[Archived] Weekly Event Announcements: May 23 - 29, 2009

Weekly Event Announcements for the City of Alexandria: May 23 – 29, 2009
For Immediate Release: May 22, 2009 

Saturday, May 23 – Swordsmanship Workshop
Interested in learning about historic fencing? Are you a fencer looking to expand your repertoire and support historic sites like Gadsby’s? Register for the Living History Foundation’s Swordsmanship Workshop, held at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St., from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Lunch is included, but participants must provide their own equipment or rent from the instructor. All skill levels and ages 12 and above are welcome. Cost is $49 for individuals, $29 for students, and $90 for professionals. To register or get more information, please call Gadsby’s Tavern Museum at 703.838.4242.

Sunday, May 24 - West End Farmers’ Market 
The West End Farmers’ Market, located at Ben Brenman Park, 4800 Brenman Park Dr., is now open to the public on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For additional information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/recreation.

Monday, May 25 – 32nd Annual Memorial Day Jazz Festival
The public is invited to attend the 32nd Annual Memorial Day Jazz Festival at Fort Ward Park, 4301 W. Braddock Rd. from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. For a list of performers, visit alexandriava.gov/recreation. For more information, call the Special Events Hotline at 703.883.4686 or the Special Events Office at 703.838.4844.

Wednesday, May 27 - National Senior Health & Fitness Day
Residents are invited to join more than 1,000 local organizations in all 50 states to celebrate the 16th Annual National Senior Health & Fitness Day at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St. For additional information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/recreation.

Wednesday, May 27 – Alexandria Historical Society and Fort Ward Lecture
The public is invited to a free lecture, “Mary Surratt: An American Tragedy,” at The Lyceum, 201 S. Washington St., from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. In commemoration of the bicentennial of Abraham Lincoln’s birth, Elizabeth Steger Trindal, author of Mary Surratt: An American Tragedy, will tell the controversial story of Mary Surratt, who was hanged for the assassination of Lincoln. Ms. Trindal contends that Surratt, who was educated in Alexandria, was innocent. Reservations are not required. For more information, please call 703.683.2636 or visit www.alexandriahistorical.org.

Thursday, May 28 – Fifth Annual Taste of Old Town North
Old Town North Community Partnership and River’s Edge Yoga Center are hosting the fifth annual “Taste of Old Town North”  featuring area restaurants, gourmet food, and hotels from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will be held at Montgomery Park, located between Montgomery and First Streets, in the Old Town North section of Alexandria. Admission is free. For additional information, call 703. 836.8066.

Coming Soon!

Saturday, May 30 – Second Annual Mayor’s Cup Challenge Match
World-class rugby comes to the City of Alexandria! Enjoy free admission to a whole day of rugby at George Washington Middle School, 1005 Mt. Vernon Ave. Alexandria will host a men’s rugby team from its sister city Dundee, Scotland, and will try to win back the Cup in the second annual Mayor’s Cup Challenge Match. This event is an exchange activity under the Alexandria-Dundee sister city relationship initiated at the request of Mayor William D. Euille. It pulls the citizens and cultures of Alexandria and Dundee together in an unprecedented way, and provides a chance for Alexandria youth to observe excellent rugby being played, learn about this collaborative game, and develop an interest in trying it. For more information, contact Owen Malone at 703.851.6188 or visit www.alexandriarugby.org.

Wednesday, June 3 - Opening of the Upper King Street Fresh Farmers’ Market
The City of Alexandria and the Upper King Street Neighborhood Association will open the 2009 Upper King Street Fresh Farmers’ Market, which will be available weekly from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through October 29. The market will be located at the King Street Gardens Park (1806 King St.) just a few steps from the King Street Metro. For additional information, visit www.farmersmarketonline.com/fm/UpperKingStreetFreshFarmersMarket.html 

Ongoing

April through May – All Alexandria Reads 2009
The Alexandria Library presents All Alexandria Reads 2009, a community-based reading cooperative program designed to create a dialog through reading. This year’s book is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. Kingsolver is a Virginia author who chronicles her family’s attempt to eat homegrown and locally produced food. From April to May, the Alexandria Library will hold numerous community events that relate to the themes of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. This week’s featured event is a “Gardening with Children” workshop on Saturday, May 23, at 11 a.m. at Beatley Library. Children ages 6-11, with an adult, will be taught gardening tips with Master Gardeners. Space is limited, register by calling 703.228.6414. For more information about All Alexandria Reads events, visit www.alexandria.lib.va.us.

Open through Saturday, May 30 – “1968 in America” Exhibition
This exhibition at the Alexandria Black History Museum (902 Wythe St.) reflects on 1968, a tumultuous, pivotal and influential year. Organized by four major themes, the Power of Idealism, the Power of Music, the Power of the Bullet and the Power of the Press, “1968 in America” uses original photographs, magazine covers, political memorabilia, record albums, and other objects to explore this pivotal moment in American history and in particular, African-American history. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Suggested admission is $2. For more information, please visit www.alexblackhistory.org or call 703.838.4356.

Let’s Get Healthy for Life, Alexandria!
Are you up for a challenge? Mayor William D. Euille, the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria, and local health and fitness organizations have launched the Mayor’s “Get Healthy for Life, Alexandria” initiative to encourage Alexandrians to eat better, get moving, and get healthy. As part of the initiative, the City is participating in the “50 Million Pound Challenge,” developed by diet expert and author Dr. Ian Smith. The Challenge provides free resources and online tools for adult participants to follow their own diet and exercise program. MEC Kids, www.meckids.com/blog, a health and fitness social network, will provide special activities for young people. To join the Mayor’s Get Healthy Alexandria team, visit www.50millionpounds.com, click “Teams,” and under “Search Teams,” type “Alexandria, VA” in the search box provided.  For more information, contact Carrie Fesperman at 703.838.4400, ext. 263.

2009 Summer Camps, Playgrounds & Teen Activities
The Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities offers a variety of summer program opportunities for children and teens ages 3 to 17. Camp opportunities include Recreation Camps (Ages 3-12); Jerome "Buddie" Ford Nature Center Camps (K-6th grade); Summer Programs for Children with Disabilities (Ages 3-17); Summer Playground Camps (Ages 6-12); and Summertime Fun Just - 4 – Teens. For additional information, visit alexandriava.gov/recreation.

For more information, contact Jennifer Harris, Communications Officer, Office of Communications, at 703.838.5078 or jennifer.harris@alexandriava.gov