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🐦 Pink invasion
PLUS: Events you can go to this weekend
Just Outside DC
August 01, 2025
Welcome to Just Outside DC — the only local newsletter that’s holding out for a hero.
Today’s factoid is: Umchina, a Korean term meaning "mom's friend's son," is used to describe a person who's better at everything than you are.
THE BIG IDEA
The pink invasion of Pentagon City.
A Hello Kitty truck just made grown adults wait in line for $20 macarons.
Last Saturday, the Hello Kitty Cafe Truck made its annual pilgrimage to Pentagon City, setting up shop in the courtyard next to DSW like some kind of kawaii food truck deity.
This wasn't just any ordinary visit, though. The truck is celebrating two major milestones: Hello Kitty's 50th anniversary and the truck's own 10th anniversary. That's right — this pink money machine has been rolling around America for a full decade, turning rational adults into squealing fans of a cartoon cat.
Let's talk numbers for a hot second:
This year's truck offerings include $20 five-piece macaron sets, $16 madeleines, and anniversary sweatshirts — and people are lining up around the block for them. The truck only accepts credit or debit cards, because apparently even Hello Kitty has gone cashless in 2025.
Pentagon City has become the truck's reliable pit stop, returning "like the swallows of Capistrano" to this particular corner of Arlington year after year. It makes sense when you think about it:
High disposable income
Dense population of millennials who grew up with Hello Kitty
Instagram-worthy location
Parents willing to spend $18 on three cookies to make their kids happy
The truck's 2025 tour includes stops in Bethesda and Annapolis too, because apparently the entire DMV area has been claimed as Hello Kitty territory.
The truck operates from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., serving up "brand new exclusive treats and collectibles" that you literally cannot get anywhere else. It's artificial scarcity meets nostalgia marketing meets really good Instagram content.
And you know what? It works. Because somewhere out there, a 35-year-old government contractor is proudly sipping coffee from a $25 Hello Kitty anniversary tumbler, and they're probably happier than they've been all week.
The Hello Kitty truck's next stop is Bethesda Row on August 9. Consider yourself warned (or excited, depending on your relationship with anthropomorphic cats).
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Bulletin Board 📌
Live Event Lowdown
• Fairfax County 4-H Fair and Carnival | Carnival rides, games, tractor demos, and farm animals at Frying Pan Farm Park through Sunday 🎠
• Starlight Cinema - "Harold and the Purple Crayon" | Outdoor movie under the stars at Sully Historic Site in Chantilly on Saturday 🎬
• Swiss National Day Celebration | Swiss food specialties and live entertainment at The Swiss Bakery in Springfield on Sunday 🇨🇭
• Virginia Vitesse Basketball Game | Semi-professional women's basketball vs Greensboro Kaos in Ashburn on Sunday 🏀
• Bronco Concert | Legendary Mexican band performing at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax on Saturday 🎵
• Sutton Foster & Kelli O'Hara Concert | Tony Award-winning Broadway stars at Wolf Trap in Vienna tonight 🎭
• Snakehead Roundup | Community fishing event at River Mill Park in Occoquan on Sunday 🎣
• "Lovely As a Tree" Art Exhibit | Opening reception at Del Ray Artisans Gallery in Alexandria tonight 🎨
Patrick Henry Library (Vienna) has opened up a temporary location while the original branch is being remodeled over the next two years.
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Love,
Team JODC 🐦
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