By Eliza Berkon, Winn Duvall, Stefanie Gans and Beth Kellmurray
From flea markets to beer gardens to outdoor concerts, here’s where you can find us this summer.
Front Porch
Nightly (weather permitting), 5 p.m.
Leave work early to get a seat at the perpetually packed Front Porch, an assortment of Adirondack chairs and some traditional tables in the lot in front of Planet Wine. There’s a streamlined menu of snacks and sandwiches plus slushies and a deep beer list written in chalk on the large board outside. Dogs can chill just over the fence. // Alexandria –Stefanie Gans, food editor and restaurant critic
Arlington Flea Market
May 6, 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Set up in a parking garage off I-66, this expansive flea market hosted by The Civitan Club takes place on the first Saturday of the month from April through November, and I’ve been meaning to check it out since a sign on Glebe Road let me know it exists. This summer, I’ll be searching for a bargain on home items and one-of-a-kind tchotchkes. // Arlington –Winn Duvall, copy editor
Vanish Farmwoods Brewery
Daily (Friday-Sunday for barbecue)
What started as a hop farm turned into the setting for a brewery, naturally. Vanish is a bit of an insider job, run by Jonathan Staples, whose wife, Hilda, is a restaurant investor for clients such as Top Chef’s Bryan Voltaggio, who helped develop Vanish’s barbecue menu. This spring brought a 100-seat beer garden, and this month there is a new inside and outside space that is completely dog-friendly. // Leesburg –SG
Portner Brewhouse
After our intrepid food editor Stefanie Gans followed the six-year journey of Portner Brewhouse from conception to long-awaited grand opening, I plan on giving the brewery, which isn’t far from my neighborhood, and its beer lineup a try. // Alexandria –Beth Kellmurray, online editor
Block Party
My family is soon to move out of our neighborhood, so there’s no better time to have a farewell block party than Memorial Day weekend. I plan to enlist my husband as chief griller and kids as lemonade baristas. I’ll handle the purchase of my party staple: Doritos and Tostitos cheese dip. –Eliza Berkon, culture and lifestyle writer
Summer tunes
Nothing says summer like Wolf Trap. On my itinerary this year are Aretha Franklin and John Mellencamp for two solid date nights under the stars and The Little Mermaid for a fun family afternoon. // Vienna –EB
Picnic at Gravelly Point
Clear days and nights
Grab snacks and something to drink, plus a blanket and a ball to throw around, as crowds gather to watch planes landing at DCA. There’s parking (though you might need to circle the lot), views of the water and sometimes a rugby game. // Arlington –SG
Strawberry Picking at Wegmeyer Farms
Summer produce is one of the best parts of the season, and what better way to take advantage of it than to pick it yourself? Wegmeyer Farms has a couple of NoVA outposts where visitors can pick their own strawberries, but I’ll be heading out to the home farm in Hamilton to fill a bucket or two. // Hamilton –WD
(May 2017)