Art on the Avenue this Saturday, October 2, 2010

What is Art on the Avenue? 


Art on the Avenue is a multi-cultural arts festival celebrating the community’s diversity through the arts in the Potomac West area in Alexandria, Virginia. Over 300 vendors and 40,000 visitors attend.  The events will take place at Mount Vernon Avenue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.


Craft Vendors
Artists, artisans and craftspeople sell their handmade items. Past exhibitors have sold pottery, baskets, stained glass, jewelry, furniture, painted and hand-woven clothing. The festival strives to reflect the vibrant mix of the community by showcasing local artists and their work.


Food Vendors
Many food vendors will set up shop.  Local restaurateurs’ specialties include Nigerian, Indian, Thai and Tex-Mex fare, as well as American Deli and hot dogs. 


Kids Activities
Non-profit organizations participate in Art on the Avenue by hosting interactive children’s activities. This year the activities range from making bird feeders and bead bracelets to face painting and a moon bounce. There are opportunities galore to make art. On the Children's Stage visitors will enjoy Irish Step Dancing, puppet shows, tap dancing, ballet, and belly dancing. 



Please note that the festival will be held rain or shine.
See http://www.artontheavenue.org/ for more information. 

City of Alexandria Fire Station open house scheduled for Saturday, October 2, 2010

Fire Prevention Week Raises Awareness



Alexandria Fire Station 202, located in Del Ray, will open its doors from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm for an open house in conjuction with Del Ray's annual Art on the Avenue celebration.  Station personnel will be available to answer questions, provide tours of the station and apparatus.  Public education displays and materials will be available throughout the day.

(Image linked to City of Alexandria web site)

Staion 202 is located at 213 East Windsor Avenue, Del Ray 22301

Children's safety event

Creando un mundo mas seguro / Creating a Safer World

NCM and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) join forces to host a multicultural event celebrating child safety. Learn about the Latin tradition of milagros and contribute to our mural by sharing your wish for a safer world. Try on traditional Mexican costumes and enjoy take-home bilingual activity books and other giveaways. Meet rapping robot Clicky and his pals, Nettie and Webster, in NCMEC’s Netsmartz® activities, cartoons, games, and music. The Netsmartz® gang is here to help children make safer choices online and in the real world.

Sat, Oct 2, 2010, 11:00am - 4:00pm
The Launch Zone, 112 Waterfront St., National Harbor, MD 20745

Registration is not required. Recommended for children under age 10.

This program is presented in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. For more information, visit the NCMEC website.

Under the Big Top

Do you have what it takes to be a circus performer? 

Walk the NCM tightrope, try your hand at plate spinning, and have your face painted. Make your own juggling ball and learn how to use it and other lofty juggling props. Come one, come all!

Special guest, Dave Ritter, Calleva's Ropes Course Director, will be present to lead children in balancing and leaping challenges from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. 

Sat, Sep 25, 2010, 11:00am - 4:00pm

The Launch Zone, 112 Waterfront St., National Harbor, MD 20745

For more information about Calleva and the Calleva ropes course at National Harbor, visit www.calleva.org.

10th annual National Book Festival coming Sept. 25, 2010

Feeling like a good read?

The 10th annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 25, 2010, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 3rd and 7th streets from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are honorary chairs for the event. The festival, a celebration of the joy of reading for all ages, is free and open to the public. Street parking is limited, so plan to take Metro or seek garage parking.

Authors of children's books who will be present at the 2010 National Book Festival include:

• Mary Brigid Barrett
• Timothy Basil Ering
• Exquisite Corpse Adventure
• Jules Feiffer
• Mem Fox
• Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Norton Juster
• Pat Mora
• Marilyn Nelson
• Linda Sue Park
• Jerry Pinkney
• James Ransome
• Judith Viorst
• Rosemary Wells


Kids' and Teachers' Guide to the Festival

This online guide to the National Book Festival offers kids and teachers tips for taking part in this annual celebration of books and reading. Learn more about the authors, get creative writing and illustrating tips from the experts and discover how to host your very own book festival!

Bicycle safety event

The Fairfax County Police Department, Trails for Youth, and the Rebecca Johns Family would like to invite the community to a Bike Rodeo! 

The Bike Rodeo is an opportune time to review biking safety tips. Bring your helmet and your bike.

TIME: Saturday, September 25 · 9:00 am - 11:00 am

LOCATION:
Clermont Elementary School
5720 Clermont Drive
Alexandria, VA

Free performing arts workshops this weekend in Alexandria

Let your creativity shine

Wobble Rocket Stage has two free workshops this week! They're teaming up with Del Ray Performing Arts Center to give a taste of what different genres of classes are like at both organizations, from improv classes to Shakespeare classes. Here are the details:

Wednesday, Sept 22nd, 6-8pm and/or Sunday, Sept 26th, 12-2 pm. There will be two simultaneous workshops on both dates, one for teens (7th-12th grades) and one for 3rd-6th grades. Improv will be taught by Wobble Rocket Stage, and Shakespeare and Musical Theatre will taught by Del Ray Performing Arts Center.

Location: Labels Exchange/Blueberry Art Gallery 2417 Mt. Vernon Ave.

Improv Blast Off and Creative Collisions classes will begin on Oct 4th. They're still looking for more students ages 8-teen, so spread the word.

Go to www.wobblerocket.com for more information.

