Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse’s schedule for the next five months includes a stand-up comedian who has sold out Madison Square Garden.
The movie theatre and comedy club on Columbia Pike has nationally-touring comic Chris Distefano scheduled for four mid-December shows, marking his return to a venue he played early in his career.
A weeklong marathon of Christmas classics is taking over the big screen at Arlington Drafthouse starting tomorrow (Wednesday).
Every day through Tuesday, Dec. 23, the theater at 2903 Columbia Pike will be screening hits that run the gamut from “It’s a Wonderful Life” to “Die Hard.”
Quite a few well-known comics are coming to the Arlington Drafthouse through mid-2026, including two former “Saturday Night Live” cast members and other TV stars.
Joining former SNL performers Kevin Nealon and Tim Meadows on the lineup are David Koechner (who played Todd Packer on “The Office”), “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” actress Caroline Rhea,”Last Comic Standing” winner Alonzo Bodden and other top talent.
After 20 years at the Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse, the beloved Columbia Pike venue’s owners are passing the torch to the business’s longtime manager.
Pete Fejeran, who has managed the comedy club and theater at 2903 Columbia Pike for the past 12 years, has taken ownership alongside his wife Kathryn McAbee. Former owners Tim Clark and Greg Godbout are stepping down to pursue “other opportunities,” Fejeran said.
Real comedians will go toe-to-toe with AI at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse on Columbia Pike.
On Friday, the old-school theater will host an interactive comedy show called “Comedy GPT.” Audience members will be able to spar with comedians and see if AI is as funny as they are.
Photos from ANC Wreath Event — “Wreaths Across America returned to Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 18, 2021. People from across the country turned out to lay memorial wreaths in honor of American servicemen and servicewomen. See photos of the 2021 event below.” [WTOP]
DCA to Stay at Pre-Covid Levels for Years — “Passenger totals at Northern Virginia’s two main airports are expected to be back to more than 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels in 2022, but are not currently anticipated to exceed the pre-COVID level before 2027.” [Sun Gazette]
Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse remains committed to its full slate of upcoming shows scheduled for the fall, owner Tim Clark says, but he’s it taking it week-by-week.
As Covid rates rise once again in the county and masks are back to being strongly recommended indoors no matter vaccination status, Clark acknowledges this is cause of concern for the decades-old Columbia Pike theater and venue. He says he’s already had one prominent comic push back performance dates.
Arlington Agenda is a listing of interesting events for the week ahead in Arlington County. If you’d like your event considered, fill out the event submission form to submit it to our event calendar.
Because we have Monday off next week, this Agenda will cover the next two weeks of events.
About two-third of the way through Fellowship of the Ring, Gandalf offers Frodo some encouragement as the hobbit despairs that he lives in difficult times.
“So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
After new movie releases came to a grinding halt due to the pandemic, the Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) has pivoted to older movies, alternative events, and a greater reliance on live comedy.
“The movie industry is a big black hole right now,” owner Tim Clark said. “Studios are pushing release dates farther and farther out, and dedicating more resources to direct-to-streaming.”
A month into Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse’s (2903 Columbia Pike) reopening “test drive,” the venue is moving forward with more programming, but also adapting for some of the bumps in the roads.
“We’re coming into the fourth weekend,” said owner Tim Clark. “We have kept capacity right around 25% and that seems to be working pretty well. I’m really happy with how we opened. Staff has been great in keeping things sanitized and clean, and making sure people have been adhering to policy.”
After being closed for months, Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) is planning to reopen this weekend, but with restrictions.
Owner Tim Clark said this week’s reopening is a test drive to gauge public interest in attending the entertainment venue while the rate of coronavirus cases is still going up.
