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Celtic Festival Coming To Shirlington

Published August 23, 2013 at 3:30PM | Updated August 27, 2013 at 9:55AM

One day in mid-September, the streets of Shirlington will be filled with bagpipes, dancers, men in kilts and pints of Guinness.

“Beckett’s Celtic Festival” will be held from noon to 7:00 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21 in Shirlington. During the festival, Campbell Avenue will be closed between S. Randolph Street and the Harris Teeter.

The event is being organized by Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub. Owner Mark Kirwan said he saw a dearth of Irish events in the area, and took it upon himself to organize the festival.

“I think I’ve looked around and there doesn’t seem to be anywhere in Arlington that celebrates not just Irish but the Celtic heritage,” Kirwan said. “We just wanted to try to acknowledge the relationship that the Celtic nations have had with the USA. It’s nice to come out and put your kilt on and celebrate your history here.”

Kirwan said there will be a stage set up for bands brought over from Ireland to perform. The U.S. Marshal Pipe Band and several Irish dancing schools will put on displays of traditional Irish music and performance. Vendors will be set up in tents selling Celtic crafts, and classic Irish dishes — like Shepherd’s Pie, bangers and mash, corned beef sandwiches and Irish curry — will be served.

Kirwan said there will be a 40-foot Guinness “gig rig” trailer dispensing beer. Wine will also be sold.

“It’s going to be very much a family-oriented day out,” Kirwan said. The festival will be free for all to enter. “It should be a great day.”

Shirlington To Host Largest Wags n’ Whiskers Event To Date

By ARLnow.com

Published August 14, 2013 at 4:05PM

This article was written by Maddy Berner

Pet-centric vendors and their canine consumers will descend upon Shirlington for the 6th annual Wags n’ Whiskers event next weekend.

From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 24, animal-lovers will get a chance to peruse the corridors of Shirlington with their dog or feline friends. This year promises to be the largest event yet, with more than 50 vendors supplying pet-friendly products, activities and adoption opportunities — 60 percent more vendors than last year.

“The annual event celebrates the community’s pets and brings awareness to great animal services and non-profits,” said Jill Powell, senior marketing manager for Federal Realty Investment Trust, the company hosting the event. “The idea that a pet could find a new home because of the event is a great bonus of Wags N’ Whiskers.”

This year, 3,000 to 5,000 people are expected to attend. Wags n’ Whiskers is a family-oriented event that will include kid-friendly activities like face painting and balloon art. Other events include $5 pet photos, live entertainment, demonstrations and giveaways.

Among the businesses and organizations included in this year’s event: The Animal Welfare League of Arlington, NOVA Cat Clinic, Fur-get Me Not, Olde Towne Pet Resort and The Muddy Mutt.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 14, 2013 at 8:30AM

Arlington Sheriff’s Deputy Indicted — A grand jury has indicted Arlington County Sheriff’s deputy Craig Patterson in the shooting death of 22-year-old Julian Dawkins. Patterson is charged with murder and a firearms charge. A trial date has yet to be set. [WJLA]

Near Record Humidity Mid-Summer — The mid-summer period from June 30 through July 23 was the second most humid in recorded history. The dew point averaged a steamy 71.2 degrees fahrenheit during that time. [Capital Weather Gang]

Shirlington Bar Crawl Set for Saturday — A bar crawl to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society will take place in Shirlington on Saturday afternoon and evening. There will be food and drink specials at each of the four restaurants/bars on the crawl. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Flickr pool photo by Wolfkann

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 5, 2013 at 8:40AM

Dave Grohl Spotted in Shirlington — Foo Fighters frontman and Northern Virginia native Dave Grohl was spotted strolling through Shirlington with his family Thursday night. [Washington Post]

Growth at Arlington Pediatric Center –The number of newborns treated at the Arlington Pediatric Center (601 S. Carlin Springs Road) last year jumped by 270 percent compared to one year prior. The increase was credited to the fact that infants born at Virginia Hospital Center without a designated pediatrician are automatically provided care at the nonprofit center. VHC, meanwhile, has seen an increase in birth rates in recent years. [Sun Gazette]

