The Easter Bunny is making a few trips to Fashion Centre at Pentagon City this month and in early April.
The holiday hare will hold court in Nordstrom Court, located in the first level of the mall at 1100 S. Hayes Street.
“Reserve your visit now and make it an Easter tradition,” the mall said on its website.
Scheduled photo op hours for the rabbit are as follows:
Friday, March 24: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday, March 25: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, March 26: 12-6 p.m.
Monday, March 27 through Thursday, March 30: 2-7 p.m.
Friday, March 31 through Sunday, April 2: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
Monday, April 3 through Thursday, April 6: 2-7 p.m.
Friday, April 7 & Saturday, April 8: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
In addition to the main photo sessions, there will be a sensory-friendly “caring bunny” experience exclusively for children with special needs and their families on Sunday, March 26 from 9-11 a.m, per a mall webpage.
(Updated at 10 p.m.) Next Friday, March 17, is a celebration of all things Irish: the release of a new Hozier EP.
But for some local bars and the Catholic Church, next Friday is more notably St. Patrick’s Day. The weekend is set to be marked with celebrations of Irish dancing, music, and drinking.
Some of the local happenings are listed below.
Clarendon Ballroom (3185 Wilson Blvd)
A combined St. Patrick’s Day and March Madness celebration called Irish Madness Fest. The bar will be showing NCAA games and there will be bands, DJs, drink specials, a buffet and more. Doors open at noon and the event runs all day.
The Lot (3217 10th Street N.)
The Lot is celebrating its last St. Patrick’s Day with Shamrock & Roll, featuring live entertainment, food trucks, and of course the quintessentially Irish tiki bar and “adult sandpit.”
Wilson Hardware (2915 Wilson Blvd)
The Clarendon bar is celebrating with Guinness and Jameson specials from opening to 9 p.m., along with an all-night dance party.
The Celtic House (2500 Columbia Pike)
Staff said the St. Patrick’s Day event will start at 9 a.m. and include a full day of music and Irish dancing.
O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub (3207 Washington Blvd)
The Irish pub will have Irish dancers and live music on both Friday, March 17 and Saturday, March 18.
McNamara’s Pub and Restaurant (567 23rd Street S.)
The bar will be open, but it won’t be a special event — St. Patrick’s Day will be just another day that ends in “y” — we’re told.
Mattie & Eddie’s (1301 S. Joyce Street)
Staff said the restaurant will have live music for the holiday.
The Union (3811 Fairfax Drive)
The Ballston bar is offering 50% off for all small plates until 8 p.m. for anyone wearing green and 50% off drinks after 8 p.m., also for anyone wearing green.
Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub (2800 S. Randolph Street) Doors will open at 10 a.m. and live Irish music will be performed all day, a manager tells us. There will also be live Irish dancing performances throughout the day.
Locals can also show their support for Ireland by keeping their fingers crossed for The Banshees of Inisherin at the Oscars this weekend, as well.
One notable absence from the above list is the venerable Ireland’s Four Courts in Courthouse. Four Courts remains closed but is being rebuilt, after a rideshare vehicle plowed into it last summer, seriously injuring several patrons and sparking a devastating fire.
Scenes from the 8th annual Fur The More convention in Crystal City (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Scenes from the 8th annual Fur The More convention in Crystal City (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Scenes from the 8th annual Fur The More convention in Crystal City (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Scenes from the 8th annual Fur The More convention in Crystal City (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Scenes from the 8th annual Fur The More convention in Crystal City (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
The annual furry convention Fur the ‘More is celebrating its 10-year anniversary with a time travel-themed extravaganza in Crystal City.
Fur the ‘More is scheduled to run from Friday, March 10 to Sunday, March 12, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at 2799 Richmond Hwy.
The convention features a vendor marketplace, a gaming room, dance competition, an art show, a parade and more — all based around the subculture of anthropomorphic animal characters. Each year, the convention has a theme, and the time travel theme celebrates the convention’s 10-year anniversary.
Like many conventions, Fur the ‘More often prominently features elaborate, full-body animal costumes, though many attendees in past years opt for more low-key animal themes like kigurumis or cat ears.
The convention also features an auction every year that raises money for a charity. This year it is raising money for The Frederick Center, an LGBTQ+ support and advocacy organization.
The basic tickets are $70, though those are prorated at $50 for Saturday and $35 for just Sunday.
For those staying at the hotel, it’s offering both a standard room block and a “noisy hotel block” for “you late night room partiers.”
Rain drops on a cherry blossom in Freedom Park in Rosslyn (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
You won’t have to go across the Potomac to enjoy cherry blossom festivities this year.
The National Landing BID is hosting Pink in the Park, a celebration of the region’s cherry blossoms sans D.C. tourist crowds.
