Arlington County is encouraging residents to get outside this weekend and help spot plant and animal species as part of the global City Nature Challenge.
The contest pits communities around the world against each other to identify as many plant and animal species as possible within their borders from April 27-30. Those participating are encouraged to use the iNaturalist app, which allows users to upload photos of plants and animals for the rest of the community to help identify.
Courthouse’s Bayou Bakery (1515 N. Courthouse Road) will host its annual crawfish boil on Saturday (April 28) from 4-6 p.m.
The crawfish boil coincides with the beginning of New Orleans’ Jazz Fest and will feature live music along with traditional Louisiana nibbles. New Orleans native and Bayou Bakery owner and chef David Guas will host the event.
A whole lot of shaking will be going on at Rosslyn’s Freedom Park, where a series of belly dancing classes will occur.
The hour-long classes, which run from May 9-30, target beginners looking to learn belly dancing basics. Classes take place on Wednesdays starting at 6 p.m.
Crystal City’s summertime happy hour event series, Fridays at the Fountain, is coming back early this year.
The pop-up beer garden event was so well received by the community last year that organizers decided to open this year’s event series on May 4, which is a month earlier than usual, according to a press release from the Crystal City BID, which organizes the events.
Rosslyn’s annual outdoor film festival is returning to Gateway Park this June.
All of the screenings will begin at dusk, but moviegoers can attend events at 5 p.m. each screening evening and buy beer, wine, or sangria at a mobile pub. Local food trucks and popcorn will also be available for purchase.
Again this week, we highlight select deals and events around Arlington, with help from Tim’s Arlington Directory. Some require a coupon or have more instructions, so be sure to click the link for details and any additional requirements.
This Week’s Deal of the Week:
Barley Mac will be holding its second annual oyster festival on Saturday (April 21) from 1-5 p.m. on its patio, weather permitting.
Festival attendees can dig into unlimited oysters alongside a cigar rolling station, an oyster shucking instructional station, an oyster eating contest, and a live musical performance.
The legacy of Arlington’s Fire Station No. 8, and how to honor it, will be the subject of a community discussion this weekend.
The event is scheduled from 3-4:45 p.m. on Saturday (April 14) at the Arlington Central Library auditorium (1015 N. Quincy Street).
The event, scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. in the school’s Patriot Hall, will kick off Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month in Arlington.
Entitled “#MeToo: What Men, Boys, and Everyone Need to Know,” the event will feature nationally recognized scholar and activist Jackson Katz as the keynote speaker. Katz is also the co-founder of the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), an organization that has been running gender violence, sexual harassment and bullying prevention programs for more than 20 years.
A 5K fun run starting in Bluemont Park is scheduled for Saturday (April 7) to celebrate the Opening Day for Trails.
Organized by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, it’s the sixth annual 5K celebration for the trails’ opening day. Registration for the run is free.
A new visitor center is celebrating its grand opening Saturday (March 31) at Woodmont’s Fort C.F. Smith with free activities.
The center will focus on “Civil War life at Fort C.F. Smith and across Arlington County,” according to an county event page.
A small business fair geared toward highlighting Arlington’s female-owned businesses is scheduled for Saturday (March 31).
The event wraps up Arlington Public Library’s Women’s History Month events for this year, and aims to highlight women who “make history every day in the operation of local businesses and nonprofits.”
