Hobbies

We're playing board games at Your Hobby Place, a Friendly Local Gaming Store in Old Town Alexandria. Feel free to bring your own games. They also have their own library of games available for play. We start at 6:00, but your group can certainly show up earlier. The store closes at 9:30. Snacks and drinks are available for sale, and several good restaurants are nearby. Free parking on Wythe St. and Columbus St. The store is 1/2 mile east from the Braddock Road Metro station down Wythe St.

Bring your handwork, sip the beverages of your chiice, and hang out with other fiber arts lovers for crafting and conversation. —Note: Meetup signups are limited for free groups so if it’s full—come anyhow! —And a very important note from the last event: Busboys and Poets happy hour ends at 7 so if you’d like your drink 1/2 price, come early! —look for the table with the yellow skein on It.

♠️😲♠️ W.O.W. Spades Night ♠️😲♠️ Washington on Wednesday (W.O.W.) - 3rd Wednesday Spades in DC 🌟Spades in DC! 😀 Hang out with a friendly and welcoming group. Meet new people and have a great time! ✅️ No partner needed! Find one onsite. All skill levels are welcome. 📌 Nando's Peri-Peri Chicken - Navy Yard 300 Tingey St SE #150, Washington, DC 20003 ❤️ **Posted in multiple groups. So, expect a nice crowd.** 🚌 One block from Navy Yard Metro Station 🚗 Street and Garage Parking available. 🍷 Alcoholic beverages are available! 🍗 Please support the business by purchasing food/drinks. 🌟 The fun starts at 5:30pm! RSVP today.

Come join us at Nova Labs for our monthly lockpicking meeting! We meet every third Wednesday at the Nova Labs Fairfax location at 3850 Jermantown Road. Learn about locks, lockpicking, lock modifications, and even lock smithing in our classroom environment. No tools, skills, or knowledge required, but feel free to bring any of those things with you! Our meetings are overseen by one or more locksmiths.

Best darn night ever! Lots of games. Even more laughs. Come and find out for yourself. New members or members who just haven't been out to a meetup are strongly encouraged to come. All are welcomed! OH, and Spider Kelly's has an awesome beer garden in the back. On nice nights, that's where will be. Can't make this board game night? Good thing we do this EVERY Wednesday. Other groups this event is posted to: Fun Times in the DMV, Arlington 20's & 30's Shenanigans, Alexandria-Arlington Active & Awesome, What's Up Arlington, Ballston and Clarendon Singles Mingle Group, Arlington 30s/40s, and !Best Happy Hours in the DMV

Come the whole time or if you just spend 30 minutes. All are welcome. You are welcome and encouraged to bring your own coloring supplies but, if you don't have any, I will have plenty and am happy to share! (coloring books, colored pencils, and markers). Part of the mission of this group is to provide us an opportunity to check out AND SUPPORT local businesses. So, please don't bring any outside food/drinks and, while purchasing something isn't at all a REQUIREMENT to participate in the event, I do strongly encourage you to try something from the vendor :) I look forward to seeing and meeting you there! ***\*\*DISCLAIMER*\*\*** Photos may be taken during the event to be shared here on Meetup so feel free to let me know if you'd like to be excluded from them.

Ready for a fun night out where you make your own artisan pizza AND craft cocktails? Join us at The Commentary for a hands-on cooking and mixology experience! 📍Address: 801 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA 22203 During this interactive class, you'll: ✨ Learn how to make authentic Italian-style pizza 🍕 Create your own delicious pizza from scratch 🍹 Step over to the craft cocktail station and learn how to mix a signature drink 🥂 Enjoy the food and drinks you just made with the group This class is guided by the restaurant’s culinary team and pizza experts, making it a fun and relaxed way to learn new skills while meeting great people. 💰 Cost: $55 per person 👥 Spots are limited to 16 people only 🔞 Age: 21+ 🎟 Buy your ticket [here](https://thecommentaryarl.com/artisan-pizza-craft-cocktails-march-2026/) When purchasing your ticket , make sure you choose the march 21st 7pm times slot. Whether you come solo or bring a friend, it’s a great way to socialize, learn something new, and enjoy amazing pizza and cocktails together. 👉 RSVP early if you’re interested — these classes fill up fast!

