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Arlington’s 55+ Programs will offer a busy January schedule featuring live music, educational workshops, art activities, health guidance and regional excursions.
Most activities take place in person at Arlington’s 55+ Centers, although several are virtual. Participation requires a 55+ Pass, with annual fees beginning at $20. Registration is available online or by calling 703-228-4747.
On Monday, Jan. 13, Arlington Regional Master Naturalists will explain how to identify and remove invasive plants, harmful insects and pathogens. The discussion begins at 1 p.m. at Walter Reed 55+ Center and will be repeated at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, at Arlington Mill 55+ Center. Registration numbers are 912400-28 and 912400-29, respectively.
A virtual step-by-step painting demonstration with a Community Arts Programmer is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Jan. 13. Registration number: 912303-02.
The 55+ Travel group will visit the Library of Congress in Washington on Tuesday, Jan. 14, for the “Collecting Memories: Treasures” exhibition. The trip costs $11 for Arlington residents and $13 for nonresidents. Registration number: 902401-06.
Also on Jan. 14, AARP speakers Bob Eiffert and Jane King will lead a HomeFit workshop about modifications that can help people remain in their homes. The program begins at 10:30 a.m. at Arlington Mill 55+ Center. Registration number: 912404-01.
Pianist Ken Schellenberg and bassist Chris Borsch will perform music spanning Duke Ellington’s career at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 14 at Lubber Run 55+ Center. Registration number: 912301-04.
The Arlington Senior Golf Club will hold its first meeting of 2025 at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, at Lubber Run 55+ Center. No registration is required. Members play at 26 Northern Virginia courses from April through October.
Elder law attorney Ed Zetlin will discuss the documents needed to organize an estate during a virtual presentation at 11 a.m. Jan. 15. Registration number: 912404-02.
A Virginia Hospital Center registered dietitian will present strategies for living well with diabetes at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 16, at Arlington Mill 55+ Center. Topics include meal planning, portion control, exercise and blood-sugar monitoring. Registration number: 912500-04.
An Arlington park naturalist will examine the local and global effects of invasive species—from plants and animals to microscopic bacteria—during a virtual session at 11 a.m. Jan. 16. Registration number: 912400-30.
At the same time, Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Lynn Berry will discuss houseplant care at Langston-Brown 55+ Center. Registration number: 912401-01.
“Artist Cookbook,” a virtual class about making art materials from household items, begins at 9 a.m. Jan. 16. Community Arts Programmer Jennifer Droblyen will lead the session. Registration number: 912302-11.
Community Arts Programmer Jim Halloran will explore the history and context of three artists during a virtual program at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Jan. 17. A short demonstration of one artist’s process and a discussion will follow. Registration number: 912302-07.
Pianist Valerie Welsh will perform in a winter piano lounge at 1 p.m. Jan. 17 at Aurora Hills 55+ Center. Registration number: 912301-06.
Genealogist Eileen Bogdanoff will introduce research using primary sources, cemetery records, family documents, DNA services and other tools at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21, at Lubber Run 55+ Center. Registration number: 912402-02.
Volunteer George Cecchetti will lead an opera-appreciation program on Giuseppe Verdi’s “Rigoletto” at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22, at Lubber Run 55+ Center. He will explain the story and provide background on the composer. Registration number: 912300-04.
The 55+ Travel group will head to Walmart in Sterling and then visit Dulles Town Center for additional shopping and dining on Jan. 22. The trip costs $15 for Arlington residents and $17 for nonresidents. Registration number: 902401-07.
Aurora Hills 55+ Center will screen “The World’s Fastest Indian” at 12:30 p.m. Jan. 22. Registration number: 912804-05.
Ashley Gomez, director of Lubber Run 55+ Center, will present a program about Arlington history at 1:30 p.m. Jan. 22. Registration number: 912402-07.
A two-part advance-care-planning series begins at 11 a.m. Jan. 22 at Langston-Brown 55+ Center with guidance on preparing a health-care advance directive. The second session, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, will provide an opportunity to meet individually with a certified volunteer. Attendance at the first session is required to participate in the second. Registration number: 912404-03.
Peter North, an outreach specialist at the Library of Virginia in Richmond, will give a virtual presentation about Virginia after the Civil War at 3 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23. Registration number: 912400-18.
Gomez will also lead a virtual presentation about Peru at 1 p.m. Jan. 23 as part of a series on countries in Central America. Registration number: 912400-39.
Musicians of all experience levels can join an old-time and string-band jam at 5 p.m. Jan. 23 at Lubber Run 55+ Center. Volunteer Fred Winter, co-founder of New York City’s Old Time Music Project, will lead the event. Participants may bring a banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin or dulcimer. Registration number: 912304-19.
Cecchetti, a former Kennedy Space Center employee, will recount NASA’s space shuttle program from its beginning through its conclusion at 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at Langston-Brown 55+ Center. Registration number: 912400-33.
The month’s listed excursions conclude Saturday, Jan. 25, with a 55+ Travel visit to the National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington. The museum covers 300 years of history and holds 25,000 artifacts. The trip costs $36 for Arlington residents and $40 for nonresidents. Participants may bring lunch or purchase a snack at the museum café. Registration number: 902401-08.