Events

Arlington Agenda (May 26-31)

By ARLnow.com

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

James LanderChamber of Commerce Candidate Forum
Artisphere (1101 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the Rosslyn Business Improvement District are holding a forum featuring the candidates for Arlington County Board. The forum will cover topics of importance to the local business community. Tickets are $25.

Twilight Tattoo performanceU.S. Army Twilight Tattoo
Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall
Time: 7:00-8:00 p.m.

An hour-long, live-action military pageant featuring soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and the U.S. Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” Experience a glimpse into American history through performances military musicians and vocalists.

Saturday

Youth Multisport festival participantsArlington Youth Multisport Festival*
Washington-Lee High School (1300 N. Quincy Street)
Time: 7:30-11:00 a.m.

Two-day event featuring the kids-only Arlington Triathlon and the Arlington Triathlon Club Splash & Dash, part of USA Triathlon’s national series. Kids ages 7-15 are invited to come swim, bike on closed roads, and run on a fun, safe course.

crawfish-pictureCrystal City Crawfish Boil
Tortoise and Hare (567 23rd Street S.)
Time: 1:00-7:00 p.m.

Crystal City bar Tortoise and Hare holds its annual crawfish boil in its back parking lot, featuring all you can eat crawfish, jambalaya, gumbo and gator. Coming straight out of the bayou, both the cooks and the crawfish won’t disappoint. Tickers are $35.

20140419-GWash-History-walkGeorge Washington’s Forest History Walk
Ball-Sellers House Museum (5620 Third Street S.)
Time: 1:30-3:30 p.m.

This free, three-mile walking tour will start at the Ball-Sellers House then visit survey markers used by George Washington in 1785, a D.C. boundary stone, the site of a mill built by George Washington’s step-grandson and more.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

The Blues Return to Columbia Pike on June 20

By Heather Mongilio

Sonny Landreth performing (photo courtesy CPRO)

A date and a headliner have been set for this year’s Columbia Pike Blues Festival.

The 20th annual Blues Festival will be held on June 20 from 1-8:30 p.m. near the intersection of S. Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike.

This year the festival will be headlined by Grammy-nominated blues musician Sonny Landreth. “Bound by the Blues,” Landreth’s 12th album, will be released on June 8.

The Blue Festival is something the Columbia Pike community looks forward to every year, said Takis Karantonis, executive director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO), which organizes the event.

“It’s Arlington’s biggest block party,” Karantonis said. “It’s a place where our entire community comes together.”

The Blues Festival features numerous food vendors and a beer station. Visitors can also stop by the tables of local arts and crafts vendors and community organizations. There will be at least seven or eight local food vendors, Karantonis said, adding that showcasing local food providers is a goal of the festival this year.

Karantonis expects at least 10,000 attendees this year.

CPRO has selected a national act for the headliner the past two years, Karantonis said. The other musicians are selected from the most active blues acts locally and regionally.

The 2015 lineup is:

The festival will also have a kids area and an artists area. Artists will be painting next to the stage to allow the music to influence their work, Karatonis said. The art will be auctioned off.

Poker Run and Concert in Arlington This Weekend to Benefit Veterans in Need

By Tim Regan

Hope For Our Veterans event posterAn  poker run and rooftop benefit concert this weekend is aiming to help homeless veterans and prevent veteran suicide.

The Hope for our Veterans benefit starts 7 a.m. at the Iwo Jima memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. There, a group of veterans will do 22 pushups to signify the fact that, statistically, 22 veterans commit suicide each day.

The poker run portion of the charity event starts at 10 a.m. at the Iwo Jima memorial. During the poker run, teams drive or ride to five locations across Northern Virginia to draw one poker card.

The five locations are:

  • Crystal City Sports Pub in Crystal City
  • Walkers Grille in Springfield
  • Heritage Brewing Co in Manassas
  • Gypsy Soul in Falls Church
  • Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill in Courthouse

Poker cards may also be purchased for $20 each for those who don’t want to visit all the stops. All of the event’s proceeds go toward benefitting charities Operation Renewed Hope Foundation and Renovating Hope.

Organizers are hoping to attract Rolling Thunder participants — poker runs are popular among motorcyclists — but the event is open to bikers and non-bikers alike.

At 6 p.m., teams will convene on the Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill to present their poker hands. The best poker hand wins a 10-day trip to the Ala Moana Hotel in Waikiki, Hawaii.

The concert portion of the event also begins at 10 a.m. at the Arlington Rooftop Bar and Grill, and is hosted by former Yahoo! and TV Guide Channel personality Nikki Boyer. Artists such as McKayla Reece, Tommy Fields and Mars Rodeo will play until 1:30 a.m.