**Regular Garden admission and memberships apply.** | Ages 5 & under | Free | | -------------- | ---- | | Age 6 - 17 | $5.00 | | Age 18 - 59 | $9.00 | | Age 60 and over | $5.00 | **We will meet at the visitor center.** **Bring Water, a tripod, comfortable shoes, fully charged batteries, and empty cards** **There is no specific route in this park. Folks are free to wander around the trails in the park at their own pace.** **Check out Rob Trek's video from May 16, 2021: [https://youtu.be/QwNR_TuxM4Y](https://youtu.be/QwNR_TuxM4Y)** **For lunch, after the field trip around 12:00 PM, we will head to The Virginian Restaurant, 169 Glyndon St SE, Vienna, VA 22180** Share only your very best, most interesting shots after the field trip, and keep it down to between 5 and 10 photos. Beauty, conservation, education, and discovery flourish throughout the year at this 95-acre complex of large ornamental display gardens and unique native plant collections. Walking trails, lakes, more than twenty varieties of cherry trees, irises, peonies, an extensive shade garden, native wildflowers, gazebos, birds, butterflies, seasonal blooms, and foliage create a sanctuary of beauty and nature. https://www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_botanical_gardens/ By sending in an RSVP and joining this meetup event hosted by the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I am also agreeing to the terms of the following release and waiver of liability, which shall be binding on my heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns. In consideration of my (and my child’s) participation in the Virginia Beltway Photography Meetup, I do hereby release, discharge, and hold harmless the Organizer, its members, officers, directors, employees, and the leader(s) of this event from any and all liability by reason of any damage, loss, expenses, or injury arising from my (and my child’s) participation in this event, including that caused solely or in part by the fault of any and all of the above-named parties.

Join us for an exciting evening of fun, laughter, and learning at our Indoor Pickleball Play & Learn event! No experience? No problem! Whether you've never picked up a paddle or you're just looking to have a blast, this event is for you. All you need is a pair of non-marking sneakers (to keep the courts and your knees in tip-top shape) and a spirit ready for some social fun. If you have paddles, feel free to bring them along. Event schedule: **30-minute Introduction:** Get checked in to the facilty, learn the basics of pickleball and get ready to play! **1 Hour of Court Time:** Get on the court with 6 players per court - 4 will play while 2 observe, learn & rotate in every few minutes. **30-Minute Decompress & Social Time:** Wind down at the onsite restaurant & bar, where you can refuel, hydrate, and be social! This is all about having a good time, making friends, and enjoying the game. So come prepared to laugh, learn, and maybe even discover your new favorite sport! Don't miss the chance to dive into the world of pickleball - bring your friends or come solo - everyone is welcome! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. We can't wait to see you there! We'll reconfirm RSVP's again before the event to avoid no-shows and allow those on the waitlist an opportunity to join. **WAITLIST:** Meetup does not allow a waitlist for paid events. If this event fills and you are interested in adding your name to the waitlist, please send host a message through the app. We look forward to a fantastic night filled with strategy, skill and socializing!

***Join us for an evening in an electronics lab where we will attempt to run clean scans of gold samples, and then clean up that data with post processing.*** This is a high sensitivity experiment, and we do not plan on being successful so early. But we've had promising results lately - so we will be putting in the time. We are NOT meeting at our usual location, but rather at Steve's house/lab. If you RSVP, you will get a DM with the address but it's located in Silver Spring. We will attempt full, clean lab - clean tip repeated scanning tests to see what we can learn and improve. We will experiment with online attendees, but if all possible showing up in person is strongly encouraged. Online join link is: - [https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers](https://meet.jit.si/mocomakers) Our community is building (and documenting for other teams) how to build a scanning tunneling microscope using a mix of common and 3D printed parts. This will allow us to scan and visualize a single atom - an ambitious we are doing over the course of a few months. The MoCo Makers community is one of the most innovative and competent groups in Maryland, and we've done everything from [publishing cancer research](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38136356/), to [launching products](https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gotim/cozy-curvy-multi-contour-pillow), [winning grants](https://covidinfocommons.datascience.columbia.edu/awards/2014255), and inspiring thousands. Now our biggest challenge yet has appeared. We are building a Scanning Tunneling Microscope, that will allow us to scan and visualize single atoms. To get a better idea of what we are doing, see our reference project here: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7N3OqTEq08g) All starting CAD, code, and reference files should exist. However, let's be the first Maker community to document the build process and share it with learners around the world. We will be publishing our work here -[ https://hackaday.io/project/202816-qt-panda](https://hackaday.io/project/202816-qt-panda) If you need a ride, let us know.

