First Thursday: Home Sweet Home

The final First Thursday of 2011 is this week, beginning at 6 p.m. along Mt. Vernon Avenue.

The monthly summer street festival is sponsored by the Del Ray Business Association, which has made the theme of Thursday’s event “Home Sweet Home.”

Many area realtors, architects, home services, home-based businesses and Avenue regulars will sponsor activities throughout the night up and down Mt. Vernon from Hume Avenue to E. Nelson Avenue.

Some highlights include:

• will host a wine and cheese reception as well as a special contest for customers.
• Local architect Gaver Nichols will be meeting people at the corner of Hume and Mt. Vernon avenues for tours of the nearby Lofts of Del Ray.
• will be hosting pet adoptions throughout the evening.
• Emma Cech, owner of the soon-to-open gluten-free bakery , will have some sweet samples available at Vital Body and Mind Therapies.
• The ladies behind the DIY Del Ray blog will be meeting and greeting folks outside The Neighborhood Pharmacy (You can also check out from DIY Del Ray on Del Ray Patch).
• The Kate Moran Band will be playing at the Del Ray Farmers’ Market lot. There will also be live music at and at the E. Nelson end of the festival.
• Sweetcheeks will offer face painting for children at the farmers market lot courtesy of Jen Walker of McEnearney Associates.
• Free pedicabs will be available to transport people up and down the Avenue courtesy of area realtors Sue Kovalsky and Gretchen Wilkinson as well as Dr. Richard Stone, DDS. 

The DRBA is also hosting a scavenger hunt. Interested participants can pick up a form at the farmers market lot for participating businesses. For a chance to win prizes from a bevy of neighborhood businesses, just follow the clues and directions.

Rebuilding Together Alexandria will be the event’s featured non-profit. The organization will be accepting donations to assist in its community service projects in the farmers market lot.