Free Things to Do in Arlington Archives - Page 20 of 31

#330 – Celebrate at the Clarendon-Courthouse Mardi Gras Parade

March 4, 2011 by Elizabeth

Clarendon-Courthouse Mardi Gras Parade

One of Arlington’s big annual events is the Clarendon-Courthouse Mardi Gras parade held on Fat Tuesday every year. For 2015, the parade will be on Tuesday, February 17th beginning at 8 PM. The parade route runs down Wilson Blvd. from N. Barton Street to Washington Boulevard. A pre-parade party will be held outside Bayou Bakery beginning at 6. Tickets for the block party can be bought online or at Bayou Bakery. To register for the parade or for more information, visit the Clarendon Alliance website.

Laissez les bons temps roulez!

#326 – Join a Book Club

February 28, 2011 by Elizabeth

Arlington County’s Libraries have ten different book clubs for a variety of different genres and a book club podcast. Click the Arlington Library Book Club link for more information.

Westover Beer Garden also has a bookclub that meets the third Monday of every month at 7:30.

#322 – Come to the Feel the Heritage Festival

February 23, 2011 by Elizabeth

This free event celebrating Arlington’s African American heritage is typically held at Charles Drew Community Center in February. The 30th Annual Festival was held on February 24, 2024. There have been musical and dance performances, standup comedy, a history exhibit, kids activities arts and crafts, balloon animals and face painting. They have also had authentic soul food and dozens of vendors. Click this link for more details about this event in future years.

#316 – Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count

February 16, 2011 by Elizabeth

Each year people around the country count more than 600 species of birds and log the information onto a website to help ornithologists track changes in birds’ numbers and locations, possibly alerting them to worrisome declines in populations that result from more widespread problems. The Great Backyard Birdcount is a joint effort between the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I did this in 2021 and it was a brutally cold spell. I only saw one bird – a sparrow – the entire time of the count. Hope next year will be a little milder. For 2022, the count will be held February 18-22nd. For more information and to learn how you can participate, click the link here.

#315 – Learn About the Local Economy

February 16, 2011 by Elizabeth

Dr. Lawrence Yun, PHD — Image by TBoard via Flickr

Dr. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, will be giving an Economic Update at O’Connell High School on February 17, 2011 at 6:30. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Gerry M. Vent at 703-237-1445

#297 – Take a Mac Class

January 30, 2011 by Elizabeth

Got a new I-Phone, I-Pad or Macbook or thinking about getting one? The Apple Store in Clarendon Market Common offers free workshops to learn more about them. Click the link and search on workshops to see what’s available.