Best Annual Charity Event
First place: ILH Ladies Board Rummage Sale, Leesburg, LadiesBoard.org, 703-771-2985
Vintage cigar molds from Germany, a Chanel blazer, a painting by Dali—guests at the ILH Annual Ladies Board Rummage Sale have walked home with some seriously fabulous finds from the 50,000-square-foot sea of merchandise. Last year, $284,000 were raised for INOVA Loudoun hospital. This year’s sale will be held Oct. 14-15.
Second place: CASA CIS’ Annual Evening Under the Stars, Manassas, CASACIS.org, 703-330-8145
Third place: Step Sisters’ Ribbon Run 5K, Ashburn, StepSisters.org
Best Art Event
First place: Art on the Avenue, Alexandria, ArtOnTheAvenue.org, 703-683-2570
Art on the Avenue provides a showcase for around 300 local artists each year in disciplines ranging from bag making and ceramics to painting and woodworking. Plus, guests enjoy food from local vendors and live music on four stages, and can even buy a slice of one of the entries in the pie-baking contest.
Second place: Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival, Reston, RestonArts.org, 703-471-9242
Third place: Historic Manassas Gallery Walk, ManassasGalleryWalk.com, 703-361-6599
Best Art Gallery
First place: The Torpedo Factory, Alexandria, AlexandriaTorpedoFactory.org, 703-746-4570
During WWII, torpedoes for aircrafts and submarines were manufactured in the space that today comprises 82 working artist studios and seven galleries. The works of approximately 165 artists are on display, including enamels, prints and fabrics among many others.
Second place: Del Ray Artisans, Alexandria, AlexandriaDelRayArtisans.org, 703-838-4827
Third place: Creative Brush Studio, Manassas, ManassasCreativeBrush.com, 703-335-8005
Best Charity
First place: The Ladies Board of INOVA Loudoun Hospital, Leesburg LadiesBoard.org, 703-771-2985
In 1912, three doctors approached women in the Loudoun community to help raise funds for the building of a hospital; 105 years later, the hospital is still thriving, and so is the Ladies Board of INOVA Loudoun Hospital. Last year, $450,000 were raised for the hospital through its annual Rummage Sale, gift shop and thrift shop.
Second place: Cornerstones, Reston, RestonCornerstonesVA.org, 571-323-9555
Third place: Step Sisters, Ashburn, AshburnStepSisters.org
Best Family Entertainment
First place: Belle Haven Marina, Inc. Mariner Sailing School, Alexandria, AlexandriaSailDC.com, 703-768-0018
Get out your Top-Siders for a class at the largest full-time sailing school on the Potomac. Basic and advanced classes are available for students aged 8-15, and a basic class is held for adults. Belle Haven teaches both sailing and powerboating skills.
Second place: Paint Your Own Pottery, Fairfax, CreateLikeCrazy.com, 703-218-2881
Third place: Topgolf, Ashburn, Topgolf.com, 703-763-2020
Best Food Festival
First place: Taste of Reston, RestonTaste.com, 703-707-9045
Variety is the spice of life, and it’s always on the menu at Taste of Reston, which celebrates its 27th event June 16-17. Guests can enjoy live music , explore a family fun zone for kids, and watch chefs from dozens of restaurants conduct demonstrations and tastings.
Second place: Taste of Arlington, TasteOfArlington.com, 703-519-1600
Third place: Chocolate Lovers Festival, Fairfax, ChocolateFestival.net, 703-385-7949
Best Movie Theater
First place: Angelika Film Center Mosaic, Fairfax, AngelikaFilmCenter.com, 571-512-3301
Blockbuster fans and indie cinephiles alike will enjoy a lineup that mixes off-beat and big-budget studio films, along with cultural offerings like filmed theater and ballet performances, festivals and screenings of popular anime. This summer, look for a live broadcast of Salomé from the stage of the National Theatre.
Second place: Alamo Drafthouse One Loudoun, Ashburn, Drafthouse.com/Ashburn, 571-293-6808
Third place: Cinema Arts Theatre, FairfaxCinemaArtsTheatre.com, 703-978-6991
Best Museum
First place: National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, AirAndSpace.SI.edu, 703-572-4118
Ride a P-38 from World War II; attempt to create a habitat on the moon hospitable to humans; and design a spacecraft to explore Mars. Here, aspiring aviators and astronauts enjoy hands-on activities like these. Recent additions include Smithsonian TechQuest: Flying Circus, an alternate reality aviation game.
Second place: The Manassas Museum, ManassasMuseum.org, 703-368-1873
Third place: National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, USMCMuseum.com, 877-635-1775
Best Music Venue
First place: Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts Filene Center, Vienna, WolfTrap.org, 703-255-1900
This summer, music lovers can see legends from across genres, including Bernadette Peters, Sheryl Crow, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, and a National Symphony Orchestra performance of the score from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. The season ends with concerts from Blondie and the Beach Boys.
Second place: The Birchmere, Alexandria, Birchmere.com, 703-549-7500
Third place: Jammin Java, Vienna, JamminJava.com, 703-255-1566
Best Performing Arts Company
First place: Gainesville Dance Center, GainesvilleDanceCenter.com, 703-257-5000
Take in a performance by Gainesville Dance Center students, and you just might be witnessing the birth of a star. Former students have gone on to compete on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance?, and perform with the Radio City Rockettes. More than 100 classes between two locations offer tap, ballet, contemporary and jazz.
Second place: Showcase Dance Studio, Manassas, ShowcaseDanceStudio.net, 703-368-0555
Third place: Manassas Ballet Theatre, ManassasBallet.org, 703-257-1811