The concert is free before 2 p.m., after which tickets cost $25.

Artisphere to Close With Sarcastic Sendoff

By Tim Regan

Our Lady of the Vanishing Arts, photo courtesy of Artisphere

A new art piece will lambast the closure of Artisphere on the venue’s final day of live performance.

Artist Carolina Mayorga can neither confirm nor deny that she will assume the form of the Virgin Mary apparition during a performance titled “Our Lady of the Vanishing Arts.” But Mayorga, who’s dressed as the holy figure before, says there’s a good possibility a divine apparition could materialize at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 6.

“[The Virgin Mary] is thinking about making an apparition at Artisphere,” Mayorga says, chuckling. “She might appear. She’s thinking about it.”

During the performance piece, which lasts an hour and precedes a musical performance by Stooges Brass Band and Black Masala, Mayorga will perform mock holy rituals and anoint Artisphere attendees.

“I have these cardboard letters that spell the word art,” explains Mayorga. “and I’m going to burn them in a little metal tray, mix that with oil, and use a brush to [paint dollar signs on attendees’ foreheads].”

A live organist will play Catholic mass classics such as “Ave Maria” alongside the performance.

“I call it Ash Saturday,” says Mayorga.

The point of the performance, explains Mayorga, isn’t to belittle religion. Instead, it’s to mourn the loss of a local artistic institution.

“I benefitted from Artisphere for a long time,” she says. “I did an artist in residency with them in 2013. They’ve always been supportive of my work.”

Some of the art from Mayorga’s residency still clings to the gallery’s walls as a permanent installation.

“When you want to do a special performance, you need a venue like Artisphere,” Mayorga says. “It really hurts to lose it.”

Photo courtesy of Artisphere.

Traffic Delays, Road Closures Expected for Rolling Thunder Rally

By ARLnow.com

Rolling Thunder (Flickr pool photo by Michelle Dupray)

The annual Rolling Thunder motorcycle rally will rumble through Arlington starting today.

The Memorial Day weekend event will begin with the expected arrival of thousands of motorcyclists this afternoon, many of whom will be arriving via I-66. Authorities are warning drivers to expect delays on eastbound I-66 between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.

The Hyatt Regency in Crystal City will serve as the hotel headquarters for the event, which according to organizers attracts some 900,000 bikers to the nation’s capital. The expected arrival time at the hotel is 3:00 p.m., according to a weekend schedule.

Arlington residents who live along the Route 1 corridor should, as usual, expect plenty of motorcycle noise throughout the weekend.

Aside from activity around the hotel, no Rolling Thunder events are planned in Arlington on Saturday. On Sunday, starting at 7:00 a.m., participants will gather at the Pentagon north and south parking lots for a large rally, which this year will include food trucks.

From the Pentagon, the bikers will depart for a rally on the National Mall, featuring various speakers and musical tributes, at noon.

To accommodate the large expected crowds, Arlington County and Virginia State Police will close Washington Blvd between I-395 and the Memorial Bridge from about 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.

“In addition, Arlington National Cemetery will only be accessible from southbound George Washington Memorial Parkway or northbound Route 110,” ACPD said in a press release. “Motorists should expect large numbers of motorcyclists in Northern Virginia and the entire Washington Metropolitan area this weekend.”

Flickr pool photo by Michelle Dupray

Young Republicans to Host Death Penalty Discussion

By ARLnow.com

Republican Party logoTonight (Monday) the Arlington Falls Church Young Republicans will host a presentation of “the conservative case against the death penalty.”

The discussion will be held at the AFCYR’s monthly meeting, starting at 7:30 p.m. at Hard Time Cafe in Clarendon (3028 Washington Blvd).

The group Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty will tell young Republicans why they’re “questioning the alignment of capital punishment with their principles.” The organization notes that 152 individuals, to date, have been released from death row after it was determined that they were wrongfully convicted.

“I will make the case why capital punishment violates many of the conservative values that we hold dear,” said Marc Hyden, a former National Rifle Association field representative who’s now a national coordinator for CCATDP. “For example, as conservatives, we want to limit the power of government, including a broken government program like the death penalty, which has the real potential of killing innocent Americans.”

“The Arlington Falls Church Young Republicans are excited to continue our discussion about the criminal justice system,” AFCYR Chair Matthew Hurtt said in a statement. “Many prominent conservatives have questioned the death penalty as another costly, inefficient, bureaucratic, government-run operation. Our members are interested in hearing CCATDP’s argument behind raising the red flag about the death penalty in the U.S.”

Young Republicans to Hold Gay Marriage Discussion in Clarendon

By Ethan Rothstein

Logo-step2One group of young Republicans, hoping to lead a change in the way the GOP talks about gay marriage, is holding an event in Clarendon to discuss it next week.

