Events

Library to Host Exhibition Paying Tribute to Notable Arlington Women

By Shreeya Aranake

Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street) next month will host an exhibition that pays tribute to women who have helped to shape Arlington.

The exhibit, open from March 5 to April 2, will display “stories, photographs, letters and memorabilia, which spotlight individuals and groups of Arlington women who dedicate their work to improve their community and the lives of others,” according to the library website.

Dubbed “Women’s Work: Then & Now,” the exhibit coincides with both Arlington County’s centennial and the centennial of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote and was passed in 1920.

Liza Mundy, the author of “Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II,” will participate in an author talk after the opening reception, which is being held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. Attendees are asked to RSVP for the event.

More from the library website:

Discover and learn about the work of Anna Barber, Charlene Bickford, Ellen Bozman, Judith Brewer, Elizabeth Campbell, Gertrude Crocker, Pauline Haislip Duncan, Alice Fleet, Alice Foster, Saundra Green, Critchett Hodukavich, Seema Jain, Carolyn (Carrie) Johnson, Cintia Johnson, Dr. Phoebe Hall Knipling, Puwen Lee, Marguerete Luter, Mary A. R. Marshall, Sushmita Mazumdar, Ruby Lee Minar, Constance (Connie) Ramirez, Caroline Gary Romano, Cornelia Bruere Rose, Jr., Virginia Lillis Smith, Florence Starzynski, Margarite Syphax, Nancy Tate, Marjorie Varner, and Dr. Emma Violand-Sanchez.

The nominees, selected by the 16 exhibition partners, were based on their groundbreaking, visionary and ongoing contributions to the communities they serve. Also included in this exhibition, are women who were curated from the Center for Local History’s online exhibition, “Women’s Work: Stories of Persistence and Influence.”

Four Courts Four Miler Returning Next Month As Part of ‘St. Pat’s Run Fest’

By ARLnow.com

A Courthouse pub is again lending its name to an annual St. Patrick’s Day-themed race.

The Four Courts Four Miler will start and finish in front of Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd). It’s taking place on Saturday, March 14, starting at 9 a.m.

New this year, the race is now a part of the St. Pat’s Run Fest, a two-day event that offers three races, including a 5K and 10K in the District on Sunday, March 15.

“Join us for an entire weekend of celebration and running as we combine two of our favorite iconic events,” wrote organizer Pacers Running. “The Four Courts Four Miler (Arlington) and the St. Pat’s Run (DC) merge across our community into one Run Fest. A region-spanning, shamrock-shaking, running event with adult beverages, Double Challenge and Triple Challenge finisher custom medals for our multi-event competitors, post-race fun and the most beautiful views in Arlington and DC.”

The registration fee for the Four Courts Four Miler is $48. Those who register can pick up their bibs from Pacers Clarendon and Pacers 14th Street beginning March 2, up until the morning of the race.

The Four Courts Four Miler course will take runners down Wilson Blvd into Rosslyn, then down Route 110, and back. It famously includes a steep climb at the end and a leprechaun that passes and heckles runners — for a good cause.

Shreeya Aranake contributed to this report. Photo by Brian W. Knight/Swim Bike Run Photography.

Arlington Agenda: February 18-23

By Shreeya Aranake

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, February 18

Oddball Cinema
Westover Library (1644 N. McKinley Road)
Time: 7-8:30 p.m. 

Are you into offbeat films? Head over to the Westover Library to watch animated, post-apocalyptic fantasy film, 9 (2009). Attendance is free and on a first-come, first-served basis.

Wednesday, February 19

Family Trading Card Game Night
Shirlington Library (4200 Campbell Avenue)
Time: 6-7:30 p.m. 

Play modern trading card games that are simple to learn. Join players for Pokemon, Magic and other popular card games, while trading cards with fellow players.

Thursday, February 20

Home Buying Event!*
Washington Fine Properties (4100 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 250)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

This event is an informal happy hour conversation on the home buying process and current market trends. Hear from regional experts obtaining financing, the title process, and path to closing.

Metropolitan Park Public Space Open House
JBG Marketing Center (241 18th Street S., 1st floor)
Time: 6:30-8 p.m. 

