festival

Hours of Unlimited Brews are Coming to Your Backyard (Promoted)

backyard beer fest
Having a beer with friends has been taken to the next level with Arlington’s Backyard Beer Fest, coming to town September 19 and benefitting Turner Farm Events.

For the first time ever, Rosslyn will be hosting the festival overlooking the city–you might even say it’s in Arlington’s backyard. Festival goers can buy a ticket for the afternoon or evening slots, then tour stands from 35+ breweries, the area’s best food trucks and everyone’s favorite yard games and activities. Cornhole, anyone?

For a $45 VIP pass or a $35 general admission ticket, you can have hours of unlimited beer tasting of more than 60 beers, a souvenir tasting glass, plus access to the game zone, free live music and drinking with thousands of your neighbors.

Now’s the time to get tickets to the festival, happening September 19 at Gateway Park. Because who doesn’t want to amp up their weekend with a backyard party you don’t have to clean up after? Use promo code: “ARLNOW” and save 20 percent.

The preceding post was written by ARLnow.com and sponsored by Arlington’s Backyard Beer Fest.

Annual Wags N’ Whiskers Event Returns to Shirlington

By Heather Mongilio

Wags and Whiskers 2011 (courtesy photo)The Village at Shirlington’s annual pet expo will return this Saturday.

The eighth annual Wags N’ Whiskers event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature more than 60 exhibitions, ranging from pet supplies to onsite adoptions.

In addition to shopping for food, treats, toys and other pet goods, owners can get their pets’ portrait taken for $5. There will also be strolling entertainment and kids activities, including face painting and balloon art. Visitors are encouraged to bring their pets with them.

The event will also have live music from Dan Haas, from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., and Taylor Carson, from 1:15-4 p.m.

The Arlington County Police Department will close Campbell Avenue and S. Randolph Street from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the event. Campbell Avenue will be closed from S. Quincy Street to the parking garage in front of the Harris Teeter (4250 Campbell Avenue). S. Randolph Street will be closed from Arlington Mill Drive to the alley just south of Campbell Avenue. Street parking will also be limited.

New Beer Festival Coming to Rosslyn

By Heather Mongilio

Arlington Backyard Beer Festival logo (via Backyard Beer Fest)

Rosslyn’s Gateway Park will turn into a beer garden this September with the arrival of Arlington’s latest beer festival.

The Backyard Beer Festival will feature more than 60 craft brews and live music during the event on Sept. 19.

The festival, which is sponsored by Uber, Drink the World and Project DC Events, will also have backyard games with plenty of prizes for guests. Attendees will be able to purchase food from food trucks and other food vendors.

The festival has two sessions, one from 1-4 p.m. and the other from 7-10 p.m. General admission tickets are $25 per session, and VIP tickets cost $35. With a general admission ticket, participants will get three hours of unlimited beer tasting and a souvenir glass. VIP ticket holders will get an extra hour for beer tasting and access to VIP bathrooms.

More than 30 breweries are expected to participate, including Flying Dog from Frederick, Maryland, Old Ox Brewery from Ashburn and D.C. breweries Atlas Brew Works and DC Brau. For those with gluten allergies, the festival will have ciders and gluten-free beers.

The event is for ages 21 and up, and will happen rain or shine. All participants will need to bring an ID with their tickets.

Logo via Backyard Beer Festival

Refinery29, Pentagon City Mall to Host Style Festival

By Eleanor Greene

Courtesy of Style FestivalYou’ve heard of music festivals and fashion shows, but what about a style festival?

The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is teaming up with Refinery29, a digital media company focusing on fashion, to host an event they’re calling “Style Festival,” on Saturday, August 8.

A music festival would have several different stages so people could see the bands they want and personalize their music experience. The style festival’s goal is to “elevate the millennial shopping experience” by bringing the idea of music festival stages into the mall, with different attractions at each stage, according to a press release.

