Autoimmune Disease

Join us for an evening of crafting at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library! ✂️🎨 Bring a project you’re currently working on (or start a new one) and enjoy a relaxed, creative space to craft alongside others from 6:30–8:30 PM. All forms of art and craft are welcome—knitting, crocheting, embroidery, drawing, jewelry making, paper crafts, and more. This is a casual, bring-your-own-project meetup with no formal instruction—just a chance to unwind, get inspired, and connect with fellow creatives. All skill levels are welcome. Come as you are and craft with us! If the event is waitlisted, feel free to still join us.

Walk among the largest stand of large-flowered trillium in Virginia at GR Thompson Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Linden, VA. These iconic woodland wildflowers are identified by three large petals, which start white and deepen to rose as they age. A great many other spring ephemerals growing in this area promise to delight both expert and beginner naturalists. On this 5.5 mile hike we will gain about 1000 ft of elevation, and we will hike about 2.0 mph when moving. Photos encouraged! **Hike Route:** Trillium 5.5/1000 (UpperTedLake) on AllTrails https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/trillium-5-5-1000-uppertedlake-92262bf **Time to Meet:** Please meet 15-20 min prior to hike start for introductions and liability waiver sign in. **RSVP:** RSVP to register for this hike. If your plans change, please edit your RSVP 24-48 hours before the hike to open a spot for another hiker. This request also applies to hikers on the Waitlist. RSVPs close at 6 PM the evening before the hike. **Meeting Location/Parking:** 3750 Freezeland Road, Linden, VA. Room for 10-12 cars. **Carpooling strongly recommended.** If we should fill available parking, we will shuttle hikers from a small park (a minute or two away). **GPS 38.93950, -78.03943** **Group Size:** 20 hikers **Facilities:** Privy at Manassas Gap shelter, a mile or so into the hike. **Access Fee:** Hike leader will secure WMA group access permit and pay daily access fee for hikers. **For this reason, NO SHOWS and last minite RSVP updates are discouraged.** **Contact Information:** Please use the comments feature for comments and questions. The hike leader is Lisa P. **Cancellation:** In the unlikely event that the hike needs to be cancelled, hikers will be notified through comments on this posting. Please check Meetup for updates before leaving for the hike. **What to Bring:** Water at least two liters, emergency contact information, medications, snacks/meal, insect repellent, sunscreen/protection from weather, and personal first aid kit. Trekking poles if you use them, sturdy hiking footwear. Please leave pets at home. Thanks! **PATC:** * To find out more about PATC, [click here](https://www.patc.net/)**.** * Consider becoming a member of PATC. To join, [click here](https://www.patc.net/membership) Attendance is limited at the discretion of our hike leaders. PATC rules do not permit children under 18 years to participate in a hike without a parent or guardian present.

Reserve a spot on **[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1980293963553?aff=oddtdtcreator)** so we have an accurate guest count. We are absolutely thrilled to announce that **[Palette 22](https://www.palette22.com/)** is hosting Go Gay DC! Get ready for another gathering of members of the LGBTQ+ Community! About 30 LGBTQ+ folk are expected. Palette 22 offers modern street food spanning the globe served in a bustling art studio & gallery atmosphere. This event is ideal for making exciting new connections and community building. Or just to unwind and enjoy extended happy hour. **[See the happy hour menu](https://www.palette22.com/our-menus#happy)**. Arrive anytime that's convenient for you! Most attendees will likely arrive by 6:00 p.m. We will gather at the tables in the back of the bar. There is no pressure to order any food or drink; it is just optional. You're welcome regardless of where you live. Bring friends and meet new people. This is the place to be. This LGBTQ and Allies community-wide social provides everyone a chance to socialize, network, and share community spirit in an artsy setting. This event is being boosted by **[Go Gay DC](https://www.gogaydc.com/)**[,](https://www.gogaydc.com/) Metro Washington DC's inclusive LGBTQ+ community focused on friendship, leadership, and service. It reaches over 10K fabulous people and is growing fast. Visit [https://www.gogaydc.com](https://www.gogaydc.com/) At this exciting event, you'll even get to meet Go Gay DC's Founder **[TJ Flavell](http://www.tjflavell.com)**! Fabulous people from all over the world are expected. Name tags will be provided. It's FREE to attend; cash bar. There will be a bartender on duty; cash or credit card is fine. Casual attire is fine; this will be a relaxing and fun time. You are welcome regardless of where you live. Guests from DC, Maryland, and Virginia often attend. While there is no subway stop nearby, the local bus system is also very reliable and Shirlington is a very busy [transit hub](https://www.arlingtontransit.com/about/facilities/shirlington/ "https://www.arlingtontransit.com/about/facilities/shirlington/"). Use [Metro Trip Planner.](https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/ "https://www.wmata.com/schedules/trip-planner/") Free garage parking is easy to find. Four of Shirlington’s garages share their parking so that the spaces available to office workers during the day are available for public parking on evenings and weekends. During the weekdays there are 879 public parking spaces and on evenings and weekends there are 2,446 public parking spaces. [See the map](https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Transportation/Parking/Public-Parking-Options/Shirlington-Parking "https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Transportation/Parking/Public-Parking-Options/Shirlington-Parking"). Invite your friends. This event is a safe, inclusive space for everyone under the rainbow. Go Gay DC is on social media: Join the Facebook Group [https://www.facebook.com/groups/GoGayDC](https://www.facebook.com/groups/gogaydc) Like the Facebook Page [https://www.facebook.com/GoGayDC](https://www.facebook.com/GoGayDC) Follow on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/GoGayDC](https://www.instagram.com/GoGayDC) Follow on Threads [https://www.threads.com/@GoGayDC](https://www.threads.com/@gogaydc) Follow on Bluesky [https://gogaydc.bsky.social/](https://gogaydc.bsky.social/) Follow on X [https://www.x.com/GoGayDC](https://www.x.com/GoGayDC) Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/GoGayDC](https://www.youtube.com/GoGayDC) LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/GoGayDC](https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/GoGayDC?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExZG1DTnM0VnJybG83U3FWcnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR765Xxf5t8wFzbCac74QNX3p0Bs2oT0drXZoOmLV63J8cURMl3ta5b8iP3ztg_aem_nSdndpxd5-hXJ8myNF2_vQ) Search keywords: LGBT LGBTQ LGBTQI LQBTQIA Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex Straight Allies nonbinary non-binary

