summer

Coming Soon: Eighth Annual Twilight Race in Crystal City

By Mariah Joyce

Start of 2011 Crystal City Twilighter 5K (courtesy Crystal City BID)Crystal City’s upcoming, eighth annual Twilighter 5K will give runners the opportunity to pound the pavement in the cooler hours of a summer evening.

The race is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 25. The relatively flat course will start and finish at 2121 Crystal Drive, between 20th and 23rd Streets.

The opportunity for a twilight run isn’t the event’s only selling point: there will also be a post-race party with deals on drinks and food at several local establishments, as well as cash prizes for the course’s top finishers.

Pacers, the run organizer, is billing the race as a great way for high school cross country runners or teams to get energized for the upcoming season. Runners can sign up online; registration is $40 for adults and $20 for high school students.

The run is sponsored by the Crystal City Business Improvement District, an ARLnow.com advertiser, and Vornado/Charles E Smith.

Photo via Crystal City BID

Barrett Elementary Starts Program to Promote Summer Reading

By Mariah Joyce
1/4

Parents and teachers at Barrett Elementary have started a weekly outdoor library to encourage kids to keep reading during their vacation.

The program, Barret Book Blast, was created by the Family and Community Engagement committee at Barrett Elementary as a way to combat the seemingly inevitable “summer slide” in reading comprehension.

The outdoor library can be found every Friday from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. outside of the Gates of Ballston Community Center (4108 4th Street N.). At the weekly event, which is run by Barrett Elementary teachers on an entirely volunteer basis, neighborhood kids can check out up to three books or listen to a librarian from Arlington Public Library read some stories.

Barrett Elementary teacher Emily Sonenshine estimates that on June 19, the program’s second week, almost 65 children came by to check out books and visit their teachers. Sonenshine added that attendance at the weekly checkout hour has been consistently on the rise.

This Friday will mark the program’s fourth week. Sonenshine says the events are scheduled to continue through the summer, ending Aug. 28.

The books for the outdoor library were supplied by donations from Books for America and Donors Choose, as well as neighborhood donations.

Photos courtesy Emily Sonenshine and Jen Flores

Summer Concerts Feature Loud Music and Louder Outfits

By Mariah Joyce

80s cover band The Reagan Years (photo via thereaganyears.com)Two summer concert series in Arlington will feature cover bands paying homage to the best music the 80s and 90s had to offer, big hair, goofy sunglasses and all.

Pentagon Row has announced the line up for “Rock at the Row,” and Rosslyn’s “Throwback Thursdays” has five performances remaining.

“Rock at the Row” is in its 13th year, with concerts starting next month. The performances will take place Thursday evenings from July 16 to August 20 in Pentagon Row’s plaza area. In addition to the music, there will be craft beers and food samples in a VIP section.

The schedule, below, includes several locally-known cover and tribute bands, as well as a special Saturday evening concert by the 257th Army Band:

All performances start at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public.

If “Rock at the Row” isn’t enough of a music fix, residents can head to Freedom Park (1101 Wilson Blvd.) and check out Rosslyn’s “Throwback Thursdays”.

The series features cover bands “embracing the best of the 80s and 90s,” according to the event page.

Performances were scheduled to start the first Thursday of this month (June 4), but that evening’s concert by The Reflex was rained out and has not yet been rescheduled.

The series kicked off June 11 with a performance by Flannel Junkies. It was to be followed last Thursday (June 18) by Toxic Mouse, but that concert was cancelled due to bad weather.

The five remaining performances, below, are scheduled to take place this tomorrow evening (June 25) and every Thursday evening in September:

Concerts start at 6 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Washington Wine Academy plans to offer $5 beer and wine to those of age at all remaining performances.

