Thanksgiving will barely be over before celebrations for the next holiday begin in Shirlington.
The annual “Shirlie Lights Up The Village” festival is planned for Tuesday, Dec. 1 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The event will feature holiday-themed performances and activities for all ages.
The event will feature more than 60 local breweries, food from local vendors and authentic German music and food. As usual, Oktoberfest will be held along Campbell Avenue at The Village at Shirlington.
Arlington County has made a video publicizing ways to get there without using a car, both as part of Arlington’s Car-Free Diet, as well as to encourage responsible drinking.
The event, which is being held from noon to 6 p.m. at Drew Model School and the Nauck Town Square, will feature live music and dancing, local vendors, entertainers and speakers, a health fair, and a fish fry and barbecue.
For kids, there will be a moon bounce, a cake walk and a video game truck.
The event is being held at Rosslyn’s Gateway Park in two sessions, one from 1-4 p.m. and the other from 7-10 p.m. Organized in part by Project DC Events, best known for their Clarendon bar crawls, the festival will feature more than 60 craft brews and live music.
More than 30 breweries are expected to participate, including Flying Dog from Frederick, Maryland, Old Ox Brewery from Ashburn and D.C. breweries Atlas Brew Works and DC Brau. Tickets are now $35-45.
A bit of Ireland is coming to Campbell Avenue in Shirlington with the return of the annual Beckett’s Celtic Festival this Saturday, Sept. 19.
“The Beckett’s Celtic Festival is a celebration of Celtic food, drink and culture. It is an opportunity for the community to come together, enjoy themselves and take in the very best of Irish music, dance, food, drink and all around ‘craic,'” said Daniel Perranzas, a manger at festival host Samuel Beckett’s Irish Gastro Pub (2800 S. Randolph Street).
There will be arts and crafts, food, beer, music and the annual chili cookoff, all on Clarendon and Wilson Blvds outside the Clarendon Metro station. The free festival will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., an hour longer than previous years.
There will about 25 bands playing across four stages, with the headliner Slam Allen Band playing blues and soul on the Main Stage at 4:30 p.m.
For the first time ever, Rosslyn will be hosting the festival overlooking the city–you might even say it’s in Arlington’s backyard. Festival goers can buy a ticket for the afternoon or evening slots, then tour stands from 35+ breweries, the area’s best food trucks and everyone’s favorite yard games and activities. Cornhole, anyone?
For a $45 VIP pass or a $35 general admission ticket, you can have hours of unlimited beer tasting of more than 60 beers, a souvenir tasting glass, plus access to the game zone, free live music and drinking with thousands of your neighbors.
The eighth annual Wags N’ Whiskers event will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature more than 60 exhibitions, ranging from pet supplies to onsite adoptions.
In addition to shopping for food, treats, toys and other pet goods, owners can get their pets’ portrait taken for $5. There will also be strolling entertainment and kids activities, including face painting and balloon art. Visitors are encouraged to bring their pets with them.
Rosslyn’s Gateway Park will turn into a beer garden this September with the arrival of Arlington’s latest beer festival.
The Backyard Beer Festival will feature more than 60 craft brews and live music during the event on Sept. 19.
The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is teaming up with Refinery29, a digital media company focusing on fashion, to host an event they’re calling “Style Festival,” on Saturday, August 8.
A music festival would have several different stages so people could see the bands they want and personalize their music experience. The style festival’s goal is to “elevate the millennial shopping experience” by bringing the idea of music festival stages into the mall, with different attractions at each stage, according to a press release.
The event, which BID president Mary-Claire Burick says will be “exciting, bold and fun,” is celebrating its 25th anniversary this summer. In addition to performances covering everything from classic soul to international funk, the festival will feature a selection of food and fashion trucks and an expanded beer and wine garden.
The BID has organized a lineup of both locally and nationally known artists. Several headliners have already gained national acclaim, including Debo Band, whose EP “Debo Band” (2011) appeared on NPR Music’s 50 Favorite Albums of 2012, and New Orleans group The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, whose music has been featured on the HBO series Treme.
The event, which lets participants dine on all-you-can-eat Rocky Mountain oysters while sipping all-you-can-drink beer and Crown Royal, is scheduled for this Saturday, June 6, from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m.
As usual the festival is being hosted at American Legion Post 139 (3445 Washington Blvd) and as usual the organizers have a colorful tagline for the event.
