Marine Band Brass Ensemble's Summer Concert Series

Bring along your picnic blankets and lawn chairs and lounge outdoors in the beautiful Semper Fidelis Memorial Park while you enjoy a performance by some of the greatest musicians in the region and the Marine Corps! Admission is FREE, and outdoor concessions will be available.

Thursday, June 30

7pm

Semper Fidelis Memorial Park

National Museum of the Marine Corps

18900 Jefferson Davis Highway

Triangle, Va 22172

www.usmcmuseum.com

Become a Pilot @ The National Air & Space Museum

Come down to the National Air and Space Museum for the seventh annual Become a Pilot Day at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. See 50 visiting vintage, recreational, military, and home-built aircraft on display outside the Center for one day only. Talk to pilots and discover what skills are needed to fly. Inside the Center, test your piloting skills in flight simulators, talk to aviation experts, and enjoy story time and hands-on activities with the kids.

This year, there will be a focus on naval aviation in celebration of the Navy's centennial. Hear speakers and see visiting aircraft from the US Navy. Catch a performance by the US Navy drill team and enjoy a musical performance by the US Navy band, the Commodores.

This event is free and is open to the public. Parking is $15.

Saturday, June 18th

10am - 3pm

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian

14390 Air And Space Museum Parkway

Chantilly, VA 20151

www.nasm.si.edu

Photos: www.fotopedia.com

Celebrate Fairfax! Festival

Celebrate Fairfax!, Northern Virginia’s largest community-wide celebration, arrives June 10-12, 2011 to the Fairfax County Government Center. Presented by Celebrate Fairfax, Inc, the annual festival hosts tens of thousands of visitors during the three-day run. The 25-acre site is magically filled with fascinating sights and sounds of more than 300 exhibitors, food vendors, crafters and interactive activities. Celebrate Fairfax! showcases live concerts on seven stages, ExxonMobil Children's Avenue, a petting zoo, the Fairfax County Karaoke Championship, carnival rides, and great festival foods. Another fun activity for kids is the Inova Train Ride to Good Health. Nightly fireworks, presented by SAIC, are a highlight of the festival, and one of many great family programs. This year's Bud Light Main Stage features top national headline performers: Third Eye Blind, The Bangles and The Legwarmers!

Hours:

Friday.......6pm - 12am

Saturday..10am - 12am

Sunday.....11am - 7pm

For a full schedule of the line up, click here

Purchase tickets here

Celebrate Fairfax!

12000 Government Center Pkwy

Fairfax, VA 22035

www.celebratefairfax.com

JoJo's Original Softserve is Ready for Summer!

Trying to keep cool in this sweltering weather we've been having

lately? One great spot to hit in Dumfries would be JoJo's Original Soft-serve- its just a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Dumfries Hampton Inn! They've felt the heat too and have decided to open up with summer hours (11am to 11pm) which runs 7 days a week until September 5! And Jojo's cares about the needs of their customers- will serve rain or shine.

Jojo's is well-known for their tasty desserts and currently the 'coolest' sellers are their Cheesecake Shakes and Banana Splits. Side note: My personal favorite is the Worm Sundae- creamy vanilla ice cream with Oreo sprinkles (being the 'dirt') and gummy worms... it brings out the kid in me :) Also, added bonus: Jojo's is pet friendly to the point of having a special Pup Cup for your furry friends.

So go try out Jojo's ice cream, shaved ice, milkshakes, splits, sundaes, and more with a wide assortment of toppings and flavors. They have everything you need for the perfect frozen treat!

JoJo's Original Soft-Serve

17986 South Main St

Dumfries, VA 22026

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Celebrate Drive-In Movie Day!

'Sandy! You can't just walk out of a drive-in!' -John Travolta, Grease

Today, June 6, marks the anniversary of the drive- in movie theater. The first was built in Camden, NJ in 1933. Within fifteen years of its creation, the new idea spread and more drive-ins were built across the country; reaching 5,000 locations by the late 1950s. Now, less than 500 remain in the US.

Why are drive-in movies better than movie theaters?