Photo via thereaganyears.com

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Post-storm sunset over the Air Force Memorial 6/23/15

Graduation Live Streaming Nixed — Arlington Public Schools canceled internet live streaming of its high school graduation ceremonies this year due to budget cuts. Graduation ceremonies has been streamed online for the past two years. [InsideNova]

Police Foot Chase in Pentagon City — Last night, after the Pentagon City mall was evacuated due to a power outage, mall security spotted two men lingering and entering closed stores. Police were given a lookout and one of the alleged suspects was spotted outside the mall. A foot chase ensured and the man was apprehended behind nearby Pentagon Row. No word yet on any changes.

Economic Chief Has a Plan For Arlington — New Arlington Economic Development Director Victor Hoskins says he has a plan for economic growth in the county that will reduce the county’s office vacancy rate from the current 21 percent to 10 percent over the next six years. The plan includes “a mix of much more aggressive marketing efforts, incentives and other government aid, and the help of ‘frenemies’ in competing local governments such as the District and Alexandria.” [Washington Business Journal]

A-Town Plans ‘Sunday Funday’ Summer Kickoff — “Ballston’s rowdiest bar,” A-Town Bar and Grill, will be kicking off its summer “Sunday Fundays” this weekend with “squirt guns, beach balls, popsicles, barbecue, water balloons” and multiple DJs. [Clarendon Nights]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rain soaks the Columbia Pike Blues Festival on Saturday (Flickr pool photo by Brian Irwin)

First Week of Summer — This is the first full week of summer and the first full week of summer break for Arlington public school students. High schools, middle schools and elementary schools let out for the summer on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week, respectively. School will begin again on Tuesday, Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day. [Arlington Public Schools]

Bus Enforcement Begins on Memorial Bridge — Police will reportedly begin enforcing the 10-ton load limit on the corroding Memorial Bridge today, effectively banning “most buses.” [Patch]

Realtors: Presidential Election Will Have Little Impact — The upcoming 2016 presidential election won’t have much of an impact on the real estate market, most local realtors interviewed by the Sun Gazette said. According to one: “It affects the market some because we have turnover, but nobody leaves Washington. Those who leave office become lobbyists and buy bigger houses. If there is a change in parties, those coming to town rent.” [InsideNova]

Arlington to Reach Out to the ‘Casual’ Cyclist — Arlington County is working with a Vancouver-based communication firm on a video documentary project that will reach out to and encourage casual cycling as a means of transportation. The idea seems to be to deemphasize the Lycra-clad image of “Capital ‘C'” cycling in favor of more casual, fashionable and lower-speed cycling. However, in the comments of the linked article on the county’s Mobility Lab blog, some “lifestyle” cyclists don’t seem to like the idea of dividing cyclists into two different groups. [Mobility Lab]

Flickr pool photo by Brian Irwin

Outdoor Movies Coming to Clarendon, Columbia Pike

By Mariah Joyce

Columbia Pike outdoor movie (photo via CPRO)Arlington residents willing to brave the summer heat have a few more options for outdoor entertainment starting this month.

Outdoor movie festivals at Market Common Clarendon and Penrose Square on Columbia Pike have both announced their weekly lineups.

“Dinner and a Movie on the Loop” will take place on four consecutive Thursday evenings at Market Common Clarendon (2700 Clarendon Blvd), starting this week. The event was started last year as Now Playing at the Loop.

Market Common has added dinner to the mix this year, with a different local restaurant is providing a fixed-price meal before each movie, beginning at 7:45 p.m. In addition, guests can round out their family-friendly cinematic experience with free candy, popcorn and water.

All movies start at 8:30 p.m. and are free and open to the public. The schedule is as follows:

  • June 18 — How To Train Your Dragon 2
  • June 25 — Grown Ups
  • July 2 — The Sandlot
  • July 9 — The Wizard of Oz

Summer Movies @Penrose Square, a free outdoor movie series at Penrose Square (2597 Columbia Pike), started last Saturday (June 13).

