Alexandria’s hometown destination race returns this Spring when the 39th PNC Parkway Classic hits the pavement on Sunday, April 23, 2023. As one of the most popular spring events in the DC metro area, the race, organized by local running retailer Pacers Running attracts thousands of runners and spectators who want to experience the George Washington Memorial Parkway from a unique perspective. The race features both a 5K, and a 10-mile race offering starting at 8:00 am as well as a 600-meter Kids Dash race for the little runners kicking off at 10:30am. Post-race, participants over 21+ can receive a complimentary beverage and join local brewery and sponsor, Port City Brewery at an after party at Oronoco Bay Park to celebrate the finish line.
The race takes place during the presidentially proclaimed National Park Week every April which celebrates America’s treasures. National Park Week is a time to explore amazing places, discover stories of history and culture, help out, and find your park.
Since 1984, the George Washington Parkway Classic has been one of the most scenic and spacious distance races on the East Coast. The Classic 5k Course will start and finish at Oronoco Bay Park. The 10-mile race will start at Mt. Vernon Estate with the course taking runners up the beautiful George Washington Memorial Parkway and ending at Oronoco Bay Park. It is the only race that starts at the historic Mt. Vernon Estate and takes 10 miler runners up a road that is ranked as one of the top scenic roads in the country that resides on National Park Service property. Every runner for the 5K and 10 Miler will receive a medal and a Commemorative technical fabric running shirt.
Registration for each race is required ($45 for 5K and $85 for the 10-Mi). For $50, a virtual option is provided. In addition to the race event, kids can join the fun in a kid-friendly race for $20 kicking off at Waterfront Park in Old Town (at King & Union Street) that is designed for children under 12 years old. Special family friendly activities and entertainment will be included in the kids’ package, along with each Dash participant receiving a special race bib and medal. Post-race, participants over 21+ can receive a complimentary beverage and join local brewery and sponsor, Port City Brewery at an after party in the Brewing Beer Garden to celebrate the finish line.
As the PNC Parkway Classic continues to celebrate the joy of road racing, the race also gives back to the local community. Since the race’s inception, the money raised from the event has helped local and regional charities and organizations, such as the Boys + Girls Clubs of Alexandria, the National Park Service, Rebuilding Together DC-Alexandria, and Together We Bake in continuing each charities mission.
For more information, visit the following website details about registration, race route, and event day activities: www.parkwayclassic.com.
EVENT DETAILS
What: 39th Annual PNC Parkway Classic
Presented by: PNC Bank N.A.
Produced by: Pacers Running (runpacers.com)
When: Sunday, April 23, 2023
Where: Mount Vernon Estate through Old Town Alexandria
Time: 8AM Race Start, 10:30 AM – Kid Dash
Cost: $20-Kid’s Dash, $45-5K, & $85-10Miler
Website/Event Registration: www.parkwayclassic.com
Saturday–Sunday, April 22–23, 10 a.m. –5:30 p.m.
From water scarcity to floods and erosion, Native nations are addressing climate change across Indian Country. Join the museum for a weekend of conversations, presentations and cultural displays that share how Indigenous communities are stepping forward with aggressive plans to protect their way of life.
Living Earth Festival 2023: Native Nations Confronting Climate Change
Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
From water scarcity to floods and erosion, Native nations are addressing climate change across Indian Country. During the Living Earth Festival, join the museum for a weekend of conversations, demonstrations, and artmaking to learn how Indigenous communities are stepping forward with aggressive plans to protect their ways of life.
Throughout the weekend, visitors can hear directly from Indigenous climate and agriculture experts as they discuss how their communities have always demonstrated respect for the Earth with sustainability in mind. Presenters show how traditional knowledge and practices are being adapted to a changing climate and feed the world’s growing population at the same time. Working artists will engage visitors in communal artmaking using found materials once destined for landfills to create new and unique works of art.
Get your green on at City Ridge’s two-day Earth Day Weekend Festival, featuring URBNmarket, DC’s premier artisan pop-up event. On April 22 and 23 from 11:00AM to 6:00PM, shop sustainably from more than 50 handpicked, local vendors selling one-of-a-kind items on City Ridge’s iconic Great Lawn. Plus, experience nature through earth-themed, family-friendly activities like terracotta pot decorating, a children’s book reading and a pet rock adoption center. Families and friends can also enjoy live music, food trucks, glitter tattoos, face painting, and bubble art. You can even take home seeds from City Ridge’s Seed Library to start a thriving garden of your own!
WHEN: Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23 from 11:00AM to 6:00PM
WHERE: City Ridge (14 Ridge Square NW Washington, DC 20016). Hourly parking is available on-site.
HOW: This event is FREE and open to the public. More details are available here.
ABOUT CITY RIDGE: City Ridge is a new community located along Wisconsin Avenue, with 690 apartment residences, CAVA’s new corporate headquarters, and Wegmans and Tatte Bakery & Cafe. For more information on City Ridge and its incoming retailers, click here.
The Commentary Social House will be hosting a ‘Bubbles and Blooms’ flower arrangement workshop on Sunday, April 23rd from 3 pm-5 pm in partnership with Calluna Flower Truck. Guests are invited to sip on libations and enjoy light bites as they make their own flower bouquets while receiving sustainability-focused flower-arranging tips from expert Elissa Abod, founder and owner of Calluna Flower Truck.
Elissa will teach the basics of creating flower arrangements using seasonal, local, and American-grown flowers. The focus will be on field to vase, showing how to make beautiful arrangements in a natural organic, and fun way. The Commentary will provide lite bites, wine, and bubbly, as well as a representative to educate the class on flower and wine pairings and floral aromas, considering flower wine is in full bloom.
