The annual Clarendon Halloween Crawl is back for another year, sporting the familiar theme “The Rise of the Day Drinkers.”

The costumed event takes participants to numerous Clarendon bars from 1-9 p.m. on Saturday, November 4. Advance tickets are $15 and the price increases to $30 the day of the event.

Participants get “a souvenir haunted mug, access to Clarendon’s best bars, exclusive drink & food specials, free pictures of the event and a raffle entry to win great prizes,” according to the website.

Nearly a dozen Clarendon establishments will be stops on the crawl route, including Clarendon Grill, Hunan One, Whitlow’s and Pamplona.


Police to Hold Anti-DUI Event During Bar Crawl — The All American Bar Crawl will be taking place in Clarendon from 1-9 p.m. Saturday, and the Arlington County Police Department is planning some complementary programming. ACPD and the Washington Regional Alcohol Program are holding a “free interactive anti-drunk driving event” from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday on N. Highland Street, in the heart of Clarendon. [Arlington County]

Local ‘Big Brother’ Houseguest Getting Attention — Matthew Clines, a 33-year-old renovation consultant and fitness buff from Arlington, is being mentioned as a frontrunner on the new season of CBS’ Big Brother. “Many ladies swooned over” him, US Weekly writes. Clines has suggested he “would rather have America love him… than actually win the game and the $500,000.” [Us Weekly, Reality TV World]

Texas Jack’s Ranks High on BBQ ListTexas Jack’s in Lyon Park has ranked No. 2 on food critic Tim Carman’s list of the best barbecue joints in the D.C. area. [Washington Post]

Woman Wanted for Hit and Run Near Columbia Pike — Arlington County Police are looking for a woman who struck a pedestrian on the 3400 block of 7th Street S., in the Arlington Heights neighborhood, Wednesday night. The suspect, described as a “white female in her mid-twenties to early thirties, approximately 5’6″ tall… wearing a white sweater,” fled the scene after the collision, which sent the victim to a local trauma center with significant but non-life-threatening injuries. [Arlington County]

Photo courtesy Bradley Teague


(Updated on 6/2/17) Arlington’s first major bar crawl of the year is scheduled for the weekend before the Fourth of July.

The All American Bar Crawl is set to take place Saturday, July 1 from 1-9 p.m. in Clarendon. It offers revelers access to local bars, food and drink specials, party favors, a raffle and a “signature patriotic mug.”

Among the participating restaurants listed on the event’s website are Mister Days, Bracket Room, Whitlow’s, Clarendon Grill, Oz and Whitlow’s Rooftop.

Early bird online registration is $15.

“The All American Bar Crawl celebrates America’s birthday a few days early!” says the website. “Rock your red, white and blue and get ready for a day full of Star Spangled shenanigans and bar-hopping in Clarendon with thousands of your closest friends.”

The last major bar crawl in Arlington happened this past Halloween. Organizers skipped the usual St. Patrick’s Day crawl this year.

In June 2014 a naked man led police on a chase through Clarendon during that year’s All American Bar Crawl. A month later the Arlington County Board passed new regulations that required crawl organizers to pay for a stepped-up police presence at the events. Both attendance and arrests dropped at subsequent bar crawls.


Arlington Cemetery Metro station

Wakefield Boys Fall in State Tourney — An outstanding season for the Wakefield boys basketball team ended Friday when the Warriors fell to Bethel 62-56 in the state tournament quarterfinals. The Lady Warriors also lost in the state quarterfinals last week. [Twitter, Daily Press]

Logistics May Have Sunk St. Pat’s Bar Crawl — There’s no St. Patrick’s Day bar crawl in Clarendon this year, and the reason may be due to logistics, not lack of interest. Organizers might have been able to get bars on board and their permit applications in on time, one police official suggests. [CityLab]

Volunteers Needed to Bag Meals — The Clarendon United Methodist Church is seeking volunteers to help “pack 20,000 meals for distribution around the world” on Saturday. [InsideNova]


Shamrock Crawl logo(Updated at 12:20 p.m.) Revelers searching for some St. Patrick’s Day-themed pub crawl fun will have to look outside Arlington this year.

The Shamrock Crawl, once dubbed Arlington’s biggest bar-hopping event, won’t happen this year, its organizers said. When one person asked on Facebook whether this year’s crawl would come to Clarendon, a representative for Project D.C. Events, the company that puts on the annual event, responded, “not this year.”