Pink in the Park is scheduled for Saturday, April 1, from 3-7 p.m. The festival will be held outside the Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center, at 333 Long Bridge Drive.
Current predictions say the Pink in the Park festival might miss peak bloom by about a week, thanks to warmer temperatures this winter.
The event will be emceed by comedian and American Gods actor Orlando Jones, with rock band Black Alley headlining. Black Alley is scheduled to take the stage at 5:45 p.m.
Pets are allowed at the event but must be leashed at all time, and it’s not recommended for pets that are sensitive to loud music and crowds.
The event will also have “Instagrammable moments,” “immersive art installations” and giveaways, organizers say. It will be preceded by Pink in the Pool, a family-friendly event from 9 a.m.-noon in the Long Bridge Aquatics Center.
Tickets to the event, of which Amazon is the marquee sponsor, are free and available online.
Pink in the Park graphic (via National Landing BID)
“The infamous Leprechaun Lap is making its way to Clarendon on Saturday, March 11th!” says the registration page for the St. Paddy’s-themed event. “Join the shenanigans to Clarendon’s best bars, patios and rooftops, featuring all day drink specials, DJs, bands, signature party favors, and giveaways.”
Early bird ticket pricing of $10 ends later today, after which the price goes to $20 plus fees.
The crawl is being organized by B Social Events, from Clarendon nightlife power couple Christal and Mike Bramson. The bars listed as crawl destinations — including Clarendon Ballroom, B Live and Pamplona — are all Bramson owned. (Their company also has a crawl in D.C.’s Dupont Circle neighborhood planned for the same day.)
The event listing promises more bars being added to the crawl in the near future.
More on the Clarendon crawl, below.
Don your green and get ready for your St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl adventure!
What do you get:
Access to Clarendon’s Best Bars, Patios, and Rooftops
The event, co-organized by the Arlington Sister Cities Association, is scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m. Friday, outside of Arlington County government headquarters, at 2100 Clarendon Blvd in Courthouse.
“During the event, members of the Arlington County Board will offer remarks, the County’s Honor Guard will raise the flag of Ukraine, and the national anthems of both the United States and Ukraine will be performed,” the county noted in a media advisory.
In a press release today, the county noted some of the work undertaken by the association to support Ukraine since the start of the conflict. The western Ukrainian city of Ivano-Frankivsk is one of Arlington’s five sister cities.
Ukraine support infographic (via Arlington County)
The press release is below.
Feb. 24 marks the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with the effects of the invasion profoundly impacting the Ukrainian people and the international community. Over the past year, Ukrainians have remained resilient and strong as they continue their fight for freedom against tremendous odds.
Ukraine has held its defense and resisted Russian influence with unwavering support from the U.S. and the international community. Arlington County is proud to be part of that community as we maintained a show of support and solidarity for Ukraine and Arlington’s sister city, Ivano-Frankivsk.
“As we recognize one year of conflict in Ukraine, Arlington proudly continues to stand with the people of Ukraine and our sister city, Ivano-Frankivsk. We applaud the resiliency, courage, and strength the people of Ukraine have shown the world in their struggle for democracy,” said County Board Vice-Chair Libby Garvey. “Many people in Ukraine today are living under unimaginable conditions as they fight for their freedom against the aggression and cruelty of another nation. The free world cannot let such aggression and cruelty stand, so, in many ways, they are fighting for all of us. On this one-year anniversary, we hope the people of Ukraine are heartened by the support they continue to receive from around the world, including here in Arlington.”
About Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
Ivano-Frankivsk, renamed in 1962 in honor of Ukrainian poet and writer Ivan Franko, has become one of Ukraine’s most innovative and modern cities. Arlington and Ivano-Frankivsk share several similarities including a population of approximately 230,000 residents and a size of 26 square miles (67 km²) and 32 square miles (83 km²), respectively. Much like Arlington, Ivano-Frankivsk has made major efforts to ensure that streets and public spaces are open, inviting, and accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
Arlington and Ivano-Frankivsk were formally declared sister cities on March 4, 2011, when they signed the agreement. Since then, both communities have hosted government delegations, student exchange programs, and share information with public safety responders.
“Arlington’s response to the crisis in Ukraine is a powerful reminder to us of the importance of sister cities and the strength of the relationship between Arlington and Ivano-Frankivsk,” said Hanna Eun, Chair of the Arlington Sister City Association (ASCA)’s Board of Directors. “ASCA is an integral part of Arlington’s international community that works to provide special programming, cultural promotion, and encouraging understanding between sister cities, especially during times of conflict. Whether it be in 2014 or 2022, Arlington and the Arlington community continue to promote global awareness and international support.”
