Two Scary Movies - Two Bucks

This bit from one of my favorite Arlington sites - Night Out ...

Two Scary Movies - Two Bucks

It's fright night at the Arlington Cinema 'N Drafthouse! Join fellow Halloween revelers in two classic scary movies: "Shaun of the Dead" (7:30 pm) and "Halloween" (9:50 pm). Both movies are $1 each, so it's a super cheap way to freak yourself out for an evening, if that's what you're looking to do.

Arlington Cinema N Drafthouse
2903 Columbia Pike
(703) 486-2345

Vampire's Ball

What a super cool way to spend Halloween! This definitely falls on the side of a "nice" Halloween night, but very cool.

Synetic Theater dives deep into the dark corners of the human psyche with a strikingly fresh adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic dark tale The Fall of the House of Usher. Helen Hayes award-winning director Paata Tsikurishvili’s bold vision and the glorious physicality and acting of Synetic’s ensemble bring this ultimate psychological thriller to horrifying life.

And on Halloween Night, the performance is followed by a Vampire's Ball. Patrons will have a chance to mingle with the hauntingly talented actors and staff of Synetic Theatre, with wine and food, for a festive yet elegant evening to remember. Come in costume; prizes will be given for the most creative outfits

Tickets for the special performance and Vampire's Ball are $45. Regular show prices are $35. The Rosslyn Spectrum is located at 1611 N. Kent Street. Free parking is available, or it's just a short walk from the Rosslyn Metro.

For more information,or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.synetictheater.org/.

For more great events like this, get the What's Up Arlington! e-newsletter delivered straight to your email inbox. Four great events, every two weeks. Read and Subscribe here!

How to be a Basketball Coach

When I first moved to Northern Virginia / DC area, I really wanted to coach basketball. I had been a high school player and played a lot in college - nothing amazing, but I loved basketball. Problem was, I had no idea where to go, who to ask, how to get a team.

So if you're anything like me, here's my chance to help you.

Arlington Parks & Recreation is in need, one might say desperate need, for youth basketball coaches, everything from 3rd to 12th grade.

Interested?

Contact Marta Cahill at mcahill@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-1818 for more info.

Dogtober Day Cute Dogs

If you missed out on Dogtober Days, you, well, you missed out.

I just found some nice pictures, though - check them out at DC Discombobulated and see lots of cute dogs.

To make sure you don't miss out on Dogtober Day or other great events like this, get the What's Up Arlington! e-newsletter delivered straight to your email inbox. Four great events, every two weeks. Read and Subscribe here!

Lubber Run Haunted House

What better way to spend a date right before Halloween than with a haunted house!

If you like haunted houses, this one sounds like it's going to be a good one.

Set in an already old and creepy building, the haunted house promises a night of terror.

The Haunted House transpires Saturday, October 27 from 7:00 PM - 11:00 PM and Sunday, October 28 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Admission is only $5.

Lubber Run Center is located at 300 N. Park Drive, just a short 15 minute walk from the Ballston Metro. Parking is also available. F

For more information, click here.

Be scared. Be very scared. I am!

For more great events like this, get the What's Up Arlington! e-newsletter delivered straight to your email inbox. Four great events, every two weeks. Read and Subscribe here!

Sunday Traffic Alert: Marine Corps Marathon

A traffic heads up from ArlingtonAlert.com:

The Marine Corps marathon will take place on Sunday, October 28, 2007. Many roads will be closed on the east side of the County (in Rosslyn, Pentagon, Pentagon City and Crystal City areas). Also, extra security measures will be in place. Residents and motorists can expect delays and should allow extra travel time in those areas. For detailed information and maps for Marathon day road closures in Arlington, click here (PDF) or see the abbreviated list below.

4:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
All of Route 110 will be closed in both directions
Meade Street from Fairfax Drive to Marshall Drive will be closed
No access to Lynn or Meade Street from Rt. 50
Lynn Street will be closed from Route 50 to 19th Street
Ft. Meyer Drive will be closed from 19th to Route 50
Fairfax Drive will be closed from Ft. Myer to Queen Street
North Moore Street from 19th to Wilson Blvd. will be accessible to buses only
4:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Wilson Blvd. will be closed east of Nash Street
4:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Washington Blvd. Eastbound closed at 395
4:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Washington Blvd. Westbound closed
7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Key Bridge closed
7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Eastbound Lee Hwy, will be closed, Kirkwood to Lynn Street
Westbound Lee Hwy closed from Scott to Kirkwood (closed to through traffic local traffic can have access by taking Scott to Veitch, citizens leaving the area can use W/B lee to Spout Run and exit the area via the G/W Pky.)
7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Southbound 395 HOV lanes closed from D.C.
7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Army/Navy Drive closed from Fern to S. 12th Street
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
South 12th from Eads to Crystal Drive closed; local traffic permitted Eads to
Army/Navy Drive
Crystal Drive closed from 12th to 23rd Streets
Rotary Road closed throughout South parking
Columbia Pike closed at Joyce Street (access to Pentagon via Boundary Channel)

NOTE: Also, the Fern Street, Hayes Street and Eads Street Pentagon Parking lots will be closed beginning 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 26 and remain closed until 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 28.

Anyone running in the Marathon this weekend? I can manage a 5K, but that's about it.

Sunday: Taste of the Pike

UPDATE: For more on how the event will affect traffic, visit ArlingtonAlert.com.