The event still will take place in D.C., however. Tickets for the District’s Shamrock Crawl have been on sale for at least a week.

A representative for Project D.C. Events didn’t respond to requests for comment, and although it’s not clear why the Clarendon portion of the event isn’t moving forward, the cancellation could have something to do with declining attendance.

In 2015, nearly 3,700 people participated in the big green party, which was down from 5,000 revelers in 2014. Crime also declined that year, as a new bar crawl policy provided funds from organizers for a stepped-up police presence.

Despite the drop in crime, the event has in the past peeved certain local business owners as well as residents of surrounding neighborhoods, who have complained of parking issues and drunken partiers.


Bentley being towed in Clarendon (Photo courtesy Clarendon Nights)

Someone apparently brought their baby blue Bentley to Saturday’s Halloween bar crawl in Clarendon — but didn’t pay enough attention to the temporary no parking signs on Wilson Blvd.

The $200,000+ coupe, with New York tags, was towed by Redman Fleet Services, the towing provider to the Arlington County Police Department.

No additional information was immediately available.

Photo courtesy Clarendon Nights


Morning clouds over Pentagon City (photo courtesy Valerie)

ACPD Anti-DUI Event During Bar Crawl — The Arlington County Police Department will be holding an interactive anti-drunk driving event from noon to 5 p.m. during Saturday’s Halloween bar crawl in Clarendon. Part of N. Hudson Street will be closed as a result of the anti-DUI event. [Arlington County]

Dems Hoping for 100,000 Clinton Votes — Arlington Democrats are hoping their get-out-the-vote efforts result in 100,000 votes for Hillary Clinton in the county. Arlington could be the difference-maker in the race, determining whether Clinton wins or loses the key swing state of Virginia. In 2008 Barack Obama won 82,119 votes in Arlington. [InsideNova]

Live Election Broadcast — For the first time in our history, ARLnow is planning live video coverage of Tuesday’s election results. From about 7:30-9:30 p.m., assuming no technical difficulties, we will be broadcasting live from the local Democratic victory party at Sehkraft Brewing in Clarendon. Expect analysis of the local election results and interviews with elected officials, candidates and civic figures from all sides of the political spectrum. The live video feed will be included in our election results post that evening.

Arlington Alert Charity Promotion — Thanks to a sponsorship from the Arlington Community Federal Credit Union, during the month of November a donation will be made to one’s local charity of choice when you sign up for emergency alerts via Arlington Alert. [Arlington County]

Fort Myer Commuter Fair — About 88 percent of those who work at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall travel to their jobs by themselves. To try to encourage more carpooling and transit use, the county-run Arlington Transportation Partners recently held a Commuter Fair at the base. [Pentagram]

James B. Hunter Award Winners — The winners of this year’s James B. Hunter human rights awards were just announced. The winners were: Tiffany Joslyn (posthumously); Joan Ritter, MD; Bridges to Independence; Edu Futuro; the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington; and Busboys and Poets in Shirlington. [Arlington County]

Photo courtesy Valerie


Clarendon Halloween bar crawlThe annual Clarendon Halloween bar crawl will be back for another year this year, although it will be taking place after Halloween itself.

Halloween is on Monday, Oct. 31. The bar crawl is scheduled from 1-9 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 5.

“Bust out your best costume and get ready for a spooktacular party like no other this season,” says the website for the crawl. “The Clarendon Halloween Crawl celebrates the scariest time of the year in Arlington with thousands of your closest friends!”

Revelers will get a “souvenir haunted mug, access to Clarendon’s best bars, exclusive drink and food specials, free pictures of the event and a raffle entry to win great prizes.”

Participating bars include Mad Rose Tavern, Clarendon Ballroom, Clarendon Grill, IOTA Club and Cafe, Whitlow’s, Mister Days, Spider Kelly’s and Hunan One.

Tickets are $15 online or $30 at the door.


Screen shot of Clarendon flasher on WJLA (ABC 7)

A local TV news report from Clarendon took an ironic and not-safe-for-work turn Saturday night when a woman walked by and flashed the camera, live on the air.

During the station’s 11 p.m. news broadcast, ABC 7 anchor Kimberly Suiters tossed to Virginia bureau chief Jeff Goldberg, who was about to introduce his story on that day’s Shamrock Crawl bar crawl.

