"Meet up with friends and neighbors for conversation and a beer. Let Councilmember Allen know what's on your mind." And, who knows, maybe beer is on your mind, in more ways than one.

You can RSVP here.

The series is once again being held in the northern block of Canal Park at 2nd and I Streets SE, and will run on Thursdays from June 2 to August 18, with movies beginning at sundown.

The lineup:

June 2: Ferris Bueller's Day Off

June 9: Inside Out

June 16: Ocean's 11

June 23: Hitch

June 30: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

July 7: Mean Girls

July 14: Jurassic World

July 21: Minions

July 28: Creed

Aug. 4: Pitch Perfect 2

Aug. 11: The Martian

Aug. 18: Skyfall

* JDLAND HAPPY HOUR: Don't forget! It's tomorrow (Thursday, March 10), at 5:30 pm at Scarlet Oak, at New Jersey and K Streets, SE. And given the weather forecast, perhaps we'll be al fresco.

* ROCK AND ROLL MARATHON: This Saturday, March 12, is the annual Rock n Roll marathon, which brings with it not only thousands of runners but numerous road closures. #NeCaBaRY gets off pretty easily (compared to areas north of the freeway and in Southwest), with just southbound South Capitol Street closed from E Street across the Douglass Bridge. See the site for details.

* COFFEE WITH CHUCK: Well, it isn't exactly a spring-has-sprung event, but still worth including on a calendar roundup that the next monthly meeting for residents interested in the latest Virginia Avenue Tunnel doings is on March 16, at 8 am at the CSX office at 861 New Jersey Ave. SE (RSVP here).

* PSA 106: The monthly meeting on issues of public safety is scheduled for Wednesday, March 16, at 7 pm at 200 I St. SE.

* ST. PAT'S CONCERT AT THE FAIRGROUNDS: Another year of events at the Fairgrounds just north of Nats Park kicks off on Thursday, March 17, with a free St. Patrick's Day concert featuring The Pietasters and opening act Warden.

* CHERRY BLOSSOM BEER AND WINE FESTIVAL: Speaking of drinking (what, like St. Patrick's Day isn't a drinking holiday?), the Cherry Blossom Beer and Wine Festival and its 100+ beverage options comes to the parking lots at 1st and N Street on March 26th from 1 to 4 pm. Tickets can be had for $35 until noon tomorrow (March 10), and $45 after that.

Want to meet some of your fellow neighbors/office workers/generally interested citizens from in and around Near Southeast/Capitol Riverfront/Navy Yard/Near Capitol Ballpark River Yards (#NeCaBaRY)?

Then come hang out at Scarlet Oak this Thursday, March 10, starting at 5:30 pm--and give me the chance to meet you, as well.

Even if you don't ever comment on blog posts, even if you're thinking you won't know anyone, at least stop by and say hello, and join in what I'm sure will be a rollicking conversation about the Nats, the new I Street, and whether any of us could ever possibly live long enough to ever see the Southeast/Southwest Freeway demolished. If that doesn't entice you to swing by, I don't know what could.

I'll also have some coveted JDLand t-shirts available for purchase, for $12.

A peachy time will be had by all!

The festival, which attracted more than 40,000 people last year, will be held Saturday, April 16--and with the festival listing its entrances as being at New Jersey and N, First and N, and First and M, it appears to be on the footprint of the Yards, at the former Spooky Building 213 and (eventual Spooky Park) site. (If so, there's a lot of dirt to be covered over in the next five weeks!)

The festival bills itself as the "largest one-day celebration of Japanese culture in the United States," and the "grand finale of the National Cherry Blossom Festival." Alas, the official festival web site has not yet posted a 2016 program guide, or festival map, but tickets are on sale for $8 in advance--they'll be $10, cash only, at the gates. There are some details available on the food/beverage and "Bring Japan Home" offerings.

It doesn't sound like this is a permanent move, with WBJ quoting the president of the Japan-America Society as saying that “We’re already thinking ahead to 2017 to see where we might need to go."

The Cherry Blossom Parade is from 10 am to noon along Constitution Avenue, with Sakura Matsuri running from 10:30 am to 6 pm, so judicious non-attendees will definitely want to avoid the Green Line that day.

You get to choose up to five movies from the list, and the image at right in absolutely no way would be trying to tell you which movies to pick.

The series will run this year from June 2nd through August 18.

The large "Point Cloud" and its sibling "Cube" seen in the image provided by the organizers were designed by New York-based light artist and architect John Ensor Parker, and will be joined starting on Feb. 27 by "giant luminescent rabbits," with a special family-friendly event from 3 to 6 pm that Saturday, "to delight in the sight of the enormous glowing bunnies, while enjoying children’s activities, including a giant Lite-Brite."

