Events

County Fair Opens Today in Arlington Heights

By Vernon Miles

Live music, parades and racing piglets — it’s county fair season in Arlington.

Today (Aug. 15), the 42nd annual Arlington County Fair officially opens at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (125 S. Old Glebe Road).

Admission to the fair is free, though some outdoor activities require tickets that can be purchased on-site. There is no parking on the fairgrounds, but a shuttle runs to the fair from the Arlington Career Center, the I-66 parking garage, and from the Pentagon City and Virginia Square Metro stations.

The outdoor portion of the fair runs until 10 p.m. on Sunday (Aug. 19). The indoor portion opens at 4 p.m. on Friday (Aug. 17).

The field outside of the community center includes pig races, pony rides, a various amusement park style attractions. Inside the community center are various international dance acts and shows, like Saturday evening’s comedy hypnosis show.

Outdoor entertainment consists of a daily lineup of musicians, from jazz and soul to country-bluegrass.

Thursday, August 16:

5 p.m.: Nardo Lilly (Acoustic Singer/Songwriter)
6:15 p.m.: Round About (Pop/Rock)
7:30 p.m.: Honey Butter Biscuit (Alternative Rock)

Friday, August 17:

5 p.m.: 40 Miles Homes (Bluegrass/Indie)
6:15 p.m.: Raven Tree (Rock)
7:30 p.m.: Danny and Jimmy (Latin Urban Duo)
8:45 p.m.: The Groove Factor (R&B/Neo-Soul)

Saturday, August 18:

Noon: Sunshine Gang (50s-80s)
1:15 p.m.: Gabrielle Zwi (Singer/Songwriter)
2:30 p.m.: Plastic Sky (Indie Acoustic)
3:45 p.m.: The Sprinting Turtles (80s-2000s Rock)
5 p.m.: Soul Stew (Motown Classics)
6:15 p.m.: Crush Funk Brass (Modern Brass Funk/Pop)
7:30 p.m.: N2N Band (R&B)
8:45 p.m.: The Restless (Pop/Rock)

Sunday, August 19:

11:45 a.m.: Calista Garcia (Singer/Songwriter)
1 p.m.: Silver City (Bluegrass/Country)
2:15 p.m.: Look Out Lincoln (1990-2000s Rock)
3:30 p.m.: Atoms Apart (Pop/Electronic)
4:45 p.m.: DEMZ (60s-80s Classic Rock)
6 p.m.: CBRadio (Rock/Pop/Country)
7:15 p.m.: First Road North (Rock/Jazz)

Activities at the fair are family friendly, and a kids’ court set up outside the community center has all-day face painting, moon bounces, and a monster mural on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There are also magic and puppet shows throughout the weekend.

The fair features a variety of competitive exhibits focused around a theme of “Small County, Big Fun”. There are seven categories of competition:

  • Honey, Beeswax and Food Preservation
  • Decorated Food Products and Baked Goods
  • Art Needlework
  • Crafts and Fine Arts
  • Photography
  • Herbs, Fruits, Nuts and Vegetables
  • Flowers, Arrangements and Potted Plants

Competition guidelines and applications to volunteer or judge are available at the county fair website.

Photo via Arlington County Fair

Arlington Agenda: August 13-19

By Melanie Pincus

(Updated 5:05 p.m.) 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.

Monday, August 13

National Filet Mignon Day at Copperwood
4021 Campbell Ave.
Time: 4-10 p.m.

Copperwood Tavern will celebrate National Filet Mignon Day with 10 ounce filets featuring grass-fed beef from Virginia’s own Spring Hill Farm on the menu. Available while supplies last.

Comedy Night at Galaxy Hut
2711 Wilson Blvd.
Time: 8:30-11:30 p.m.

This event features stand-up comedy and live music for a $5 entry fee. Host Reid Clark will guide the night. This is the third comedy night Galaxy Hut has offered this summer.

Friday, August 17

Columbia Pike Movie Nights: Coco
Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 8:30-10:30 p.m.

The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization will play Coco at its Friday movie night after a previously scheduled showing was canceled due to rain. In case of inclement weather, check Facebook or Twitter for any cancellation announcement.

Saturday, August 18

Tequila Tailgate
Quinn’s On the Corner (1776 Wilson Blvd.)
Time: 4-10 p.m.

Quinn’s will celebrate the approaching football season with a “Tequila Tailgate” party on their patio. Offerings will include drink specials, grilled hot dogs and burgers and a raffle.

 

Columbia Pike Movie Nights: Young Frankenstein
Penrose Square (2503 Columbia Pike)
Time: 8:30-10:30 p.m.

The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization’s summer movie series continues with Young Frankenstein in Penrose Square. In case of inclement weather, check Facebook or Twitter for any cancellation announcement.

‘Extreme’ Bike Ride Planned Through North Arlington Tomorrow

By Melanie Pincus

Tomorrow morning (Aug. 11), Arlington residents can participate in an “Extreme Champion Trees Bike Ride,” put on by the Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation.