NextGenGOP, a Virginia group hoping to push statewide Republicans forward on social issues, is hosting a “Freedom to Marry Happy Hour” on Wednesday, May 20, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Mad Rose Tavern (3100 Clarendon Blvd).

The event, praised by Washington Post opinion blogger Jonathan Capehart, is aimed directly at millennials who, even among Republicans, largely support marriage equality.

“Our members believe not just in economic freedom, but also personal freedom,” the group said in a press release. “We believe in tolerance. We believe in the rule of law, and equality under it.

“That is why we are taking action, why we are organizing,” the press release continues. “Our generation will be heard. We are NextGen GOP and we are part of the generation that will define the future Republican Party. We will no longer be forced to say, ‘I’m a Republican but…’ We believe in freedom to marry just as firmly as we believe in economic freedom.”

One of the group’s leaders, and the event’s organizer, is Cameron Kilberg, former Virginia assistant secretary of technology under Gov. Bob McDonnell and founder of Disrupt Fitness. The event is free, and anyone can RSVP online.

Image via NextGen GOP

Taste of Arlington Returns on Sunday

By Ethan Rothstein

Taste of Arlington 2014 crowdsThe annual street festival in Ballston, celebrating the restaurants of Arlington, is back on Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m.

This year, Taste of Arlington will feature 49 restaurants and a beer and wine garden that’s bigger than ever. Booklets of tickets for tasting and drinking are on sale now.

Stop by the Ballston farmer’s market tomorrow evening, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. at 901 N. Taylor Street, for a $25 packet of 10 tickets. If you purchase on the Ballston Connect mobile, app, a packet costs $30. Packets purchase online are $35 and packets purchased at the festival will be $40. Tickets to the VIP pavilion, with unlimited beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres provided by SER, cost $100 online, and $110 at the festival.

The festival will close down the streets of Ballston all day: Wilson Blvd from N. Glebe Road to Quincy Street and Stuart and Randolph streets from Wilson to 9th Street N.

In addition to the restaurant booths, beer and wine garden and VIP pavilion, there will be three stages for live music, a Kids Zone with games and face painting and the return of the World Pup Tournament, which costs $10 to enter one’s dog to participate.

The restaurants in attendance will compete for a “Best of the Best” food title in the following categories: Best Appetizer, Best Fast Casual Entrée, Best Fine Dining Entrée and Best Dessert. The judging will be held at 3:00 p.m. in the VIP pavilion and the winners will be announced at 4:00 p.m. on the main stage.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Arlington Food Assistance Center. The restaurants participating and competing are as follows:

  • Westover Beer Garden
  • Sehkraft Beer Garden
  • Yona
  • Thunder Beast
  • Tasty 6
  • Naan Stop DC
  • Pepita Cantina
  • Water & Wall
  • Rito Loco
  • Postmodern Foods
  • Pinzimini
  • Curley’s BBQ
  • Sweet Fix DC
  • Bracket Room
  • Orient Bowl
  • Don Tito
  • Sushi Rock
  • Urban Bumpkin BBQ
  • Ben’s Chili Bowl
  • American Tap Room
  • Dolce Sweets
  • Pizza Vinoteca
  • Rumalutions
  • Koolzone Ice and Treats
  • Mac’s Donuts
  • Northside Social
  • Capriotti’s
  • Lyon Hall
  • Mussel Bar & Grille
  • Liberty Tavern
  • Gua-Rapo
  • Commonwealth Joe
  • Epic Smokehouse
  • RedRocks Pizzeria
  • The Melting Pot
  • Circa
  • Willow
  • Which Wich
  • The Front Page
  • P.F. Chang’s
  • Nando’s Peri-Peri
  • La Tasca
  • Il Forno
  • World of Beer
  • Fuego Cocina y Tequileria
  • Kapnos Taverna
  • Big Buns
  • A-Town Bar and Grill
  • Lebanese Taverna

File photo. Disclosure: Ballston BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Rosslyn’s Annual Meeting Promoted as Open Bar ‘Party’

By Ethan Rothstein

Rosslyn's "City Social" event flyerThe Rosslyn Business Improvement District is holding its annual meeting tomorrow evening, but the event is being marketed as a social party with free-flowing booze and a DJ.

Called “City Social,” the annual meeting is at the CEB Waterview Conference Center (1919 N. Lynn Street) from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. RSVPs for the event have closed.

The BID’s calling City Social its “annual party,” and will serve hors d’oevures alongside the open bar while Champion Superior Soundsystem spins its “vintage world funk” tunes. In the middle of the partying, six Rosslyn business leaders will take part in a panel discussion of the neighborhood.

