Grassroots Conservatives

Join us at Crafthouse in Reston Town Center for Libertarian Happy Hour! Connect with fellow Libertarians in Northern Virginia and the wider DC area for good conversation, drinks, and food! We will have a reserved table at Crafthouse. Look for the LPNOVA sign. The Libertarian Party of Northern Virginia is your local affiliate of the national Libertarian Party. Since 1971, the Libertarian Party has been fighting for personal freedom, economic freedom, and peaceful foreign policy. We run candidates for office, advocate for liberty in our community through our presence at local fairs and festivals, and connect fellow DC area libertarians through events like these.

A safe space where we can talk politics civilly about topics that might interest you. I'll introduce topics and we can choose what we want to discuss. This cafe will be exclusive space for us and will not have a lot of background noise. I am able to run the cash register for alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks. You can order food and have it delivered or bring food. Bringing food to share is welcomed, but please consider buying a drink at the cafe for allowing us to use their space.

**‘Live from the Lawn’ – Summer Concert at Strathmore** **Due to the extreme heat, the Live from the Lawn: Strutman Lane performance scheduled for Wed, July 1 will take place inside the Music Center.** **Join us for an evening of live music on the lawn featuring Strutman Lane, an eight-piece band from the Washington, DC area bringing fresh energy to classic pop with funk grooves, soulful melodies, and a spirited live show. The group blends catchy guitar hooks, three-part harmonies, and a vibrant horn section into music that feels both nostalgic and unmistakably modern.** **Following the release of their single “Know What I Know,” Strutman Lane enters a confident new chapter with their Know What I Know tour. With lively performances that mix infectious singalongs, theatrical stage moments, and a welcoming sense of humor, the band turns every show into a joyful, dance-ready gathering.** **Details:** * **Concert time:** **7:30 PM** * **Meet-up:** **7:00 PM at the lobby, in front of the ticket counters.** * **What to bring:** **Lawn chairs or blankets** * **Pets and comfort/emotional support animals are not permitted at Live from the Lawn events.** **Parking:** **Use the Strathmore Metro garage or nearby street parking.**

**‘Live from the Lawn’ – Summer Concert at Strathmore** **Due to the extreme heat, the Live from the Lawn: Strutman Lane performance scheduled for Wed, July 1 will take place inside the Music Center.** **Join us for an evening under the stars featuring** **Strutman Lane****, a high-energy, eight-piece powerhouse from DC.** **If you’re a fan of classic pop reimagined with** **funky grooves, soulful melodies, and a massive horn section****, you won't want to miss this. Their sound is the perfect mix of nostalgic vibes and modern energy—guaranteed to get you moving!** **The band is currently on their** ***"Know What I Know"*** **tour, and they’re known for more than just music; expect theatrical stage moments, plenty of humor, and a crowd-wide singalong. Let’s grab a spot on the grass and enjoy the show together!** **Details:** * **Concert time:** **7:30 PM** * **Meet-up:** **7:00 PM on the lawn** * **What to bring:** **Lawn chairs or blankets** ***** * **Pets and comfort/emotional support animals are not permitted at Live from the Lawn events.** **Parking:** **Use the Strathmore Metro garage or nearby street parking.**

A safe space where we can talk politics civilly about topics that might interest you. I'll introduce topics and we can choose what we want to discuss. This cafe will be exclusive space for us and will not have a lot of background noise. I am able to run the cash register for alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks. You can order food and have it delivered or bring food. Bringing food to share is welcomed, but please consider buying a drink at the cafe for allowing us to use their space.