Learn about the Metropolitan Park’s current conditions, discover opportunities for new features, and share your input regarding how the space can best be used.

Phantom of the Opera
Synetic Theater (1800 S. Bell Street)
Time: 8 p.m. 

Paata Tsikurishvili applies Synetic’s signature gothic storytelling to one of the most famous supernatural novels of all time with a physical adaptation of Gaston Leroux’s The Phantom of the Opera.

Friday, February 21

Meetup: Righteous Minds Trying to Understand Other Political Tribes
Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington (4444 Arlington Blvd) 
Time: 7-9 p.m.

In this free Meetup course that will be held once a week over four weeks at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, participants will try to understand their values and beliefs.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event.

28th Annual Feel the Heritage Festival to Celebrate Black History Month

By Shreeya Aranake

This year’s Feel the Heritage Festival will celebrate African-American history on Saturday, Feb. 29.

The county-organized event, held annually for the past 27 years in Arlington, will take place at the Charles Drew Community Center (3500 23rd Street S.) from 1-6 p.m.

Entrance to the festival — which includes live music and dance, food vendors, and activities for children — is free. The event will also feature vendors selling a variety of goods, from jewelry to homemade hot sauce.

For the cooks in attendance, there will be a chance to show off their skills at the festival’s third annual soul food cook-off competition. The festival will also include a Hall of History, where photos and artifacts from Arlington’s historically African-American neighborhoods and organizations will be on display.

On-site parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The community center is accessible via Metrobus 10B and ART bus 77, according to the Arlington Parks and Recreation website.

Photo via Arlington County

Rosslyn Restaurant Hosting Hot Pepper Poppers Eating Contest

By Shreeya Aranake
1/3

The recently-opened Taco Rock in Rosslyn is hosting a “Flammin Hot Poppers Challenge” later this month.

The “offbeat, one-of-a-kind eating contest” will be held on Monday, Feb. 24 from 7:30-10 p.m at Taco Rock (1501 Wilson Boulevard).

Participants will eat as many jalapeño pepper poppers as they can in 10 minutes, without consuming any other food or beverage, a press release said. The winner will take home the Taco Rock Title Belt and a $100 cash prize. Those who come in second and third place will win a medal and a Taco Rock gift card.

“Each contestant will be served up a plate of jalapeño pepper poppers,” said the press release. “They must eat as many flaming hot poppers as they can in ten minutes, one popper at a time, to within one quarter inch of the jalapeño cap.”

Entry to the competition is $10. The event will be free for spectators.

Photos courtesy Taco Rock

Last-Minute Valentine’s Day Gift Market Scheduled This Friday in Crystal City

By Vernon Miles

In case you forgot, Friday is Valentine’s Day. Wait, before you make a panicked purchase on Amazon and hit “next day shipping,” a market is scheduled this Friday in Crystal City to rescue last-minute shoppers.

The Valentine’s Market is scheduled to run from 4-8 p.m. at The Grounds (1102 S. Eads Street) with a variety of local vendors. If gift-giving isn’t really your style, an event listing said there will also be plenty of activities to turn it into a date night:

Leave your Valentine’s Day shopping to the last minute again, or just looking for a nice outing that doesn’t involve a quiet restaurant? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with the Valentine’s Market at The Grounds!

Join us at The Grounds in Crystal City for wine & beer tastings and shopping from local crafts and treat vendors. There will also be a cash bar and food trucks, powered by Curbside Kitchen, so you can make an evening of it!

The Facebook page noted that the beer tastings will be offered by Caboose Brewing Company and the wine will be offered by Crystal City Wine Shop.

According to the website, vendors at the event include:

The website also says Arlington County’s Vision Zero program will be in attendance, in case your partner is a transportation policy wonk.

Photo via Agents in Style/Facebook

Furry Convention Coming to Crystal City

By ARLnow.com
1/3

First Amazon. Now furries.

The Mid-Atlantic region’s “premier anthropomorphic convention” is moving from Tysons to Crystal City this year. Hundreds of fuzzy, costumed animal characters will touch down in the National Landing area in March for the 8th annual event.

The furry convention, dubbed Fur the More, will be held from March 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City (2799 Richmond Highway), organizers announced. Tickets range from $55 to hundreds of dollars for a VIP “Raven God” pass.

