Happy New Year!

We at the Ballston Partnership (soon to be Ballston BID!) want to wish everyone a very safe and Happy New Year's celebration.

May all of your New Years dreams and resolutions come true. Here's to 2011!

Ballston BID Press Release!

Announcing the Ballston Business Improvement District

The Ballston Partnership just celebrated it's 25th Anniversary at the October Annual Meeting. Now the Partnership has something else to celebrate this year.

On Saturday, the Arlington County Board unanimously approved the establishment of the Ballston Business Improvement District (BID) effective January 1, 2011. The BID is a public/private partnership in which property and business owners contribute to the maintenance, development and promotion of a commercial district.

The BID will ensure that Ballston property owners have additional resources to keep Ballston competitive, attractive and sustainable in an increasingly competitive commercial real estate environment.

"The reality of a Ballston BID is a huge success that was only possible due to a great Steering Committee, community input and a lot of hard work," said Kelly Shooshan, Vice President of Development of The Shooshan Company. "As President of the Ballston Partnership for the past three years, it has been a challenge to accomplish our vision with limited funding but with Pamela Kahn's leadership of the Partnership she has shown our Board and Community what can be accomplished with minimal staff and budget so I am excited to see what she will be able to accomplish as the Ballston BID."

The Ballston BID's primary focus will be to move the perception of Ballston from a "good place" to a "great place", enhance and communicate Ballston's commercial advantages in an increasingly competitive County/region, increase and protect private and public investment in Ballston's commercial properties, create, manage and sustain Ballston as the premier mixed-use urban environment in the County, and promote Ballston's brand as an internationally recognized hub for science and technology.

Activities will include marketing, branding and promotion, community events, minor physical enhancements such as banners and wayfinding and beautification and transportation enhancements including bike racks, shelters and more.

The Ballston BID includes 119 commercial properties, approximately 8.3 million square feet of development, and more than 118 acres.

Pound Cakes & Whoopie Pies THIS Thursday at the National Science Foundation

Did you hear, food aficionados? The Ballston Partnership's having a Holiday Boutique THIS Thursday and two of your favorite Ballston Farmers Market vendors will be there!

Get your sweet-tooth fix THIS Thursday at the National Science Foundation first-floor atrium from 11:00 AM - 6:00 P

M. You'll find:

Two Belle's Southern Pound Cakes returns to the neighborhood to join us at the Ballston Holiday Artist Boutique. Because a good pound cake is a work of art. Sold in slices (for only $2.00!) and whole cakes (for your holiday parties!), these pound cakes are baked by fantastic southern gals who know their pound cake.

And B. Hall Baker will also be on hand to debut some brand-new flavors. Come sample the pies, buy some on the spot and then order a bunch of these little delicacies for your Holiday parties.

Yum! Yum!

Today's Market is Canceled!

Today's Ballston Farmers Market is CANCELED. Stupid weather... grumble, grumble. Thanks for a great season, everybody!

We'll be back next year, same time, same place--starting May 26th.

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL FARMERS!

Local Foods Local Chefs THIS Thursday!

The Virginia Cooperative Extension program, Local Food Local Chefs, joins the Market this Thursday with chef Andy Bennett from Lyon Hall. Bennet will lead a group of patrons around the market from 6 - 6:30 PM to demonstrate how he uses fresh foods in his recipes.

Open to everyone. Free of charge.

Sweet Bites Creamery Flavors of the Week

Sweet Bites Creamery, the newest member of the Ballston Farmers Market, brings the freshest flavors of handcrafted ice cream sandwiches to Welburn Square THIS Thursday from 3:00-7:00!

Molasses Caramelized Pear (chewy molasses cookie with fresh caramelized pear ice cream)

Uptown Banana (chewy choclate chunk cookies with fresh banana ice cream)

Baked Apple Snickerdoodles (baked apple ice cream paired with classic snickerdoodles)
Peanut Butter Mud Pies (chewy chocolate cookies with fudge cookie & peanut butter ice cream)
Pistachio Chocolate Cherry Macaron (pistachio french macaron with chocolate-cherry sherbert)

Just. Plain. Yummy.

Market Canceled - September 30th!

Due to ominous weather predictions, we have made the difficult decision to close the Farmers Market TODAY, September 30th. Safely is our main concern and the heavy winds they are forecasting can be very dangerous in the square.

But visit us next Thursday from 3-7 for your weekly goodies!