culture

Carnaval de Oruro Parade Planned Sunday

By ARLnow.com

Several streets will be closed near Shirlington on Sunday for the Carnaval de Oruro parade.

The parade is scheduled to kick off at 10:30 a.m. on S. Four Mile Run, between George Mason Drive and Walter Reed Drive. Based on a 2,000+ year-old religious and cultural tradition in Bolivia, the parade will feature music and folk dancers.

Police are planning the following road closures on Sunday:

  • Right lane of southbound Walter Reed Drive near S. Four Mile Run Drive will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Westbound lanes of S. Four Mile Run Drive will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Westbound traffic will be directed onto the Four Mile Run Drive access road.
  • Right lane of northbound S. George Mason Drive near Four Mile Run Drive will be closed from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Temporary “no parking” signs will also be posted along the parade route.

Morning Poll: Hipsters in Arlington?

By ARLnow.com

People walking in BallstonAccording the real estate information firm RealtyTrac, Arlington’s 22203 ZIP code is the 7th-most “hipster-friendly” area in the United States.

A hipster ZIP code is generally defined by RealtyTrac as an area where residents are young and lots of people rent and take public transportation. The 22203 ZIP code, the second-highest ranking ZIP in the D.C. area next to Alexandria’s 22304 ZIP code, includes the neighborhoods of Ballston, Virginia Square, Bluemont and Buckingham.

Arlington’s 22201 ZIP code, meanwhile, ranked 23rd on the list. That ZIP code includes Courthouse, Clarendon, Lyon Village, Lyon Park, and parts of Ballston and Virginia Square.

No ZIP codes in the District of Columbia made the rankings.

RealtyTrac’s methodology seems questionable at best, ignoring the more nuanced cultural factors that define a “hipster.” That said, which Arlington locale would you consider to be the biggest hipster hotbed?
 

Festival to Celebrate African American History and Culture

By Katie Pyzyk

Arlington, Virginia logo (small)Arlington is celebrating Black History Month with dancing, food and art at the 21st Annual Feel the Heritage Festival next month. The event will take place at the Langston-Brown Community Center (2121 N. Culpeper Street) from noon-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 9.

Avon Dews will provide live music and the Soul in Motion Players will offer an African dance and drumming performance. Kids can enjoy face painting, balloon art and making art projects while adults check out the vendors.

Anyone interested in taking in the history of the High View Park neighborhood can join in a cultural walk starting at 2:30 p.m. The group will stop at significant locations along the route, where walkers will be encouraged to share memories about the neighborhood, its residents and its traditions.

There will be a raffle during the event and the winner will receive two round-trip airline tickets to anywhere in Africa that Ethiopian Airlines flies. The $5 tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the event.

Bolivian Cultural Night Comes to Arlington

By Margaret Doyle

Arlington residents can enjoy a musical taste of Bolivia without even leaving the county, as the Comité Pro Bolivia will be holding a Bolivian Cultural Night on Saturday (July 21).

As a non-profit cultural organization now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Comité Pro Bolivia will showcase eight large Bolivian dance and music ensembles. Each performance will vary from Suri Sicuris, which is traditionally performed before the ostrich (suri) hunt, to the Tinku dance of strength and agility.

The event is free, open to the public and will begin at 8:00 p.m. It’s being held at the Lubber Run Amphitheater at North Columbus and 2nd Street North (two blocks north of Route 50). The amphitheater is wheelchair accessible.

Bolivians make up 20 percent of the approximately 33,000 individuals in Arlington’s Hispanic community. Numerous Bolivian dance groups have been active throughout the county since the 1990s. The Comité’s stated goal is to focus on the dancing traditions which help bring together the Bolivian Community in Arlington and to also create a feeling of belonging and home.

The event and is co-sponsored by Arlington Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Folklore Studies Program at George Mason University. For more information, call 703-228-1850 or visit www.arlingtonarts.org.

Photo courtesy Arlington Cultural Affairs

Festival Will Celebrate African-American Culture

By Katie Pyzyk

February is Black History Month, and Arlington is holding an event to celebrate African-American culture. The 20th Annual Feel the Heritage Festival is taking place next Saturday, February 25.

The whole family can enjoy the free event at the Langston-Brown Community Center (2121 N. Culpeper St) from 12:00-5:00 p.m. Visitors can taste soul food and browse vendor displays while being entertained by various types of music and dancing teams, in addition to a comedian. Children’s activities such as arts and crafts, face painting and balloon art will keep little ones occupied.

On the more serious side, the “Hall of History” will display photos and artifacts from Arlington’s historically black neighborhoods, along with African Americans in the Civil War. There will be a WalkAbout of the Hall’s Hill/Highview area. Visitors can also take advantage of health services, from free screenings to flu shots.

Attendees can buy raffle tickets to win a vacation getaway. The winner receives two round-trip tickets to one of 40 destinations in Africa.

Parking at the event will be limited, so free shuttles will run from Glebe Elementary School (1770 N. Glebe Rd) and the Carver (1415 S. Queen St) and Charles Drew (3500 23rd St S.) Community Centers.

To Do This Weekend: Caps Fan Fest & Colombia National Day

By ARLnow.com

On a humid, 90 degree day, a trip to Ballston to celebrate a sport that’s played on ice could make for a nice diversion. If you agree with that statement, then Saturday’s Caps Fan Fest at the Kettler Capitals Iceplex (627 North Glebe Road) may be for you.

The event will kick off at 8:00 a.m. with a free open skate, followed by a development camp scrimmage at 10:00. There will also be airbrush artists, face painters, moon bounce, obstacle course, street hockey and an equipment sale. Brooks Laich and “select draft picks” will be signing autographs after the scrimmage.

If hockey isn’t your thing, but eating and dancing is, you may want to check out the 22nd Colombia National Day Celebration.The event will feature Colombian folkloric dance and musical groups as well as a variety of Colombian food. Some of the performers will be flown in from Bogota and Miami for the occasion.

The celebration is taking place from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday at the Gunston Arts Center Theater One (2700 S. Lang Street). Tickets cost $15 for anyone over the age of 12.

For more great events this weekend, check out our events calendar.