If you’re looking something charitable to do that includes beer and cover bands, then this is your weekend.
Bands and Brews, on July 24 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., lets you scratch your itch to see a cellist perform Dua Lipa while keeping track of how many more drinks you have left before you have to buy more tickets.
The daylong inaugural event is hosted by BallstonGives, and drink ticket sales benefit the Bartenders Relief Fund. The funds raised help local restaurants and bartenders—and create more community events that highlight local food and drink.
Two hundred feet of open-air drinking taking place at the event’s street pub (beer, wine, cocktails), erected on Ballston’s Wilson Boulevard from Wilson, North Stuart, and North Randolph Streets, is closing traffic to the area for the day. For day-of mentions, include #Ballston and #BBBBallston on your posts.
DJ Touch Basis is on the main stage throughout the day, and the schedule of performers includes Andrew Savoia and Fordson Labs (the aforementioned cellist). Turtle Recall, JunkFood, Popstar Drive and Aztec Sun play a hodgepodge of mellow rock mashups for the rest of the day. The evening is closed off by Bobby McKey’s Dueling Pianos, who will play your requests if you make them beforehand on Ballston Business Improvement District’s Instagram page (@ballstonbid).
Drink tickets are recommended to be purchased online before the event, and they’re being offered in bundles for $50 (eight beer or wine, two cocktail), in packs of five for $30 (beer or wine), individually for $10 (cocktail) or $7 (beer or wine). The recommended donation to the Bartenders Relief Fund is $5. The event will be held rain or shine and is free and open to the public, if you don’t plan on drinking.
BallstonGives, a charitable subsidiary owned by the Ballston Business Improvement District, supports the nonprofits of Arlington and the Arlington community through funding and other resources. According to their website, BallstonGives has donated more than $200,000 to the Arlington charities. If you’d like to get involved, you can be a volunteer at the Bands and Brews event. Wilson Boulevard from Wilson, North Stuart, and North Randolph Streets
Feature image courtesy Ballston BID
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