“Our panel of Rosslyn heavyweights will loop you in on the the important synergy a neighborhood can create among the companies, employees and residents located there,” the event website reads, “from the access to talented people and one-of-a-kind views to the energy and buzz happening out there on the street, all of which will drive success for you and your company.”

The panel includes ARLnow.com editor and founder Scott Brodbeck, plus executives from Rosetta Stone, Politico, LiveSafe, CEB and Heavy Seas Alehouse.

There will also be prizes for attendees, including one-month memberships to OrangeTheory Fitness and Lava Barre, a 55-hour pass to Cove in Rosslyn and a gift certificate for a Rosslyn “staycation.”

Image via Rosslyn BID

Bike to Work Day is This Friday

By Ethan Rothstein

Bike to Work Day in RosslynThe D.C. region’s annual Bike-to-Work Day is back this year on Friday, May 15, when thousands of the areas residents will ditch four wheels for two on their commutes.

The Washington Area Bicyclist Association says there are 79 pit stops for cyclists around the region, including six in Arlington. Arlington’s pit stops will be, rain or shine, at:

  • Crystal City: Crystal City Water Park, 1750 Crystal Drive, 7:00-9:00 a.m.
  • Shirlington: Village at Shirlington, 4200 Campbell Ave., 6:30-9:00 a.m.
  • Columbia Pike: Penrose Square, 2503 Columbia Pike, 6:30-9:00 a.m.
  • East Falls Church: East Falls Church Metro, 2001 N. Sycamore Street, 6:30-9:30 a.m.
  • Ballston: FreshBikes, 3924 Wilson Blvd, 6:30-9:00 a.m.
  • Rosslyn: Rosslyn Gateway Park, Lee Highway and N. Lynn Street, 6:30-9:00 a.m.

At each pit stop, there will be free food, beverages and giveaways. Those who want to be entered in raffles for a free bicycle — or be one of 14,000 people to receive a T-shirt — can do so at the official event website. If you’re one of the first 14,000 people registered, your T-shirt will be waiting at the pit stop you choose.

At the Ballston and Rosslyn locations, bike specialists will be on hand to give tuneups. Those who haven’t biked to work before are encouraged to check out BikeArlington’s route map and practice the route before the trails are mobbed with event participants. Arlington’s Car-Free Diet organization put together an intro video to commemorate the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elPdkZLh68c

File photo

Arlington Agenda (May 11-17)

By Ethan Rothstein

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

Waiting for interviewCareer Seminar in Clarendon*
3140 Washington Blvd (Suite 222)
Time: 7:00-8:30 p.m.

Part 3 of the four-part career seminar focuses on networking and “your personal elevator pitch.” Presented by The Career Path Partners. Sign up online, class costs $20.

Tuesday

CVFDposter2Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department Fundraiser
Don Tito (3165 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 5:00-8:00 p.m.

The CVFD is holding a raffle fundraiser and social at Clarendon’s newest bar. A DJ will be spinning and raffle tickets will be sold for items from local Clarendon businesses. Open to all.

Wednesday

ATB3PosterFree Movie Screening
Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)
Time: 6:30-9:00 p.m.

The Drafthouse is hosting a free showing of “America the Beautiful 3: The Sexualization of our Children,” about the effects of sexual imagery on the nation’s youth. Register here.

Saturday

tuckahoetour_bannerimgs_2015-header1Tuckahoe Home and Garden Tour*
Tuckahoe Elementary School (6550 26th Street N.)
Time: noon-5:00 p.m.

A tour of recently built and redesigned homes that feature stunning gardens. The tour generates funds for the Tuckahoe PTA. Tickets are $25 online at $30 at the door.

Rated-ART-PowerPoint-SlideArlington Arts Center Spring Gala*
Arlington Arts Center (3550 Wilson Blvd)
Time: 8:00-11:00 p.m.

The Arlington Arts Center hosts a gala to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Food from restaurants like Lyon Hall, Bayou Bakery and Mussel Bar. General Admission tickets cost $125.

Sunday

Taste of Arlington 2012Taste of Arlington*
Wilson Blvd in Ballston
Time: noon-6:00 p.m.

Ballston’s annual street food festival returns, with an expanded beer and wine garden, three concert stages, 50 restaurant booths and the “World Pup Tournament.” Books of tickets are still on sale.

casualloresFree Concert: Quintette Instrumental de Paris*
Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ (5010 Little Falls Road)
Time: 4:00-6:00 p.m.

A harp, flute and three string instruments play French music, for free, in North Arlington. IBIS Chamber Music presents pieces by composers Pierne, Francaix, Ropartz and Jongen.

*Denotes featured (sponsored) content

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