holiday

Arlington County Holiday Closures

By ARLnow.com

The timing of Christmas and New Year’s this year couldn’t be worse for those hoping for a couple of extra days off work.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day fall on a Saturday and a Sunday, as does New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Obviously, most people already get weekends off as a matter of course. Most Arlington County workers, however, will get an extra day off on the Monday following both holiday weekends.

Arlington County administrative offices, libraries, schools, courts, human services offices and nature centers will be closed on Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2, in addition to being closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The courts, which are usually closed on weekends, will be closed on Friday, Dec. 23 and Friday, Dec. 30 in addition to the Monday closures. The Arlington Public Schools winter break will keep students out of classrooms from Dec. 23 to Jan. 2.

Several Arlington community centers will be open on Dec. 26, though most — with the exception of Barcroft — will be closed on Jan. 2.

Trash and recycling collections will proceed as usual on Dec. 23, Dec. 26 and Jan. 2.

See more details on the holiday closures on the Arlington County website.

Wreaths Arriving Saturday at Arlington Nat’l Cemetery

By ARLnow.com

It’s an annual tradition that helps honor our fallen heroes with some holiday spirit.

On Saturday morning more than 100,000 wreaths will arrive at Arlington National Cemetery. The wreaths will each be placed next to grave markers at the cemetery by teams of volunteers, and will remain there through the end of January.

It’s the biggest holiday wreath-laying yet, with more than three times more wreaths than last year. The wreaths are all funded by donations and shipped via tractor trailer from the Worcester Wreath Company in eastern Maine.

The wreaths will arrive at 7:45 a.m., when a parade of trucks reaches Arlington National Cemetery’s main entrance. That will be followed by an opening ceremony at the Memorial Amphitheater at 8:30 a.m., a helicopter flyby at 8:45 a.m., and the massive volunteer wreath-laying effort through 1:00 p.m. There will also be wreath-laying ceremonies at the Kennedy gravesite, the USS Maine mast and the Tomb of the Unknowns.

DoD photo via Wikimedia

Plenty of Holiday Events in Arlington This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

There’s going to be plenty of Christmas cheer to go around in Arlington this weekend. A sleigh-ful of holiday events are planned around the county. Among them:

  • Winter Wonderland in Clarendon — This event will feature family-friendly holiday activities and entertainment, including strolling carolers, professional ice sculptors and free photos with Santa. Mix 107.3 FM will be broadcasting live and the Marine Corps will be collecting toys and cash for their Toys for Tots campaign.
    • Saturday, 4:00 to 7:30 p.m., Market Common Clarendon (2700 Clarendon Blvd)
  • The Gift of Art Reception — Support local artists and buy a unique, artful gift at this holiday showcase event.
    • Saturday, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., Arlington Arts Gallery (5179 Lee Highway)
  • Shirlington SantaCon — This daytime bar crawl encourages participants to come dressed as Mr. or Mrs. Claus as they go from bar to bar in Shirlington Village. The $15 registration fee will benefit the charity Dreams for Kids.
    • Saturday, 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Shirlington Village (2700 S. Quincy Street)
  • Good Sports Holiday Party — Good Sports of Arlington will be holding its 6th Annual Holiday Party to benefit its Scholarship Fund for Arlington students. This year’s event will feature a raffle with prizes such as Capitals tickets, Presidents Club seats to a Nationals game, and a weekend getaway to Virginia’s brewery and vineyard area outside Charlottesville.
    • Saturday, 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., Crystal City Sports Pub (529 S. 23rd Street)
  • National Chamber Ensemble Holiday Concert — The National Chamber Ensemble and talented young guest musicians play seasonal favorites as well as a traditional carol sing-along. Tickets are $28 for adults and $15 for students.
    • Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Artisphere Spectrum Theatre (1101 Wilson Blvd)
  • Holiday Concerts and Sing Along — The award-winning, all-female Potomac Harmony Chorus will present its annual Holiday Concert and Sing-Along. Admission is free, but donations will be collected on behalf of Doorways for Women and Families.
    • Sunday, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m., NRECA Conference Center (4301 Wilson Blvd)
  • Christmas Movie Festival — Christmas-themed movie classics are shown at the big screen at Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse. The lineup includes: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Elf, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Scrooged, and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
    • Sunday, 12:00 to 9:00 p.m., Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike)

Photos from Light Up Rosslyn

By ARLnow.com

The 18th annual Light Up Rosslyn ceremony was held last night, under the WJLA Jumbotron at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and N. Lynn Street.

Dozens gathered to listen to live holiday music, to drink free hot chocolate, and to see County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman flip the ceremonial switch to illuminate the rooftops of nearly 40 Rosslyn buildings. The annual event also featured a clothing drive for the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network.

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Rosslyn Light-Up Ceremony To Be Held Thursday

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn will hold its annual holiday light-up night on Thursday. The event will feature speeches, music, free food and drink, and a winter clothing collection drive in front of the WJLA Jumbotron at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and N. Lynn Street.

From a press release:

The Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID), Artisphere and Arlington Cultural Affairs welcome the 2011 holiday season with the 18th Annual LIGHT UP Rosslyn ceremony on Thursday, December 1, from 5:15 p.m.–6:30 p.m. NewsChannel 8 Anchor Morris Jones will host the evening’s outdoor festivities in front of the WJLA Jumbotron, located at 1100 Wilson Blvd. Arlington County Board Chair Christopher Zimmerman will offer remarks and then share the honors with Jones and Rosslyn BID Board President Peter Greenwald as they flip a giant switch to light up the Rosslyn skyline. The musical groups Beltway Brass and Snowday will perform holiday favorites, and Santa Fe Café will offer complimentary hot cocoa and chili.

