birthday

Cake Boss Chef Bakes for National Guard Celebration

By Katie Pyzyk

A famous face visited Arlington to help the National Guard celebrate its 375th birthday on Tuesday. Mauro Castano from TLC’s hit show “Cake Boss” showed up with a tasty treat in hand.

Castano and crew drove the cake down from their Hoboken, NJ bakery to the Army National Guard Readiness Center in Arlington. The New Jersey National Guard assisted in the transport and during the four hour drive.

Several months ago, a member of the New Jersey National Guard contacted Castano and asked about creating a cake for the birthday celebration. Despite being involved with “Cake Boss” and two other spin-off programs, Castano was eager to contribute to the event.

The two-foot by three-foot cake sports a replica of the Minuteman statue on top, a symbol Castano researched and decided should be a focal point of the cake.

“You know what,” said Castano, “we’ve got to put that in there. That’s the symbol of the National Guard.”

The Minuteman is made of chocolate, and like every other decoration on the cake, is edible. Along the sides, all the states and territories the National Guard serves are represented by patches made out of sugar.

More than 200 military and civilian employees of the National Guard Bureau and Army National Guard Readiness Center enjoyed the cake.

Photo courtesy Leisa Grant/National Guard Bureau

Big Bash for Artisphere’s First Birthday

By Katie Pyzyk

Drinks, DJs playing dance music and a specially commissioned piece of video art aren’t necessarily things you’d expect to see at a one-year-old’s birthday party. Unless, of course, that one-year-old is Rosslyn’s own Artisphere.

The art space and venue has seen its share of trouble during its year in existence. There was no restaurant on site for the first seven months, the executive director didn’t start until three months after opening, and both attendance and revenue were low.

But earlier this year, Artisphere revamped its business plan. Staff say it has taken a little longer to get there, but things appear to be back on track.  The hope is that the birthday bash will introduce new patrons to the venue and what it offers.

“The 1 Party” kicks off tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. with DJs and a commissioned lighting of Artisphere’s dome by local artist Brian Stansfield. There will also be a live variety show and an interactive mural creation.

On Sunday, the whole family is welcome to check out Artisphere’s free open house from noon to 6:00 p.m. Attendees can take part in hands-on art activities, salsa lessons and face painting, as well as getting a look at performance art. Of course, there will be birthday cake for everyone who attends the celebration.

Tickets to Saturday night’s party range from $15-$30. Click here to sign up for tickets.

Disclosure: Artisphere is currently an ARLnow.com advertiser.

Happy Birthday, George Washington

By ARLnow.com

The arbitrary federal holiday known as President’s Day might have been last week, but don’t let that stop you from recognizing the actual birthday of an actual president. Founding father George Washington turns 278 today.

Did you know that our first president owned 1,200 acres of land in Northern Virginia, much of it in Arlington? If you don’t believe it, head out on a historical trek to find the George Washington Survey Tree.

Okay, the tree is long gone, but a marker was erected at the site where it once stood. It’s located just off the W&OD trail, near the Glencarlyn and Barcroft sections of Arlington.

There is also a section of the original tree on exhibit at the Glencarlyn Library.