Sunday the Columbia Pike Revitalization Office is hosting its first Taste of the Pike:

Middle Eastern delights from Atilla’s Restaurant, Italian dishes from Pines of Naples and Salvo’s Pizza Pantry, Ethiopian cuisine from Dama's, Southern American fare from Big Daddy’s BBQ, and Colombian & Bolivian specialties will be offered by vendors already booked. CPRO is in the process of confirming others that would provide Thai and Salvadoran/Mexican foods. A good selection of beers, wines, and other beverages will also be available for sale.

In addition to the wonderful aromas of the food, the festival site will be further enlivened by the sights and sounds of more than a dozen traditional and contemporary music and dancing groups. These include the Mariachi band Asi es mi tierra, the Asian dance group Sutera Malaysia, the Arlington Dance Theater, Uruguayan singer Eva Rey, Hawaiian dancers from Halou-o-aulani, the Guatemalan Folkloric group WUQXINCAN, and the Columbia Pike Community Chorus, and more.

The Taste of the Pike will take place on Sunday, October 21 from noon until 7:00 pm in front of the Arlington Mill Community Center, on Columbia Pike at S. Dinwiddee St. Service on PikeRide’s Metrobus 16 route will be free from 11:00 am to 8:00 pm courtesy of Arlington County Commuter Services.

If you're interested in helping out, some volunteers from Community Role Models will be helping run the event. You can learn more and sign up on the CRM website!

Clarendon Comings and Goings

A walk around Clarendon on a recent evening revealed good news and bad news for Clarendon. Which would you like first?

I'll save time and decide for you. First, the bad news. Clarendon's last remaining ice cream shop has closed. The Green Girlfriend and I tried to go to Ben & Jerry's for an ice cream cone only to find the storefront dark and the sign gone. With Lazy Sundae having moved to Falls Church, there are now only a handful of ice cream shops left in the entire county, like Scoop Beauregard's in Westover.

Now for the good news -- Restaurant 3 has opened at the corner of Clarendon Boulevard and Garfield Street. It's the third restaurant on the site in just the last year or so, longtime home of Aegean Taverna and more recently the short-lived Mama Quan's Tiki Hut. You can get more details on the restaurant and its owners at the Arlington Economic Development Office's website.

The glowing orange sign is certainly eye-catching, and I liked the southern/soul food menu. However, The Green Girlfriend thought it looked a little pretentious, something that's getting more and more common in Clarendon (and Arlington in general) as places like Liberty Taven and Ri Ra crowd out the Lazy Sundaes and Aegean Tavernas.

Have you been to Restaurant 3 yet? Please post your reviews in the comments!

Monday: CRM Mentoring Fair

When you move to a new area, it can be hard to find a volunteer organization that's a good fit. That's one reason Arlington County established the Community Role Models program -- to help break down the barriers between wannabe volunteers and organizations that need help.

That hurdle gets even higher when it comes to mentoring. Not only are volunteers often reluctant to take on such a big commitment, but the organizations themselves want to take extra care to make sure it's the right fit.

So CRM has organized its first-ever Mentoring Fair on Monday October 15th at 7pm at the Arlington Central Library (closest Metro is Ballston). It's a chance for potential volunteers to meet representatives from organizations that need help. No pressure, no commitment. If you don't find a good fit, no big deal.

You'll be able to learn about Arlington groups that need volunteers like ...

* Arlington Public Schools
* Big Brothers/Big Sisters
* Greenbrier Learning Center

The event will also feature special guest speaker Laura Sessions Stepp, the author of Our Last Best Shot and a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who specializes in teenager and young adult issues. After the event is over, we'll head over to Carpool for more socializing and some Manny Being Manny-watching as the Red Sox play the Indians in the ALCS.

You can RSVP at the CRM website or at the Facebook event page!

Vote or Die (Or Vote and Drink)

Tuesday, October 9th is the last day to register to vote in the November 6th general election! You can get more details on the Arlington County Voter Registration page.

While there are no statewide or national races on November's ballot, every member of the Virginia General Assembly is up for re-election. In addition, Arlington County Board Member Walter Tejada is up for re-election and there's a race for outgoing County Board Member Paul Ferguson's open seat.

Then on Election Night, Arlington Community Role Models will be hosting their November Monthly Meetup at Dr. Dremo's! Facebook members can learn more and RSVP here.

Energy Efficiency Workshops

Just got this info and thought it sounded interesting so I'm passing it along:

Improving Energy Efficiency and Conservation in Condominiums - Tuesday, October 9th. 7 PM - 9 PM.
How to identify and achieve dramatic energy savings – getting started; common opportunities; tackling problem areas; getting everyone on board; and making energy-smart investments.
Shirlington Library, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington, VA

Environmentally Responsible Landscaping and Water Conservation - Tuesday Nov. 13th. 7 - 9 PM.
Create an eco-friendly landscaping plan for a condominium project. Evaluate approaches including green roofs, raingardens, and native plantings. Budget implications and maintenance.
Shirlington Library, 4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington

Energy Audits 101. Thurs., Nov. 1, 7:30-9pm.
An energy audit was conducted at the Gulf Branch Nature Center, which is a 1930s era house that was converted to a nature center. Find out what we learned during the energy audit, and what recommendations and improvements were made to save energy. You can apply some of the lessons we learned to your home, and may be able to easily reduce your energy use by 50% or more! Free. Registration required: call 703-228-4747. Program #613204D
Gulf Branch Nature Center, 3608 Military Rd. Arlington, VA 22207, 703-228-3403.

Recycling Successfully in Condominiums, Tuesday, Dec. 4th. 7 - 9 PM.
Establish and manage a successful recycling program, increase participation, and reduce association disposal fees.
Central Library, 1015 N. Quincy St., Arlington, VA