Come out to the Reston Community Center and play some games! Party games? Strategy games? Tabletop role-playing games? This massive space can accommodate games for every interest. While the event starts at 5pm, feel free to roll in whenever you are able! If you have games to bring that you'd like to share or run, please do! Food and drink are not provided within the venue, but you are allowed to bring in anything you need from outside locations, just please be considerate of other people's games and the tables when doing so. Park anywhere in the parking lot. The Community Center building is located directly behind Ledo Pizza. Walk straight back to the main room once you enter the building. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to either David Gray or Bill Parker through Meetup, or you can email Bill at william.parker@fairfaxcounty.gov. Hope to see you all there!

Come to the Silver Spring library to play games some chronically ill friends! Members are adults who suffer from conditions including POTS, ME/CFS, long covid, MCAS, rheumatoid arthritis, Ehlers Danlos, multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, autoimmune kidney disease, and more. We usually play a couple casual games, and we also have coloring books. Feel free to bring your own favorite games too! We'll in SMALL ROOM 2 on the third floor of the Silver Spring library, just outside the elevator. We ask that everyone wears a mask. There is free parking across the street in the Wayne Avenue Garage.

Our next club meeting is on Sunday will start at 2:15, please join early. if you're coming in-person, parking is free and usually ample at the Community College on Sundays, and most of us park where the spaces are designated for staff and have never had a problem. 👉 Everyone is welcome to join our meeting, participate and practice. You'll get a chance to hear our club members speak and then have an opportunity to play the table topics game. **Agenda for the Meeting:** 1. Warm Up 2. Prepared Speeches (By club members) 3. Table Topics Game (Learn to think on your feet) 4. Feedback **Online - Join us via Zoom** https://us05web.zoom.us/j/86218205188 If you haven't used Zoom before, watch this short video on how to join our meeting - https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=45&v=vFhAEoCF7jg **In-Person** **\- Join us at Montgomery Community College** Meet us at Science Building, room SC 152. The room is located on the ground floor. The exact building address is https://goo.gl/maps/ZEgQH7bKLvzdqtSQ9 For help, please text or call, 301-917-4202.

Important: Register on [AICamp website](https://www.aicamp.ai/event/eventdetails/W2026043014) is required for admission. **Description:** Join us for a community-led developer event focused on AI-assisted coding with GitHub Copilot. This event brings together developers to explore practical workflows, real-world use cases, and hands-on experiences using GitHub Copilot. Whether you are new to GitHub Copilot or already using it, this event will help you better understand how to apply AI-assisted coding techniques in everyday development. **Speakers/Topics:** \- Reynald Adolphe\, Microsoft\. \- Christopher Harrison\, GitHub Stay tuned as we are updating speakers and schedules. If you have a keen interest in speaking to our community, we invite you to submit topics for consideration: [Submit Topics](https://forms.gle/JkMt91CZRtoJBSFUA) **Sponsors:** We are actively seeking sponsors to support AI developers community. Whether it is by offering venue spaces, providing food, or cash sponsorship. Sponsors will not only speak at the meetups, receive prominent recognition, but also gain exposure to our extensive membership base of 5,000+ AI developers in D.C and 500K+ worldwide.

