July in the Neighborhood: See Peirce Mill in action, and watch a movie and modern dance outdoors

The Peirce Mill grinding stone before the miller sets it in motion.

Have you met the new miller at Peirce Mill? Friends of Peirce Mill introduced Aaron Grigsby in its summer newsletter.

Former miller Jeanne Minor retired in 2022.

When Grigsby isn’t at Peirce Mill, he is working at Deep Roots Milling, which grinds and sells locally grown grain at Woodson’s Mill in Virginia. That mill predates the 1820s Peirce Mill by three decades.

Peirce Mill is grinding corn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. one weekend each month. These are the remaining demonstration dates this season: July 13-14, August 10-11, September 14-15, and October 12-13.

The mill is also hosting its first Waterpower Day on July 13th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with activities for kids including experiments with water toys, and making waterwheels with paper plates.

Additional neighborhood happenings of note

Movie Night in the Park: This Van Ness Main Street and UDC collaboration takes place at the outdoor amphitheater between the UDC Theater of the Arts and the tennis courts. The movie on July 31st is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Register and find more information here.

Explore the skies with astronomers and the National Park Service: This month’s free stargazing gathering, in the Rock Creek Park field just to the south of Military Road, takes place on July 13th.

Enjoy modern dance performances at Hillwood: The Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company is performing on the evenings of July 11th, 12th and 13th on Hillwood’s Lunar Lawn. These are pay-what-you-wish events. Register and purchase your tickets here.

Volunteer to clean up trash or invasive species in Rock Creek Park, or learn to lead these events: The Rock Creek Conservancy always has several volunteer opportunities listed on its calendar. And on July 31st, it is hosting a virtual training session for those who’d like to learn how to be volunteer leaders.

Forest Hills Connection is an editorially independent program of Van Ness Main Street.