National Night Out Tomorrow — Arlington County Police will participate in National Night Out tomorrow. “Arlington County residents will join their neighbors, police officers and other community leaders” at six events across the county. National Night Out is intended to raise crime awareness, strengthen neighborhood ties and enhance community partnerships with law enforcement. [Arlington County]

Courtesy photo

Signature Theatre Hosts Open House For Start of Fall Season

By Ethan Rothstein

Published August 2, 2013 at 4:30PM

Signature Theatre in Shirlington kicks off its 2013-2014 season Saturday with its annual, day-long open house featuring performances, workshops and a street festival.

In all, 31 concerts, cabarets, workshops and events will be held from noon to 9:00 p.m. in and around Signature, at 4200 Campbell Avenue.

Throughout the day, there will be outdoor activities for kids like a moon bounce, skeeball and basketball games, as well as free cotton candy and popcorn. To accommodate the festivities, the Arlington County Police Department is closing Campbell Avenue from the Harris Teeter to S. Randolph Street from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

While stopping by the open house, patrons can take in Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello at 1:15 p.m. on the MAX stage, singing some of her favorite showtunes. At 3:15 p.m., in the Shen room, those interested can talk to the director and cast of this season’s production of Miss Saigon about the ins and outs of putting on the show.

The day wraps up at 8:30 p.m. on the Plaza stage with actors from Signature and Broadway fame singing some of musical theater’s greatest hits. Signature will be tweeting during the day with information on where to pick up tickets for shows and with any changes in the open house’s vast schedule.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published August 2, 2013 at 9:00AM

Moran, Wolf Visit Gitmo — Last Friday, Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Frank Wolf (R-Va.) visited the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, where suspected foreign terrorists are held and interrogated. Moran, who has said that keeping the facility open “is not worth the damage it continues to inflict on our international standing,” said after the trip that he hopes to work out a compromise with Wolf, who supports keeping the facility open. [Sun Gazette]

Shirlington Oktoberfest Date Set — This year’s Shirlington Oktoberfest, the largest of its kind in N. Va., will take place on Saturday, Oct. 5. Over 50 breweries will be represented. [Shirlington Village Blog Spot]

Brass Band Coming to Artisphere — The Stooges Brass Band, an award-winning, New Orleans-based band, will be performing at Artisphere next Friday. Tickets are $20. [Ode Street Tribune]

Crime Report: Man with Knives Threatens Coworker

By Katie Pyzyk

Published June 5, 2013 at 2:00PM | Updated January 9, 2018 at 3:41PM

A man wielding two knives was arrested on Thursday for allegedly threatening to hurt a coworker in Shirlington.

The suspect then took off, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report:

ATTEMPTED MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 05/30/13, 2900 block of S. Quincy Street. At 8:36 pm on May 30, a subject threatened to harm a coworker with two knives. The subject fled the scene on foot and taken into custody outside his residence. Tevin Brown Phillips, 21, of Arlington, VA, was arrested and charged with attempted malicious wounding. He was held on a secured bond.

The rest of the crime report, after the jump. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. (more…)

New Shirlington Music Fest Starts Next Week

By ARLnow.com

Published June 3, 2013 at 10:05AM

The Village at Shirlington will be hosting a new summer music festival starting next week.

The “Shirlala Music Festival” will include 10 weeks of live music from various genres, plus wine tastings from Shirlington’s Cheesetique store. The festival is an outgrowth of the former Shirlington jazz festival.

The event is free and open to the public, but the wine tasting is $5. It will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday, from June 13 to August 22 (except July 4).

This year’s musical lineup includes:

June 13 — Jeff Carmella Band (Rock)
June 20 — MARS 4-tet (Jazz)
June 27 — King Teddy (Swing)
July 11 — Dan Haas Trio (Pop Rock)
July 18 — Lloyd Dobler Effect (80s & 90s Covers)
July 25 — The Shack Band (Rock & Funk)
August 1 — Ewabo (Steel Tropical Drums)
August 8 — Taylor Carson (Acoustic Rock)
August 15 — The Morrison Brothers (Southern Rock)
August 22 — Beach Bumz (Jimmy Buffett Tribute Band)

Board Approves Bailout for Signature Theatre

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 22, 2013 at 2:35PM

The County Board approved a $250,000 grant for Signature Theatre (4200 Campbell Avenue) during its meeting on Tuesday.

