Events & Happenings

October 8 - 14, 2024

October 07, 2024

Events & Happenings October 8 - 14, 2024

Hello!

Hope you had a great weekend and Monday! This evening I played pickle ball at Lubber Run. It was a bit intimidating but definitely a fun experience! I recommend checking it out if you’re interested in trying to get some court time.

In some exciting transportation news, Arlington is rewriting their entire transportation plan. To learn more about Arlington’s Transportation Future initiative and events, visit their webpage.

Let’s have a great week!

Juliana

Tuesday, October 8th

How to be an LGBTQ+ Ally (Virginia Square/Ballston)

  • 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm at Central Library Quincy Room

  • Join Arlington Public Library in recognition of LGBTQ+ History Month. Learn how to be a good friend, colleague, neighbor, teacher and family member. Representatives from SMYAL, a local nonprofit that supports & empowers LGBTQ+ youth, will lead an interactive presentation where attendees will have the chance to ask all their questions in a safe and nonjudgmental environment. Topics will include: youth-friendly LGBTQ+ terminology, bystander interventions, pronouns, local resources and much more.

  • Seating is first-come, first-served. This event supports the library’s recognition of National Coming Out Day and LGBTQ+ History Month.

Wednesday, October 9th

  • 8:00 am - 9:00 am at Metropolitan Park

  • Join DC Fray + National Landing on Wednesdays from 8-9 a.m. for free, instructor-led classes that are sure to help you break a sweat. No experience required! Simply select the class you’re interested in from our lineup. Enjoy 10% off your morning pick me up at Commonwealth Joe Coffee after classes for class attendees.

  • 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm at Kat’s Flowers (2342 Columbia Pike)

  • Join us for an exciting in-person floral bouquet class hosted by the amazing Kat! Whether you're a beginner or an expert, this hands-on workshop is perfect for anyone who loves flowers. Learn the art of floral arrangement and create your very own fun pumpkin bouquet to take home.

  • Special Offer: All participants will receive 15% off food at our neighboring restaurant, Sabores! Don’t miss out—sign up today!

  • Tickets are $92.55 (including taxes and fees). Purchase tickets here.

  • 5:30 pm at 7:30 pm at The Commentary

    • Note: As of this newsletter, there is one ticket left for both the 5:30 pm and 7:30 pm class.

  • Join us for an unforgettable culinary experience as Executive Chef Francecil Ponte and our Sicilian kitchen supervisor, Rita Massa, the beloved "Pizza Queen" from Napoli, take you on a journey into the art of crafting crowd-pleasing pies. During this interactive class, Chef Fran and Rita will share their secrets, tips, and tricks for crafting authentic Italian pizzas. While your creations bake to perfection, step over to our Craft Cocktail station and immerse yourself in a mixology class led by our in-house experts. Come early to enjoy our delightful happy hour libations before your class kicks off. Afterward, you're invited to savor your culinary masterpieces on our newly renovated patio or within the lively ambiance of our bar and social house.

  • Tickets are $55.20 (including taxes and fees). Purchase tickets here.

  • 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm at George Mason University Arlington Campus

  • There is a saying that all politics is local. As we stand at a quarter of the way into this century, how are local governments operating, and, importantly, keeping in sync with their constituents in today’s world of rapid technology, social media and polarization? When contending with critical social issues like affordable housing or economic development, are elected leaders taking the public’s pulse or proceeding, assuming their policy has support? Have recent controversial issues like the “Missing Middle” affordable housing initiative and the Monumental Sports arena failure, laid bare a growing rift between local government and constituents? Is the “Arlington Way” and the “Alexandria Way” of consensus building obsolete?

  • Join George Mason University’s Office of Community & Local Government Relations, Mason’s Schar School, Agenda Alexandria and Advance Arlington for this special event with two distinguished elected officials as they prepare to step away from public office: Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey and Alexandria City Mayor Justin Wilson

Fall Movies on the Plaza: Flubber (National Landing/Pentagon City)

  • 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm at Westpost at National Landing

  • Looking for a fun way to spend your autumn evenings? Look no further than outdoor Movies On The Plaza at Westpost at National Landing! Bring your blankets and chairs and settle in for a night of entertainment under the stars.

  • Best of all, this event is completely free to attend! So grab your friends and family and come on down to the plaza for a night of fun and entertainment.

Thursday, October 10th

Shop Event: Fix Nearly Anything (Virginia Square/Ballston)

  • 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm at Central Library

  • Do you have small items around your house that are broken, or need repair? Perhaps your favorite pair of jeans needs to be patched, or an old lamp has seen better days? Don't just throw them out - figure out how to fix them! We'll have a sewing machine, jewelry parts, hand tools, and more on hand, as well as some inventive library staff who will be happy to investigate with you.

