PICK: Moules Frites at Home

Mussel bound: Good things are bubbling up at The Happy Cook. The Barracks Road shop recently received props from Forbes for offering some of the “top online cooking classes during your homebound experience.” And now you can crack the mystery of preparing Moules Frites at Home with chef Tom Whitehead, who was classically trained at […]

PICK: Creative Mornings

Perfect plans: Ebony Walden describes her skills as a mix between creative catalyst and community builder. The urban planner, consultant, and facilitator, who has been transforming communities for over a decade, will speak on the theme of transit at the next Creative Mornings gathering. Expect Walden to challenge your brain’s muscle memory with her infectious, […]

PICK: Outdoor Film Series

Fresh air perspectives: As cooler temps make our time outside more tolerable, the Outdoor Film Series will enrich our minds with shorts, films, and documentaries by filmmakers of color in collaboration with Light House Studio, Vinegar Hill Theatre, and McGuffey Art Center. The theme of the second installment is Waiting for Answers: Meditations on Existence, […]

PICK: Writing a Song that Matters

Writer’s treat: Have some hot licks that need lyrics? Feeling all the feels but can’t articulate them in a song?  With hundreds of credits on dozens of albums, folk singer-songwriter Dar Williams knows a thing or two about penning a tune. In the virtual workshop Writing a Song that Matters, Williams offers insights from the […]

Buckling up: Diamondback Toolbelts shine in a tough industry

Anyone who’s visited McIntire Plaza is familiar with its eclecticism. The businesses include Circa—in itself, a testament to variety—a Brazilian jiu-jitsu center, a tiny black-box theater company, and a furniture showroom enigmatically named Poem. Even those who frequent the plaza, though, might not know about Diamondback Toolbelts. Tucked into the far end of Harris Street, […]

Brewin’ through it: Oktoberfest is canceled. Autumn beers are not.

Sadly, the largest and most famous Oktoberfest celebration, held annually in Munich, Germany, has been canceled this year due to COVID-19. Oktoberfest traditionally begins in mid- September and continues into October. Of course, autumn isn’t canceled, and as it arrives in Virginia, local breweries and beer drinkers can look forward to the release of beers […]

PICK: Bicycle Thieves

Wheeling and dealing: It’s a time of economic desperation in post-World War II Rome as Antonio Ricci sets out on his bicycle to begin a job that will offer some financial relief for his family of four.  But when his back is turned, the bicycle is stolen—and Ricci’s hopes along with it. Fortunately, he does […]

PICK: The Festy

The fest of us: The Festy made its name by pairing killer music with killer views, and this time around the organizers have reinvented it in a beautiful setting where strict COVID safety measures can be taken. The musical experience is spread out through socially distanced small-group seating and a series of show dates, with […]