Details Location: Crimson Whiskey Bar (Either the downstairs whiskey bar, or main floor bar, TBD) 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. Here's the updated version: *** **Topic: Reasons to Be Excited (A Technology Optimism Round)** It's easy to doom-scroll your way into thinking the world is falling apart. And honestly, some of our recent meetings haven't helped. So this time, we're flipping the script: what technology are you actually *excited* about? This isn't a request for blind techno-utopianism. Skepticism is welcome. But the goal is to spend some time on the genuine wins and promising horizons, because there are more of them than the headlines suggest. Here's a quick tour of some things worth being optimistic about: * **AI in everyday life** — Love it or hate it, AI tools are genuinely saving people hours of tedious work. From coding assistants to writing tools to writing this very event descriptin you're reading now to AI that sits inside your spreadsheets and email, the practical applications are moving faster than most people expected even two years ago. The question is less "will this be useful?" and more "who actually benefits, and when?" * **Clean energy's quiet boom** — Solar and battery storage have had a decade of jaw-dropping cost reductions. The U.S. added more renewable capacity last year than any year on record. It's not fast enough for some, but the trajectory is real. * **CRISPR and gene editing** — In late 2023, the FDA approved the first CRISPR-based treatment for sickle cell disease — a condition that has caused lifelong suffering for millions of people with very few good options. It's the first of what could be a long list of genetic diseases that are now, for the first time, actually curable rather than just manageable. * **Lab-grown meat** — Chicken and beef grown directly from animal cells, no slaughter required. It's real, it's been approved for sale in the US, and while it's still expensive and not yet on your grocery shelf, the cost curves are dropping fast. Whether you care about animal welfare, climate, or just think it's cool, this one is quietly wild. * **SpaceX and the new space economy** — Reusable rockets went from fantasy to routine. Launch costs have dropped by an order of magnitude in 15 years, opening the door to satellite internet in remote areas, new science missions, and yes, eventually humans on Mars (whether or not that excites you). * **Brain-computer interfaces** — Still early, still expensive, but Neuralink and others are giving paralyzed patients the ability to control devices with their thoughts. The sci-fi shelf life on this one is getting shorter. **Questions to Consider:** * Is there a technology you were skeptical about that has actually won you over? What changed your mind? * Which of these feels most overhyped — and which feels *under*hyped? * Are the benefits of new technology reaching people broadly, or mostly concentrating among the already-fortunate? * Is optimism about technology a luxury? Does it depend on where you live, how much money you have, or what you do for work? * What's something small and unglamorous — not AI, not space — that has genuinely made your life better recently?

12:45-3:45 in the Meeting Room on the library lowest level. Bring your yarn projects, meet new friends. If you plan to attend, please RSVP yes. If you can’t attend, please change your RSVP to no. This helps anyone who is waitlisted and it allows me to have an accurate count of attendees as our space is quite limited. Plenty of parking in the lot, in the overflow lot across the street, and on the street. See you there! Winter Note: If the weather is bad and I have to cancel the Meetup, i will issue the cancellation not later than 10 a.m. of that day.

