Actor Sean Astin, famous for playing Rudy in “Rudy” and Sam in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, will be among the tens of thousands of runners of the Marine Corps Marathon this Sunday.
Preparations are currently underway for the race in Arlington. Astin and the estimated 30,000-plus runners — U.S. Marines and civilians — will also be joined by retired Marine Cpl. William Kyle Carpenter.
The race begins at 8:00 a.m. The course runs from the Pentagon, across the Memorial Bridge into D.C., and back to the Pentagon via the 14th Street Bridge.
More than 30,000 runners are registered for the race.
Capitol City Brewing Company is hosting the 15th annual Mid-Atlantic Oktoberfest on Saturday from noon to 7:00 p.m. on Campbell Avenue. For $30 tickets, patrons 21 or older get a tasting glass and 10 tasting tickets. Further tickets can be bought for $1 each, with a $5 minimum. Beer taps will close down at 6:00 p.m.
Capitol City says more than 65 breweries will have booths, and more than half of those breweries come from the D.C. region. The list includes Virginia staples like Port City, Devil’s Backbone and Lost Rhino, with lesser known Northern Virginia breweries like Adroit Theory, Old Ox Brewery and Heritage Brewing Company. There will also be three cider makers and a “meadery” to offer some variety in the suds options.
This year’s festival goes from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the streets outside the Clarendon Metro station, at the intersection of N. Highland Street and Wilson and Clarendon Blvds. There will be 40 bands and musicians playing on five stages throughout the day, headlined by singer-songwriter Amber Rubarth at 2:45 p.m. on the main stage.
While music will fill the air all afternoon long, so will the smell of chili. The chili cookoff, sponsored by the International Chili Society, will see dozens of homemade chili chefs cooking up batches of red chili, chili verde, salsa and homestyle recipes, all competing for the chance to participate in the World Championship Chili Cookoff this October in Palm Springs, Calif. Chefs will be providing tastings of their chili, and those hankering for something else will be able to choose from more than a dozen local restaurants’ tents.
‘Pups and Pilsners’ Photo Contest — Want to sample some brews and make your pet famous? Head on over to Crystal City’s Pups and Pilsners event from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, snap a photo of your pooch and tweet it to us and our sponsors, @CCBID and @BeckysPetCare. Pups and Pilsners is a free dog-friendly event featuring a massive beer garden and food from local restaurants. [Crystal City BID]
Planners: Bank Shortchanges Courthouse — The office building slated to replace the Wendy’s in Courthouse will have a Wells Fargo bank prominently located on the ground floor, and Arlington planners don’t like it. County staff says the bank use is “not appropriate” and should be at least moved so that a more active retail use can occupy half of the plaza area. Developer Carr Properties says the bank must stay, since Wells Fargo owns the land under the existing bank that will be torn down for the project. [Washington Business Journal]
APS To Use ‘Big Data’ to Prevent Dropouts — Arlington Public Schools held a contest this summer for “big data” companies to analyze its student performance data, and plans to use the newly-released results to predict which students are at risk of dropping out of school. The winning company, Deep Learning Analytics, found that APS should refine its data collecting techniques. In addition, it found that, along with attendance, behavior and coursework, socioeconomic standing is a predictive indicator for school dropouts. [Arlington Public Schools]
Military Jet to Land at DCA — The Scorpion, a new military fighter jet, will land at Reagan National Airport on Saturday. The jet — manufactured by Textron AirLand LLC — will stay in a DCA hangar for a week, for marketing purposes. [InsideNova]
The road closure was planned to allow President Obama’s motorcade to access the Pentagon for a Sept. 11 memorial ceremony.
Washington Blvd is expected to remain closed for at least an hour.
The festival, hosted by the BU-GATA Tenants Association, will feature live performances of folk music and dance, among other activities. It will be held on N. Pershing Drive between N. Glebe Road and Thomas Street from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.
In addition to the music and dance, there will be food vendors and children’s activities, like a bounce house and games for the family.
This year’s festival’s hours are extended: the fun begins at 10:00 a.m. and goes until 4:00 p.m. along Campbell Avenue. The festival’s organizer, the Federal Realty Investment Trust, said more than 60 pet-centric vendors have signed up to participate, making it the biggest Wags ‘n Whiskers festival to date.
In addition to the vendors selling treats, food, toys and other goods, there will also be on-site adoption booths, pet portraits for $5, demonstrations, face-painting and balloon art. A complete list of vendors is available on the festival’s website.
Update at 4:00 p.m. — Emergency crews have just re-opened all lanes of traffic on N. George Mason Drive.
(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Northbound George Mason Drive is closed near N. Henderson Road due to an accident with an overturned car.
The summer race, organized by Pacers, is dubbed “the hottest 5K in town.” It kicks off at 8:30 p.m. and is followed by a post-race party. Registration is $40 for adults over the age of 18, but $20 for those 18 years old or younger.
The Arlington County Police Department is planning on closing a number of roads to make way for the race. From ACPD:
The accident was reported around 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Little Falls Road. Witnesses say the motorcyclist hit a curb and then hit the pavement, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Marchegiani.
Medics responded and transported the biker, who suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, to the trauma center at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Marchegiani said.