Holy Shift! is a weekly small group focused on spiritual growth, authentic conversation, and exploring faith through different forms of media. Each series rotates formats — including books, podcasts, TV shows, movies, and more. For a fresh way to engage spirituality, theology, philosophy, and everyday life, join your small group hosts Steven Robeson and Allie Olson on Wednesdays from 6:00–7:25 PM in the Vine Church Middle School Room. 6:00–6:30 PM — Bring-your-own dinner & casual conversation 6:30–7:25 PM — Spiritual discussion The group will begin June 17th by exploring the Unbelief Podcast, hosted by Jeremy Steele, pastor of NOOMA, which recently joined Vine as a cooperative parish. Holy Shift will expand into deeper seasonal studies in the fall, with future topics ranging from the contemplative writings of Richard Rohr, the Biblical reimagining of The Chosen, and the philosophical underpinnings of The Good Place. Questions? Contact [jennifer@thevineva.org](mailto:jennifer@thevineva.org)

Happy 250th MAGA! We're going to get together this Sunday at Noon to celebrate America's 250th! Out of town MAGA is encouraged to join us and hang out for a few hours. We will meet on the right side of the THIRD level of CC Sports Pub. We will have two bartenders so please order drinks and food from the bar. And TIP WELL! See you there! Fox Magee

Details **Location:** Bus Boy and Poets (K st) The purpose of Thinkers and Drinkers is to facilitate casual but meaningful and interesting conversations with other people in a face-to-face setting. The topics cover a wide variety of issues and are different for every meeting. While conversations may get heated at times, we ask that all members be respectful of each other and refrain from personal insults. **Topic: Party Politics and the Future of the Two-Party System** For more than 150 years, American politics has been dominated by two major parties. While third parties have occasionally influenced elections or introduced new ideas, the Democratic and Republican parties have remained remarkably resilient. In recent years, public frustration with the current system has become increasingly apparent. According to a 2025 [Gallup poll](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2026/05/01/americans-continue-to-view-both-the-republican-and-democratic-parties-negatively/?utm_source=chatgpt.com), **62% of Americans believe the Democratic and Republican parties are doing such a poor job that a third major party is needed.** This dissatisfaction has led the percentage of Americans identifying as political independents to increase from **33% in 1988 to a record 45% in 2025**, **Questions to Consider:** 1. Could a third party ever find success within the near future? 2. Will the main parties see an increase in factionalism? (Socialist faction in the Democratic Party MAGA in the Republican Party) 3. Would electoral reforms such as ranked-choice voting or proportional representation improve political representation? 4. Is today's political polarization primarily caused by the two-party system? 5. What do you think American politics will look like 20–30 years from now?

**Maybe you’re looking for an alternative to celebrating our country’s 250th birthday at donnie’s rally to end democracy? If so, then I suggest a night of exile to the Republic of Takoma Park to see the funkiest band around - 🐈KatBootyJuice!** [KatBootyVibe (YouTube)](YouTube) **Nothing better than having a few drinks at your favorite poorly air conditioned dive bar and getting hot and sweaty on the dance floor with friends and strange-ones.** **KatBootyJuice is led by the enigmatic funkmeister, Jimmy Gold, and his five string bass with his groove masters playing funky favorites from the 70s to the 90s.** **VFW Post 350 (Hell’s Bottom) is a fav hangout with cheap drinks, friendly irregulars, live music 6 nights a week, and a decent dance floor. The Henry Sisters food truck has a tasty menu of offerings. There’s a parking lot or nearby street parking.** **Catch me at the bar or the dance 💃🏽🕺🏻floor**

Join us for a fun, feel-good night of live music with **BANSY**, a DMV-based cover band that knows how to keep the crowd buzzing from the first song to the last encore. **🎵 What to Expect** You might hear covers from artists like: * Pop favorites: Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish * Rock & alternative: Foo Fighters, Paramore, The Killers, Weezer, My Chemical Romance * Classics & legends: Queen, ABBA, Red Hot Chili Peppers * And plenty more surprises along the way! 👉 Check out the band: [https://bansytheband.com/](https://bansytheband.com/) **Parking** is available at nearby MoCo Public Garages ($1.75/Hour). There's plenty of street parking as well.