  • We have a limited amount of replacement parts. Disclaimer: We’ll do our best to help, but we cannot guarantee that your object will be fixed. Drop by anytime between 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm during Open Shop hours. Registration is not required.

  • 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm at Central Library Barbara M. Donnellan Auditorium

  • Join us for a conversation between Librarian Juliane Weight and authors Nnedi Okorafor and Roseanne Brown about their Africanfuturist and African fantasy works. 

  • Nnedi Okorafor is an international award-winning novelist of science fiction and fantasy for children, young adults and adults. Born in the United States to Nigerian immigrant parents, Nnedi is known for drawing from African cultures to create captivating stories with unforgettable characters and evocative settings.  Her New York Times bestselling series including "Binti," "Akata Witch" and "Who Fears Death," currently in development at HBO with George R.R. Martin. She has won every major prize in speculative fiction, including the World Fantasy, Nebula, Eisner, and multiple Hugo awards, as well as general honors such as the Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature. 

  • Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown is an immigrant from the West African nation of Ghana and a graduate of the University of Maryland, where she completed the Jimenez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her debut novel "A Song of Wraiths and Ruin" was an instant New York Times Bestseller, an Indie Bestseller, and received six starred reviews. She has worked with Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney among other publishers.

Friday, October 11th

  • 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm at Cookology

  • Elevate your culinary experience in this fun, hands-on cooking class! Begin with mastering the art of Mixology by crafting a classic French 75 Cocktail. Then, create a sophisticated Caramelized Onion and Blue Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast, topped with a rich Sauce Aux Champignons. Pair it with elegant Duchess Potatoes for the perfect side. End the evening on a sweet note with a decadent Classic Moelleux Au Chocolat, a French molten chocolate cake. Perfect for an unforgettable night!

  • Tickets are $260.00 Your purchase includes two seats in the class, recipes, and live step-by-step cooking instruction.

Saturday, October 12th

  • 6:30 am - 10:30 am at Gateway Park

  • Our signature CRE8TE event features an intentional fusion of breath, movement, and cold therapy to access a higher feeling state in the body and deepen our connections - with ourselves and the world around us.

    We conclude with open time to plunge, explore community resources, dance and vibe with our live DJ, and celebrate ourselves. We've united our favorite food/drink/supplement providers to nourish and fuel our bodies, as well as local wellness practitioners (PT, massage) to optimize our recovery. Follow along on instagram @cre8te.wellness for news and updates!

  • Tickets are $15 each. Purchase tickets here.

Highline RxR Comedy Showcase with Umar Khan (National Landing/Crystal City)

  • 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm at Highline RxR

  • Bring a team or fly solo and win prizes by dropping knowledge in a trivia competition and then duking it out in a karaoke battle. This event also features stand-up comedy from the DC area’s finest comics.

  • Tickets are $10 per person when you reserve a table of 6-8 or $15 per person for individual seating.

Sunday, October 13th

Fit @ Potomac Yard: Yoga (National Landing)

  • 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm at Center Park

  • Join DC Fray and National Landing on Sundays at Center Park from 2 to 3 p.m. starting September 8 for free, instructor-led classes that are sure to help you break a sweat. No experience required!

  • Registration is required. Reserve your spot here.

  • 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm at MoCA Arlington Innovation Studio + Store

  • Oracle cards are often used as motivational tools for self-reflection and personal insight - helping to open intuitive awareness and build a strong connection to yourself. In this transformational workshop, you will learn to create your own Oracle deck for personal reflection and spiritual growth in fun and inspirational ways.

    Using the wisdom of your own body and emotions, you will be led through a series of energetic and meditative exercises to discover the colors, shapes, and symbols, and messages relevant to you -- translating feelings into form. From there, you will then get to play and experiment with a variety of painting, drawing, and collage techniques to create your own personalized, mixed-media oracle cards.

  • Tickets are $111.00 each. Purchase tickets here.

Monday, October 14th

Yoga and Breathing (Aurora Hills)

  • 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm at Aurora Hills Library

  • In this class for all levels, yoga teacher Helen Batchan will help you learn pranayama (breathing) techniques and how to do yoga poses aligned and safely. Each class starts with intention setting and ends in a blissful rest. Participants should bring their own yoga mats.

  • Registration is required.

  • 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm at Cherrydale Library

  • Learn how to digitze and preserve your memories stored in your family’s photographs. Digital Archivist Gregory Pierce will teach patrons best practices and equipment for storing, scanning, and tagging photographs with metadata for easier searches. This presentation will also teach options for sharing your work with others and using various cloud services.

  • Registration is required.