Gateway Park

Rosslyn Jazz Fest to return in September for its 31st year

By Hallie LeTendre
1/4

The Rosslyn Jazz Fest is returning for its 31st year, with groups coming from as near as across the Potomac and as far as New Orleans.

The free outdoor event will take place on Sept. 9 from 1-7 p.m. in Gateway Park (1300 Landston Blvd).

Throughout the afternoon, performers will take the stage to play a variety of music styles, from R&B to soul and hip-hop to traditional jazz, a press release said. There will also be food trucks and games for attendees to enjoy.

Headlining the event is New Orleans-based quintet Galactic, which has performed with famous acts such as Dave Matthews Band and the Allman Brothers Band, and at high-profile venues, including Coachella.

Other groups include:

  • Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez
  • D.C.-based Oh He Dead, a six-piece group known for playing everything from soul to rock and putting on energetic live shows
  • DuPont Brass, a nine-person group that got its start playing in D.C. Metro stations

“Over the last three decades, Jazz Fest has become Arlington’s largest outdoor music festival that the community has come to know and love,” said Mary-Claire Burick, the president of the Rosslyn Business Improvement District, which co-sponsors the event. “Jazz Fest exemplifies the vibrancy of our region and this year’s diverse lineup of artists will fill Gateway Park and bring us together to enjoy an afternoon of great music and fun with family and friends.”

This year’s lineup will get audience members jazzed about the wide-ranging genre, according to Josh Stoltzfus, the director of the Arlington County Cultural Affairs Division.

“Fueled by the deep creative well of jazz and its extensions, Jazz Fest is a showcase for artists who are inspired to take music in new directions,” he said in a statement. “From the Afro-Cuban jazz throughline of Pedrito Martinez, to Galactic’s fresh take on the musical mash-up of New Orleans traditions, to the soulful Oh He Dead, this year’s high-energy mix of genres will keep audiences on their feet.”

Ticketing for the festival will open on Aug. 1. Guests are not required to register for the event, however, it is encouraged in accordance with the park’s capacity limits, the festival webpage said.

Howl-O-Ween brings the bark to Rosslyn’s Gateway Park on Friday

By Matt Blitz
1/3

Friday is your chance to dress the dog as a cute pup-kin for Rosslyn’s annual Howl-O-Ween.

The second annual Halloween-themed dog-centric event is set to happen this Friday, Oct. 28, from 3:30-5:30 p.m at the Gateway Park Interim Dog Park in Rosslyn.

“Dog costumes are strongly encouraged,” per the event’s website.

There will be vendors, activities like pet portraits and dog trick or treating, and pup-friendly giveaways like puppuccinos. There will also be a raffle to win a week of doggy daycare at Playful Pack in Rosslyn and a $100 gift card to Open Road or SALT, both located at 1201 Wilson Blvd.

Then, at 6:30 p.m., there will be a dog parade to show off that doggy Halloween costume. Winners will be named in four categories: spookiest, cutest, most unique, and “community choice.” Each winner’s humans will receive a gift card to a Rosslyn restaurant and some neighborhood swag.

To finish off the evening, there will be a special reserved “bark section” for the final movie of Rosslyn’s fall cinema series at Gateway Park. That movie, of course, is dog-themed — 2002’s Scooby-Doo. It will start just after sunset, around 7 p.m.

All of this is being put on the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) in partnership with the Rosslyn Dog Owners Group (R-DOGS), the nonprofit that supports Rosslyn’s dog park.

This is the second time this event is being held “following the success and positive response received from 2021,” per a Rosslyn BID spokesperson.

Gateway Park Interim Dog Park was Rosslyn’s first dog park when it opened in early 2021. It’s technically “temporary” until a Park Master Plan is developed and funded, though that may not happen for a while.

Top Gun, Minions headlines Rosslyn’s fall film series this year

By Matt Blitz
Rosslyn Cinema in Gateway Park 2019 (photo via Rosslyn BID)

The original Top Gun has the top billing for the return of Rosslyn’s fall film Fridays.

For the third straight year, the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) is hosting a fall film series in Gateway Park.

