The Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington is looking to capitalize on the growing pop-up retail trend this season with a new event called HolidayREADY.
The market, which will be held Dec. 13 in the newly redone, vacant retail space in Penzance’s building at 1500 Wilson Boulevard, will feature gifts for sale, but will also include live demonstrations and chances for weary holiday shoppers to recharge — be it through an exercise class, a massage or a wine tasting.
“We wanted to do something different from what the other markets in the area do,” said Mary-Claire Burick, who took over as executive director of the Rosslyn BID earlier this year. “So thinking about our new tag line, Rosslyn Ready, we came up with HolidayREADY.”
The market will have a blow dry station, massage therapists giving chair massages and a cigar rolling station. Many events will be done by vendors in the Rosslyn neighborhood — a ballet barre class will be led by trainers from Lava Barre, which is moving to Rosslyn early next year. And an educational seminar on coffee roasting and preparation will be performed by Cafe Afficionado, which opened in Rosslyn earlier this year.
Rosslyn’s retail offerings have been slowly expanding: a Heavy Seas Alehouse plans to open in the next few months and Pier 1 Imports opened in 1776 Wilson Boulevard this fall.
“Until we get even more and better retail into Rosslyn, we wanted to provide that for tenants and employees and residents,” Burick said.
In the late afternoon and evening hours, there will be beer and wine available for sale, as well as tastes of snacks from a number of producers who work out of Union Kitchen, the food entrepreneur incubator in D.C.
If HolidayREADY is successful, other pop-ups could be in the works for the neighborhood, including art exhibits, community fitness activities and maybe even a dog-themed pop-up in Rosslyn, she added.
The event will take the place of the neighborhood’s annual “Light Up Rosslyn” event, which ceremoniously lit the lights on top of Rosslyn’s skyscrapers. The building lights will still turn on this Thursday, said Burick — just with a little less fanfare.
HolidayREADY is part of an attempt for the Rosslyn BID to turn a page and to ramp up promotion of the neighborhood as an up-and-coming retail spot.
“We’re trying to use the holiday market to really showcase some of the businesses in Rosslyn and show retailers who aren’t in Rosslyn that this is great place for them to be,” said Burick.