The rooftops of nearly 40 properties will be illuminated. Rosslyn commercial and residential property owners whose buildings will be part of the 2011 LIGHT UP include, Beacon Capital, Clover Management, The JBG Companies, Key Bridge Marriott, London House, Monday Properties, Normandy House, Paramount Group, Penzance Companies, Tishman Speyer, River Place, Virginian Suites, Vornado, Waterview and Weissberg Corporation.

“It’s great to have so many Rosslyn property owners participating in this festive event,” said Arlington County Board Chair Christopher Zimmerman. “The Rosslyn BID does a wonderful job of kicking-off the holiday season with LIGHT UP Rosslyn while helping individuals in need through the annual clothes drive.”

LIGHT UP Rosslyn also serves as the final collection point for warm winter clothing, which the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN) will distribute to clients who need it most. Rosslyn BID Ambassadors will be on hand to receive new or gently used winter coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, hats, gloves, socks and jeans. This year’s winter clothing drive began on November 7, when the Rosslyn BID placed collection bins in offices and residential buildings around Rosslyn.

Photo by Steve Uzzell/Rosslyn BID

Shirlington Tree Lighting Rescheduled

By ARLnow.com

A planned Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Shirlington Village has been rescheduled due to a rainy forecast.

The “Light Up the Village” event will now be held on Thursday, Dec. 1, after originally being scheduled for Tuesday, according to the Shirlington Village Facebook page.

The evening’s festivities will still include carriage rides, carolers and children’s activities.

Ways to Give Back This Holiday Season

By ARLnow.com

Looking for a way to give back this holiday season?

The county’s Volunteer Arlington program lists several holiday-related volunteer and donation opportunities that are open to interested members of the public.

  • Thanksgiving Meal Delivery — The Arlington Knights of Columbus chapter is feeding some 2,000 needy people on Thanksgiving, and they need volunteers to help deliver meals or serve food in their North Arlington facility.
  • Angel Tree Program Setup, Sorting and Distribution — Help the Salvation Army provide gifts to needy children and elderly citizens who would otherwise be left out on Christmas.
  • Gift Wrapping at Pentagon City Mall — A gift wrapping service provided to shoppers at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City by Arms Outstretched Ministry. Proceeds benefit wounded warriors, deployed military personnel and their families.
  • Secret Santa/Adopt-A-Family — Help provide gifts to needy families via the Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing.
  • Arlington DHS Secret Santa — Donate gift cards to the Arlington Department of Human Services to make the holidays “a little happier for some of Arlington’s most vulnerable residents.”

T-Minus Two Weeks to Shirlington Tree Lighting

By ARLnow.com

Update on 11/28/11 — This event has been rescheduled for Thursday, Dec. 1.

Ready or not, the holiday season is upon us. Case in point: Shirlington’s 9th annual holiday tree-lighting is only two weeks away.

The ‘Light Up the Village‘ event will take place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29. In addition to the tree lighting, which will take place at 6:30 p.m., there will also be live music, strolling entertainment, local merchant specials, photos with Santa (inside the UPS Store), horse and carriage rides (cost: a canned food donation to the Arlington Food Assistance Center), face painting, balloon twisting and more.

Shirlington also plans to get festive with two Pet Photos with Santa events. Pet owners can try to get their four-legged friends to pose with Ol’ Saint Nick from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Dec. 8 and 15. The photo events are taking place inside Dogma Bakery (2772 S. Arlington Mill Drive). The store requests a $10 donation to benefit Lucky Dog Animal Rescue.

Photo courtesy The Village at Shirlington

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

It’s 11-11-11 — Today’s Veterans Day holiday falls on a uniquely symmetrical date: 11-11-11. In addition to ties to doomsday myths, the 11-11-11 date has produced some actual trends, including increased sales of lottery tickets and a crush of wedding ceremonies.

Bikeshare Expands in Courthouse, Clarendon — A new Capital Bikeshare station was installed near the Courthouse Metro at the intersection of Wilson Boulevard and N. Uhle Street yesterday. Another station is expected to be installed at Wilson Boulevard and N. Edgewood Street in Clarendon by the end of the day today. [Bike Arlington]

Bondi Announces County Board Candidacy — Democrat Melissa Bondi has formally announced her candidacy to replace state Senator-elect Barbara Favola on the Arlington County Board. In a press release yesterday, Bondi touted her civic leadership experience and said she would bring  a “fresh approach” to the Board. “I am prepared to lead important community conversations about what will make Arlington a stronger, more competitive and desirable place to live in the next 30 years,” she said.

Flickr pool photo by Schlickw

Veterans Day in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

Tomorrow the nation will honor our military veterans, and Arlington will be the hub of the country’s Veterans Day commemorations.

Arlington National Cemetery will hold its annual National Veterans Day Ceremony starting promptly at 11:00 tomorrow morning. The event begins with a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, then continues inside the adjacent Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors and remarks from dignitaries. President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to attend and participate in the ceremony.

Elsewhere in Arlington County, most government offices will be closed for the holiday. County administrative offices, public libraries, courts, schools and nature centers are among the facilities scheduled to be closed. Parking meters will not be enforced.

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