This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
The sound of summer is here in Arlington with free outdoor concerts and a music festival kicking off over the next three weekends!
The Lubber Run Amphitheater Free Summer Concert Series kicks off on Friday, June 8 (continuing June 14 through August 2), and the 27th Annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival takes place on Saturday, June 15!
Free Summer Concerts at Lubber Run Amphitheater
June 8-August 2
“Magical… gives everybody the joy!” is how Billboard magazine describes Joslyn & The Sweet Compression, the fast-rising, funk-soul sensations kicking off the free Lubber Run Amphitheater Summer Concert Series at 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 8. The series resumes the following Friday with Ethio-Soul singer Munit Mesfin (June 14), D.C. salsa stalwarts Rumba Club (Saturday, June 15), and an 11 a.m. family performance by the Arlington Children’s Chorus (Sunday, June 16).
The concerts continue through August 2 with an array of music ranging from the Arlington Philharmonic (Sunday, June 23), Blues favorite Anthony “Swamp Dog” Clark (Friday, July 12) and Veronneau (Saturday, July 20). Bring a picnic, add family or friends and season with a summer of free concerts at Lubber Run Amphitheater!
Presented by Arlington Arts in collaboration with the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation and with the collaboration of the Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation, the Lubber Run Amphitheater Concerts take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, June 8 through August 2. Concert times are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with Sunday morning family performances beginning at 11 a.m.(unless otherwise noted), three of which are co-presented with Arlington Public Library.
The Lubber Run Amphitheater is nestled within the Arlington Forrest neighborhood, at N. Columbus Street and 2nd Street North. Click here for the complete schedule and detailed information, directions and info about the Lubber Run Concert Series!
Joslyn & the Sweet Compression — Honey, Be
Columbia Pike Blues Festival
Celebrating Women in the Blues
Saturday, June 15 1-8:30 p.m.
The event that Arlington Magazine calls “Arlington’s best block party,” the 27th annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival takes place on Saturday, June 15 (1-8:30 p.m.), celebrating women in the Blues with an all-woman-fronted lineup headlined by New York Blues Hall of Fame inductee, Bette Smith. Get an advance taste of Smith’s upcoming third album, Goodthing (Kartel Music Group), with Grammy-winning UK producer Jimmy Hogarth.
The lineup of all-woman fronted bands continues with: three-time Blues Foundation Awardee Eden Brent, Mama Moon & the Rump Shakers, The Stacy Brooks Band and The Honey Larks (Carly Harvey, Jenny Langer and Holly Montgomery). Bring your whole family to this free event covering three blocks at the intersection of South Walter Reed Drive and Columbia Pike in Arlington.
The Columbia Pike Blues Festival draws thousands of blues fans to the Pike each year. Now in its 27th Year, the event is presented by the Columbia Pike Partnership in collaboration with Arlington Arts. Click here for the complete schedule and detailed information about the Columbia Pike Blues Festival.
Bette Smith — Goodthing (official video)
