A BIG thank you!

On this final day before Cheverly Day 2013, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has worked diligently throughout the year -- and especially in the final days -- leading up to the biggest celebration in town. You are the reason that the largest annual community event goes forward every year and the reason that people keep coming back. We are indebted to each and every one of you. Special thanks to David Thorpe, who chairs the Cheverly Day Committee and does an amazing job, and to Mike Callahan, who rallies great volunteers each and every year.

We're looking forward to seeing everyone tonight at CHVProm, tomorrow morning at Cheverly Community Market and Cicada Crunch, and throughout the day for a Cheverly-size, Homegrown in Cheverly celebration.

Happy Cheverly Day Eve!

Countdown to Cheverly Day: Two days to go!!!

Wow -- we can't believe that Saturday is nearly here. At this time tomorrow, the Community Center will be a flurry of preparation for CHVProm. Honestly, we don't know where the time has gone. Let's continue our countdown...

TWO DAYS TO GO!

Today, we want to say a very special thank you to Bruce Mitchell and celebrate the years of sound engineering work he's done for Cheverly Day. Bruce has worked tirelessly to make every entertainer onstage sound their very best in all sorts of conditions. We are deeply grateful for his art and expertise. This Saturday, please be sure to shoot Bruce a thumbs up or a whispered thanks -- he'll be busy working his magic, so don't disturb him, but a sign of your appreciation can't hurt!

Three Days to Go! A special message from the Mayor

A Cheverly Day Message from Mayor Mike Callahan

Oh My Gosh!! Quick -- call the Mayor! Something has to be done! Clearly, someone really messed up and mistakenly scheduled both Cheverly Day and Cheverly Community Market on May 18^th.

Wait a minute, calm down, relax, and take a deep breath!

You mean to tell me this was done intentionally? 

The leaders of these two great Cheverly traditions decided to get together and create one simply fabulous day! Not since Peanut Butter and Jelly, Ham and Cheese, Horse and Carriage, or the Fluffernutter (oh, forget the Fluffernutter) has anyone had an idea great as this.

Just imagine, activity in Town park from dawn to dusk: Market Vendors, Cicada Crunch 5K (with real cicadas), Music in the Park, a Midway, Laser Tag, Community Tables, Softball, 3 on 3 Basketball, and, of course, the Fireworks. Only a fireworks display could climax a day like that.     

So please come out to Town Park and help your friends and neighbors celebrate Cheverly’s 82^nd Birthday. The children will love the midway, the teens will love the laser tag, and everyone will love the music and fireworks. 

Stop by the Community Market in the morning and pick up the makings for a picnic lunch or stop by one of the delicious food vendors – but come spend the day. 

On behalf of all of the great volunteers who organize Cheverly Day and Cheverly Community Market, welcome to the best day of the year!!   

Four days to go -- community organizations at Cheverly Day!

With just four -- FOUR -- days to go until the big day, we're celebrating the community organizations that will be on hand for an afternoon of fun in the upper parking lot this Cheverly Day! Get a (temporary) tattoo, make poppies, learn about bees and Cheverly in the future, get a balloon animal or a pin...fun awaits! Do you know what "geocaching" is? Find out on Cheverly Day and get ready for a great adventure.

 The full lineup is on our website -- we'll see you at Cheverly Day!

Countdown to Cheverly Day: The Cicadas

public domain image via WPClipArt

Okay, we're not going to sugar-coat it: we're not the cicadas' biggest fans. Granted, there are several Cheverly Day volunteers who relish the hatching of these insects -- we admire your enthusiasm (though maybe the cookbook is going a little overboard...) But there are a lot of us who, frankly, would happily spend the next few weeks indoors running through human-size habitrails if it meant not coming into contact with the cicadas.

However, we're here to celebrate Cheverly Day, and one very special thing about this area is the occasional influx of cicadas that coincides with Cheverly Day. So here it is: we're celebrating cicadas. Our annual 5k race/2k fun walk takes its name from the 17-year brood...you may really be stomping on them at this year's Cicada Crunch, too! 