“Everyone keeping their clothes on?” asked Suiters, apparently referencing earlier instances in which drunken bar crawl attendees stripped naked and were arrested.

Immediately after Goldberg began answering — “so far, Kimberly” — a woman walked by and flashed her breasts. The split-second moment was captured in this NSFW YouTube clip.

A bit flustered, Goldberg nonetheless continued his report, which highlighted how there were no major incidents and only nine minor arrests for drunken behavior during the bar crawl.

“So, anyway,” Goldberg said as the brief YouTube clip ended.

Hat tip to Keith Hall


Tree in bloom in Fairlington

Arlington Man Killed in Motorcycle Accident — An Arlington man died Saturday after his motorcycle skidded out of control while he was trying to get on northbound I-395 from Route 236, near Landmark Mall in Alexandria. Altankhuyag Saintur, 26, was pronounced dead at Inova Fairfax Hospital. [Washington Post]

Firefighters Battle Blaze in Cherrydale — Arlington County firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a house fire on the 4000 block of Vacation Lane in Cherrydale early Saturday morning. No injuries were reported. [Twitter]

Shamrock Crawl Arrests — There were no major incidents during Saturday’s Shamrock Crawl in Clarendon, but nine people were arrested for drunken behavior. The Arlington County Police Department maintained a significant presence at the bar crawl — paid for by the organizers — which kept unruliness to a relative minimum. [WJLA]

Another Grocery Store for the Pike? — Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey would like to attract another food option for the western end of Columbia Pike, at least for the two years between when the Food Star store closes for construction and another grocery store opens in its place. [InsideNova]

Two Programs Planned at Arlington Mill Center — Arlington County has agreed to lease 9,400 square feet of third-floor space in the Arlington Mill Community Center to two local children’s programs: Aspire! After School Learning and Jane Franklin Dance. Aspire! will have 18 months to raise the funds to build out and lease the space, under a Letter of Intent signed with the county. [Arlington County]


A fox in the snow in Arlington (Flickr pool photo by WolfpackWX)

Dominion Admits Culpability for Potomac Oil Spill — Last week’s mysterious oil spill that ran from the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary, down the Potomac past Reagan National Airport, came from a Dominion Power substation in Crystal City. The company is taking responsibility for the mineral oil spill, which killed 21 birds, mostly Canada geese, and prompted a large Coast Guard and Arlington County cleanup response. [Washington Post]

Loverde Issues Statement on Scalia’s Death — Diocese of Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde issued a statement on the passing of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia over the weekend. Loverde said “we are all deeply saddened” by Scalia’s unexpected death, lauding him as “a man so deeply rooted in his faith, so brilliant in the law and in jurisprudence, so clear and precise in his judicial statements, so wholly committed to his family, so engaging with colleagues and friends, often with great humor.” [Catholic Diocese of Arlington]

D.C. Denies St. Paddy’s Bar Crawls — The annual Shamrock Crawl bar crawl will be coming to Clarendon next month. Arlington police helped keep a lid on crime and rowdiness associated with the bar crawl last year. In the District, however, concerns about bad behavior prompted officials to deny permit applications for the D.C. version of the Shamrock Crawl and another St. Patrick’s Day-themed crawl. [Borderstan]

Garvey on Kojo Show — On Friday, Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey was a guest on the Kojo Nnamdi Politics Hour, which is broadcast on WAMU (88.5 FM). Garvey spoke to Nnamdi and NBC 4’s Tom Sherwood about the proposed widening of a portion of eastbound I-66, as well as related topics like Metro and transit. [YouTube]

W-L Shot Put Record Smashed — Washington-Lee High School junior Benedict Draghi has convincingly set a new school record for shot put. At a recent track meet, Draghi recorded a throw of 61 feet and 4.75 inches. The performance was good for first place at the meet and it blew away the school’s 50-year-old previous indoor shot put record by nearly 10 feet. [InsideNova]

Old Guard Offers Horses for Adoption — The Army’s Old Guard, based at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, is offering two caisson horses for adoption. The horses, Quincy and Kennedy, have served in military funerals and ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery for almost a decade. [WJLA]

Volunteers Remove Wreaths from Cemetery — Despite bone-chilling cold temperatures, on Saturday volunteers picked up tens of thousands of holiday wreaths that were placed on headstones at Arlington National Cemetery in December. The cleanup was postponed from January due to the blizzard. [WUSA 9]

Flickr pool photo by WolfpackWX


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