Awesome Picnic: Rain & Shine
/By Kay Twomey, burleithevents@gmail.com
the danny meyer band entertained picnic-goers with a mix of musical styles. the day remained sunny until about 7:15 pm, when heavy rains ended the festivities. the glover park-burleith farmers market donated straw in anticipation of a soggy field. PHOTOS BY RICH FIELD.
girls try their hand at gu's cookie decorating table After a stint with face painter trishla maru.
The BCA hosted Burleith's annual picnic on Saturday, June 20. What went down was a fun, cool start to summer. Mellow sounds from the Danny Meyer Band set the stage for a gorgeous afternoon that brought out hundreds of residents and nearby friends to join a Burleith tradition that gets better every year. BCA president Eric Langenbacher along with the BCA Board, Ward 2 councilmember Jack Evans, and ANC 2E commissioner Ron Lewis joined in the celebration. (Check out the picnic photos, video, and, for fun, the Washington Post coverage of our 1979 and 1973 picnics.)
kids interact with bunnies, ducklings, and baby goats from leesburg animal park's traveling baby zoo.
Here are all of the cool things we packed into our exhilarating afternoon (abbreviated by the torrential rain that only added to the excitement): petting cute animals from the baby zoo; painting faces; finding the top dog; enjoying the best BBQ, compliments of Rocklands; gulping the tastiest refreshments, provided by Town Hall; digging for the last perfect scoop of gelato, courtesy of Lenore Rubino Realtor; decorating cookies, thanks to GU; and touring a fire truck from Engine Company 5 and a GERMS ambulance.
1st place winner Fenway and owner Julie Goodwin take home a prize donated by unleashed by petco.
The Top Dog contest was a huge success. Abby and Charlene of Unleashed by Petco judged over 10 dogs on their tricks and talents and awarded great gift baskets to the winners. Fenway, Julie Goodwin’s mixed-breed male, ran away with first prize; Jack Evans's golden retriever, Kelly, came in second; and Page Smith’s mixed breed, Molly, took third. Honorable mention went to Kirby, the Strike family’s rescue dog, who won a large bag of tennis balls. We're proud to have such a wonderful group of animal lovers living in Burleith. Start training your dog for next year’s event. The competition is on!
Then the rains came and people scrambled to get home, many clutching the great raffle prizes donated by local businesses.
The BCA is grateful for the support we received from the following businesses and friends who helped us celebrate our community and spread the positive vibes of summer. We encourage you to patronize these generous supporters as a way of saying thanks: Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company, Georgetown University, Lenore Rubino Realtor, Town Hall, Basil Thai Restaurant, Bluemercury, Drybar, Gardens for All Seasons, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Jetties, Nestlé, Roosters, Shanghai Lounge, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Surfside, sweetFrog, sweetgreen/Glover Park, Unleashed by Petco, Unum, Washington Sports Clubs/Glover Park, Hop, Cask & Barrel, the Burleith Community Fund, MPD 2, Engine Company 5, and GERMS.
BCA president eric langenbacher serves as master of ceremonies for the highly successful raffle of gift certificates donated by local merchants.
Earlier in the day, Saturday’s pre-picnic stroll around our neighborhood raised $110 for the Burleith Community Fund, which will put the call box restoration project that much closer to its fundraising goal. Tour leader Dwane Starlin and Ross Schipper were rewarded with additional Burleith history and lore, thanks to the presence of past BCA president Chuck Clinton, his daughter Mary Ann, and current Burleith residents Charlotte Kroll, Beth McKinney, Liza Gookin Hodskins, and Francine Steininger. They filled in a few gaps of Burleith’s past, which will help with the content of the call box plaques and other projects of the Burleith History Group.
a crowd gathers for the results of the top dog contest. This year's picnic was the best-attended one in recent memory.