At Arlington Public Library the library isn’t just for reading and summer reading events are not just for kids.
The library is holding two outdoor movie screenings (Aug. 6 and Aug. 13) as part of its Summer Reading 2015 for Adults event. Movies start roughly at 8:45 p.m. on the field next to Arlington Central Library (1515 N. Quincy Street).
Summer concert series Rock at the Row kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. in Pentagon Row’s plaza area (1101 S. Joyce Street) with Bon Jovi cover band Slippery When Wet. The concert series also includes a VIP section with craft beers and food samples.
Residents less enamored of Bon Jovi can head over to Rosslyn for its “Throwback Thursday” concert in Freedom Park (1101 Wilson Blvd). Tonight’s concert features Baltimore-based cover band Sly 45. It’s the last scheduled Throwback Thursday concert until September.
Barre in the Park, which is in its second season, is a series of free outdoor classes offered weekly in Rosslyn’s Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway) by exercise studio Lava Barre, in partnership with the Rosslyn Business Improvement District.
(Barre is a type of trendy exercise class that combines elements of ballet with yoga and Pilates.)
Outdoor movie festivals at Market Common Clarendon and Penrose Square on Columbia Pike have both announced their weekly lineups.
“Dinner and a Movie on the Loop” will take place on four consecutive Thursday evenings at Market Common Clarendon (2700 Clarendon Blvd), starting this week. The event was started last year as Now Playing at the Loop.
County Offices Closed for Labor Day — Arlington County government offices will be closed Monday for Labor Day. Pools and ART buses will operate on a holiday schedule. Trash collection will proceed as normal, but mulch delivery will be suspended. Parking meters will not be enforced. [Arlington County]
Last Outdoor Films of the Season — Rosslyn will be hosting its last outdoor film of the summer tonight. “Horrible Bosses” is slated to run from 8:00-10:00 p.m. at Gateway Park (1300 Lee Highway). The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization, meanwhile, gets the honor of hosting Arlington’s last outdoor film of the summer. “Gravity” will be shown at Penrose Square (2503 Columbia Pike) Saturday starting around 7:30 p.m. [Rosslyn BID, CPRO]
The Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) is bringing back outdoor movies in Penrose Square every Saturday from this week (June 21) through August 30. This year, CPRO also will offer movies every other Thursday in the plaza of the new Arlington Mill Community Center, starting tonight and running through September 11.
CPRO is trying out something different at Arlington Mill by offering a couple of Spanish movies subtitled in English, and vice versa. The push for diversity in the movie selection isn’t just for Spanish-speaking cultures. CPRO Executive Director Takis Karantonis notes the movie “The Visitor” deals with issue of immigrating to the United States from Africa and the Middle East.
The public stage, near the intersection of N. Columbus Street and 2nd Street, will host musicians, theater troupes and other acts in multiple shows during the week, starting with Mary Anne Redmond on June 13 and ending with Rico Amero on Sunday, Aug. 17.
Spectators are encouraged to bring picnic materials, although alcohol is prohibited. In the event of inclement weather, visitors are encouraged to call the concert hotline at 703-228-1850 for info. There is no schedule for rain-dates in the event rain causes an event to be canceled.
The concert series has been an annual tradition at the 70-acre park in North Arlington just off the GW Parkway, providing free outdoor performances of local and regional acts in a family setting, said Park Manager Roy Geiger.
“It’s a kick-back-and-relax time,” Geiger said. “You’ve got whole families coming down, kids in strollers, all ages up to senior citizens. So along come the blankets, lawn chairs, picnic baskets and even some dogs sitting there quietly.”
The “Shirlala Music Festival” will include 10 weeks of live music from various genres, plus wine tastings from Shirlington’s Cheesetique store. The festival is an outgrowth of the former Shirlington jazz festival.
The event is free and open to the public, but the wine tasting is $5. It will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday, from June 13 to August 22 (except July 4).
Man Busted for Meth Lab Worked for USA Today — One of the men arrested in connection with a suspected meth lab in a Virginia Square apartment building used to be a journalist who was regularly published in USA Today. Leonard Fischer, 44, was formerly a technology reporter for Gannett News Service. [Jim Romenesko, Kenneth in the 212]
Arlington Unemployment Rate Declines — Arlington still has the lowest unemployment rate in Virginia. Arlington’s jobless rate dipped from 3.7 percent in June to 3.5 percent in July, according to newly-released data. The average in Virginia is 6 percent, and the national unemployment rate is 8.6 percent. [Sun Gazette]
Rosslyn’s Outdoor FilmFest movie, “Dave”, will be canceled tonight because of expected rain and thunderstorms throughout the evening.
Weather permitting, the screening of “Swing Vote” will still take place next Friday (July 27) as scheduled.
Viewers are welcome to bring a blanket and picnic while watching the family friendly movies. Films will begin shortly after dusk, around 8:00 p.m.
The first movie is “Hugo,” which will be shown on Thursday, August 2. The second movie is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” and will be shown on Thursday, August 9. Trailers for the films are available on the library’s website.