E-mail Tiffany at tiff@wobblerocketstage.com to reserve your spot!

Family Fun Fest at Alexandria Grace Brethren Church

Building community connections

Saturday, 9/25 1 - 4 PM: FREE Fall Family Fun Fest Bring your whole family to the completely free Fall Fun Fest sponsored by Alexandria Grace Brethren Church this Saturday, September 25 from1:00 - 4:00 PM.

Kids and adults of all ages will enjoy fun rides like the Treetop Slide, the Rock Wall and the Moon Bounce, skill games where everyone wins a prize, activities like face painting, clown skits and balloon sculpting, and the talents of several dozen teens and preteens from around the area who will showcase their performing arts abilities. The grill will be fired up to serve hot dogs, hamburgers, snacks and drinks, and it is all completely free to the entire community.

The weather is supposed to be great this Saturday, so join your neighbors and make new friends on an afternoon that is sure to be fun for folks age 1 to 100!

Alexandria Grace Brethren Church is located at 1301 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria, Va. 22301 in the Del Ray community, just two blocks from Braddock Road and minutes from the Braddock Road Metro Station. Street parking and limited parking lot space available. For more information please call Pastor Ken Worley at 703.548.1808 or Scott Tanner at 703.627.2417 cell, or visit www.alexgbc.com.

What's up for the weekend? September 18 - 19, 2010

Our weekend picks!!!

The five day forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the 80s, making it a great weekend to spend outside. Keeping this in mind, we recommend these events:

• The Alexandria Story Festival at Jefferson Houston school.  The focus at this free event is on kids' books and encouraging reading.  Not only will authors will read aloud, children will also get to participate in art and exercise activities. Hours are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday only.  
• George Washington's Mount Vernon, Craft Fair.  Dozens of artisans sell their handmade wares at this art fair celebrating historic, craft techniques. Many activities including demonstrations, puppet shows, and magic will be staged throughout the day to entertain the non-shoppers. Combined with a trip to the colonial farm and a visit through the Education Center, this promises to be a full day of fun.  Definitely take advantage of the free Potomac River sightseeing cruise starting from the dock in Old Town. If you do not already have Mount Vernon year-long passes, purchase them on this visit. The annual Fall Harvest Family Days is scheduled for October 23-24, 2010. Make one more visit after that (hint: July 4th), and your passes have more than paid for themselves.
• "Talk Like a Pirate Day", Sunday, September 19. Historic Alexandria is teaming up with businesses in Old Town to celebrate Alexandria's waterfront heritage during Talk Like a Pirate Day. Kids can download a treasure map and bring it to Old Town to explore Alexandria's seafaring past – and collect lots of pirate booty along the way! This free event runs from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and ideal for families with children 8 and younger.   How much fun will that be??

Free children's theater workshop offered Sunday, September 12

This just in. Check out www.wobblerocket.com for information on new organization offering children's performance classes. We are particularly interested in the free workshop offered this Sunday, September 12. Visit the web site to register or e-mail info@wobblerocketstage.com.

Wobble Rocket Stage Launches Mission to Inspire Alexandria Kids with Improv

Wobble Rocket Stage launches children’s improvisation classes for the fall semester, igniting the imagination and potential of students ages 8 and up.

The after-school classes train students in collaborative performance genres, namely improvisation, while giving them the opportunity to create, collaborate, and perform their own work. Through this, they learn core skills, like teamwork, personal responsibility, acceptance, awareness, initiative, and the artistic power they hold within themselves.

The founding season offers three after-school classes: “Creative Collisions” is an introduction to improv and story creation for ages 8 and 9. “Improv Blast-Off” is an introduction to collaborative performance for ages 10 through 12, combining acting, improv, creative writing, and devised theatre to craft short performances. “Crew Components” teaches teens (ages 13 and up) the basics of long-form improv, culminating in troupe formation and performance.

Founder and Director, Tiffany Ford, centers her programs on the philosophy that the best missions start with a wobble. She says, “We believe in the power of young people to develop themselves, and use the skills they learn to impact the community. Our students do not just learn how to act. We strive to boost the creative thinker within. The skills one must adopt to become a unique and talented artist are aligned with the skills that impact individual growth.”

There will be a free workshop on September 12th, visit the website to RSVP. The fall semester begins September 20th. Classes are held in Del Ray at Labels Exchange, and Del Ray Performing Arts Center (formerly Del Ray School of Music).

Wobble Rocket Stage is a theatrical arts organization founded in 2010, dedicated to engaging students ages 8 and up to be fearless, focused, and flexible. Through classes and programs, students activate the skills to launch their own success, blasting lightyears past the normal theatre experience.

For more information: www.wobblerocket.com.
Contact: info@wobblerocketstage.com

Updates and more updates

Attention to all,

The Calendar has been updated. We recommend the following programs:

• Storytelling at Mount Vernon. These programs aimed towards preschoolers are offered on the weekends. Admission is required. Older kids will enjoy the grounds, farm, and Education Center. If you haven't been snowed on in the Revolutionary War theater, you are missing a truly spectacular event. 
• Next weekend is the annual Alexandria Festival of the Arts. Children and adults will enjoy hands on arts activities in the morning. 
• Gadsby's Tavern will start its Tavern Toddlers programs on September 13. 
• The waterfront music series continues on Thursday nights.