Residents gathered in downtown Arlington for a First Thursday event, which celebrated the city’s 150th birthday.
The celebration included a community photo, in which participants were placed in a 150 formation as an aerial drone took a picture.
Participants received commemorative shirts and cookies from Marquez Bakery.
Arlington broadcast specialist Matthew Boyd managed the drone that took the photo. Boyd said he was uncertain if enough people would show up, but a lot of residents made it.
“It shows a lot of community pride that this many people came out right at 5 o’clock to be out here in the heat but to honor the history of Arlington,” he said.
Boyd said his favorite thing about Arlington is that even though it is a major city, it still has a small-town feel. He said it is nice to see people he knows all over the city.
Arlington resident Cindy Blanco has lived in the city since the ’90s and said there is a sense of pride in being part of the celebration. Blanco said it is important to celebrate milestones like this because it brings the community together.
“Just the fact that we come together to make things happen, I think that’s a huge difference,” she said.
As the sound of live music filled downtown, residents collaborated on a chalk drawing, where they added their personal touches, by the City Center Plaza.
Mary Dooley, Arlington resident and chalk artist, was in charge of a community chalk mural. Dooley said she felt honored to be a part of the celebration and to do something that brings everyone together.
“We could always find more reasons to come together,” she said. “Times are tough, so anything that we can do to find joy and happiness is important.”
Dooley said she loves the variety of activities the city offers.
“It’s a melting pot of all kinds, and I love that there’s just lots of opportunity, lots of things to do here in every corner,” Dooley said.
Dooley said she has participated in various First Thursdays. This was her first event back after taking a break, which is another reason this birthday edition is so special to her.
At Hurtado Barbecue, the celebration continued with a live mural painting by artist Dylan Kennedy.
Kennedy said the mural has the word “dream” in 150 languages, all spoken by Arlington residents, because the city is known as The American Dream City.
“It also correlates with the 150th anniversary of Arlington, so it’s a perfect way to commemorate that,” he said.
Throughout the evening, residents collected stickers through a scavenger hunt across downtown buildings.
Theatre Arlington also had a cabaret performance of “Stealing the Spotlight: 150 Years of Arlington,” which featured stories, anecdotes and music inspired by notable figures of the city’s history. The Arlington Master Chorale also performed inside the cabaret space.