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Arlington’s 55+ Programs will offer a packed January schedule featuring art classes, day trips, live music, legal guidance, health programs and social gatherings.
Most activities take place in person at Arlington’s 55+ Centers, although several are virtual. Participation generally requires a 55+ Pass, with annual fees starting at $30. Registration is available at registration.arlingtonva.us or by calling 703-228-4747.
Thursday, Jan. 8
Park Naturalist Aide Leeanna Pletcher will lead a virtual program about Virginia’s edible berries, mushrooms, fruits, nuts, herbs and other plants at 10:30 a.m. Registration number: 912400-33.
Community Arts Programmer Jennifer Droblyen will demonstrate how to make art materials from household items during a virtual “artist cookbook” session at 9 a.m. Registration number: 912300-07.
Droblyen will also teach an advanced drawing and painting series at Langston-Brown 55+ Center. The six-session course runs Thursdays from Jan. 8 through Feb. 12, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Previous experience is required, and a supply list will be provided during the first class. The cost is $50. Registration number: 912303-14.
At 1:30 p.m., 55+ volunteer Mary Smolenski will share stories from her travels in Vietnam and Cambodia at Langston-Brown. Registration number: 912400-24.
A beginner quilling class at Lubber Run 55+ Center will teach participants to create raised designs from coiled paper strips. The 1:30 p.m. class costs $20 and will be led by instructor Join Leonardo. Registration number: 912310-05.
Lubber Run will also host Rummikub Night from 5 to 7 p.m. The classic tile game is designed to be easy for newcomers to learn. Registration number: 912600-16.
Friday, Jan. 9
Meredith MacKay, managing attorney with Legal Services of Northern Virginia, will explain the organization’s services and eligibility requirements at 11 a.m. at Walter Reed 55+ Center. Registration number: 912400-01.
Saturday, Jan. 10
Paint, Build, Create, Arlington’s annual science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics event, will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Fairlington Community Center. The event is free, open to all ages and does not require a 55+ Pass.
Monday, Jan. 12
Virginia Cooperative Extension volunteers will present tools, strategies and motivation for improving health and financial well-being at 11:30 a.m. at Walter Reed. Registration number: 912500-05.
Tuesday, Jan. 13
The 55+ Travel group will visit Crest Hill Tea Room in The Plains for tea. The trip costs $87 for Arlington residents and $100 for nonresidents. Registration number: 902601-04.
Genealogist Eileen Bogdanoff will lead a Genealogy 101 program at 11:30 a.m. at Lubber Run. Participants will learn about family records, grave sites, DNA services such as Ancestry.com and other primary sources. Registration number: 912402-02.
Book artist Sushmita Mazumdar will teach participants to make a one-page sketchbook using a pamphlet stitch at 3 p.m. at Arlington Mill 55+ Center. Registration number: 912310-09.
Reader’s Theater begins at 5:30 p.m. at Walter Reed, giving participants a chance to perform vintage radio plays with sound effects. Registration number: 912301-22.
Wednesday, Jan. 14
A virtual history roundtable will explore Australia at 11:15 a.m. Participants may prepare a five-minute presentation or listen to others. Registration number: 912402-05.
A volunteer-led discussion about words and the history of the English language starts at 10:30 a.m. at Lubber Run. Registration number: 912402-15. A virtual version is available under registration number 912402-16.
Arlington Mill will hold a Supper Club at 5 p.m. Participants should bring a main dish, while drinks and desserts will be provided. Registration number: 912801-07.
Thursday, Jan. 15
Musicians of every skill level are invited to bring banjos, guitars, fiddles, mandolins and dulcimers to an Old-Time and String Band Jam at 5 p.m. at Lubber Run. Registration number: 912304-15.
A drop-in Memory Café begins at 1:30 p.m. at Walter Reed, offering people with dementia and their family caregivers a supportive place to socialize and participate in meaningful activities.
Friday, Jan. 16
Aurora Hills 55+ Center will show “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” at 12:30 p.m. Registration number: 912804-02.
Saturday, Jan. 17
The 55+ Travel group will visit the Mid-Atlantic’s largest indoor flea market in Chantilly, followed by lunch on participants’ own at Wegmans. The trip costs $28 for Arlington residents and $32 for nonresidents. Registration number: 902601-06.
Tuesday, Jan. 20
Pamela Chisholm, a retired financial-crimes detective with the D.C. Police Department, will explain how to recognize and prevent identity theft and fraud at 1 p.m. at Arlington Mill. Registration number: 912400-04.
The Arlington Mill 55+ Center Book Club will hold a drop-in discussion of Dave Barry’s “Class Clown” at 1 p.m.
Pianist Valerie Welsh will lead a 1950s-themed Piano Lounge and Sing-Along at 2:30 p.m. at Lubber Run. Registration number: 912304-24.
Wednesday, Jan. 21
The 55+ Travel group will shop at the Walmart Supercenter in Sterling before visiting Dulles Town Center, where participants can buy lunch. The trip costs $17 for Arlington residents and $19 for nonresidents. Registration number: 902601-07.
Volunteer Hanni Cordes will introduce the basics of line dancing at 10:15 a.m. at Walter Reed before participants join a beginner class. The session is drop-in.
Elder-law attorney Ed Zetlin will explain durable powers of attorney during a virtual program at 11 a.m. The document allows one person to act on another’s behalf. Registration number: 912404-03.
At 1:30 p.m., Lubber Run’s opera appreciation group will listen to and discuss Modest Mussorgsky’s Russian opera “Boris Godnov,” with professional commentary from George Cecchetti. Registration number: 912300-04.
Thursday, Jan. 22
Licensed Realtor Philippa Main will offer decluttering advice and insights into market trends during “The Art of Downsizing” at 11 a.m. at Langston-Brown. Registration number: 912404-04.
Community arts programmers will lead a virtual paint-along inspired by artwork displayed in area museums at 10 a.m. Registration number: 912303-07.
Friday, Jan. 23. Walter Reed will host a program at 11 a.m. on keeping emergency information current. Arlington first responders and 55+ staff will discuss steps such as placing information on the refrigerator and saving it on a cellphone. Registration number: 912400-05.
The Aurora Hills advisory committee will serve mocktails and invite participants to share ideas and learn about its work at 12:05 p.m. Registration number: 912801-13.
George Cecchetti, a former Kennedy Space Center employee, will discuss the conception, design, goals, achievements and setbacks of NASA’s Space Shuttle program at 1 p.m. at Lubber Run. Registration number: 912400-30.
Also at 1 p.m., Aurora Hills will present 90 minutes of live acoustic music from Phil Rosen, Ed Girovasi, Judy McVerry and Cameron Fletcher, collectively known as PhEd-Up and Phriends. Registration number: 912301-07.