The Ballston Farmers Market is ending the season with a BOO! Join us for the last mega market of the year on Thursday, October 26th, from 3-7 pm. To welcome the season, this market will be a celebration of all things fall. Visitors can enjoy live music from Jumpin' Jupiter, pumpkin decorating, face painting, and a special scavenger hunt with our farmers and vendors. Kids who finish the scavenger hunt will win an exciting Halloween-themed prize just in time for trick-or-treating!
The pop-up beer and wine garden will also offer seasonal refreshments with Dominion Octoberfest lager and Three Notch'd 40 Mile IPA on tap. Monroe Bay Vineyard will provide a selection of their wines and hard ciders to keep you warm after the sun goes down.
This market will also showcase Bras for Boo-bies, a drive to collect new or gently-used bras and donations for the homeless, and Replay My Gear, a drive to collect sporting goods for disadvantaged athletes. Cash donations are always welcome.
As always, visitors can find fresh, harvest produce offerings from vendors and farmers from the region. The market offers conventional and certified organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed meats and pastured eggs, organic milk, yogurt, ice cream, sweet and savory baked goods, Virginia-made wines, cold-pressed juices, handmade soaps and lotions, wood-fired pizza, hot-pressed sandwiches, and more.
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Bras For Boo-Bies Bra Drive
The Ballston BID and its charitable arm, BallstonGives, is teaming up for the second year with A-SPAN for the Bras for Boo-bies Bra Drive. The drive will be collecting new or gently-used, clean bras for those in need. A-SPAN is a non-profit committed to ending homelessness in Arlington County through a variety of services and programs. Those facing homelessness often must forego items many consider necessities and many of A-SPAN's clients have never had a properly fitted undergarment. We are looking for bras in all shapes and sizes, and all donations are appreciated.
This year's drop-off location will be at the Halloween Mega Market in Welburn Square on Thursday, October 26th, from 3-7 pm. For every bra or $10 donated to the cause, you will receive one free drink from the beer and wine garden. You can also donate to the drive's fund anytime through October 31st. Come out to support a scary good cause!
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Doorways: Creating Brighter Futures
Doorways, the Ballston-based non-profit fighting abuse and homelessness in Arlington County, recently held their 8th Annual Brighter Futures Breakfast. The organization used the event to share the new developments within Doorways with the community they serve. Caroline Jones, CEO and President of Doorways, shared the two biggest changes: an expanded mission and the Revive program.
For nearly four decades, Doorways has been an institution in Arlington dedicated to aiding women, men and children suffering from domestic abuse. They have now expanded their mission to include survivors of sexual abuse. As part of this initiative, Doorways has established a 24-hour domestic and sexual abuse hotline. Through this hotline, individuals can be connected to caring advocates who can accompany survivors to post-assault forensic medical exams. The hotline receives 1,500 calls a year, an average of four calls per day.
The second initiative new to the Doorways family is the Revive program. Started last year, Revive focuses on all groups of survivors, with an emphasis on helping the youngest affected by domestic violence and sexual assault. Doorways has opened a new Revive Center, and to date has provided trauma counseling for 373 survivors ranging in age from preschool to high school.
In the past year, the non-profit has helped 3,600 people in Arlington. The issues they fight are complex and require an ever-evolving strategy to ensure those seeking help can always find hope with Doorways.
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