September 11, 2009

Weekly Event Announcements for the City of Alexandria: September 12 – September 18, 2009

Saturday, September 12 – Family Health & Fitness Day
The City of Alexandria, the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria, the 50 Million Pound Challenge, State Farm and MECKids.com will sponsor a Family Health & Fitness Day at the Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe St.) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature activities for youth, health screenings, nutritional information, bike tips, healthy snacks and more! Don’t miss Virginia Congressman Jim Moran and Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille, who will weigh in to determine who has won a May 2009 weight loss challenge. E-mail Aileen Orlino at aorlino@gwmail.gwu.edu or visit www.alexhealth.org/partnership/healthy_lifestyles_initiatives.html for more information.

Saturday, September 12 and Sunday, September 13 – Alexandria Festival of the Arts
Voted one of the top 100 art festivals in the country by Sunshine Artist magazine, the 7th Annual Alexandria Festival of the Arts is one not to be missed! Discover spectacular paintings, life-size sculptures, jewelry, photography, ceramics and more. This popular outdoor event will feature art for every taste and budget. It will be held in Old Town on King Street, from Washington Street to the unit block at the waterfront. The festival hours are Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can take the free King Street trolley from the King Street Metro to the festival. Please note that after Washington Street, trolleys will be rerouted to accommodate the Festival on King Street. For more information, call the Alexandria Commission of the Arts at 703.746.5588.

Sunday, September 13 – West End Farmers’ Market 
The public is invited to the West End Farmers’ Market at Ben Brenman Park, located at 4800 Brenman Park Drive. The West End Farmers’ Market is open to the public on Sundays through November 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit www.alexandriava.gov/recreation.

Sunday, September 13 – Olde Towne Dogge Walke
Put your best foot forward at the third annual Olde Towne Dogge Walke. This enjoyable event gives pet lovers the opportunity to stroll through historic Old Town while raising critical funds for the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria. The walk route will allow participants to enjoy the Alexandria Festival of the Arts while raising funds for a good cause. For more information, visit www.alexandriaanimals.org.

Monday, September 14 - Grant Workshop Fiscal Year 20010-2011
The Alexandria Commission for the Arts will conduct two grant workshops on Monday, September 14 and Wednesday, October 7 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Dr. Oswald D. Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St. The workshops will provide information about the Commission’s annual grant program, which provides funding to nonprofit arts organizations for various arts programs, and instructions for the online grant application process. All applicants, including past grant recipients, are strongly encouraged to attend one of the grant workshops. For more information, visit www.alexandriacommissionforthearts.org and www.alexandriava.gov/arts.

Monday, September 14 – Tavern Toddlers
Join us for a special program for toddlers (walkers through 36 months) and their caregivers at Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, 134 N. Royal St. Tavern Toddlers features a weekly open playtime in Gadsby’s historic ballroom Mondays, excluding Federal holidays, through November 16 any time between 10:30 a.m. and noon. New themes this fall! Cost is $7 for a group of three, which must include one adult, or $30 for purchase of a five-week pass. For more information, please visit www.gadsbystavern.org or call 703.838.4242.

Wednesday, September 16 – Upper King Street Fresh Farmers’ Market
The public is invited to the Upper King Street Fresh Farmers’ Market, located at the King Street Gardens Park, 1806 King St., just a few steps from the King Street Metro. The Upper King Street Fresh Farmers’ Market is open Wednesdays through October 28 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, visit the Farmers’ Market Online.

Coming soon!

Saturday, September 19 – African-American Genealogy Workshop
Discover expert techniques for tracing African-American family history at the Alexandria Black History Museum, 902 Wythe St., with “Their Voices Can Be Heard, Part IV:  It Started in the Graveyard.” From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., join genealogist Char McCargo Bah at a free workshop exploring the use of cemetery, church and death records in family history research. The featured cases are from Char’s research of descendants of people buried at Alexandria’s historic Freedmen’s Cemetery. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 703.838.4356. For more information, please visit www.alexblackhistory.org.

Monday, September 21 – Plastic Bag Recycling Initiative Kick-Off 
The Department of Transportation & Environmental Services reminds residents the City’s Plastic Bag Recycling Initiative will begin on Monday, September 21 with kick-off events in the following locations: 
• Braddock Metro from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
• Market Square from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 
• Colosanto Park (2700 Mt. Vernon Avenue) from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

As part of Eco-City Alexandria, the Plastic Bag Recycling Initiative encourages residents to recycle plastic bags and utilize reusable bags, whenever possible. Stop by one of these locations to get more information about plastic bag recycling and receive a free reusable bag. For more information, visit  www.alexandriava.gov/PlasticBags.

Friday, September 24 – Third Annual Alexandria Film Festival 
Join us for the Third Annual Alexandria Film Festival, September 24-27, at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial (101 Callahan Dr.), across from the King Street Metro. Sponsored by the Alexandria Commission for the Arts and the Office of the Arts, the Festival brings high-quality independent short and feature length films, documentaries, filmmaker panels, and arts presentations to Alexandria. For additional information, visit AlexandriaFilm.org.

Ongoing!

Final Days! Closing September 20 – “Living Legends” Exhibition 
The latest class of Living Legends of Alexandria is profiled in an exhibit at The Lyceum, Alexandria’s History Museum, 201 S. Washington St. This photography exhibition, featuring the work of Nina Tisara, celebrates people who have made remarkable contributions to the quality of life in Alexandria. “Living Legends of Alexandria 2008-09” showcases 26 nominees who have worked to improve life in Alexandria. The museum is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The suggested admission is $2. For more information, visit alexandriahistory.org or call 703.838.4994.

Open through Saturday, January 9, 2010 – Spirits in a Bottle Exhibition
Artist Barbara Hardaway decorated more than a hundred Arizona Tea bottles for this exhibition of decorative expressions of an ancient African tradition. This whimsical show at the Alexandria Black History Museum (902 Wythe St.) pays homage to the 9th- and 10th-century Congolese tradition of adorning the ends of tree branches with colorful bottles that would catch the sunlight. Hardaway updated this ritual by festooning her bottles with feathers, fabric, beads, netting, ribbons and seashells. The museum is 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.