Tag: culture
VietFest this weekend at Landmark Mall
Lion dance. Celebrate all things Vietnamese—food, entertainment, contests, culture, and much more—this weekend at the second annual VietFest at the Sears parking lot at Landmark Mall, 5801 Duke St., Alexandra. This year’s theme is “Beautiful Vietnam.” Highlights include a pho-eating competition (1 p.m. Aug. 24 and 25), a crawfish eating competition (12:30 p.m. both days), … Continued
Music fills the summer nights at Mason District Park
The free Spotlight by Starlight concerts going on this summer at Mason District Park feature all kinds of music, from rockabilly to blues, jazz to country. Here are some samples of songs from the past few concerts recorded by Bob Kovacs, who also uploaded them to the Annandale Arts You Tube channel. This one, from … Continued
Illest Ingredients brings skate, b-boy contests to Wakefield Skatepark
The B-boy competition at last year’s Illest Ingredients at Wakefield Park Skateboarders and urban dancers will gather at Wakefield Skate Park in Annandale on Saturday, Aug. 10, for the second annual celebration of youth culture, “the Illest Ingredients,” featuring music, skate competitions, and art. Skaters will compete in a best trick contest (2 p.m.) and … Continued
Cost-cutting measures mean reduced services at Fairfax County libraries
George Mason Regional Library In an effort to cut costs, the Fairfax County library system is implementing major changes that will result in reduced services for local residents—and it’s all being done without public hearings or other input from library users. The professional staff is being downgraded, so new employees won’t need to have a … Continued
Indonesian dancers charm the crowd at Ossian Hall Park
The Santi Budaya dance group brought graceful moves and lavish costumes to Ossian Hall Park in Annandale July 6 for Indonesian Cultural Night. Members of the audience were invited to the stage to join in with bamboo musical instruments. The shows at Ossian Hall Park continue every Saturday evening through Aug. 31. Next … Continued
Public invited to free film Sunday on Islamic art
The public is invited to a free screening of a documentary film, “Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World,” followed by a discussion, Sunday, June 16, 3-7 p.m., at the Mason Government Center. Refreshments will be served. The event is organized by Bridging the Gap, Connecting the Faithful, a nonprofit organization founded by Rafia Syeed, … Continued
Work group clarifies vision for Korean community center
A working group made up of representatives from the Korean community, many of them with ties to Annandale, is making progress in formalizing their objectives for developing a Korean community center. William Hwang was selected as the coordinator of the Korean Community Center Work Group. Hwang is president and CEO of Young Won Trading Inc., … Continued
Korean community center under discussion
A group of local Korean business and nonprofit leaders are discussing options for establishing a Korean community center. A location hasn’t been determined yet, although Annandale would be a good choice, as it’s the commercial center for the Korean community, and a center here could spur more redevelopment activity. On the other hand, it could … Continued
Chinese Festival celebrates new year
The Year of the Snake was ushered in Saturday at the sixth annual Chinese New Year Festival at Luther Jackson Middle School with a dragon parade, lion dance, musical performances, food, children’s crafts, vendors, and greetings from politicians. The event was organized by the Asian Community Service Center, based in Vienna. People born in the … Continued
George Mason Library to get collection of Muslim resource materials
A 15th century map of the coast of Spain. [from the National Endowment for the Humanities website] Four public libraries in Fairfax County, including George Mason Regional Library in Annandale, will be given the Muslim Journeys Bookshelf, a collection of books, films, and other resources aimed at introducing the American public to the complex history … Continued
International Night showcases global diversity at Stuart High School
Stuart students Shafaq Naz and Sara Younas from Pakistan. Diverse cultures, talents, and cuisines were showcased at JEB Stuart High School’s International Night Dec. 20. The event began with food from various countries served by students, many of them wearing traditional outfits. There was injera with a sauce made of chickpeas and tomatoes from Eritrea; … Continued
Annandale stakeholders to develop youth engagement initiative
A group of Annandale stakeholders—including community and business leaders—is being formed to develop an action plan for a youth engagement initiative in Annandale. In a separate but related effort, a series of focus group meetings has been scheduled to elicit the opinions of various ethnic groups on “livability” issues in Annandale. Those efforts build on … Continued
The Annandale Parade brings music and dance to Columbia Pike
The American Legion gets the ball rolling. The Bolivian dance groups had fantastic costumes. School board member Sandy Evans and Del. Kaye Kory. Cub Scout Pack 894 of Annandale. Cheerleaders of the Annandale Boys and Girls Club. The Annandale High School Marching Band. Dancers from the Autentica Diablada group. Sambos Caporales Virginia. The Pachamama group.
BalletNova: Mason’s mecca for dance
BalletNova teacher Irina Wunder. BalletNova, the dance studio in Bailey’s Crossroads, is not just about little girls in tutus and buns dreaming about Swan Lake and sugar plum fairies. The school (3443 Carlin Springs Road) also offers classes for classes for kids and adults in modern dance, jazz, hip hop, tap, pilates, and yoga-based stretching. … Continued
Annandale’s Ossian Hall Park showcases Vietnamese culture
The sounds and colors of Vietnam filled the air at Ossian Hall Park in Annandale Saturday evening. Vietnamese Cultural Heritage Night featured songs from different regions of the country, a Vietnamese martial arts demonstration (below), and a dance performance and fashion show, with styles created from paper, presented by students at George Mason University. The … Continued