Mini king cakes from Bayou Bakery (photo courtesy of Bayou Bakery)
Chef David Guas (photo courtesy of Bayou Bakery)
Bayou Bakery in Courthouse (photo courtesy Bayou Bakery)
Rice and beans (photo courtesy of Bayou Bakery)
Bayou Bakery in Courthouse is once again going all out for Mardi Gras.
The New Orleans-themed eatery at 1515 N. Courthouse Road is hosting a Fat Tuesday “Bayou-Gras Mardi Pardi” starting at 6 p.m. tonight (Feb. 21)
The celebration will feature food, beverages, and live jazz from Louisiana native Nick Adde. There, of course, will be King Cake too.
Bayou Bakery opened in 2010 by David Gaus, a nationally-known chef who has appeared on a number of Food Network cooking competition shows over the years.
Even during tough times, Bayou Bakery always makes a point to celebrate Mardi Gras. In 2021, the restaurant put together a take-home “Mardi Gras in a Box” so that folks could enjoy the holiday safely at home. (It proved popular and was still being offered for this year’s Mardi Gras.)
ARLnow has reached out to the Clarendon Alliance, the organization that had put on the parade, to confirm that the parade remains a no-go this year but has yet to hear back as of publication.
More details about tonight’s Bayou-Gras Mardi Pardi, below.
Revelry explodes on Fat Tuesday, hosted by Chef David Guas, born and bred in New Orleans, with a BAYOU-GRAS MARDI PARDI at Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery [Arlington, VA] – featuring authentic dishes, famous drinks, and live, Jazzy music.
Fat Tuesday – February 21, 2023 – the day is festive with a Pardi at the DMV’s only Mardi Gras Headquarters, indulging in New Orleans signature eats and beverages. Open ALL DAY from 7AM to 5PM. Staff Break! Bayou Gras begins 6PM – 9PM for the annual celebration. A menu of Parade specials and LIVE MUSIC. Purchase Tickets upon entry, and with each Ticket you get Three Items within the corresponding category:
2022 National Police Week 5K in Rosslyn in 2022 (via Diplomatic Security Service/Flickr)
Arlington will be hosting a 17-year-old race to honor police officers who have died in the line of duty.
This is the second time that the county will host participants in the National Police Week 5K. The 17th annual event will be held on May 13.
Last year, racers ran from Rosslyn to the Pentagon in the first in-person race since the onset of the pandemic. The race was held virtually in 2020 and 2021 and pre-Covid, it was held in D.C.
“We chose Arlington for several reasons, the main reason being the location,” said event spokeswoman Amy Herrera. “Arlington is a beautiful city with a strong and active community.”
The race is also an opportunity to signal support for living officers, per the race website.
“Between a devastating pandemic, intense public scrutiny, and heightened civil unrest, the challenges our officers face continue to grow,” it says. “Whether you’ve witnessed this firsthand or as a police supporter, the NPW5K is your opportunity to help revive the camaraderie that our community needs now more than ever.”
National Police Week draws upwards of 40,000 people to the capital to honor the law enforcement officers who died on the job, per the event’s website.
“Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to participate in a number of planned events which honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” the website says.
President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as “Peace Officers Memorial Day” in 1962 and the week in which that date falls as Police Week, the website said. Officers began holding a memorial service in 1982, which has since expanded to include a series of events, such as the 5K.
The race is sponsored by the Officer Down Memorial Page, a nonprofit dedicated to honoring some 26,000 fallen law enforcement officers.
Online race registration is currently open. People can run in-person in Arlington or “virtually” by running a 5K from home. The course takes runners around the perimeter of the Pentagon, down Richmond Hwy, across Army Navy Drive and up Washington Blvd, via S. Joyce Street and Columbia Pike.
Author Michael Twitty (photo courtesy of Arlington Public Library)
Arlington Public Library is putting on a number of events over the next several weeks to commemorate and celebrate Black History Month.
Highlights include a talk with a James Beard award winner, a documentary screening about one of Arlington’s most famous musicians, and a presentation about the historic Green Valley Pharmacy.
February marks Black History Month which, as the library’s website notes, has origins that date back more than a century ago. In honor of the month, the Arlington Public Library is hosting several programs “to celebrate Black culture and stories.”
Unlike the previous few years, the majority of the events will be in-person this year.
This week at Central Library, James Beard award-winning author Michael W. Twitty will discuss his book “KosherSoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew.”
Based in D.C., Twitty has earned recognition for his cooking, writing, and fusing of two culinary histories. There will be an audience question and answer session and a book signing after the discussion.
The talk on Thursday, Feb. 16 is being held in person inside the auditorium at Central Library and seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis. It will also be live-streamed and a recording will be available on the county’s YouTube page for 30 days after the event.