The event, sponsored by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, will continue into September. The schedule is as follows:

  • June 20 — The Hundred Foot Journey (8:45 p.m.)
  • June 27 — Now You See Me (8:45 p.m.)
  • July 11 — The Imitation Game (8:45 p.m.)
  • July 18 — Enough Said (8:45 p.m.)
  • July 25 — The Grand Budapest Hotel (8:30 p.m.)
  • Aug 1 — Life of Pi (8:30 p.m.)
  • Aug 8 — Chef (8:15 p.m.)
  • Aug 15 — Birdman (8:15 p.m.)
  • Aug 22 — The Second Best Marigold Hotel (8:15 p.m.)
  • Aug 29 — How to Train Your Dragon (8:00 p.m.)
  • Sept 5 — Big Hero 6 (7:45 p.m.)
  • Sept 12 — X-men: Days of Future Past (7:30 p.m.)
  • Sept 19 — Interstellar (7:15 p.m.)

Guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets to both festivals.

CPRO is also sponsoring another movie festival on the Pike this summer. Starting on August 16, CPRO will screen a movie every Sunday until September 20 at the Arlington Mill Community Center.

The movies at Arlington Mill will start at dusk. A schedule is expected to be announced mid-July.

Clarendon ‘Food Truck Thursdays’ Kick Off Today

By Mariah Joyce

The new Miami Vice Burgers food truckStarting today, Clarendon residents will have an additional option for dinner every Thursday, courtesy of a new weekly gathering of food trucks.

The DMV Food Truck Association is helping to organize Clarendon Food Truck Thursdays, which will bring two to five food trucks to the corner of North Irving Street and Washington Boulevard from 6:30-8:30 p.m. every Thursday for the rest of the summer and part of fall.

The truck lineup will change from week to week. Tonight features Arepa Zone, which offers Central and South American cuisine, and Bada Bing, which slings cheesesteaks and other “sangweeches.”

Weather permitting, Food Truck Thursdays will continue through the end of October.

Clarendon co-working company Link Locale began Food Truck Thursdays last summer. This year, the food truck association is organizing the weekly event in partnership with Link Locale.

“Clarendon Food Truck Thursdays are a great option for Arlington residents looking for affordable, freshly prepared and quick bites for dinner,”said the association’s executive director, Che Ruddell-Tabisola.

‘Espionage’ Theme for Crystal City Summer Movie Fest

By Heather Mongilio

Outdoor movie in Crystal City

The Crystal City Business Improvement District has revealed the lineup for its annual outdoor summer movie festival. The theme this year: espionage.

The movies begin on June 1 at sunset with “Mission: Impossible.” Other spy-themed movies include “RED,” “Argo” and the “Bourne Identity” series.

The movies are shown weekly on Monday at sunset — around 8:30 p.m. — and are held rain or shine, except in the event of dangerous weather.

Families are encouraged to bring a blanket to the free event. The outdoor “theater” is located in the courtyard of an office building at 1851 S. Bell Street.

The lineup is:

  • June 1 — Mission: Impossible
  • June 8 — Mission: Impossible II
  • June 15 — Mission: Impossible III
  • June 22 — Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol
  • June 29 — Charlie Wilson’s War
  • July 6 — RED
  • July 13 — Argo
  • July 20 — Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
  • July 27 — Body of Lies
  • Aug. 3 — Enemy of the State
  • Aug. 10 — The Bourne Identity
  • Aug. 17 — The Bourne Supremacy
  • Aug. 24 — The Bourne Ultimatum
  • Aug. 31 — The Bourne Legacy

Arlington Looking for Summer Camp Volunteers

By Ethan Rothstein

Summer camp volunteer (photo via Arlington County)If Monday’s weather didn’t tell you that spring and summer are just around the corner, then this will: Arlington County is looking for summer camp volunteers.

The county looks for teenagers every year to help plan and lead activities for the young children who attend the camps. Volunteers must be 13 years or older by May 1 and at least two years older than the campers they supervise.

Arlington is offering more than 100 different camps this summer for kids from ages 3 to 13, in everything from fly fishing to ultimate Frisbee to “fashion boot camp.”