Join us for a volunteer day helping the animals at Rosie's Farm Sanctuary in Potomac, MD. Before attending this event, you must sign a liability waiver. Please use this link [https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/w/b5nky2tonaovjqgjn6ap5p/web/](https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/w/b5nky2tonaovjqgjn6ap5p/web/) The chores you will be doing are physical. You will be working on big projects that require many volunteers, like removing old bedding, sanitizing stalls, and replacing them with new bedding, along with the daily cleanup chores. Wear boots and clothing you don’t mind getting dirty. The minimum age for young volunteers is 10 with a parent present. Feel free to bring a filled water bottle. On sunny days, a brimmed hat and sunglasses may be helpful. Sunscreen is also suggested. Please do not bring any food or yummy-smelling items on your body or in your bag, as our animals love to eat and are on special diets. Out of respect for the animals, we do not allow any food with animal products to be consumed at Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary. Please ensure that all edible items are plant-based (no dairy, no cheese, no cow’s milk ice cream, no meat, no fish, no eggs). Thank you for your cooperation and respect for this. It is very important to us. There is a gift shop where you can browse and warm up during the event. Please post your pictures and tag Rosie’s Farm Sanctuary and VSDC! Stick around at the end for a group photo behind the barn. If there is interest, we may go out to eat in one of our local vegan restaurants afterward. We are limited to 30 volunteers, so please change your RSVP if you cannot attend. Rosie's Farm Sanctuary is always in need of volunteers. If you want to volunteer with them outside of VSDC's volunteer days, make sure to visit [Rosies Farm Sanctuary ](https://rosiesfarmsanctuary.org/volunteer/) to sign up. By coming to this event, we expect you to follow the code of conduct found at [Policies - VSDC - Veg Society of DC](https://vsdc.org/policies/). **VSDC: More Than A Meetup** We are delighted to have you as part of The Veg Society of DC Vegan Meetup group, and we look forward to seeing you at our events. Did you know that [VSDC](https://vsdc.org/%20) is a nonprofit organization with membership benefits? With VSDC membership, you will save money at area restaurants and businesses, attend VSDC member-only events, and, most importantly, support us as a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. The membership fee is minimal, but the impact is significant! [Join today](https://vsdc.org/membership/)! **Ways to Stay In Touch with Us** Thank you for being part of our Meetup presence and bringing like-minded people together. We invite you to: * Become a [VSDC member](https://vsdc.org/membership/) to save money at area restaurants and support us in being a clear and consistent voice for improving the lives of all beings through community building and education centered on the benefits of a vegan diet and lifestyle. * Sign up for our[ monthly e-newsletter](https://vsdc.org/about/newsletter/) to hear more about our activities. * Follow us on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/vegsocietydc/) or [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/vegsocietydc/) to engage with us. **Interested in Volunteering with VSDC?** VSDC offers many events each month, thanks to the dedication of our event planning team. Would you consider volunteering? To learn more and get started, [please visit our website](https://vsdc.org/volunteer/). **Only Vegan Food, Please** While VSDC welcomes people wherever they are on the path to an all-plant, vegan diet and lifestyle, it is our policy that only vegan food be served and consumed at our events. If you would like to [explore a vegan diet or get support in making lifestyle changes, consider these resources](https://vsdc.org/exploringvegan/). **Liability Waiver and Code of Conduct** When you sign up to attend, you automatically acknowledge [VSDC's Liability Waiver](https://vsdc.org/activity-waiver/) and commit to follow the code of conduct found at [Policies - VSDC - Veg Society of DC](https://vsdc.org/policies/). **VSDC. Creating communities. For your health, the animals, and the planet.**

