By Lani Gering

When I was pondering what to write about this month, I referred back to what I wrote in this space last September and whaddayaknow, I was inspired to make a few updates on that missive and go from there.

I know that there are those of you die hard sun bunnies out there are lamenting the waning of summer but I am looking forward to my favorite season…sweaters, jeans, boots, sitting by a fire feature with glass of red wine and pretty leaves. While most of my favorite things to do are geared more to a trip out to the country of up to the mountains, there are still a plethora of things to do here in the Harbor.

The free Movies on the Potomac series continues every Thursday and Sunday through September. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets for seating. The event takes place on the Plaza Screen at 150 National Plaza. Since it’s an outdoor event, the movie schedule is subject to change or cancellation due to weather. Updates are usually posted on National Harbor’s social media pages.

Thursday Date Night Movies (7:00 PM)

3rd: Moneyball

10th: Draft Day

17th: The Blind Side

24th: Remember the Titans

Sunday Family Movies (6:00 PM)

6th: Rudy

13th: The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

20th: How To Train Your Dragon

27th: The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants

The Salute the Sunset Concert Series winds down with their free concerts by our military bands on Saturday evenings. All performances take place from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Plaza Stage right along the waterfront. The remaining line-up includes:

5th: The United States Army Band (special Labor Day Weekend concert)

12th: The United States Army Band (seasonal finale)

The Capital Wheel has some great promotions going on this month. They are offering a teacher “Back to School” special by letting teaches who provide valid ID at the ticket booth to ride free on Saturdays throughout September. Sharpen your pencils, pack up your teacher friends, family – or make it a date night, and take a well-deserved recess in the sky. No homework, no pop quizzes — just pure, top-of-the-class fun. To honor the memory of 9/11, all first responders and active/retired military personnel ride for free on the 11th. A valid ID is required and the offer is available at the ticket booth only.

Football on the Plaza is back! You can catch NCAA games on Saturdays and NFL games on Sunday broadcasts on the Plaza screen. Local college teams and the Commanders and Ravens will have priority. Check the Harbor website for the weekly schedule and grab your lawn chairs and head toward the water.

National Harbor’s Popular Burger Week Returns September 12-18

National Harbor’s popular Burger Week is back on September 12-18 with a wide array of special deals and special burgers offered by more than a dozen dining establishments throughout the property. National Harbor will donate one dollar of every designated burger purchase to Susan G. Komen, up to $1,000.

National Harbor Burger Week has become a signature event for the waterfront destination. Participants this year include Walrus Oyster & Ale House, the newly opened Nan Xiang, Fogo de Chao, Burgerfi, McCormick & Schmick’s, Succotash, Bar Harbor, Cadillac Ranch, Redstone American Grill and Sauciety in the Harbor and Bread + Butter, Shake Shack and Tap Sports Bar located in the MGM National Harbor resort.

“We are thrilled to welcome back our annual Burger Week,” said Deborah Topcik, Senior Director of Marketing at National Harbor. “This year, our participating restaurants have truly outdone themselves with a spectacular lineup featuring unique savory seasonings and unexpected flavor profiles. There is genuinely something for everyone with options ranging from prime black angus beef and turkey to succulent seafood and seafood. Best of all, this weeklong celebration culminates on Friday, September 18, which is National Cheeseburger Day.”

For a list of Burger Week participants, go to www.nationalharbor.com/events/annual-events/burger-week/.

Obviously, there are other happenings taking place that didn’t get mentioned here so, you know the drill…let Google search the websites or check out each entities social media pages.