Volunteers work for four, non-consecutive weeks in the program of their choosing, but not everyone is guaranteed a spot in the most popular activities. Teens and parents can download the volunteer application and send it to:

Hadyn Kihm
Department of Parks and Recreation
Volunteer Office
Langston Brown Community Center
2121 N. Culpeper Street
Arlington, VA 22207

Applications received after May 1 may be put on a waiting list, depending on demand. Parents interested in registering a camper for this summer can do so online.

Photo via Arlington Parks and Recreation

Summer Continues With ‘Beach on the Pike’ This Weekend

By Ethan Rothstein

Beach on the Pike logoEven though school is open and traffic is back up to nightmarish levels, summer isn’t officially over until the autumnal equinox on Sept. 23.

To celebrate the dwindling days of the season, the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization and Trinity Episcopal Church are hosting “Beach on the Pike” on Saturday (Sept. 13), a day-and-night-long, beach-themed event around Penrose Square, at the intersection of S. Barton Street and the Pike.

The festivities kick off at 8:30 a.m., with registration for Bike to the Beach, which starts at 9:30 and takes cyclists throughout the Penrose and Arlington Heights neighborhoods. Events then continue on until well after midnight.

From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., four Pike restaurants — RedRocks, Taqueria Poblano, P. Brennan’s and Twisted Vines — will be hosting “Brunch on the Beach.” The restaurants will be offering their normal brunch menus, but 10 percent of the proceeds will go to benefit the Arlington Free Clinic and the Northern Virginia branch of the Samaritan Ministry. Parties with six or more at the restaurants will get free leis.

Starting at 4:30 p.m., the real beach-themed events get started on the square. Live music from local band Nick, Ian and the Machine, demonstrations for children, games, and beach balls will accompany a beer and wine garden in front of RedRocks, with 9th Road S. closed for the day to give the feel of a block party, according to event organizer Denese Canedo.

During the festivities, Taqueria Poblano and L.A. Bar and Grill will be selling boxes of food for $8 a piece, and a dollar from each box will also be going to the two charities.

“There are a lot of free activities and things to enjoy,” Canedo, a member of Trinity, said. “We wanted opportunities for people to not just spend and help us raise funds, but just to come out and enjoy.”

At 7:30 p.m. CPRO will show the movie “A Shark Tale” outdoors at Penrose Square. After the movie, at 9:30 p.m., RedRocks takes over with Beach On the Rocks, a continuation of the block party, with more live music, drinks and dancing. That event is scheduled to go until 2:00 a.m., according to the Facebook page.

CPRO won’t be trucking in sand to create a faux beach at Penrose Square, but attendees are encouraged to wear Hawaiian shirts and other beach-y attire to set the mood.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn as seen from the air, at night (Photo courtesy @kennethpiner)

County Offices Closed for Labor Day — Arlington County government offices will be closed Monday for Labor Day. Pools and ART buses will operate on a holiday schedule. Trash collection will proceed as normal, but mulch delivery will be suspended. Parking meters will not be enforced. [Arlington County]

Last Outdoor Films of the Season — Rosslyn will be hosting its last outdoor film of the summer tonight. “Horrible Bosses” is slated to run from 8:00-10:00 p.m. at Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway). The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, meanwhile, gets the honor of hosting Arlington’s last outdoor film of the summer. “Gravity” will be shown at Penrose Square (2503 Columbia Pike) Saturday starting around 7:30 p.m. [Rosslyn BID, CPRO]

Courthouse: ‘A Hot Spot Getting Hotter’ — Courthouse “is on the cusp of being reinvented” says a county planner. Its walkability, abundance of retail and park proximity have all helped to contribute to its increasing desirability among homebuyers. [Washington Post]

Arlington GOP Adopts Local Platform — Billed as its “first local platform,” the Arlington County Republican Committee approved a set of five guiding principles Wednesday. [InsideNova]

Photo courtesy Kenneth Edward Piner

View More Stories