More from the announcement:

The Mid-Atlantic Anthropomorphic Association’s (M.A.A.A., a 501c3 non-profit) premiere event, Fur The More (FTM), has been this connection point in the Maryland, D.C., and Virginia area since 2013.

The annual event is designed to provide educational programing, fandom specific wares/events, and socialization within the furry community and beyond. We invite a new Guest of Honor from within the community each year along with showcasing artists from all over the world. In efforts to aid what our community loves most, animals, each year we sponsor another 501(c)3 charity and raise money/donations to help animal rescues within the local community. So far our event has raised over $55k in charity donations, in addition to bringing awareness to the charity itself.

Crystal City, with its collection of hotels and easy access to the airport and the District, is a popular destination for conventions ranging from dry, industry conferences to more colorful gatherings like Blerdcon, the Anime USA convention, the Nation’s Tattoo Expo, the CatalystCon East sex convention.

Arlington Agenda: February 10-16

By Shreeya Aranake

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, February 11

Design Public Hearing — Arlington National Cemetery Defense Access Road Project*
Sheraton Pentagon City (900 S. Orme Street)
Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 

Join the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to view displays and learn more about this project, its preliminary design, and its tentative construction schedule.

George Mason University School of Business Graduate Programs Showcase
Van Metre Hall (3351 Fairfax Drive) 
Time: 5:30-7 p.m.

This event will have a showcase of GMU’s business school graduate programs in Arlington: MBA, JD MBA Dual Degree, Accounting, Management, and more.

Thursday, February 13

Breakfast Connection Combined with the Northern Virginia Hispanic American Chamber
Residence Inn by Marriott – Rosslyn (1651 N. Oak Street)
Time: 7:30-9 a.m. 

This event focuses on roundtable power networking and provides attendees the chance to exchange business cards, develop new prospects and share a 60 second pitch with each table.

Friday, February 14

Beckett’s Anti-Valentine’s Day
Samuel Beckett’s Irish Pub (2800 S. Randolph Street, suite 110) 
Time: 6-11:30 p.m.

Samuel Beckett’s Irish Pub is holding an anti-Valentine’s day party for those who are Valentine-less this year. There will be special drinks and food, and some “adult content.”

Anti-Valentines Day Celebration
The Renegade (3100 Clarendon Blvd) 
Time: 10 p.m.-close

Celebrate being single at The Renegade Anti-Valentines Day event. There will be live music, cash card giveaways by the band, and music. Must be 21+. No cover charge.

Saturday, February 15

National Chamber Ensemble — Swingin’ Sweethearts Day, Valentine’s Tribute To Benny Goodman*
Gunston Arts Center Theater One (2700 S. Lang Street)
Time: 7:30-9:30 p.m.

Clarinet star Julian Milkis, the only student and protege of swing and jazz great Benny Goodman, joins NCE to perform a concert in tribute to his teacher and mentor.

Sunday, February 16

Celebrate Presidents’ Day with the Nats Racing Presidents
Market Common Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd)
Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m. 

The event will have a photo booth with presidential props, complimentary hot cocoa from Nicecream, and a U.S. President trivia game. Kids 18 years and younger can guess the number of Lincoln pennies in the jar and win them all.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event.

Ballston Quarterfest Returning With New Exhibits and a Chance to Win Free Caps Tickets

By Vernon Miles

Ballston Quarterfest — the event that replaced Taste of Arlington last year — is coming back this summer with some new features.

This year’s festival — now dubbed the Quaterfest Crawl — has been scheduled for May 16, along Wilson Blvd. between N. Taylor Street and N. Randolph Street. The event is scheduled to run from 12-8 p.m. rain or shine, which are extended hours compared to last year.

The event is hosted by BallstonGives, a charitable arm of the Ballston Business Improvement District.

Unlike Taste of Arlington, restaurants don’t come to Quarterfest’s main drag and set up tents. The Quarterfest Crawl is a for-purchase wristband that gets the visitor access to free tastings and special discounts on meals at dozens of restaurants around the neighborhood.