On Sunday, Feb. 19, the library is partnering with local PBS station WETA and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington for a screening of the new documentary about musician Roberta Flack. It will take place at the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse on Columbia Pike starting at 7 p.m.
Flack grew up in Green Valley and went to Hoffman-Boston High School. She’s famed for singing a number of number-one hits, including “Killing Me Softly.”
American Masters: Roberta Flack features “exclusive access to Flack’s archives of film, performances, interviews, home movies, photos, hit songs and unreleased music,” the library’s website reads. “The film documents how Flack’s musical virtuosity was inseparable from her lifelong commitment to civil rights.”
The screening is free but registration is required. There will be free popcorn courtesy of WETA.
Later in the month, Green Valley Civic Association Portia Clark will give a “special presentation” about the Green Valley Pharmacy at the Shirlington Branch Library. The local landmark was owned by Doc Muse for decades, where he dispensed medicine to the Black community.
“The longest-operating African American pharmacy in Arlington County and likely the first African-American-owned pharmacy in the county, the Green Valley Pharmacy has helped shape and define the local community for over 60 years,” reads the event listing.
Doc Muse died in 2017 and the property was transferred to his daughter. The building has remained vacant ever since, though a kabob restaurant is still expected to move in at some point.
Several other Black History Month events both online and in person at Central Library, including a kid-aimed production highlighting Black American heroes this Wednesday, a discussion of the 1930s project of interviewing formerly enslaved Virginians, and a family-friendly “musical experience.”
Bishop O’Connell High School students dance for hours at the annual Superdance (courtesy photo)
Bishop O’Connell High School students dance for hours at the annual Superdance (courtesy photo)
Bishop O’Connell High School students dance for hours at the annual Superdance (courtesy photo)
Bishop O’Connell High School students will be dancing for 12 hours straight to raise money for the research and treatment of cystic fibrosis.
The nearly 50-year-old tradition, dubbed the “Superdance,” will take place on Saturday, March 11 from noon to midnight. Each year, over 95% of the student body attends the event, which has live bands, DJs and games.
“This is a beloved school tradition created in the hopes of finding a cure for cystic fibrosis and in remembrance of several members of the O’Donnell family who died from the disease,” said Lizzie Whelan, the publicity chair for the Superdance.
Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease that causes severe damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs in the body and leads to an early death. A therapeutic drug approved in 2019 can help patients avoid lung failure and live longer.
But no such therapy existed in 1976, when the first 12-hour dance-a-thon was organized by Maura O’Donnell, then a senior at Bishop O’Connell. She put it together in hopes of raising enough money to find a cure after her sister Brenda died of the disease in 1975.
Maura, who also had cystic fibrosis, attended the first Superdance and graduated high school, but died from the disease while in nursing school.
She is remembered as “a vibrant young girl, who left an impact on every person that had the pleasure of meeting her,” Whelan said.
“Maura created a monumental impact on the student body that has lasted forty years and will continue to influence O’Connell students in the future,” Whelan said. “The entire Bishop O’Connell is dedicated to supporting this cause and continuing the fight that Maura so bravely started.”
Since its inception, Superdance has raised nearly $4.9 million to help find a cure for cystic fibrosis. This year, Whelan says the students aim to raise over $143,000 and pass the $5 million mark. Last year, the Superdance raised $136,000, making Bishop O’Connell is the largest high school contributor to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
An assembly previewing the event and educating students about cystic fibrosis will be held this Friday, Feb. 10. It will feature speeches from the student council, presentations from student committees, guest speakers, skits and games. At the end of the assembly, this year’s theme for Superdance will be revealed.
The festivities, starting at 1 p.m. on the Metro level of the mall, are set to include music, dancing, and treats.
Visit the Far East without leaving your time zone! Fashion Centre at Pentagon City in partnership with the Asian American Chamber of Commerce will celebrate the turn of the Lunar New Year calendar with a special Asian New Year event! On Saturday, February 4 from 1-5PM. pic.twitter.com/THpI8AnEer
This is the seventh year the mall and the Tysons-based nonprofit have come together to celebrate the Lunar New Year, one of the most celebrated holidays in the world.
“We hope to bring joyful celebration to the community, uplift the spirit in these challenging times, preserve the cultural traditions and celebrate cultural diversity,” AACC president Cindy Shao said via email.
Shao said that attendees can expect traditional dragon and lion dances as well as cultural performances representing a number of Asian countries like Thailand, Indonesia, China, and India. There will also be magic and fashion shows as well as pastry samplings.
A number of the mall’s stores will be offering specials during the event as well.
“This year, we are excited to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit and usher in new beginnings, good luck, health and prosperity for 2023,” Shao said.