**⚔️ Introduction to Wargaming & Painting Miniature Soldiers at The Arcane Foundry ⚔️** Join me in **The War Room at [The Arcane Foundry](https://share.google/S5i6DYJnJteHWeKtd)** for a laid-back evening of hobby talk and tabletop fun! For just **$25**, you’ll get a **3D-printed regiment of 20 high quality resin models** of your choice to paint — a **$40-70 value!** Bring your creativity, relax, and let’s make something awesome together. This is a limited time promotional offer. All regiments are made to order and require **4-5 hours of production time**, so please give me at least a **5 day notice**, so I can have them ready for you! All miniatures are printed with a commercial license. **Choose one from Below:** * 20 Empire Soldiers * 20 Dwarf Warriors * 20 Elf Spearmen Step into a world where strategy meets artistry — and where every painted figure tells a story of battle, honor, and imagination. Join **Daclaud** at **The Arcane Foundry** for an evening that introduces newcomers and enthusiasts alike to the timeless craft of **tabletop wargaming** and **miniature painting**. My own journey began with a fascination for fantasy — knights in armor, grim and hardened warriors, and monstrous creatures locked in epic battle. That passion led me to **Dungeons & Dragons**, where I painted my first **Basic Heroes set** and felt the spark that comes from bringing a character to life in miniature form. Not long after, I discovered **Warhammer Fantasy** and **Warhammer 40,000**, and I was hooked. The vision of vast armies clashing across the table — each unit meticulously painted, each story unfolding through dice and imagination — became my creative obsession. During this event, we’ll explore the **origins of wargaming**, from its early military simulations to the richly detailed worlds of modern tabletop battle systems. You’ll learn how to **build and customize your own armies**, paint your first figures, and experience the joy of turning strategy and storytelling into a hands-on art form. Whether you’re drawn by the lore, the hobby, or the thrill of commanding miniature legions, this introduction will open the gates to a world that has captivated hobbyists for generations. **🎨 RSVP today and join us at The Arcane Foundry — where every brushstroke and battle tells a story.**

Let’s meet and discuss this fun but moving collection of wildly creative short stories. (Photo credit: TimesNowNews.com)

**SPECIAL PROMOTION**: Buy 3 and get 1 Free! (5 oz glass jars only) Looking for a creative night out that isn’t boring or corporate? Come hang out at **The Arcane Foundry** for an open candle bar and a 3D print paint and sip! Choose something from our 3D-printed shelf — *think ceramic paint-and-sip, but way cooler and with custom models we print in-house.* Or head to the candle bar and pick your fragrances to pour your own **pillar candle or container candle**. Sip complimentary tea, enjoy bakery snacks, and **BYOB wine or beer** while you paint, pour, and make whatever the hell you feel like making. No experience needed — this is all vibes, fun, and meeting new people while creating something you’ll actually want to take home. **Candle Making** (includes vessel, your choice of wick, wax, scented oil, labels and lids) 5oz Glass Jars $15 8oz Candle Tins $25 12oz Glass Candles $35 12oz Amber Jars $40 16 oz Skull or Jack o Lantern Candle Mugs $65 (Limited Edition!) \[www\.thearcanefoundry\.com\]\(The Arcane Foundry\) **All materials included. You just bring yourself (and your drink of choice).** **Payments accepted:** * Credit Card * Venmo: @Daclaud-Lee * Cashapp: $DaclaudL

OpenClaw, NemoClaw, personal assistants, 24/7 agents. What does it all mean? How does it all work and what should we know about it? Whether you’re deep in the field or just getting curious, come connect with others building and exploring AI in Columbus. Sponsored by [Transform Labs](https://www.transformlabs.com/services)

Kevin Rhodus from Lucy Deep Park Northside is coming to talk to us about his extensive neighborhood Christmas light display that is open in November and December every year north of Dublin. 9 houses over 12 acres and over 120,000 individual controlled lights that sync to music which you can tune into on your radio! Quite impressive! https://ldplights.com/ We'll dive into the tech that runs the show -- should be a blast to hear about this very elaborate display! While we continue to pursue a more permanent venue for this Meetup, we’ll be using public library facilities based on availability. This session will be at the Dublin Library in the Meeting Room 2