Brood II should be hatching any day now, so we'll say that chances are very good that you'll come face to face with a few this Saturday. Some watchers, such as ABC 7's Lauren Ricketts, are predicting a smaller-than-normal hatching in the close-in DC suburbs. Entomologist Michael Raupp from the University of Maryland agrees. He a wonderful cicada map for our region that puts the nearest emergence of Brood II in Calvert, St. Mary’s, Fairfax, Fauquier, and Prince William Counties. Professor Raupp's website Bug Of The Week, shows "the blue/purple color 'II" are the locations that are mostly likely to be severely impacted by the cicadas this year"

map via ABC 7

You can keep track of hatching here. And The Washington Post has published very interesting, helpful advice, too.

We also like The Atlantic Wire's take on our airborne friends. Among their suggestions, go to the beach (though definitely not this weekend!), have fun, and keep a little healthy perspective. After all,

Cicadas aren't dangerous at all. They don't bite or sting. They are here to make babies! The males just fly around from tree to tree, playing their love songs in the hopes of wooing a lady with whom to make babies. Four-hundred of them at a time. Maybe more. So, yeah, not exactly cuddly, but still.

But, really, if you think about it, bugs are everywhere all the time. "The density of cockroaches in Manhattan is far greater than the density of cicadas," Cooley assured us. "There are several million per acre, probably — they just aren't all noisy and flying around." That's obviously disgusting as well, but he's right: Roaches are all around us, all day. And, well, we hate to say it, but there will actually be way more cicadas lurching around at the end of the summer, once the mommy cicadas lay their eggs. And you won't even notice the babies! The little ones are so tiny that they don't even fly around, and they certainly don't sing super-loud sex music. 

Also, it's time to stop being so selfish. Cicadas will be great for the environment. "It's going to be a tremendous boom year for anything that can eat cicada," Cooley explained. From pigeons to ants, the animals around Brood II are going to feast. So there's that.

Okay. We've mustered as much healthy enthusiasm as we can. We're trying. Really, we are. Yay, cicadas!
(A big thank you to Glen Barton for suggesting this post!)

Countdown to Cheverly Day: The CHVProm Photo Booth

At this time next week, we'll all be recovering from a very fun Cheverly Day 2013... There are so many  quirky traditions of Cheverly Day -- mostly brought about by necessity. After all, CHVProm became the amazing DIY event that it is today because a group of "concerned" citizens did not want to let the dance die when funding became an issue.

image by Susan & Joseph Pruden via Flickr

One of our favorite CHVProm traditions is the photo booth, most ably manned by Susan & Joseph Pruden. Every year, the Prudens set up a mini-studio right in the middle of CHVProm.

Joseph & Susan Pruden, via flickr

We love watching the groups, pairs, and the occasional solo subject do their thing in front of the camera.

image by Susan & Joseph Pruden via Flickr

Seeing groups of friends and neighbors...

image by Susan & Joseph Pruden via Flickr

 some friends who are still in Cheverly, some who have moved on...

image by Susan & Joseph Pruden via Flickr

new friends and old, all together again. 

image by Susan & Joseph Pruden via Flickr

Watching wonderful relationships that stand the test of time...

image by Susan & Joseph Pruden via Flickr

 and sharing intimate moments that a camera picks up...

image by Susan & Joseph Pruden via Flickr

 we're so lucky that Susan & Joseph share these memories with us.

image by Susan & Joseph Pruden via Flickr

 Happy Cheverly Day 2013 Week!!

image by Susan & Joseph Pruden via Flickr

For many images of CHVProm over the years, visit flickr. 

One week from today...

It's nearly here...Cheverly Day 2013 is just one week away! We're looking at forecasts that call for beautiful weather next weekend -- sunny and highs in the upper 60s. Here's the full schedule of events...this also appears in the May 2013 Cheverly Town Newsletter.

