Rossyln Cider Fest

This Thursday October 17 from 4-8pm the Rosslyn BID is throwing a Cider Fest at Gateway Park. Several cideries set up shop in Gateway Park so you can sample their products for $15. You can also visit the outdoor bar to purchase beer, wine and full-sized cider bottles as you sit by the fire pit. At 6pm there will be a pie eating contest. Justin Trawick will be providing live music as well!

Rosslyn CAFÉ April Arts and Beats



Every Friday in April, come sip and savor local flavors while taking in our local art scene in downtown Rosslyn. Rosslyn BID's April Arts and Beats series features a happy hour with new local artists each week from 6 to 8pm. You'll enjoy complimentary light bites from local restaurants while listening to the beats of DJ Stacks. Cocktails, wine and beer will be available for purchase for only $5. Entrance is free. Register online here.

Held at the Bennet Park Art Atrium (entrance on Pierce Street) this Friday April 21 and the following April 28.

Rosslyn Holiday Market with The Reflex

This Friday and Saturday, Gateway Park in Rosslyn is hosting the Fourth Annual Holiday Market. This year again we will be showcasing over 25 local and renowned vendors who will be offering a full variety of unique and high quality gifts.

Then at 5:30pm Friday the Pub in the Park opens with a cider, beer and wine area to enjoy along with food trucks and a photo booth. A DJ starts spinning at 7pm and from 8-11pm popular 80s band The Reflex takes the stage.

On Saturday the Market opens again after The Great Chocolate Racea five mile chocolate-themed race. That will be followed by a finish festival in Gateway Park, with food trucks and the bar opening early to serve hot chocolate and bloody marys.
Holiday market hours:

• Friday, Dec 9, 2016 3 pm - 11 pm
• Saturday, Dec 10, 2016 8:00 am - 3 pm

Barley Mac Pig Roast

On Saturday, November 19 Rosslyn newcomer Barley Mac will celebrate a couple of their favorite indulgences of the fall and winter season: Roast Pig and Bourbon Bash. This decadent affair will run all afternoon from 1 to 5pm. Tickets are just $30 and include all the roast pig you can eat, as well as Chef Mike and Jeremy’s creative side dishes, plus several tastings of select bourbons. The weather will have probably taken a turn for the chilly worst by this time, so they will have spiked hot apple ciders and hot toddy’s ready to help warm you up until the bourbon kicks in. Tickets are available for pre-purchase using the link above or at www.barleymacva.com and this is a limited event.

Election Night Viewing Party at Barley Mac

After a successful debate watching party, Barley Mac in Rosslyn is hosting an Election Night Viewing Party this Tuesday November 2 starting at 7pm. They will once again serving up red "3rd Term" (moonshine, pomegranate, simple syrup) cocktails, blue "Tax Included" drinks (Absolute, curacao, lime, simple syrup), and specialty bar snacks for the politically themed party.

USMC Birthday and Veterans Day

Happy 240th birthday to the United States Marine Corps today, November 10 2015! Also wishing all those who have served our country the best on tomorrow's Veterans Day November 11. Despite it being a rainy day, the weather picked up at night and the gloom led to some great Instagram shots from the Iwo Jima USMC memorial in Rosslyn.

Rosslyn Jazz Festival

Drawing around 8,5000 music fans each year, the 24th annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival will be held this Saturday, September 6 in Gateway Park. New to this year's event will be food truck row and an expanded beer and wine garden. The music festival is from 1 to 7pm and is free to the public, with hosts from 89.3 FM introducing four jazz acts:
1pm The Corey Wallace DUBtet
2:15 Ghost Train Orchestra
3:45 Red Baraat
5:30 Rebirth Brass Band

Heavy Seas open in Rosslyn

Tonight, February 27, Heavy Seas Alehouse opens the doors on its second location in Rosslyn. Originally from Baltimore, Heavy Seas promises fine craft bear and good food. I'm expecting tasty beers like Loose Cannon, Peg Leg Imperial Stout, Gold Ale, Powder Monkey Pale Ale and Cutlass Amber Lager and will be very disappointed if I'm not smacked in the face with tons of other pirate themes as well. The restaurant opens at 11am daily on 1501 Wilson Blvd, hopefully with plenty of Old Bay.

Margot MacDonald speaks at TEDx Rosslyn

Local muscian Margot MacDonald will be one of 19 presenters at this Sunday's TEDx event in Rosslyn. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, and TEDx are locally organized events in the spirit of TED's mission. The topic of Sunday's talks is "Imagining the Future". Tickets were $45 and they have sold out quickly, but you can still watch it on livestream here.