The class will consist of flowers that are in bloom during April, including tulips, daffodils, anemones, ranunculus, and poppies, and each ticket holder will receive a vase along with their purchase.
Tickets for the class are $75 and can be found here.
- When: Sunday, April 23, 2023
- Time: Doors open at 6:30 pm
- Where: Patagonia Old Town, 815 King Street, Alexandria VA
- Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at the door
A long-running event in Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia, underground bicycle racing that began as a series and evolved into the Garage Racing National Championships. Join the National Landing Business Improvement District (BID), the biking community and more than 100 participating cyclists at the sixth annual Garage Racing National Championships, the region’s ONLY underground bike race series that challenges amateur and elite cyclists alike to compete to be the National Champion.
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On Friday, April 28, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM, invite friends and family to watch a series of 30-minute relay, fixed gear, and anything goes races from a lounge area with great views, a spirited happy hour, and a celebration of bicycling to kick off National Bike Month.
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On Saturday, April 29, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, continue the fun all day long by watching a series of bike races ranging from 25 to 40 minutes for junior cyclists, men, women, and non-binary individuals.
The Garage Racing National Championships is part of a series of events and programming hosted by the National Landing BID to recognize National Bike Month. Check out exciting and diverse community events hosted throughout the year in National Landing and stay tuned for more details by visiting nationallanding.org/events.
WHEN: Friday, April 28, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM, and Saturday, April 29, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
WHERE: 2011 Crystal Drive Parking Lot – Floors 2 and 3 lower levels of the parking garage
HOW: Registration for this event is available here.
We Lager Our Lagers Event at Port City Brewing
Saturday, April 29, 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Port City Brewing Company, 3950 Wheeler Ave, Alexandria
At Port City we take our Lagers seriously, so much so that Port City has an entire series dedicated to Lagers! When they first debuted its Lager Series in 2017, they opened with the Helles Lager, which quickly became a fan favorite. It is only fitting that for this year’s Helles release weekend, Port City would throw a party dedicated just to Lagers. On April 29th, for the first time ever, Port City Brewing will be serving 10 Port City Lagers in one day, including our newest favorite, Pizza Night! All Lagers are subject to availability as some are just one keg we have reserved for the event.
Hidden within DC’s art-filled Blagden Alley is one of the city’s best outdoor dining and drinking spaces. Calico is debuting its in-bloom backyard at its inaugural Spring Festival on Sunday, April 30 from 2 to 8pm. The free-to-attend afternoon patio party will feature seasonal cocktails and spring eats, plus a pop-up flower shop, free floral crafts and more festive fun.
The centerpiece of the multi-level 3000-square-foot backyard is an antique metal greenhouse, adorned with blooms, greenery, and live grape vines for the warm seasons.
At the spring Sunday fest, guests can get crafty with free paper flower kits, creating their own faux floral bouquets while imbibing.
Calico will also introduce new cocktails and dishes for the season, including flower-topped tipples and herb pesto pies.
Famous for its adult juice boxes, the new “Southern Belle” pouch is filled with bourbon, peach, lemon and lime.
New draft and house cocktails include the blue-hued “Baby Shark” (Don Q Cristal Rum, Aperol, blue curacao and lime); the Calico riff on a classic “Paws-Mo” (Tito’s Vodka, Italicus Bergamot, pomegranate, lime); fizzy “The Lovelace” (Stoli Vanilla, Chinola passion fruit, lime, bubbles); and vibrant “Purple Rain” (mezcal, maraschino, creme de violette, lemon).
Dishes include homemade hummus and a new spring pesto tomato pie.
And local Little Shop of Flowers, a florist based in Adams Morgan for 30 years, will set up a pop-up flower shop from 4-6pm where attendees can purchase fresh blooms to take home.
Calico’s Spring Festival is free to attend and open to the public, with all food, beverage and fresh flowers sold a la carte. Guests can register for a free RSVP here, but entry is first-come first-served. For more information, please visit www.calicodc.com or call 202-791-0134.
WHO: Calico
WHEN: Sunday, April 30, 2023
2 p.m. – 8 p.m.
4pm-6pm (Little Shop of Flowers pop-up)
WHERE: Calico
50 Blagden Alley NW
RESCHEDULED! Saturday, April 30, 2023
Pink in the Park
Long Bridge Park
4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Pink isn’t just a color, it’s a vibe. Celebrate the end of cherry blossom season and pump up the pink at Pink in the Park from 4 to 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 30. Adults can enjoy unforgettable music and entertainment with special guest and celebrity host Orlando Jones, and performances by DJ Chan Don, Crush Funk Brass, Umami House, Footwerk, Reesa Renee, and headliner Black Alley. Enjoy a spring-themed cashless beverage garden, food trucks, immersive, cherry blossom-inspired art installations, Instagrammable moments, and much more.
Full performance lineup includes:
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4:00 p.m.: DJ Chan Don
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4:30 p.m.: Crush Funk Brass
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5:00 p.m.: Umami House
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5:30 p.m. Footwerk
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6:15 p.m.: Reesa Renee
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7:00 p.m.: Black Alley
Adult beverages, including beer and wine, will be provided by #FrayLife Bar, Crystal City Wine Shop, Beauty Champagne and Sugar Boutique, Drunk Fruit, Lost Boy Cider and more. Guests can also sample flavors of National Landing restaurants and food trucks including:
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And more!
WHERE: Long Bridge Park Aquatics & Fitness Center; 333 Long Bridge Drive, Arlington, Virginia
HOW: FREE festival tickets are available at NationalLanding.org/Pink. Tickets are required.