Also on Feb. 27, from 6 to 10 pm, there will be another light show set to music, performed by electric violinist DC Manifesto.

It's free and open to the public.

* IL PARCO: A reader reports this morning that a sign is being hoisted on the Park Tavern building at Canal Park for "Il Parco," with a pizza slice-type icon. I haven't heard anything about how close it is to opening, but the sign should be a good, um, sign. (I expect to have a photo as soon as the official JDLand stringer gets moving.)

UPDATE: And now the stringer has come through!

* WEEKEND HOURS: According to Twitter, Scarlet Oak will be open all weekend, while TaKorean will be open today (Friday) from 11 to 2 and then closed Saturday. Osteria Morini is closing tonight at 8 pm, then will be closed Saturday but is expecting to reopen on Sunday. The Big Stick is closing its kitchen at 5 pm tonight until Monday, but expects the bar to operate on normal hours. Justin's will be offering an "extremely limited menu" from tonight at 5 pm through Sunday. Ice Cream Jubilee is closed today and Saturday but expects to be open on Sunday. I will update if other restaurants announce hours.

UPDATES: Bluejacket is "currently open with a limited menu". Due South is open all weekend (see down in the comments for the list of their Snow Daze Drink Specials). Aura Spa is closed for the weekend.

ANOTHER: Nando's is closing all its DC locations at 8 pm tonight, reopening Sunday at noon.

MORE: Everyone will be crushed to hear that the Virginia Avenue Tunnel demolition will be on hold until Monday morning at 5:30 am. Weekend work will be limited to snow removal and "maintenance of traffic controls."

AND: Agua 301 is open tonight, with happy hour drink specials from 3:30 to close. Hugh & Crye is closed until Monday morning.

* BRIDGE PARK DEEP DIVE: WaPo's Jonathan O'Connell takes a long look at the 11th Street Bridge Park and what it might mean for neighborhoods east of the river should it ever be built.

* BILLY JOEL: The Piano Man is going to be "the first artist ever to play Nationals Park three times," with this week's news of a show scheduled for Saturday, July 30.

* RESIDENT SNOW INFO: ANC commissioner Meredith Fascett has this lineup of tidbits about city storm preparations and items residents need to know. And snow.dc.gov is another good resource.

SATURDAY UPDATE: Keep an eye on my Twitter account for retweets of openings and closings. So far, Bluejacket and TaKorean have said they are closed today, while Willie's and Due South are open. I'll keep updating when I can tear my eyes away from my window.

SUNDAY UPDATE:

Bluejacket is open at 1:30, and Morini is open at 2 pm, both with limited menus.

Agua 301 is opening at 3pm.

Due South and Scarlet Oak are open.

Justin's and the Big Stick are open for libations, but the kitchens are closed.

Ice Yards has been moved to Jan. 30.

TaKorean and Ice Cream Jubilee are closed.

The Canal Park Ice Rink is closed, too.

The PSA has had monthly public meetings for many years now on Saturday mornings, but it has been decided that attendance by not only residents but representatives of other agencies would be better if the meetings were held on weeknights. A make-up meeting for December is being held on Wednesday, Jan. 6, at 7 pm at the Capper Seniors Building at 900 5th St., SE, then the meetings are expected to be on the 3rd Wednesday evening of each month going forward.

You can go to the meetings with concerns, or with questions about particular incidents, or ideas, or anything else having to do with crime and "order maintenance."

Also, if you haven't joined the MPD-1D mailing list, that's another location to keep up with crime reports or ask questions of 1D's commander Jeff Brown.

Plus, the neighborhood is getting a Christmas tree for the first time, in the park's southern block between L and M, and the Capitol Riverfront BID is inviting all residents to help decorate the tree on Saturday morning, from 9 to 11 am. Bring an ornament for the tree and canned food to donate to the Capital Area Food Bank, and get a taste of coffee or hot chocolate from Philz, the new coffee shop that will be coming to Tingey Street in a few months.

The tree will then be illuminated at 6 pm on Saturday, Dec. 5, with Dupont Brass providing the seasonally appropriate music.

The market will feature all manner of items, including clothes, jewelry, accessories, pet toys and apparel, artwork, printmaking, and "home enhancements." Food will also be available for Dirty South Deli, Ben's Chili Bowl, Bluejacket Brewery, Ice Cream Jubilee, Agua 301, District Doughnut, and more.

If you want your visit to be a bit more hands-on, there will be workshops to make greeting cards, wreaths, and more. And of course the ice rink will be open.

(*Sorry to just quote a big chunk of text--today's my last day in the old building at the Post and I arrive with the first wave in the new building on Friday, so life continues to be just a wee bit hectic.)