On the remaining Fridays in October, Rosslyn BID will be screening a movie in the county park along Langston Blvd. There will also be food trucks, lawn games, a cash bar, and other movie-themed activities.

The line-up for the rest of the month:

  • Oct. 14 — Minions: The Rise of Gru (2022)
  • Oct. 21 — Top Gun (1986)
  • Oct. 28 — Scooby-Doo (2002)

This past Friday (Oct. 7), the 1978 musical Grease, starring the late Olivia Newton-John, was shown.

Movies will begin shortly after sundown, around 7 p.m., “to ensure the perfect lighting for the show!” reads the website. Given the falling nighttime temperatures, warm apparel is advised.

The decision to do a fall film series again was due to “the attendance levels and interest in our summer series,” a Rosslyn BID spokesperson told ARLnow. The movies were curated based on popularity and genre. The BID wanted to do one sing-along, one family film, one throwback, and one “howl-o-ween” feature.

“From there, we put out a survey to the BID’s entire staff to help us narrow down our choices,” the spokesperson said.

There’s also a topical angle to their choices. Top Gun was chosen partially based on the huge success of the sequel that just came out this past summer. Minions: The Rise of Gru has made nearly a billion dollars at the box office worldwide since it was first released in July.

“We know minions attract a large family crowd and we can’t wait for a major evening of family fun,” the spokesperson said.

The final film in the series — 2002’s Scooby-Doo — will coincide with the BID’s “Howl-o-ween” event at Gateway Park’s interim dog park. That event will feature dog-friendly activities, treats, and a pet costume contest. The winner will be announced at the movie screening.

Rosslyn BID has hosted movies in Gateway Park for at least a decade, including during the summer. The Columbia Pike Partnership and the National Landing BID have also held outdoor film screenings, mostly during warmer weather months; both told ARLnow they are not planning any movies this fall.

Rosslyn Jazz Fest returns this week with pre-festival performances

By Jo DeVoe
Rosslyn Jazz Fest crowd shot (via Rosslyn Business Improvement District)

Rosslyn’s long-running jazz festival returns this weekend, and the festivities leading up to it will include a roving band in an open-air bus.

The 30th annual Rosslyn Jazz Fest, set for this Saturday, will bring the international sounds and rhythms of jazz to Gateway Park at 1300 Langston Blvd.

From 1-7 p.m., attendees can vibe to performances by the headliner, Cuban funk musician Cimafunk, as well as these acts:

There will be food trucks and yard games, and attendees can browse tables selling merchandise and representing community organizations.

Registration is encouraged due to the park’s capacity limit.

But the jazz party is already getting started, with happy-hour performances this evening and tomorrow. And, for the first time, jazz artists will serenade strollers from an open-top bus rolling through the neighborhood this Thursday.

Tonight (Tuesday), Stickman Band will play from 6-8 p.m. at the outdoor patio of Assembly, located in Rosslyn City Center (1700 N Moore Street).

Tomorrow (Wednesday), Blue Dot Jazz Troupe will accompany shoppers at the Freshfarm Farmers Market and happy hour event from 5-7 p.m.

BroadSound Band will perform a mix of jazz and pop hits from an open-top bus between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Thursday.

More on that from the Rosslyn Business Improvement District, which organizes the annual festival:

Rosslyn’s first ever Rosslyn Rolling Concert is here in celebration of our 30th Rosslyn Jazz Fest! On Thursday, Sept. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. an open-top bus will hit the streets through the Rosslyn neighborhood (and beyond) with the BroadSound Band performing a mix of jazz and pop hits!

At each stop, we’ll have Rosslyn swag giveaways for those out in the neighborhood. The bus will stop at designated locations (listed below) for performances, starting and ending at Central Place Plaza. Get rolling into the weekend with this final jazz performance before the festival!

If you can’t make the rolling concert, tune in for live updates on our Instagram story!

