Support Local Art This Weekend

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Friday, September 30th, 2011

Friday, Sept. 30, 2011

Need something to do this weekend, but can’t quite put your finger on what you want?  The area is actually bursting with art festivals this weekend.  Help foster Northern Virginia’s cultural identity and check them out.

ValeArts, a group of local artists, exhibits their colorful art in Oakton Friday, Sept. 30 through Sunday, Oct. 2.  This show has been a fixture for 15 years now, and this year is no different.  “Shared Passion, Different Strokes,” as the show is called, is at the historic Vale Schoolhouse.

Art on the Avenue in Alexandria is one of the biggest art festivals all year, and it will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1.  This massive fair has it all–music, food, and hundreds of artists.  The celebration draws tens of thousands to walk down Mt. Vernon Avenue every year, and this will be no different.

Oh yeah, and did I mention a pie baking contest?  Sweet deliciousness.

Art on the Avenue is rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

While you’re there, make sure you check out The Art League’s gallery at Alexandria City Hall.  The Art League is a nonprofit organization that directly connects art to our community, offering art classes and supplies to the public.  Their special gallery, “Art in City Hall:  Around Town,” is on display through Dec. 16, 2011.

–Matt Basheda

Tags: Alexandria, Alexandria City Hall, art, art festivals, Art on the Avenue, art shows, culture gurus, Entertainment, Events, game plan, historic Vale Schoolhouse, local art, Matt Basheda, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia art shows, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, Oakton, The Art League, things to do, Valearts