This ride will be more challenging than other Champion Trees Bike Rides, taking participants through “some of the hilliest, most calorie-burning, bike-safe roads of North Arlington,” per an event description.

Riders should bring their own bike, water, snacks and repair kit and plan to meet in Fort C.F. Smith Park‘s parking lot for a 9 a.m. start. The ride will go until noon.

Those interested can register for this free event online or by calling 703-228-4747. The bike ride is open to adults or teenagers 16 and up if they come with a registered adult.

Photo via Arlington County

Sheriff’s Office to Hand Out Awards for Inaugural Inmate Creative Writing Contest

By Melanie Pincus

The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office will recognize winners of an Inmate Creative Writing Contest this Monday (Aug. 13), after judges reviewed 98 entries in fiction, non-fiction and poetry categories.

The awards ceremony will be held at the Arlington County Detention Facility (1435 N. Courthouse Road), and inmates who place first through third in each category will have the opportunity to read their writing aloud.

Arlington Magazine Editor Jenny Sullivan and Arlington Poet Laureate Katherine E. Young were among the judges to review the entries, which consisted of 82 poems, six works of fiction and 10 pieces of non-fiction.

A nonprofit program within the Del Ray Community Partnership sponsored the contest, per a county media alert. Inmates submitted their work over the course of the month of July.

Police, Firefighters to Mark ‘National Night Out’ Tonight

By Melanie Pincus

Arlington County’s police and fire departments will commemorate National Night Out by holding neighborhood visits at events across the county from 5-9 p.m. tonight (Aug. 7).

In its 35th year, National Night Out strives to build relationships between police and the communities they serve, in part to help increase crime prevention awareness.

The county invites residents to “lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend an evening outside with neighbors, police officers, firefighters and elected officials.”

Events will be held at the following locations:

  • Arlington Forest (200 block of N. Galveston Street) at 7:45 p.m.
  • Cathcart Springs (4600 block of 4th Road N.) at 6:30 p.m.
  • Nauck Town Square (24th Road S. and S. Shirlington Road) from 5-7 p.m.
  • Park Glen (824 S. Arlington Mill Drive, between buildings 812-816) at 6:30 p.m.
  • The Observation Deck at CEB Tower (1800 N. Lynn Street) from 5-9 p.m.

Photo via Arlington County

County Holding ‘Our Shared Street’ Block Party to Educate Commuters

By Alex Koma

Commuters looking to learn more about local transportation options can swing by a block party along Columbia Pike tomorrow night (Tuesday).

Arlington Transportation Partners is hosting its second “Our Shared Street Pop-Up” event on a closed street at the intersection of S. Oakland Street and Columbia Pike, just across from the Oakland Apartments.

The event is designed to connect people to county transportation resources like Walk Arlington and Bike Arlington, in addition to a host of private options as well. Notably, this year’s gathering will feature dockless electric scooter companies Bird and Lime — the former has already started operating in Arlington, while the latter is very much eyeing the county for expansion.

Lime will also be offering its dockless bikes for riders to try, and Capital Bikeshare will be on hand as well to show off its wares to potential customers. The event will also feature games, giveaways and free food from local restaurants.

The party will start at 5 p.m. Tuesday night, and the county has a list of frequently asked questions about the event on its website.

Photo via Arlington Transportation Partners

Arlington Agenda: August 6-12

By Melanie Pincus

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.

Wednesday, August 8

Abroad Adventures
The Connection: Crystal City Library (2100 Crystal Drive)
Time: 6-7:30 p.m.

Adventure-seekers can come swap travel stories and hear suggestions for their next destinations. RSVP for an event reminder. Attendance is first-come, first-served.

Thursday, August 9

Roy Scranton, Author of “We’re Doomed. Now What?”
1800 N. Lynn Street
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Copies of Scranton’s collection of essays on climate change and war will be available for sale and signing at this event, courtesy of One More Page Books & More. RSVP for an event reminder.

Late Night Recess
Arlington Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 9-11 p.m.

Come by the fifth annual late night recess to play Twister, jump rope, eat cookies and more. Registration is required for this event, which is open to all adults but geared toward young professionals.

Friday, August 10

Columbia Pike Movie Nights: Beauty and the Beast
Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 8:30-10:30 p.m.

The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization’s summer movie series continues this week with Beauty and the Beast. In case of inclement weather, check Facebook or Twitter for any cancellation announcement.

Saturday, August 11

Ravensburger Game Day
925 N. Garfield Street
Time: 4-6 p.m.

The Board Room will provide guests with the opportunity to play recently released Ravensburger and Wonder Forge games for free. Raffle prizes will also be awarded.

Sunday, August 12

Wine Dinner
Osteria Da Nino (2900 S. Quincy Street)
Time: 6-10:30 p.m.

Le Storie Wines owners Daniel Grace and John Grimsley will speak at this four-course dinner, featuring wine from the Tuscany region. $85 per person, call to make a reservation.