(Cancelled because of excessive heat forecast. Hope to reschedule soon.) Another Fourth Of July is about to explode all around us, so it's time to renew the annual Independence Day hike at Great Falls (MD), an Adventuring tradition started by the late, great Damon Miller. This will be an easy round-trip stroll of about five miles, starting and ending at the historic Great Falls Tavern on the C&O Canal. Shortly after our start downstream, we will detour off the Canal towpath across Bear and Olmstead Islands to the Falls Overlook, where we can savor its ever-fabulous view of Great Falls. Retracing our steps to the towpath, we will pass several locks and the impressive Widewater Basin. Our turnaround point near Anglers Inn just beyond Widewater features nearby restroom facilities. Our return leg will be on the Berma Road atop the Washington Conduit that carries Potomac River water down to the Georgetown Reservoir. Once we're finished our hike back at the Tavern, we'll head over to the nearby picnic grounds to enjoy our lunches. Those who are still thirsty after our bully summer endeavor may consider adjourning to Anglers Inn for refreshments, if there's any room at the Inn. Bring plenty of beverages, lunch and/or snacks, sunscreen, bug spray and the $5 Adventuring trip fee; carpool passengers from Tenleytown Metro should also give their drivers $5, plus a share of the Park Admission Fee in case the entrance stations are staffed. (Bring a National Parks Pass if you have one; it will get your entire carload in for free.) Those needing rides and those able to offer rides will form our carpool at the Tenleytown Metro Station in front of the Panera at Wisconsin Avenue and Albemarle Street at 11 a.m. Carpool participants will rendezvous at the Great Falls Tavern with those driving directly to the Park at 11:45 a.m. The Tavern's address is 11710 MacArthur Boulevard, Potomac, MD 20854. We should finish by 3 p.m. NEW! Please [click here](https://adventuringlgbtq.com/Adventuring_Release_Form.pdf) to review our release form. When you RSVP to an event, you affirm that you have read and agree to the terms of the release. Everyone must RSVP on their own behalf.

Open Shelter has teamed up again with Red White and Boom! Friday, July 3rd & we are looking for volunteers to run the event’s alcohol booths. Proceeds from sales go to the Open Shelter’s organization. There are two available shifts: 12-6p & 5-11p. There will be an ipad-like device to process transactions in addition to cash. Everything will be in bottles or cans, so transactions should be very easy. Must be 21+. There are multiple beverage stations along the Civic Center Bridge. The stations are covered and also have beverage trucks next to them, so volunteers can cool off in the trucks. As far as parking, it is suggested those who are coming from the east use the Columbus Commons Garage, and those from the west use the Belle Street Garage. Harry from the Open Shelter will be your contact. (614)562-2169 mailto:harry@theopenshelter.org More information about the event: https://redwhiteandboom.org/ More information about the organization: https://theopenshelter.org/

**Don’t miss your opportunity to learn from a duo with over 16 years of experience combined. During this demonstration event, you can expect to learn how to direct and guide your creative vision through lighting and communication to your model. We guarantee you will leave this event feeling more confident to try new lighting set ups to match up with your anticipated outcome. Finding the right way to express your vision is key to getting your model to pose accordingly, so we got you there too! To take this even further, think about signing up for a tutorial spot following the demonstration.** ***Note: this is a demonstration event only, you will not shoot your own images. However, if you bring your camera we can test it for compatibility with the studio lights.*** **Following the demonstration will be a tutorial/coaching event - sign up separately if you are interested at** https://calendar.app.google/ZcHb4CQB2rrV3U7j9 **Save and book both for $199 (discounted from $215; the discount will be applied on the Tutorial invoice).**

Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process. Fast track • Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell). • Show up and try it out. • Complete application, etc. later. Normal process • Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/). • Attend orientation in advance. • At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility. • Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM. • Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895). The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014. Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.

Sleep in on Sundays. When you've had your fill of pajama-time, roll out and have some tasty brunch with your fellow Humanists!

We're planning a hands-on technical session focused on building AI solutions in ServiceNow - think skills, agents, and real-world use cases. If you’re curious about AI on the platform, RSVP now and stay tuned for more details. Let's build together!

Let’s meet and discuss John Updike's Rabbit, Run, the first in his series of four novels following the life, hopes, and disappointments of former local basketball star, Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, as he fitfully confronts and evades adulthood.