The Sandlot will open new location at The Boro in July

The Sandlot is coming to Tysons.

The Boro announced on Thursday (June 24) that the space in front of its new mural will soon be occupied by the outdoor bar concept that currently has two locations in D.C.

Ian Callender, co-creator of The Sandlot and owner of Suite Nation, describes the pop-up amenity as “a cultural arts facility with intersecting industries of commerce derived from community engagement.”

“It’s the ideal environment to bridge the gap between culture and community authentically,” Callender told Tysons Reporter.

The focus of The Sandlot is to give a space for the community to interact. There are tables and chairs for guests to come have a drink and chat with neighbors.

“The retailers and restaurants at The Boro will be the highlighting culinary and cocktail component,” Callender said. “We’re just bringing the vibes.”

The Sandlot operates booths out of shipping containers, similar to the plans for ShipGarten, the restaurant/beer garden that’s supposed to open in Scotts Run any day now.

The offerings are tailored to the specific neighborhood where each site is located. For example, Sandlot Southeast has a designer shoe booth, and Sandlot Georgetown has cold-pressed juice cocktails.

The Sandlot started as an idea of Kevin Hallums, Callender’s childhood friend of 30-plus years. The idea was to create a pop-up to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the movie “The Sandlot” down on Half Street near Nationals Park.

Hallums has said that the movie is about more than baseball, it’s about a space for friends to hang out, and that’s the space they were trying to create. The first location, Sandlot Southwest, opened in March 2019 but closed in June 2020.

All Sandlot locations are temporary and contingent on the weather. Once the development where The Sandlot is located decides they want that space back, the containers have to pack up and move on.

The Boro has said the development in front of the mural is years down the road, so Sandlot Tysons will occupy the space for the foreseeable future.

The Sandlot Tysons will open July 9 with a grand opening celebration on July 11 that will include a free concert from the D.C.-based band Black Alley.

Along with their kick-off event, The Sandlot has announced a lineup of weekly programs:

• Car wash and cocktails with Xact Detail (Fridays)
• Free outdoor fitness and workout sessions, courtesy of the gym Sweat DC (Saturday mornings)
• Live regional DJs from Rock Creek Social Club, Joy Club, Adobo DMV, and more (Saturdays)
• Sunset Sip & Paint sessions with renowned artist Lex Marie (Sundays)

“This Sandlot concept will be different from other existing locations with the specific programming for the community and its collaboration with existing Boro restaurants and retailers,” a spokesperson from The Boro said.