Live music every Thursday night at Jimmy’s. [Jimmy’s upcoming events.](https://www.jottnew.com/upcoming-events.html)

Come out to a evening filled with fun board games at Aslin Beer Company in Herndon! We play a variety of games, including strategy, co-op, and party games! Always welcoming to people who are brand new to the hobby to those who have been playing for years! We will be meeting in the Izzi building (not the main taproom), as there is more table space there and is right next to where you can get food and drinks! There isn't a hard cap on attendees per say, but we would prefer that you sign up in advance so we have a rough head count as to whom to expect! Can't wait to see you all there!

🚨 **AI for Good: Healthcare + AI = Better Patient Outcomes** 🚨 We’re bringing the community together on May 7, 2026 for a focused Cloud & AI meetup exploring how artificial intelligence is directly improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes. From reducing administrative burden to enabling smarter clinical workflows, AI is becoming a practical driver of better care across the system. This session will spotlight real-world applications of AI in healthcare and how organizations are moving from experimentation to measurable impact. While final agenda details are still being finalized, the direction is clear—this will be a high-signal conversation on where healthcare and AI are heading next. 🚀 RSVP now to: * Lock the date on your calendar * Receive event updates as they’re announced * Be first to get agenda details, speakers, and session highlights 📅 Thursday, May 7, 2026 ⏱️ 5:00–7:00 PM 📍 Microsoft Reston Garage, 11955 Freedom Drive, 2nd floor, Reston, VA Whether you’re building in healthcare, working in AI, or simply curious about what’s next, this meetup is designed to bring together people focused on practical innovation and real-world impact. 👉 RSVP to stay connected: [https://tinyurl.com/maycloudmeetup](https://tinyurl.com/maycloudmeetup)

PET EXPO HAS CHANGED LOCATION TO MANASSAS SO I NEED TO FIND ANOTHER DATE FOR THIS. Please note park charges admission but meetup itself is free. I highly recommend folks invest in a NPS annual pass as it will pay for itself quickly. We will be exploring the Virginia side of the Great Falls National Park. Please meet at the visitor's center promptly at 9 am. Dogs must follow NPS rules (be kept on a leash and be 4 months/fully vaccinated). We will depart after the group picture along the ramp to the visitor center. This will be a gentle slow walk to take in views.

Join us for an Community Cleanup. Trash goes from our streams into the Potomac River and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay and the Oceans. Help us protect our environment and make new friends who care. Gloves and bags will be provided. We'll go to a local restaurant afterward to enjoy dinner together. Thanks and hope to see you there!

***Registration required - https://loudounwildlife.org/event/writing-in-nature-may/*** Join Nancy Morgan, Director Emeritus, Georgetown Lombardi Arts and Humanities Program, for this monthly workshop, presented by Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, to enjoy the combined health benefits of time spent in nature and writing thoughts and feelings. Writing is often considered a solo, reflective practice, but writing in the company of others can be a supportive, community building activity that encourages regular practice. Each session is a stand-alone event – come when you are able. ***Questions:*** *Contact [info@loudounwildlife.org](mailto:info@loudounwildlife.org).*

If **CMMC** is on your radar (or keeping you up at night), this is the conversation you don’t want to miss! Join us on **Tuesday, May 12, 2026,** at **Honor Brewing Company** at **42604 Trade West Dr, Sterling, VA 20166**! Want a custom name tag to enhance your networking opportunities? Register here and yours will be ready at the door: https://share.hsforms.com/1YxovFyF9RzKCcq9EjAN8-wdwxz1 Join us for an “**Ask the CMMC Experts**” session with **Brian Gallagher and Carter Schoenberg of Koniag Cyber.** These two seasoned leaders have been deep in the trenches of cybersecurity, compliance, and national security! **Brian** brings 20+ years of experience leading cybersecurity services across **highly regulated industries** and a unique perspective as a former **U.S. Secret Service Technical Security Division** professional who has helped secure some of the nation’s most sensitive environments. **Carter** pairs 30+ years spanning cyber investigations, threat intelligence, and cyber law with hands-on CMMC leadership as a **Lead Certified Asessor**. He’s conducted 35+ independent CMMC assessments, supported 30+ Authorizations to Operate for **DHS and DoD**, and helped shape national conversations through work with **NIST, MITRE, and federal agencies.** Bring your questions, your challenges, and your curiosity on **May 12**, for this candid, practical conversation with **Brian Gallagher and Carter Schoenberg**, designed to help you move forward with confidence! **Agenda** 5:30 Social hour and networking begins 6:10 Welcome 6:15 Ask the CMMC Expert - **Brian Gallagher & Carter Schoenberg** 6:50 Q&A 7:00 Open Mic & Networking Continues 7:30 Adjourn