The National Arboretum just off Route 1 normally closes at 5 p.m., but there are some options to see it after hours.

Located at 3501 New York Ave. NE, the 446-acre park attracts more than 700,000 visitors per year, but usually only during its daytime hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

But there are a handful of events at night sponsored by the Friends of the National Arboretum.

On Sunday, the group held a free “extended evening hours” event, allowing visitors through the entrance at 2400 R St. NE from 5 to 8 p.m. As part of the event, there was also a fishing night, which required a free registration ahead of time, along the portion of the arboretum that borders the Anacostia River from 4 to 7 p.m.

If you would like to visit the park after hours, the Friends of the National Arboretum will be holding a concert in the meadow on Saturday, June 8; a movie in the meadow on Saturday, July 20; and another fishing event on Saturday, Aug. 24.

Tickets for some events are required, with donations recommended up to $25.

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It’s mulberry season again on the Route 1 corridor.

The berries of the deciduous tree can be found all over area streets and sidewalks, as well as the purple-stained fingers of kids in local parks.

Along with other berries in Maryland, mulberries generally ripen in June, although they came a little earlier this year. Though the red mulberry is native, the trees around the Route 1 corridor are mostly white mulberries, an invasive species from Asia.

The berries are edible, but they don’t last long, so it’s best to eat them within a day of harvesting, or else freeze them or use them to make pies, tarts or jams.

Ripened mulberries should come right off the tree, or you could lay a tarp or old blanket on the ground and knock them loose with a stick or a broom.

Along Route 1, you can find mulberry trees at Driskell Park in Hyattsville, along Wells Run in University Park, at Lake Artemesia in College Park and on a handful of residential streets. You can find exact locations using the Falling Fruit foraging map.

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The Purple Line’s saving grace was also the reason why it has gone over budget and been delayed once again.

Since its launch in 2015, the 16.2-mile light rail transit project that will run through parts of Riverdale Park and College Park has repeatedly seen construction delays and cost overruns, most recently with the approval of an additional $425 million.

Some of those were due to unforeseen circumstances: lawsuits from Chevy Chase residents, logistical difficulties with drilling in unexpectedly hard rock and a pandemic that affected both workers and the supply chain.

But another major factor is the public-private partnership that was created to develop the project.

The idea behind the partnership was that the state could cut its contribution by working with a private company that would be incentivized to keep costs down. The partnership was a key reason why the Hogan and Trump administrations didn’t kill the Purple Line when they took office, since they saw it as a model for future projects.

But the end result was that more of the cost was pushed onto Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, one private partner bailed on the project and the state has had to pitch in to cover cost overruns anyway.

The light rail line, which was supposed to be already running trains by now, is now scheduled to open in late 2027.

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Bandura Design recently held an open house to celebrate the redesigned interior at its office in Woodridge, just south of Mount Rainier.

Located at 2216 Rhode Island Ave. NE, next to the Zeke’s Coffee roastery, the all-woman interior design firm moved to the Route 1 corridor in 2021 after seeing how the area was growing.

Founder Jennifer Farris told the Hyattsville Wire they decided to do a full renovation recently to accommodate their growing staff, tearing the interior down to the studs and replacing ceilings, floors and all mechanical and lighting.

They also turned an unfinished basement into a fully functional office, adding a restroom and replacing rusted rolling garage doors with a a full-glass exterior wall.

She advised other business owners thinking of doing a renovation to spend a lot of time planning before they get started.

“For a light refresh it is much easier to manage but when you are transforming or repositioning a space it takes months of careful planning and coordination with many consultants to understand the scope and cost,” she said.

Bandura typically does larger projects such as the Hepburn Apartments in the Kalorama neighborhood of D.C. and the Fox Chase Apartments in Alexandria, but they’ve also given advice to other Route 1 businesses, including Zeke’s.

Farris told the Wire she would like to see city governments do more to help small businesses improve their facades and provide more outdoor seating.

“We need to engage the community and provide a gathering place where they can come and enjoy the businesses and get to know their neighbors,” she said.

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Hyattsville’s nature-themed, tree-covered playground oasis offers a unique family experience in the middle of the city, but you might have passed right by it without even knowing.

Located at 4100 Oliver St. in a woodsy section of historic Hyattsville, Deitz Park has no parking lot and is located at the end of a small path, making it easy to overlook.

But the park is well worth a visit for families with kids of all ages who need to burn off some energy without getting sunburned. (Though you may want to bring bug spray.)

The park is surrounded by tall old-growth trees with plenty of green lawn space, a covered pavilion, picnic tables, and charcoal grills. The playground is enclosed on three sides, making it easier to keep tabs on smaller kids.

There’s also a small path that encircles the playground for kids to bike around.

The playground, which was redone a few years ago, is not divided by age but instead by nature sections—rocks, trees, spiders, ants, and mushrooms—with playground equipment designed around each section. There are also some taller climbing structures and swings.

To access the park, use the walkway on Oliver Street between 41st and 42nd avenues that leads behind the Queensbury Park Apartment complex.

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On one Saturday each month, Art Enables offers a free art workshop for people of all ages.

This past weekend, the nonprofit in the Woodridge neighborhood, just south of Mount Rainier, held a workshop on making small clay hanging vessels.

Dozens of people came to either make a small pot out of air-drying modeling clay or paint an already-dry clay pot at its studio-slash-gallery at 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE, near the Zeke’s Coffee roastery.

Other recent workshops have included making talking puppets, laying mosaic tiles and decorating shoes.

Started in 2001, Art Enables is a nonprofit that offers vocational programs and gallery space to artists with various developmental and cognitive disabilities.

Community Partnerships Coordinator Amy Kitchin said that the Saturday workshops are a way to expand their reach, adding that they have proven very popular with the community, including a number of regular visitors.

“We want it to be accessible to anyone of any age and ability,” she said.

The workshops are typically held on a Saturday each month at Art Enables and advertised on its events page. The nonprofit is taking June off, so the next one will be held on Saturday, July 20.

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When Megan Abbot and Gary Hall moved to Brentwood in 2020, the couple knew right away that a farmers market would do well in the area.

From the start, they had their eye on the parking lot outside the Bunker Hill fire station at 3716 Rhode Island Ave., on the border of Brentwood and Mount Rainier, but they had to wait until their two children were a little older to have the time to do the work.

“It’s a nights-and-weekends planning operation, filling the nooks and crannies of our time between our family and jobs,” they told the Hyattsville Wire. “But we would not say it’s finished yet.”

Hall, who works in ecological restoration, used to have a job at a non-profit that runs dozens of farmers markets across the greater D.C. area, helping manage market operations and working closely with farmers and other vendors. Abbot works as a civil rights lawyer.

The two planned for the farmers market to be kid-friendly, as they needed a place for their own two young kids to go outside on Saturdays.

“We want it to be a low-key place for kids to run around in the grass while families shop or get breakfast or lunch,” they said. “To that end, we have a number of picnic tables, and a kids’ corner featuring a mini-soccer set-up, sidewalk chalk, coloring books, and hula hoops. And it’s a total kid party! We love it.”

Now in its third week, this Saturday, May 18, the Gateway Farmers Market will host artist Bethany Lee, who will lead a stone carving workshop. It will also soon be able to process SNAP/EBT transactions and provide matching dollars from Maryland Market Money.

For the future, the couple said they would still like to find a dairy farm and added that there is always more space for pickles and pantry items. They are also looking for musicians, artists and community groups to participate.

The Gateway Farmers Market is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, rain or shine, through Nov. 30, then returning in the spring.

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