Outdoor Blues Concert
Mount Olivet United Methodist Church (1500 N. Glebe Road)
Time: 6-8 p.m.

Mount Olivet’s third summer outdoor concert features Kiss & Ride, a blues ensemble fronted by Carly Harvey. Guests are invited to bring a picnic or purchase food from food truck Saffron Gourmet.

‘Fill the Cruiser’ Supply Drive Aims to Support County Schools

By Melanie Pincus

With a little over a month until the first day of school in Arlington County, the Arlington County Police Department and the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office will begin a school supply drive tomorrow (Aug. 1).

Community members can bring supplies to ACPD’s headquarters (1425 N. Courthouse Road) from Aug. 1-16. From 6-8 p.m. on Aug. 16, donors can also bring items to help “fill the cruiser” at Westover Shopping Center or Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.

The drive will support county public school teachers and students, whose expenses can add up quickly. Supplies and school fees for the average elementary school student cost $662 last year, according to the Huntington Backpack Index, and that number goes up as students advance to middle and high school. Teachers often spend hundreds out of pocket purchasing items for their classrooms.

Arlington Public Schools is charged with distributing the donations. Suggested items to donate include No. 2 pencils, glue and loose leaf paper.

Arlington Agenda: July 30-August 5

By Melanie Pincus

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, July 31

Housing Affordability in Arlington and Greater DC
Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Learn about the sources of rising housing costs and explore possibilities for affordable homeownership with Robert Crowe of The National Coalition for the Homeless.

Thursday, August 2

SMART Start
Arlington Chamber of Commerce (2009 14th Street N., Suite 100)
Time: 4-5:15 p.m.

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce will hold a free networking seminar for new, existing and prospective members. Information about the chamber and its resources will be available.

Saturday, August 4

Living History Military Timeline
Ball-Sellers House (5620 3rd Street S.)
Time: 1-4:30 p.m.

Military reenactors will exhibit what it was like to fight in the Revolutionary War, World War I and other military conflicts experienced by Ball-Sellers House residents. The event is free.

Columbia Pike Movie Nights: Newsies
Penrose Square (2503 Columbia Pike)
Time: 8:30-10:30 p.m.

The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization’s summer movie series continues this week with Newsies. In case of inclement weather, check Facebook or Twitter for any cancellation announcement.

Arlington Agenda: July 23-29

By Melanie Pincus

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.

Monday, July 23

Bad Art Night II
816 S. Walter Reed Drive
Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Artists of all skill levels are invited to vie for a “Worst of All” trophy at this no-pressure event. Open to adults 18+; RSVP for an event reminder.

Tuesday, July 24

Arlington Cares
4301 Wilson Blvd.
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Volunteer Arlington will recognize award winners and celebrate community members who have served at least 100 hours in the past year. Attendees can also learn about volunteer opportunities from local nonprofits and county partners.

Wednesday, July 25

Small Business Roundtable
Arlington Chamber of Commerce (2009 14th Street N.)
Time: 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.

This month’s small business roundtable will cover “games for team productivity and performance” with Beth Offenbacker of Waterford, Inc. Free admission for chamber members, though registration is requested.

Travel Safety Tips
2100 Crystal Drive
Time: 6-7:30 p.m.

Jeanne Marie Hoffman from LeChicGeek.com will provide tips on staying safe while traveling. RSVP for an event reminder; attendance is first-come, first-served.

Thursday, July 26

Teen DIY Juggling Workshop
1644 N. McKinley Road
Time: 3-4 p.m.

Rising 6th through 12th graders are invited to make their own juggling balls and learn the foundations of juggling. No experience necessary.

Friday, July 27

Columbia Pike Movie Nights: Coco
Arlington Mill Community Center (909 S. Dinwiddie Street)
Time: 8:30-10:30 p.m.

The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization’s summer movie series continues this week with Coco. In case of inclement weather, check Facebook or Twitter for any cancellation announcement.

Blerdcon, ‘Fully Inclusive’ Convention for Nerds, Returns to Crystal City

By Melanie Pincus

Blerdcon, an anime, gaming, cosplay, comics and sci-fi convention with a focus on inclusivity, will return to Crystal City next Friday (July 27).

Held at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City (2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy), organizers anticipate between 3,000 and 4,000 attendees.

Blerdcon aims to celebrate “blerd,” or “black nerd,” culture in an environment that welcomes everyone, including members of the LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, people of color and international fans.

Guests include artist and jewelry designer Douriean Fletcher, whose work was featured in Marvel’s Black Panther, actor and writer Kevin Grevioux, known for his work on the Underworld series, and actress and stuntwoman Keisha Tucker, whose credits include Black Panther and Ant-Man and the Wasp.

This year’s event will also include a panel entitled Black Heroes Matter, organized by movement founder and comic book creator URAEUS.

Full weekend passes are available for $50 each, with separate tickets required to participate in certain events. Blerdcon runs from July 27 -29.

Photo via Facebook

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