ROSSLYN ROLLING CONCERT SCHEDULE

  • (A) 11:00 a.m. – Central Place Plaza
  • (B) 11:30 a.m. – Corner of N. Oak St. and Wilson Blvd. (by Hot Lola’s and the Parklet)
  • (C) 12:00 p.m. – HB Woodlawn Secondary School
  • (D) 12:30 p.m. – 1425 N. Courthouse Rd. (by the Arlington County Justice Center)
  • (E) 1:00 p.m. – 1400 14th St. N. Arlington
  • (F) 1:15 p.m. – Dark Star Park
  • (G) 1:30 p.m. – Central Place Plaza

Latin American festival coming to Rosslyn next month

By Mavis Chan
A poster for the ¡Viva Cultura! Festival (courtesy of Centro de Apoyo Familiar)

A festival to showcase Latin American music, folk dance, art and food is coming to Rosslyn next month.

The ¡Viva Cultura! Festival is scheduled for Saturday, August 13, at Gateway Park (1300 Langston Blvd), which is a five-minute walk from the Rosslyn Metro station. The event is set to begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Admission is free.

Centro de Apoyo Familiar is organizing the family-friendly event and plans to provide live music, dance performances, exhibitions and food, according to the festival’s website. Folk dance groups representing countries like Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Puerto Rico are expected to perform their traditional dances in traditional costumes as well.

As for the exhibition, Centro de Apoyo Familiar plans to have artisans from the Caribbean as well as Central and South America offering handcrafted items. Exhibitors include a Colombian handmade jewelry store and organizations like the League of United Latin American Citizens. The deadline for becoming an exhibitor is Sunday, July 31, according to the online registration form.

An art exhibition for Latino artists in Arlington is also set. However, registration for it has yet to open, according to the event’s website.

The event will feature a number of activities catered to kids, including face painting, clowns, musical chairs and other games, according to the website. Food trucks selling cuisines from different countries are also expected. Registration for food vendors is still open.

CAF is a nonprofit working in D.C., Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia to provide housing counseling to low-income Latino and immigrant families, according to its website.

NEW: Arlington is getting its own pride festival this summer

By Matt Blitz
Arlington Pride Festival 2022 poster (image via Polished Kreative)

Arlington is getting its own pride festival in two months.

The inaugural Arlington Pride Festival is being planned for Saturday, June 25 at Rosslyn’s Gateway Park at 1300 Langston Blvd.

The event is free and for all ages and will run from noon to 7 p.m., according to a press release It’s set to feature games, live entertainment, DJs and “surprise guests.” There will also be a dog park area and kids play section, notes the release.

The festival’s theme is “Moving Forward Together.”

“The Arlington Pride Festival will inspire our community to collaborate in new ways, ensuring all LGBTQIA+ individuals and their families and friends feel empowered, and supported,” organizers wrote.

The announcement of the festival was first posted on Instagram earlier this month. More details are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, a website for the event notes.

An Arlington County Dept. of Parks and Recreation official confirmed to ARLnow that event organizers have completed all the needed paperwork to hold the festival at Gateway Park.

“At this time, the Special Event application is pending, which is common this far out of the process,” parks department spokesperson Martha Holland wrote. “The County will be working with the organizers, as we do with all organizers, to assist in its approval.”

Due to the pandemic, it’s been several years since most pride events were last held. Back in 2019, a number of smaller events were held around Arlington in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

D.C.’s big Capital Pride festival and parade is being held on June 11 and 12 this year, the first time in three years.

Encanto headlines the return of Rosslyn summer movie nights

By Matt Blitz
Rosslyn Cinema in Gateway Park 2019 (photo via Rosslyn BID)

Rosslyn movie nights are returning to Gateway Park this summer, with a selection of voted-on fan favorites.

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) is once again hosting a series of movie nights in June at Gateway Park (1300 Langston Blvd).

This year’s line-up includes the following films, which all emerged victorious through a March Madness-style bracket:

  • National Treasure
  • Space Jam
  • Encanto
  • Mamma Mia

This year, residents were given the opportunity to not only vote on what movies were shown, but predict what the winners would be — much like the annual tradition of submitting a bracket predicting which team will win the college basketball championship. The three most accurate brackets win a gift card to a Rosslyn restaurant.

The bracket was broken up into four categories — family, sports, romantic comedies, and D.C. area-based — with National Treasure, Space Jam, Encanto, and Mamma Mia winning its respective group.

