Tim Bracken, wtop.com
Weekend Wakeup Call – Friday, May 18 to Monday, May 21
Get ready for another busy weekend, filled with festivals, art events, graduation ceremonies, and Metro delays for the Orange, Red and Green Lines.
Graduations at DAR Constitution Hall
Graduation ceremonies at DAR Constitution Hall have been known to tie up traffic in the areas surrounding 18th and D Streets NW. There will be four graduations this weekend:
- Saturday – USUHS at 10:30 a.m., and Corcoran College of Art & Design at 4:30 p.m.
- Sunday – Marymount University at 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Metro track work
Get ready for another weekend of Metro delays. The biggest item will be buses replacing trains between East Falls Church and West Falls Church, but there will also be single tracking on the Red and Green Lines. Here’s the summary from Metro:
Orange Line:
- Buses will replace Orange Line trains between East Falls Church and West Falls Church.
- Throughout the weekend, Orange Line trains will operate in two segments: between Vienna and West Falls Church station every 20 minutes, and between East falls Church and New Carrollton station at regular weekend intervals.
Red Line
- Trains will single track between Takoma and Forest Glen, and between Van Ness and Friendship Heights.
- Red Line trains between Shady Grove and Glenmont will operate every 24 minutes.
Green Line
- Trains will single track between Greenbelt and Prince George’s Plaza.
- Green Line trains will operate every 16 minutes throughout the weekend.
- Yellow Line trains will operate between Huntington and Mount Vernon Square only.
- Customers traveling to/from stations north of Mount Vernon Square should use Green Line trains to complete their trip.
Dulles Access Road closure
The eastbound Dulles Airport Access Highway will be closed from Centreville Road to the merge past the main toll plaza from 9 p.m. Friday to 7 a.m. Saturday.
These closures will continue with some variation into next week as part of the Dulles Corridor Metrorail project. Traffic will be detoured to the eastbound Toll Road.
Remember, if you are leaving the airport during the closure you will have to pay the toll at the main toll plaza.
Beltway and I-66 construction
Watch for overnight closures throughout the weekend between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- I-495 Inner Loop near I-66, construction could temporarily block all lanes for up to 30 minutes at a time
- Westbound I-66 between Rt. 267 and the Beltway could see temporary total closures for up to 30 minutes at a time.
- Eastbound I-66 between Nutley Street and the Beltway could see temporary total closures for up to 30 minutes at a time.
Artomatic
This year’s Artomatic festival takes over a former Crystal City office building for a month of visual art, music, and film. The opening night party starts at 6 p.m. Friday.
Fiesta Asia Street Fair
The Fiesta Asia Street Fair is scheduled for 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.
The free festival will feature several entertainment stages, a martial arts area, and food.
Dragon Boat Festival
The D.C. Dragon Boat Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday at Thompson Boat Center in Georgetown. The colorful boat race will kick off Saturday at 8:30 a.m.
Sound Bites 2012
The D.C. Central Kitchen prepares thousands of meals for shelters and D.C. public schools every day. This Sunday, May 20, D.C. Central Kitchen joins forces with the 9:30 Club for Sound Bites, a food festival featuring music curated by Eric Hilton of the band http://www.thieverycorporation.com/ Thievery Corporation.
Sound Bites will feature all-you-can-eat food from 25 area restaurants and food trucks.
Taste of Arlington
On Sunday, the Taste of Arlington Festival in Ballston will feature many restaurants and local music. Attendance is expected to be near 15,000. Arlington Police will close the following streets between 2 a.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday:
- Wilson Boulevard will be closed eastbound at Glebe Road.
- Wilson Boulevard will be closed westbound at N. Randolph Street (north and southbound Randolph Street will remain open).
- N. Stuart Street will be closed between N. 9th Street and Wilson Boulevard. Buses will be allowed on N. Stuart Street between Fairfax Drive and N. 9th Street.
- N. 9th Street will remain open to METRO BUS TRAFFIC only between N. Stafford Street and N. Stuart Street.
- All traffic coming southbound on N. Taylor Street from Fairfax Drive will be forced to go westbound at Wilson Boulevard.
Joint Service Open House and Air Show
The 2012 Joint Service Open House and Air Show at Joint Base Andrews begins Friday for cardholders and school groups, but will be open to the public on Saturday and Sunday.
The free air show has attracted upwards of 100,000 spectators in the past. Air performers this year include; the Blue Angels, and the Golden Knights.
Watch for delays on the Capital Beltway near the base throughout the weekend. Spectators and people driving by may be distracted by the aerial shows.
Gaithersburg Book Festival
The Gaithersburg Book Festival will take over the Gaithersburg City Hall grounds between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday. The festival will feature author presentations, panel discussions, poetry, and music.
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(Copyright 2012 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)
