Article Text
Arlington residents age 55 and older can choose from a busy schedule of fitness programs, creative classes, social gatherings and regional excursions at local 55+ centers.
Most activities take place in person and require a 55+ Pass, available for an annual fee starting at $25. Registration is available at registration.arlingtonva.us or by calling 703-228-4747. Programs described as drop-in do not require advance registration.
Recurring activities
Coffee or Tea and Thee offers informal social time at Lubber Run 55+ Center from 9 to 10 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays.
Volleyball for all skill levels is offered from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Langston-Brown 55+ Center and from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays at Lubber Run. Both sessions are drop-in.
Volunteer Suzie Pratts leads a beginner line-dancing introduction Fridays at Aurora Hills 55+ Center. Participants can learn movements including the box step, quarter turn and grapevine. The class is drop-in.
Cribbage players meet from 10 a.m. to noon Fridays at Walter Reed 55+ Center. Beginners are welcome at the drop-in card games.
Water walking and lap swimming are available at Long Bridge Aquatics Center from 8 to 10 a.m. Mondays and 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays. The sessions do not include instruction. Participants need an aquatics center membership or must pay daily admission at the facility, located at 333 Long Bridge Drive.
Volunteer-led Tai Chi practice sessions, without formal instruction, take place from 2 to 2:45 p.m. Mondays at Aurora Hills and from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays at Walter Reed. All sessions are drop-in.
Monday ice-skating sessions run from 8:40 to 9:40 a.m. at MedStar Capitals Iceplex, accessible through roof-level parking at Ballston Quarter. Skate rentals cost $1. Participants must preregister through the iceplex website under “Senior Public Skate.”
Pickleball is offered at Walter Reed from 8:15 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays and Fridays, 12:30 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 2:15 to 4 p.m. Wednesdays. Arlington Mill hosts play from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and noon to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. These are drop-in sessions requiring a 55+ Pass.
Women’s drop-in basketball is scheduled from 7:15 to 8:45 p.m. Wednesdays at Langston-Brown.
Artist Sushmita Mazumdar teaches simple origami and bookmaking as a relaxing creative exercise at 6 p.m. Wednesdays through July 30 at Arlington Mill. Registration number 914310-06 is required.
Special programs and outings
A Memory Café for people with dementia and their family caregivers will offer dementia-friendly activities at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, July 17, at Walter Reed. The program is drop-in. Additional information is available from Adult Services Librarian Zoe Mann at 703-228-5193.
Also on July 17, Animal Welfare League of Arlington staff will present virtual advice for keeping pets safe, hydrated and comfortable during hot weather at 3 p.m. Registration number 914400-23 is required.
Lubber Run 55+ Center Director Ashley Gomez will lead a virtual tour of Bolivia at 1 p.m. July 17, covering the country’s history, culture, geography, politics and travel destinations. The registration number is 914400-30.
Dwight Rodgers of Encore Learning will lead a virtual history discussion at 1 p.m. July 17. Registration number 914402-09 is required.
Summer Songs and Sips will bring root beer floats, sing-alongs and games to Walter Reed at 1 p.m. Friday, July 18. The registration number is 914899-07.
On Saturday, July 19, the travel group will cruise the Chesapeake Bay to St. Michaels, spend three hours exploring the historic village, return to Annapolis and tour the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. The trip costs $137 for Arlington residents and $158 for nonresidents. Registration number 902507-05 is required.
Arlington Regional Master Naturalist Barbara Hoffheins will explain Walter Reed’s bioindicator garden and how ozone pollution affects plants and people at 10 a.m. Monday, July 21. The registration number is 914400-21.
At 11:30 a.m. that day, plant doctor volunteer Jeff Perlow will demonstrate how to identify and treat common pests and diseases at Lubber Run. Registration number 914401-03 is required.
Walter Reed will also offer a judgment-free introduction to pickleball for absolute beginners at 10 a.m. July 21. A limited number of paddles and balls will be available for the drop-in session.
Another July 21 trip gives participants a choice between shopping at Tanger Outlets and visiting the MGM Casino at National Harbor. The cost is $12 for Arlington residents and $14 for nonresidents. The registration number is 902507-06.
Lubber Run will screen the 1994 PG-13 film “Forrest Gump” at 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 22. The registration number is 914804-02.
Pianist Ken Schellenberg will challenge participants to Name That Tune with popular music dating to the 1930s on Wednesday, July 23. The program begins at 11 a.m. at Lubber Run under registration number 914304-25 and repeats at 1:30 p.m. at Aurora Hills under registration number 914304-26.
The travel group will visit Washington’s Hirshhorn Museum on July 23 to see Jean-Michel Basquiat’s 1982 painting “Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump” and Banksy’s 2018 response, “Banksquiat. Boy and Dog in Stop and Search.” The trip costs $11 for Arlington residents and $13 for nonresidents. The registration number is 902507-07.
Walter Reed Director Jennifer Weber will teach Ticket to Ride, a cross-country train adventure board game, from 9:30 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 24. Registration number 914600-03 is required.
Rodgers will lead another virtual history discussion at 1 p.m. July 24, examining cultural, economic, artistic and political history. The topic will be emailed to participants before the class. The registration number is 914402-10.
Records and Root Beer Floats begins at 6 p.m. July 24 at Lubber Run. Participants can listen to vinyl favorites and bring records to share. The registration number is 914801-05.
Aurora Hills will screen the 2024 PG-13 film “Fly Me to the Moon” at 12:30 p.m. Friday, July 25. The registration number is 914804-05.
The travel group heads to the Dutch Village Farmers Market in Upper Marlboro on Saturday, July 26. Thirteen Lancaster County vendors sell fresh foods and natural products there. The trip costs $11 for Arlington residents and $13 for nonresidents. The registration number is 902507-09.