Around Town

You would have thought that gray skies and the threat of rain would have persuaded more people to stay at home but, alas, Sunday afternoon’s Taste of Arlington in Ballston was as crowded as ever.

Long lines snaked up and down the rows of food and drink vendors, at times making for human (and dog) traffic jams. The lines moved relatively fast, though, and most restaurants had enough food on hand to last well into the 4:00 hour. The award for longest line goes to Sangam Restaurant (1211 N. Glebe Road), which was practically offering an entire Indian dinner (complete with dessert) for two tickets.


Events

Taste of Arlington features dozens of local restaurants and draws a crowd of thousands to the stretch of Wilson Boulevard in front of Ballston Common Mall. In years past the beer selection at the event has been limited, but organizers say they’re now “trying to make the drink selection as diverse as the food selection.”

A craft beer distributor will be bringing ten different brews to the festival, including varieties of Sam Adams, Sierra Nevada, Newcastle, Ommegang, Saranac, Franziskaner, Breckenridge, Gordon Biersch, Shiner and Magic Hat. As before, wine will also be available.


Around Town

Thousands of people took advantage of Sunday’s comfortably warm weather at the 23rd annual Taste of Arlington in front of Ballston Common Mall.

Attendees had about 40 restaurants to choose from on the one-block stretch of Wilson Boulevard. Popular items included Carlyle’s crab cakes, Busboys & Poets’ pomegranate lemonade and gazpacho, Whole Foods’ couscous and chicken kabobs, Northside Social’s mini bratwurst, Jaleo’s paella, The Melting Pot’s plate of chocolate-dipped treats and the ice cream from Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream.


Events

It’s a good time to be an Arlingtonian. This weekend is jam-packed with fun outdoor community events. The weather should be gorgeous — the only problem will be finding time to do everything.

Trashy Pick Up Artists — Dubbed the “Pick Up Artists,” four recent college grads from Maryland are on cross-country journey to pick up trash and educate people about sustainability. On Saturday, Davey Rogner and Kelly Klein, 24, and Kim Alexander and Jeff Chen, 23 will kick off their 240 mile trek across Virginia in Arlington. Volunteers interested in helping them out should meet at the Clarendon Whole Foods (2700 Wilson Boulevard) at 10:00 a.m. According to the organizers, this event has been cancelled due to the permits from VDOT not coming in.


Events

Taste of Arlington is returning for another day of delicious taste-testing of our area’s best restaurants. Participating establishments include the new Northside Social and older favorites like Busboys and Poets (see a full list here).

Even the rare individual who could care less about food will be able to distract themselves with an extensive arts and crafts fair, local music, stilt-walkers and a selection of wine.