1. You can bring whatever food/ drinks (sans alcohol) you want- no need for the large shopping bag hiding your McDonald's.

2. You don't have to worry about being too loud or people getting mad at you for crying your eyes out when the hero's father dies.

3. You can use you cellphone as much as you want to give your absentee friends a play-by-play of the movie without getting heckled.

4. You are sure to have your own armrest, no awkward fights over a measly 3 inches with a stranger necessary.

5. Most are dog-friendly, no need to deprive your pets from the big screen movie experience.

6. If you bring your kids along and they aren't too interested in the movie, most drive-ins have a playground...or you can leave them in the car and sit outside in peace.

7. You have complete control over the temperature in your car...no need to be forced to shiver throughout some cheesy vampire movie.

8. Have nervous legs that have you jumping up every half hour or so? At drive-ins there is no awkward shuffle as you trip over legs and dodge angry flying popcorn to get out.

9. Drive-ins provide a more intimate movie-watching experience...snuggle up and enjoy the show!

10. They are just cooler...enough said.

Fact: There are only nine drive-ins still standing in Virginia. If you are currently in the Northern Virginia area, the closest drive-in movie theater is The Family Drive-In Theater located in Stephens City, VA. On June 14th, they will be celebrating their 55th anniversary!

Admission (for two movies)

Adults: 7.50 (12 and up)

Child: 3.50 (3 to 11)

Under 3 is free

The Family Drive-In Theater

5890 Valley Pike (US Route 11)

Stephens City, VA 22655

Movie line: 540.665.6982

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Springfield Days!

Springfield Days is a community wide celebration that takes place the weekend after Memorial Day each year in the heart of Springfield, Virginia. Springfield Days 2011 will be Thursday, June 2 through Sunday, June 5. Four days of fun for the whole family! The festivities begin with our Kick-off Reception on Thursday, June 2 at Safford Chrysler Jeep Dodge of Springfield. Take your family out for FamilyFest with games, rides, food and more Thursday through Sunday. Join us on Friday for a fun, family Pasta Dinner or the Student FilmFest. Saturday morning starts with a Springfield 15k/5k Run/Walk. Come see the festivies on Saturday at Springfield Mall including PetFest, Paws-on-Parade, ArtFest, Exhibitors, and Live Entertainment. Also on Saturday will be a Party in the Park with free swimming and an Outdoor Movie in the evening. And this year the Cardboard Boat Regatta is back!

Thursday, June 02 to Sunday, June 05

Find a schedule of events here:

www.springfielddays.com

6801 Commerce Street

Springfield, VA 22150

703.437.9101

National Go Barefoot Day for Soles4Souls

With summer fast approaching, what better way to appreciate the changing weather- the warmth of the sand, the coolness of the grass or, (if you prefer to remain indoors) the cushy softness of your carpet- than to discard your shoes and go barefoot?

Today kicks of National Barefoot Week which is sponsored by Soles4Souls, a charity which collects new and gently-used shoes for people in need, reaching 127 countries world-wide. Soles4Souls has collected and distributed well over 14 million pairs of shoes, that's one pair of shoes every seven seconds!

Here's how you can help throughout the week:

Visit CharityBuzz. They are hosting a Celebrity Shoe Auction with shoes donated by Brooke Shields, Alex Rodriguez, Justin Timberlake, Paris Hilton and many more.

Clean out your closet, the trunk of your car, old storage bins and donate gently-used shoes. Find a drop off location near you here.

Make an effort to go barefoot for at least 4 consecutive hours during the week and spread the word on how you felt.

On Sunday, religious organizations are encouraged to become involved by accepting donations from members and taking barefoot walks.

Please donate and help spread the word. Here at the Hampton Inn of Dumfries, employees are pitching in to help Soles4Souls achieve their goal to collect 11 million pairs of shoes in 2011. Many people are in need and by donating you are helping to prevent the spread of disease, helping children to get an education, and saving the environment- when shoes break down in landfills, the toxic glue used leaks into the atmosphere and water supply. Help make a difference!