The four stages will include:

  • A music stage, which features a 3:00 live concert from the R&B duo LION BABE, bookended by DJ performances
  • A style stage, with new fashions put together by Refinery 29 editors
  • A beauty stage, where attendees can get “festival-inspired hair trends” and temporary tattoos
  • A DIY stage, to give personalized concert tour tees — “a keepsake souvenir” to shoppers

The event will be held at the mall (1100 S. Hayes Street) on the ground-level “Nordstrom Court,” from 1-6 p.m.

Lineup for 25th Annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival Announced

By Mariah Joyce

Dee Dee Bridgewater at Rosslyn Jazz Festival 2011 (photo by Runneralan2004)The Rosslyn Business Improvement District has announced the lineup for its annual jazz festival.

The event, which BID president Mary-Claire Burick says will be “exciting, bold and fun,” is celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer. In addition to performances covering everything from classic soul to international funk, the festival will feature a selection of food and fashion trucks and an expanded beer and wine garden.

The BID has organized a lineup of  both locally and nationally known artists. Several headliners have already gained national acclaim, including Debo Band, whose EP “Debo Band” (2011) appeared on NPR Music’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2012, and New Orleans group The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, whose music has been featured on the HBO series Treme.

The festival will run from 1-7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12 in Gateway Park (1300 Lee Hwy, near the Key Bridge). All performances are free and open to the public, and the full concert lineup is below.

File photo by Runneralan2004

‘Testy Fest’ Returns to Virginia Square

By ARLnow.com

Testy Fest 2015 logoThe Montana State Society is again hosting its annual Testicle Festival in Virginia Square this year.

The event, which lets participants dine on all-you-can-eat Rocky Mountain oysters while sipping all-you-can-drink beer and Crown Royal, is scheduled for this Saturday, June 6, from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m.

As usual the festival is being hosted at American Legion Post 139 (3445 Washington Blvd) and as usual the organizers have a colorful tagline for the event.

“The Montana State Society would like to invite you to have a ball (literally!) at the 11th annual D.C. Testy Fest, ‘Where Big Balls Meet The Beltway,'” said a press release. “You’d be NUTS to miss this!”

Tickets are $25. The event will feature live country music, from The Wil Gravatt Band. For those squeamish about sampling cowboy caviar, food trucks will offer alternative cuisine.

More than 700 people attended last year’s event, according to the society.

Road Closures for the Shirlington Beer Festival

By Ethan Rothstein

Shirlington Spring Beer Festival Event FlyerTomorrow, Campbell Avenue Shirlington will close down while dozens of breweries will open up tents and booths for the second annual Spring Beer Festival.

From 4:30 a.m. to about 8:00 p.m., Campbell Avenue will be shut down between S. Randolph and Quincy Streets, according to the Arlington County Police Department, to allow the more than 35 breweries in attendance to set up their tents.

The actual event begins at noon, when festival-goers can purchase a $30 booklet of 10 tickets for tastings from the breweries, which are largely from the mid-Atlantic region. The taps will turn off at 6:00 p.m.

In addition to vehicular traffic, parking will also be restricted in the area. Residents and visitors should look for “no parking” signs in the area before leaving their car parked overnight.

Spring Beer Festival Returning to Shirlington

By ARLnow.com

Shirlington Spring Beer Festival Event FlyerCapitol City Brewing will host its second annual Mid-Atlantic Spring Beer Festival in Shirlington next month.

The event will take place outdoors, closing down a portion of Campbell Avenue. It will feature tastings from 35 area craft brewers, all of which will be from Virginia, Maryland or the District, including “several newly opened breweries.”

“New this year, all participating breweries will sport their own exhibition tents that showcase their company creations and colorful brand designs,” organizers said in a press release. “A variety of Shirlington Village restaurants and local eateries will feature their favorite springtime fare with music provided by a popular local DJ.”

The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 25. Much like Capital City’s Shirlington Oktoberfest event, the Spring Beer Festival will run from noon until 7:00 p.m., rain or shine, with taps closing at 6:00 p.m.

