War II prisoner-of-war camp (some of the German soldiers held there helped to repave the Pike at one point).

On Monday, April 12, between 6:00 and 8:30 p.m., the Pike will celebrate its history at the Salsa Room (2619 Columbia Pike). The free event, which is open to the public (RSVP here), will feature speakers, a birthday cake and a cash bar. Speakers include Arlington historian Sara Collins, county board vice-chairman Chris Zimmerman, and Dr. Talmadge Williams of the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington.

“It’s an exciting time,” says Pamela Holcomb, managing director for the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization. “People who are living here might not realize just how rich the Pike’s history is.”

There will be other bicentennial events throughout the year, Holcomb said. Also expect to see “Pike 200” banners popping up on street lights along the Pike soon.

Photo courtesy of CPRO.

Free Gardening Classes at Arlington Home Show

By Alex

Is your garden or yard losing its luster?  No need to worry, help is on the way.  Coming up on Saturday, April 10, at the Arlington Home Show and Expo, two garden-specific classes will be presented by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.

Starting at 10:15 a.m. there will be a class called “Garden Soil Testing! How and Why” that will include a free test kit for all participants. Later in the day, at 3:00 p.m., a class titled “How to Catch a Squirrel:  Solutions to Common Garden Problems” promises valuable tips for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.

There’s a ton to learn about gardening — proper mulching, watering, fertilizing, etc. — but these free classes should be a good start for any green thumb looking to keep their yard pristine and make their garden yield better results.

Other classes offered at the home show will pay special attention to eco-friendly home building and remodeling. Among the classes being offered are “No Cost and Low Cost Ways to Reduce Energy Usage”  and “Green Your Home From Soup to Nuts.”

Arlington County representatives will also be attending the Expo to answer questions about permits, zoning and inspections.

The Expo is being held at the Walter Reed Community Center at 2909 16th Street South.

To Do This Weekend: Lots of Things

By ARLnow.com

There is flat-out a ton of things to do this weekend in Arlington. There’s plenty of live music, live theater and live comedy to experience this weekend. If that’s not enough, there’s also a charity shopping event and a charity bar sports competition, as well as a Wii tournament and a rockin’ party at an art exhibit.

For a full listing of things to do around town, see our events calendar.

Eat and Drink Cheap for a Good Cause Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

The experience of being diagnosed with lupus can be depressing and frustrating, says Arlington resident Krista Blackburn. When she was diagnosed with the incurable autoimmune disease in 2007, at the age of 21, she didn’t even know what lupus was. Now, she’s trying to remove some of the mystery surrounding the disease.

Blackburn will be holding a fundraiser at The Front Page in Ballston (4201 Wilson Blvd) tomorrow, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. The goal is to “raise awareness and find a cure for this stupid disease,” as she likes calling it.

Blackburn and her “Kickin’ It For Krista” team, which is raising money for the DC Walk for Lupus Now event next month, will be selling $5 wristbands that will allow participants to take advantage of specially-arranged food and drink specials.

Among the specials: half price appetizers and burgers, $2 Miller Lite bottles, $2.75 rail drinks, $3 drafts and $3.25 glasses of house wine.

Caps tickets, Best Buy and Lost Dog Cafe gift certificates and movie passes will be raffled off during the fundraiser. There will also be performance by 90s cover band The Civilians, whose members have recently moved to the DC area from Charlottesville.

Blackburn says she expects between 100-150 people to show up, but she’s hoping even more people will come to chip in for the cause and learn about the disease. “This walk means a lot to me personally,” Blackburn said.

To Do This Weekend: Friends4Life Fundraiser

By ARLnow.com

Help fund ovarian cancer research while indulging in food and drink specials at Piola (1550 Wilson Blvd) on Sunday. Starting at 5:00 p.m., the Rosslyn restaurant will host the 3rd Annual Friends4Life celebration.

Piola will donate 20 percent of the proceeds to the HERA Foundation. The public is welcome and encouraged to bring along friends, family and neighbors.

Arlington Women of Vision Finalists Named

By ARLnow.com

Six finalists have been selected for the county’s 2010 Women of Vision Award.They are: Lillibeth Boruchow, Angela Fox, Judy Hadden, Kathleen Sibert, Linda Dunphy and Andrea Maresca.

The awards dinner will be held on Wednesday, March 31, at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (4301 Wilson Boulevard). ABC7 anchor Maureen Bunyan will host the event. The public is welcome, but a $10 donation is suggested.

RSVP with the Arlington Commission on the Status of Women (cswarlington [at] gmail.com) by March 24.

Date Set for Arlington Home Show and Expo

By ARLnow.com

The annual Arlington Home Show and Expo will return next month with numerous opportunities to learn about the latest trends in home improvement and green technology.

The expo is being held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, at the Walter Reed Community Center (2909 16th St. S.).

The press release announcing the expo’s return, after the jump.

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To Do Tonight: Clarendon St. Paddy’s Day Parade

By ARLnow.com

The first (annual?) Clarendon St. Patrick’s Day parade kicks off tonight at 8:00 p.m. at the intersection of Wilson Blvd and N. Barton St.

Homegrown floats will roll down the parade route towards the Clarendon Metro station, accompanied by people in costume. Expect plenty of green beads to be thrown to the crowd lining Wilson Blvd.

No word yet on whether organizers will also be distributing purple and yellow beads. The St. Patrick’s Day parade was created as a substitute for the annual Mardi Gras parade, which was canceled this year due to snow.

Four Courts Four Miler a Success Despite Rain

By Barry Skidmore

More than a thousand runners braved heavy wind and driving rain on Saturday to compete in the inaugural Four Courts Four Miler road race, part of an early St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

“How do you like this traditional Irish weather?” an organizer called out to the crowd just before the race began.

The race started at Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse and took runners along an out-and-back course down Wilson Blvd, through Rosslyn, and past the Memorial Bridge on Route 110.

The course made for a relaxed downhill first half with a tough uphill return including a steep quarter-mile hill just before the finish line.

“The climb from Rosslyn was incredibly arduous, but seeing the crowd at the final hill really inspired me to finish strong,” said race participant Elyssa Lacson.

The rain, which had been coming down in sheets before the race, relented to a light drizzle by the 9:00 a.m. start time. The initial deluge left participants soggy, but in good spirits.

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