The Board discussed the matter in a closed session before unanimously approving it. According to County Attorney Stephen MacIsaac, it is standard procedure for the Board to discuss a grant behind closed doors. The grant agreement will be made public once the county attorney finalizes it.

County Manager Barbara Donnellan said the grant will help bring the theater current with real estate taxes owed to the county. Funding for the grant was provided from budget savings identified at the end of Fiscal Year 2012.

The Arlington County Department of Management and Finance indicates the grant includes around $85,000 for past due real estate and business tangible taxes, $99,000 for the next two payments of real estate taxes and around $30,000 for the next business tangible tax payment. The remaining $35,000 will either help fund a financial consultant study or go to future tax payments.

Signature Theatre has sole access rights and branding capability in its current space within a county owned building. It is responsible for the full costs of operating that facility, including real estate and business tangible taxes. Other county supported arts groups performing in county subsidized spaces are not required to pay taxes.

“Signature is thriving, and has a great future ahead of it,” Donnellan said. “This grant addresses an immediate, short-term need by providing temporary relief from a tax burden that is not shared by other supported arts groups.”

The county emphasizes that the theater is a cultural anchor for Shirlington and provides financial benefits to the community. It estimates that more than $150,000 in annual sales and meals taxes can be directly attributed to Signature’s presence in Shirlington.

Signature faced several debt-related lawsuits in Arlington General District Court last year, including claims from Waste Management, Conde Nast Publications and the Delancey at Shirlington Village apartment building. The Waste Management and Conde Nast claims were eventually dismissed. The court ruled in favor of Delancey at Shirlington Village.

County Treasurer Frank O’Leary told the Sun Gazette that Signature was delinquent on its real estate and business taxes.

Car Hits Parked Police Cruiser, Flips Over

By ARLnow.com

Published May 13, 2013 at 9:15AM

(Updated at 9:20 a.m.) A car flipped on its roof near Shirlington on Sunday after colliding with a parked police car.

The incident happened on the 2800 block of S. Wakefield Street Sunday afternoon. According to police, an Acura TL heading eastbound on Wakefield Street struck two parked vehicles — a Ford Mustang and an Arlington police cruiser — before flipping over. It damaged a third vehicle after overturning.

The police car “sustained major damage” to its rear axle, according to Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

The driver, identified as a 26-year-old Arlington man, was charged with reckless driving, driving with a revoked license and DUI. No injuries were reported.

Courtesy photo

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published April 25, 2013 at 8:30AM | Updated November 22, 2016 at 3:04PM

New Bikeshare Stations in Shirlington — Two new Capital Bikeshare stations have been installed in the Shirlington area. The stations are located at Four Mile Run Drive and S. Shirlington Road, and at S. Arlington Mill Drive and Four Mile Run Drive. [Facebook]

Notable Trees Recognized — The Arlington County Board recognized 19 “notable trees” around the county on Tuesday. The honor is “an initiative of the Arlington Beautification Committee that recognizes residents who maintain and preserve outstanding trees.” There are now 265 trees registered in Arlington as part of the Notable Tree program, which began in 1987. “I am proud to live in a community that places such value on its trees,” said County Board Chair Walter Tejada. [Arlington County]

Lee Arts Center Lauded — The Lee Arts Center, at 5722 Lee Highway, is “one of Arlington County’s best kept secrets,” according to local arts writer James George. The county-run facility hosts a gallery and studios for ceramics and printmaking. [Examiner.com]

Fatshorty’s Now Open for Lunch — Fatshorty’s, the new beer and sausage restaurant in Clarendon, is now open for lunch, according to owner Aaron Gordon. The restaurant will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Monday, and 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Flickr pool photo by m01229