Anniversary Weekend

Over 150 friends, neighbors, and Bannockburn alumni have said they plan to gather for the Friday night Kickoff Party from 6:30-8:30PM, and we couldn’t be more excited!

Community-favorite ensemble Batida Diferente will serenade us with their eclectic instrumental mix of Brazilian, Latin, and American jazz and pop music while we mix and mingle with neighbors old and new. Check out the band’s music on your favorite streaming service to get in the mood!

We’ll enjoy a great selection of hors d’oeuvres from Praline Bistro & Bakery, including options for our vegetarian and vegan guests. Praline is located in the Sangamore Shopping Center. Its owner, Susan Limb, is President of the Bannockburn Elementary School PTA and known to many of you as a longtime supporter of events that serve our Bannockburn Community. We’re thrilled that Praline is able to be part of this special occasion!

If you see neighbors Betsy McIntyre or Bart Hawe milling around the tent on Friday, raise your glass to them for managing all the beverage acquisitions for this event! They’ve put together a wide assortment of non-alcoholic beverages, beer, and wine, so you’re sure to find something you like at the bar.

After the event officially ends at 8:30 PM, feel free to stick around for a showing in the Ballroom of the trailer for the upcoming documentary “Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round.” In it, filmmaker Ilana Trachtman presents the story of the desegregation of Glen Echo Park in 1960, including interviews with many Bannockburnians who participated in the effort.

In addition to eating, drinking, and generally being merry, we’re gathering to formally welcome our Newcomers since April 2019. If you know someone who’s moved in since then (and there are a LOT of someones who have!), please encourage them to attend! Your script might go something like this:

YOU: “Hey, that Friday night cocktail hour is also a make-up for Bannockburn’s legendary Newcomers’ Dinner tradition that we couldn’t have during the pandemic. You should come.”
NEWCOMER: “Maybe. We’ll see.”
YOU: “Normally during Newcomers’ Dinner, we make the new neighbors stand up and introduce themselves to the whole community in a charming, comedic, and witty impromptu performance for which we offer literally zero advance warning. But this year, there are so many Newcomers, you’ll probably be able to get away with just standing up and waving when they call your street name or something.”
NEWCOMER: 😳 “Could you forward me that Evite link? Also the name of a reliable babysitter and directions to the Clubhouse would be great, TYVM!”

Adults only, please. Dress as you like. And please RSVP!

All are invited to the Clubhouse Grounds from 10:00-11:30AM to share stories of Bannockburn’s founding and catch up with visiting former residents over coffee and bagels. We are hoping to have Mary Fox Herling’s nephew share his recollections of her founding role, and we welcome others who might like to share their memories. This will be a great chance for guests traveling in for the weekend to tour the renovated Clubhouse grounds and tour the neighborhood to see what’s changed and what’s the same.

Putting the “festiv” in festival, Chelle Parsky will be delighting young and old with her facepainting skills and Amy Tenney-Curren has organized a variety of kids games and activities to keep little hands and feet busy. Between sets, check out the historical displays in the Clubhouse, catch a bit of last year’s Spring Show 66 on the Ballroom television, and strike up a conversation with someone who grew up here (for a good time, ask about the panic that gripped the neighborhood when an arcade opened in the 7-11 shopping center!).

Thanks to steadfast neighborhood food truck supporter Tanya Sisler, we’ll have a variety of great food offerings at the Clubhouse during the Music Festival. No pre-orders; order, pay, and pick-up on-site directly with the vendors. If a menu is available online, you will find it by clicking on the name of the vendor below.

Every 5 years, Bannockburn gathers on the rear Clubhouse grounds during the Anniversary weekend for a panoramic photograph. While no photo is big enough to capture the spirit of this special place, it is fun to look back over decades of photos and pick yourself out — first as a preschooler, then your high school self, later holding your own kids. Feeling nostalgic yet? 😉

Set a reminder on your calendar to head to the Clubhouse at 4:30PM for the group photo. Everyone will be there – don’t miss it!

If anyone has professional photography equipment and wants to donate the effort of setting up this shot, we’d welcome your help. Email contact-bcc@bannockburncommunity.org.

**ADDED ATTRACTION**

Thanks to the persistent and dedicated David Weisz and Patty Howie, we’re thrilled to offer this additional event as part of the 75th Anniversary weekend!

Trace the history of our community from its inception to the present! The Bannockburn Archive will be available for viewing on Saturday, September 24, from 1:00-4:00 PM.

Staff of the American University Archives and Special Collections, who administer the Bannockburn Archive, have kindly offered to open their offices to us. They have also prepared a special exhibit for the occasion. Included are such treasurers as architectural plans of many of the original homes, news articles tracing the growth of Bannockburn, the famously snide letter sent by Frank Lloyd Wright in response to BCI’s request for proposed designs for the community, and interviews with some original community members. A complete list of what is available can be found through the Archive’s Finding Aid.

AU Archives staff will be available to assist with navigating the materials on display. The AU Archives, located just over the DC line at 4801 Massachusetts Ave. NW, is only a 10-minute drive from Bannockburn. More information and directions will be provided at the Anniversary Breakfast on Saturday morning. If you’re interested in viewing the Archive but are unable to attend the Breakfast, please contact David Weisz or Patty Howie for assistance.

Join third-generation Bannockburnian and personal trainer Nora Mann for a free bootcamp exercise class on the Clubhouse grounds starting at 9:30AM. (Yes, that’s right. We scheduled it so you over-worked and under-worked-out parents of young children can send your partner to the Great Zucchini show with the kids and you can get some solid exercise in. We know. We love you, too.)

Teens and adults only; no children, please. Dress to move!