By Sonya Farrell – Brambleton Community Association, Communications Coordinator

This Saturday night, you’ll probably see lots of folks ringing doorbells and going from house to house. No, it’s not Halloween. Come on, it’s February – that would be weird. Saturday is the night that Brambleton adults look forward to all year – the night of the famous Roving Dinner.

The Roving Dinner is the brainchild of longtime, and now former, Brambleton residents, Kathy and Tom Turley. This year, the Dinner has a new fearless leader in Brambleton resident Marlena Blackburn. Marlena was kind and brave enough to give us the inside scoop on what is sure to be another memorable event.

How long have you lived in Brambleton?
My family and I moved to Brambleton five years ago. We truly love our community and neighborhood!

Why did you volunteer to take the reins on the Roving Dinner after the Turleys left?
My husband and I participated in the Roving Dinner last year and had such a memorable time. When we saw the Facebook post advertising the event, we were sure to sign up. The Turleys were listed as the point of contact. Knowing they moved, I sent Kathy a note offering to help however needed. There was a need, I have a background in event planning, and three friends (Maggie Swearingen, Michele Flynn, and Janelle Petti) immediately offered to help, so it all seemed to fall into place.

For those who are new to Brambleton or who might be unfamiliar, what is the Roving Dinner?
The Roving Dinner ironically isn’t a dinner at all, but it definitely is roving…moving from round to round. Typically, two couples sign up to host (in one of their homes) a course for a total of 45 minutes. Hosts are encouraged to come up with a theme and serve appetizers and cocktails to approximately 8 -10 couples. At the end of the round, each couple learns where to go for their next course, and so on, until they’ve enjoyed a course at three different homes. The final round is at the Corner Clubhouse, where all participants come together for dessert, drinks, a DJ, and of course, dancing. The idea of the event is to have couples meet and get to know as many neighbors as possible.

Will anything be different this year?
Overall, no, I think Kathy did a great job organizing things. I also believe it would be helpful to see how this year goes and then make adjustments, if needed. It’s a bit of a learn-as-we-go experience. The only minor addition this year is that we reached out to Onelife Fitness, who agreed to offer extended childcare that evening so parents can get all four rounds in!

What do you hope to see come out of this year’s event? I hope for another successful social opportunity for our community, as well as a fun and safe evening for all. Besides this event, of course, what are your other favorite Bram events? Other favorites include Brew Fest, Fall Fest, and Red, White & Bram. Honestly, all of our events are great. We live in an awesome town with several unique offerings.