Tickets to the event will be available for purchase the day of the event, starting at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $30 and include a wristband, tasting glass and 10 drink tickets. Additional tasting tickets will be sold for $1 each, with a $5 minimum.

Non-drinkers and children can attend for free.

African-American Heritage Festival Returns Saturday

By Ethan Rothstein

Drew Community Center (photo via Arlington County)Arlington’s 23rd annual “Feel the Heritage Festival,” celebrating Black History Month, returns on Saturday to the Charles Drew Community Center in Nauck.

From 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. at 3500 23rd Street S., attendees can come to the free event to enjoy live music and dancing, a display of Arlington’s black history with photos and artifacts and food from Buck’s BBQ and Ben’s Chili Bowl.

Performing throughout the festival will be an assortment of musical acts: N2N Band, an eight-member R&B and Motown cover group; Anansegromma of Ghana, performing traditional West African drumming, storytelling and dance; and the Ebony Day Dance Company.

There will be children’s activities like face painting, balloon animals and hands-on craft-making for kids to make their own souvenirs. The community will host a bake sale and there will be dozens artisan and nonprofit vendor booths.

For history buffs, the highlight will be the “Hall of History,” with artifacts from nine different black churches and organization, including relics from the Civil War and segregation.

Photo via Arlington County

Falloween Returns to Market Common Next Week

By Ethan Rothstein

Falloween Logo (photo via Market Common Clarendon)(Updated at 5:10 p.m.) Market Common Clarendon is again hosting its annual “Falloween” family festival, in its cul-de-sac at the intersection of Clarendon Blvd and N. Edgewood Street.

Falloween runs from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, with a petting zoo, trick-or-treating and “strolling entertainment” throughout the event. The festival is intended for families to dress up, along with their pets, and all events during the day are free.

In addition to the petting zoo and trick-or-treating at retailers, starting at 10:00 a.m., D.C.-based children’s performer Mr. Knick Knack will bring his guitar and entertain the youngsters for the morning. At 11:45 a.m., Rocknoceros will take the stage with its three-man band of multiple instruments, including the accordion, ukelele and keyboard and continue to play for the little ones.

There will also be a festive photo booth and pumpkin painting. A spokeswoman for Market Common also promised “surprises” throughout the event.

Image via Market Common Clarendon

 

Afghan Festival Comes to Rosslyn This Sunday

By Ethan Rothstein

Poster for the Afghan Festival in RosslynThe 5th annual Afghan Arts and Culture Festival will take over Gateway Park in Rosslyn all day this Sunday.

Running from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the festival features live music from Afghan artists, traditional Afghan food and a bazaar featuring vendors plying wares that you might find in one of the street markets in Afghanistan.

The festival is hosted by Afghan Education for a Better Tomorrow (AEBT), a California-based nonprofit focused on promoting Afghan culture in the U.S. and raising awareness of the rebuilding efforts in Afghanistan.

“It is an opportunity for the Afghan diaspora to share their rich culture and history that is not often portrayed in the western media,” Maryam Rashid of AEBT said in a press release. “As the largest Afghan-American event in the D.C. region, this festival provides an opportunity for positive cultural exchange, and embracement of ethnic and cultural diversity.”

The Afghan Festival in 2013 (photo via Afghan Festival)The event includes kite-making workshops for children, a “nomad tent” where visitors can try on Afghan clothing and jewelry, a fashion show and a Mr. and Miss Afghan contest open to boys and girls in two age groups: age 2-4 and 5-7. There will also be several Afghan artists displaying their paintings and sculptures.

According to the event website, there will also be an eating contest, but not of hot dogs: contestants will wolf down some mantu, which are dumplings filled with beef and onions.

There will also be live music throughout the day with performances by Afghani artists Mahroof, Abdul Faqiri, the Nawaz Brothers, Larmal Wasiq, Nived Sultan, Ebadullah Ebadi, Zia Beghoman, Nomad Dancers, an Afghan dance troupe, with hosts Qias Omar and Harris Khattak, according to the press release.

Photos via Afghan Festival

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