The event is free and open to the public, but a wristband is required to participate in the restaurant crawl and to get drink tickets for the street pub — a pop-up bar serving beer, cider, wine and cocktails. The Quarterfest Crawl wristband is $45 online before May 1, though there are other prices for other types of packages.

This year, the event is set to feature a new “culinary discovery” and expo pavilion at the center of the festival, also on Wilson Blvd.

“Think of the culinary discovery pavilion as a live cooking demonstration area with classroom seating and additional seating for people to stand and socialize,” Ballston BID spokeswoman Catherine Roper said said. You’ll also be able to try what’s being cooked.

“Think of this as Quarterfest’s Kitchen Stadium,” Roper said.

Meanwhile, at the expo pavilion, visitors can turn in a fully stamped “Crawl passport” to be entered to win two free tickets to a Washington Capitals game. Registration is now open for local businesses that want to sign up as exhibitors at the expo pavilion or as sponsors for the event.

In addition to food, drink and exhibitors, attendees will also be able to enjoy some live music. The following bands are scheduled to play throughout the event.

File photo

Crystal City Holding Happy Hour for Renters

By ARLnow.com

Alternately billing it as a happy hour for renters and a millennial outreach event, a pair of Crystal City organizations is hosting an event geared toward younger residents tomorrow night.

The Crystal City Civic Association and the neighborhood’s business improvement district are co-hosting the event to engage renters in the quickly changing community.

More from Arlington County:

Co-hosted by the Crystal City Civic Association and Crystal City Business Improvement District, this happy hour is your opportunity to get engaged, get involved, and get a little refreshment in the process. Featuring special remarks from Katie Cristol, Arlington County Board member and former Crystal City resident. This event is targeted for renters in the 22202 area to promote how to get involved in civic engagement and advocacy, with the rapid changes in the neighborhood. Free drinks and light refreshments will be served. Find out more by checking out the Facebook event here.

Arlington County Board member Katie Cristol is expected to deliver remarks at the free event, which is being held at the JBG National Landing Marketing Center (241 18th Street S.) from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Attendees are asked to RSVP online.

Arlington Agenda: February 3-9

By Shreeya Aranake

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, February 4

The Art of Meditation
Arlington Art Center (3550 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 7:30-8:30 p.m. 

Gen Kelsang Demo, the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Center in Washington, is teaching a meditation class. She has been a student and disciple of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche and has been teaching for 18 years.

Wednesday, February 5

Virginia Tech MBA Programs Information Sessions*
Virginia Tech Ballston (900 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 12-1 p.m. 

This online information session will explore Virginia Tech’s three different MBA program options, including the Ballston-based Executive MBA. They will discuss the courses, format, and admissions requirements for each program option.

Thursday, February 6

AUSA’s Lemnitzer Series Presents Author James M. Scott
Association of the United States Army (2425 Wilson Blvd) 
Time: 5:30-7 p.m.

The Lemnitzer Lecture Series will present a discussion with James M. Scott, the author of “Rampage: MacArthur, Yamashita, and the Battle of Manila,” a book about the history of the wars in the Pacific. Scott  was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2018 for his other book, “Target Tokyo.”

Friday, February 7

Art and Pizza Night for Kids (5-10 years)
Art House 7 (5537 Lee Highway) 
Time: 6-9 p.m.

Art House 7 will look after your kids for three hours. Kids will complete an art project led by two teenagers, have pizza and watch a video. There will be an adult to supervise. The child must be between 5-10 years old and there will be an entrance fee of $40.

Saturday, February 8

Darwin Trivia & MST3K Movie Night
Arlington Mill Community Center, Room 418 (909 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 7:15-10 p.m.

To commemorate Darwin Day, friends of the David M. Brown Planetarium will be hosting a trivia night. Following the trivia session, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 presentation of “The Giant Gila Monster” will be shown.

Sunday, February 9

Annual Giant Used Book Sale!*
Saint Ann Church Parish Hall (5300 10th Street N.)
Time: 8 a.m.-2 p.m. 

The sale will have a wide variety of books, ranging from politics, history, biographies, self-help, language, cookbooks, school texts, mysteries, romance, travel, sci-fi, fantasy, and books for teens and kids as well. There will be coffee and tea served all day.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) event.

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