While voting on which movies will be shown in June concluded yesterday (Thursday), residents can still vote on which will be the ultimate winner.

Exact dates of when each movie will be shown have not been announced yet.

Rosslyn’s movie series at Gateway Park dates back at least a decade, to 2012. After taking a year off due to the pandemic, the series returned in 2021 with an abbreviated version.

Rosslyn BID is not the only community organization that will be hosting outdoor movies this summer.

The Columbia Pike Partnership’s movie nights are also set to return for their 12th year on Saturday nights starting in July, the organization has confirmed to ARLnow. The series will run July 9 through August 27 while alternating locations between Penrose Square and Arlington Mill Community Center. The calendar of movies will be announced later this spring.

In the past, the National Landing BID and Ballston BID have also both hosted summer movie nights. Ballston BID told ARLnow that they will not be hosting movies this summer, while the National Landing BID said they don’t have details to share as of yet.

Jury convicts man of 2019 Rosslyn stabbing spree

By Jo DeVoe
Wondwossen Kassu in 2019 (courtesy of ACPD)

(Updated at 11 a.m.) An Arlington County jury found a 43-year-old man guilty of stabbing three people in Rosslyn three years ago.

Wondwossen Kassu stabbed two men sitting at a table inside Gateway Park in May 2019 and a third man walking by. The jury convicted him on three counts of malicious wounding.

Kassu is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6 in the Arlington County Circuit Court. Malicious wounding is a felony that carries a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 20 years.

“This was a tough case, but my office will never shy away from prosecuting such acts of violence,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, in a statement. “We are grateful for the jury’s verdict, and we were happy to provide some measure of closure to the victims.”

On May 21, 2019, Kassu approached two men sitting at a table inside the park and began talking to them, according to the 2019 police report. Then, he stabbed them and a third man who happened to be nearby.

Two of the victims were able to flee and get help. All three required hospitalization, but survived the attacks.

More on the crime from an Arlington County Police Department press release at the time:

At approximately 9:27 p.m. on May 21, police responded to the report of multiple stabbings in Gateway Park located at 1300 Lee Highway. Upon arrival, officers located the suspect and took him into custody without incident. During the course of the investigation, officers located three male victims suffering from lacerations. The victims were transported to area hospitals and all are reported in stable condition.

Based on the preliminary investigation, it appears two of the victims were sitting at a table inside Gateway Park when the suspect approached them and initiated a conversation before producing a knife and stabbing the victims. The third victim was walking in the area when he came upon the initial assault. The suspect then turned his attention towards the third victim and stabbed him as well. Two victims were able to leave the scene to seek assistance. They were located by responding officers in the 1900 block of Fort Myer Drive and the 1800 block of N. Nash Street.

Dehghani-Tafti, elected as the top prosecutor for Arlington and Falls Church on a criminal justice reform platform, has faced some local skepticism — culminating in a recall campaign organized by a Northern Virginia political group last year — about whether she is sufficiently tough on crime. Dehghani-Tafti’s office started sending press releases about major convictions earlier this year.

Arlington and VDOT to finally sign Rosslyn Gateway Park agreement, four decades belated

By Matt Blitz
1/8

Nearly 40 years later, Rosslyn’s Gateway Park may finally officially become Arlington County’s responsibility.

This weekend, the County Board is set to vote on approving a land use permit between the Virginia Department of Transportation and the county formally allowing Arlington the use of Gateway Park. The agreement also pushes the responsibility of maintaining the park to the county.

Additionally, the permit grants the county the ability to change the park’s name.

An approval would mark the end of a decades-long period where there was no written agreement in place between VDOT and the county in regards to the operation and maintenance of the public park along Langston Blvd.

In 1984, VDOT and the Federal Highway Administration agreed to build an urban park between N. Nash Street and Lynn Street as a way to mitigate the impacts of constructing I-66 through Rosslyn.

At that time, an agreement was struck between VDOT and the county which called for the Commonwealth to construct the park and pedestrian bridge, with Arlington reimbursing VDOT for adding benches, bike racks, drinking fountains, and pay phones.