Rosslyn outdoor film festival starts tonight

Tonight, Friday May 17 is the first night in the series of outdoor film showings in Rosslyn's Gateway park. This summer all the movies have a school related theme, with the 80s classic The Breakfast Club kicking things off at around 8pm. Bring a blanket, folding chairs, or snacks to these free movie showings on the grass between Lee Highway. Here is the full summer movie schedule:

May 17 - The Breakfast Club (R) 1985
May 24 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off (PG-13) 1986
May 31 – Clueless (PG-13) 1995
June 7 - Risky Business (R) 1983
June 14 - Can't Buy Me Love (PG-13) 1987
June 21 - Easy A (PG-13) 2010
June 27 - 10 Things I Hate About You (PG-13) 1999
July 5 - Bring It On (PG-13) 2000
July 12 - Pretty in Pink (PG-13) 1986
July 19 - She's All That (PG-13) 1999
July 26 – Fame (R) 1980
August 2 - Can't Hardly Wait (PG-13) 1998
August 9 - Sixteen Candles (PG) 1984
August 16 - High School Musical 3: Senior Year (G) 2006
August 23 - American Graffiti (PG) 1973
August 30 – Grease (PG-13) 1978

Wedding afterparty at the Continental

Simpsons arcade mesmerizing the groomsmen

Last Saturday night I finally got a chance to make it to Rossyln to visit the Continental Pool Lounge. The casul bar proved the perfect venue for our special event. That night there was an after party for not one, but two weddings!

Coninental is much larger inside than I thought with bright, fun colors and friendly bar keeps. The lounge obviously has a number of pool tables, but many other games are available including basketball, skeeball and old arcade classics like the Simpsons arcade. Hidden away in Rosslyn on Fort Myer Drive, this fun bar is worth the trek out to the usually quiet Rossyln for.

BYT Artisphere this Saturday in Rossyln

The hip musical scene site Brightest Young Things is hosting their Artisphere opening called Burst. The madness starts at 8pm two blocks from the Rossyln metro and includes free beer, skate and balloon sculptures, DJs Chris Burns and Ultra Nate, live music by DJs and Family Hemerlein at 9pm. For non-Arlingtoners, there will be free bus rides back to Dupont Circle and free parking.

Tickets are $22.09, and there is still time left now to buy them. Also, TLC will be on location to film some sort of reality show.

Quarterdeck in Rossyln

The new local blog DC Dives recently highlighted a much overlooked and hidden venue nearby: Quarterdeck in Rosslyn.

The fact that this crab house is tucked away just south of Route 50 on Fort Myer and 12th street in the middle of a residential neighborhood doesn't stop it from being crowded. Every time I've passed by the large outdoor seating has been packed, mostly with people enjoying the crabs as the rest of the menu isn't consistent.

This is a great place to get crabs locally, and is better than driving all the way to the Bay for the tasty seafood. Check out more of DC Dives for other local cheap eats!

Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival

Tonight was the free outdoor showing of the 90s classic drama "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" at Gateway park in Rosslyn. A small park at the foot of the 14th street Key bridge and one block north of the Metro, its a nice location for the fun and casual Friday Film Festival series.

Tonight was hot and humid and not too crowded. If you arrive after 8:30 you will have a hard time claiming a plot of grass. The event starts around 6pm with games like bean bag toss and t-shirts as prizes. One of the pre-movie videos featured local comedian Remy promoting the Arlington arts community.

Make sure to bring a blanket for your group, or better yet a very low chair. Regular sized chairs will block the view of people behind you, unless you sit on the pavement on the edges of the park. Also recommended is to bring a cooler with chilled water and snacks to fend off the summer heat, or just grab an ice cream cone from the McDonald's next door.

Next week "Empire Records" is playing.

Outdoor Film Festival @ Rossyln

Thanks to What's Happening in Arlington Village for the heads up on the I Love the 90s outdoor film festival going on in Rossyln at Gateway Park.

It will opened yesterday with Clueless (1995) and continues with Wayne's World (May 7), Mrs Doubtfire (June 18), Romeo + Juliet (Aug. 6) and The Wedding Singer (1998).

Films will be screened every Friday night, rain or shine, at dusk. Bring a picnic, a blanket and lawnchair. Show up early for pre-show 90s themed games and prizes.