We'll keep counting down this week, and we have lots of fun things to share this week...keep an eye on the blog for all things Cheverly Day 2013!

Eight days to go and the countdown continues!

Can you believe it? Just eight days until the biggest celebration of the year in this town...Cheverly Day! 

Today, we're very happy to bring you the Cicada Crunch T-Shirt for 2013. Thanks to Glen Barton for putting these together. Racing next Saturday morning? Make sure to wear your shirt for the rest of Cheverly Day -- we all want to congratulate the runners!

There's still time to register...visit our website for registration links, maps, and all the details.

Countdown: Better Late Than Never

Okay, we realize we're a few hours late to Day 10 of our month-long countdown to Cheverly Day, but better late than never, right?

Today, as part of our three-day celebration of the new bands you'll hear at Cheverly Day this year, we bring you Nayas.

Nayas is a Washington, DC-based band that blends Reggae, Cumbia, Rock, and Ska effortlessly and knows how to bring down the house with their songs in both English and Spanish. Their sound is fresh yet mature. Their lyrics speak of love, social issues, friendship, and the simple, beautiful things of life.

We're really looking forward to seeing Nayas live onstage this Cheverly Day!

Countdown to Cheverly Day: Discovering New Music

We only have 11 days until we get to celebrate Cheverly Day! During this countdown, we've celebrated a lot of things...today we celebrate the magic of disovering new music!

Throughout its' history, Cheverly Day has brought many wonderful musical artists to the stage -- from small local garage bands to major international stars. We've enjoyed discovering new acts during the years -- well, new to us anyway. This year, David Thorpe has outdone himself with new salsa, blues, and reggae set to hit the stage. Over the next three days, we'll be celebrating three new bands to check out on Cheverly Day...make sure to welcome them all! Get the full lineup on our website.

Today, we introduce Moonshine Society.

Moonshine Society delivers roots rock, blues, and old school R&B in a style guaranteed to keep audiences dancing, heads nodding, and the drinks flowing.  Often compared to Susan Tedeschi, Bonnie Raitt, and Alabama Shakes, this is a powerful band of musicians from around the world. The band has made their way around the world, including venues throughout the US, Cuba, and China, landing them titles such as #1 Blues/Jazz Band in Shanghai" in TimeOut Magazine, "Top Don't Miss Show" from Delta Airlines Sky Magazine, and more.  In 2012, three members were inducted in to the Blues Hall of Fame.

Blues enthusiasts, college kids, burlesque lovers, and even biker bar regulars come together on the dance floors of a Moonshine Society show.  "They're absolutely fantastic and innovative.  It's the first blues act I've seen in New England that could be described as refreshing."- Satch Romano of the Mighty Housebreakers.

Countdown to Cheverly Day: Public Works Rocks!

With 12 days left to go until Cheverly Day, we're sending out a big THANK YOU to the Cheverly Department of Public Works. The Department works hard almost every day of the year --no matter the weather -- to keep Cheverly clean, well-tended, and beautiful. We always think it looks especially nice on Cheverly Day!

This Cheverly Day, take a minute to thank Juan Torres, Trudy Stenik, and the entire crew of the Department of Public Works -- they go above and beyond for us every day, and they deserve our heartfelt appreciation!

Countdown to Cheverly Day: Just 13 days left!

By this time in two weeks, Cheverly Day 2013 will be a memory. We will have had a great night at CHVProm, a wonderful morning at Cheverly Community Market, an invigorating Cicada Crunch, a terrific day filled with music and games and food, and a spectacular night capped off by fireworks. We'll wake up on Sunday morning with the sights, sounds, and smells of the day still fresh...and some of us will begin to think about Cheverly Day 2014.

Today, with just 13 days until Cheverly Day, we celebrate Cheverly Days of years past. Did you know that you can visit our website for an archive of booklets and information going back to Cheverly Day 2008? Here, in no parictular order, some favorite memories from Cheverly Days past. What are your favorite memories?