Rosslyn Gateway Park (via Google Maps)

The county and VDOT also committed to signing a 99-year lease that put Arlington in charge of maintaining the park, including the pedestrian bridges, concrete structures, landscaping, facilities, and utilities. The remaining details were to be negotiated and it was expected the lease was going to be brought to the County Board for approval in 1986.

That never happened, according to last month’s county report, and it’s unclear why.

“Despite more than 20 years of on-again, off-again discussions and negotiations, the terms of a 99-year lease were never agreed to and no lease has ever been signed by VDOT and the County,” reads the report.

Despite this, over the last 37 years Arlington has continued to operate and perform routine maintenance at Gateway Park even without a signed, written agreement.

That’s expected to change come this weekend, but in a slightly different form than initially outlined back in the 1980s.

That’s because, in 2015, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring determined that VDOT didn’t have the authority to lease the park to the county. Rather, a land use permit was the only mechanism available to provide Arlington access and use of the public park.

Six years later, that agreement is finally ready to be approved by the County Board.

(more…)

Rosslyn’s Outdoor Office Goes from Covid-Era Pop-Up to Permanent Feature

By Vernon Miles
1/3

An outdoor coworking space launched in Rosslyn as a temporary pandemic-era amenity for local workers will be sticking around as a permanent feature of the neighborhood.

O2: Outdoor Office is an outdoor workspace that debuted last October at Gateway Park (1300 Langston Blvd). Organized by the Rosslyn Business Improvement District, the outdoor office features work stations available by reservation and free Wi-Fi.

With the program becoming permanent feature of the park, and renamed in very Rosslyn fashion “O2 2.0”, the BID said new features are on the way.

“This new iteration of O2 brings more permanent outdoor seating, shade structures and free Wi-Fi to Gateway Park,” the Rosslyn BID said in a press release, “prioritizing the health, creativity and wellness of our modern workforce.”

O2 2.0 is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, Oct. 13, and will be open as an office from Wednesday-Friday that week. For the rest of October, it will be open from Tuesday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Rosslyn BID noted that Gateway Park is still accessible to the public even for those who aren’t there to work.

Starting on Oct. 13, the Rosslyn BID said there will be new programming at O2 2.0.

  • Free yoga classes with Mindful Modern Living: Oct. 13 from noon to 12:40 p.m., Oct. 19 from 5-6 p.m., and Oct 26 from 5-6 p.m.
  • Happy hour: Oct. 14, 15 and 28, from 4-7 p.m.
  • Free workout with Gold’s Gym: Oct. 15 from noon to 12:30 p.m.

The Rosslyn BID said there will also be giveaways from Compass Coffee, South Block and Snarfies Pet Treats.

“We’re so excited to see the vision behind O2: Outdoor Office continue to welcome a new era of holistic wellness in the workplace in Rosslyn and beyond,” the BID said. “We can’t wait to see you there!”

Outdoor Coworking Space in Rosslyn Returns Next Week

By Hannah Foley

A pop-up outdoor office is returning to Gateway Park this spring.

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District is bringing back its Outdoor Office, or O2, which the BID set up for the first time last October as a pandemic-era neighborhood amenity.

O2 is scheduled to open next Tuesday, April 13 and will remain active through June 11.

More than 20 socially-distanced workstations are being set up in the outdoor office this season as a part of “Rosslyn Refresh,” a campaign by the BID to get people outdoors and enjoying spring safely. The space is equipped with power outlets, free Wi-Fi, easels, whiteboards and other office essentials.

“The free office space offers an inspiring atmosphere for employees looking to come back to the neighborhood or anyone in the DMV area needing a break from their home office routine,” the BID said in a press release. “O2 has everything you need to work safely outdoors and get back to blue-sky thinking.”

Closer to the outdoor office’s opening day, users will be able to reserve 90-minute blocks in advance online and can reserve consecutive time blocks if they would like to stay longer. O2 will also accept walk-ins if space is available and will provide blankets for people to sit on the grass if no slots are available.

Rosslyn Ambassadors, who keep Rosslyn’s streets clean and provide information, will sanitize the used stations between guests, according to a video (below).

O2 will initially be open Tuesday through Thursday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Beginning on May 1, it will also be open on Fridays.

Photo courtesy Rosslyn BID

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