holiday

Morning Poll: Are You Working Over Christmas?

By ARLnow.com

We just wanted to take a quick moment to thank everybody who will be working over the Christmas holiday.

From emergency personnel to military service members to media workers to retail and service employees, here’s to the dedicated men and women who will be protecting, informing and serving us while much of the community is opening presents and spending time with family.

Also, here’s to everybody who is forgoing a holiday trip or skipping a family gathering in order to be “on call” for their job this weekend.

Are you working over Christmas? Or did you start your holiday break days ago?


Morning Poll: Last-Minute Holiday Shopping

By ARLnow.com

Forget Black Friday. The next two or three days will likely be some of the busiest shopping days of the year, as procrastinators head to the malls to pick up last-minute Christmas gifts.

Where in Arlington, if anywhere, are you planning on going shopping before Dec. 25? You can select more than one answer.


County Government Holiday Closures

By ARLnow.com

With the exception of limited ART bus service, virtually every county government office you can think of will be closed on Christmas and New Year’s Day, both of which fall on a Saturday this year.

Likewise, while trash collection and some bus service will be operational on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, but just about everything else county-related — including libraries, courts and schools — will be closed.

The good news: parking meters will not be enforced on Dec. 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1. Happy holidays, indeed.

See the full closure list here.

Holiday Music, Movies and More

By ARLnow.com

If you’re looking to get in the Christmas spirit, good news: there are holiday events aplenty around Arlington. There are so many events, in fact, that one is bound to bring a smile to the face of even the most ardent Grinch.

A few of the entries in our recently-updated Events Calendar:

  • Screening of “It’s a Wonderful Life” to benefit the Children’s National Medical Center (at Arlington Cinema Drafthouse)
  • Holiday Concert by the Potomac Harmony Chorus, Arlington’s award-winning women’s barbership chorus (at Thomas Jefferson Community Theater)
  • Holiday Mayhem at Signature Theater, featuring four nights of holiday merrymaking
  • Rasberry Brothers present “Home Alone” — Everybody’s favorite 90s Christmas movie, mocked Mystery Science Theater 3000-style by comedian Jerm Pollet (at Arlington Cinema Drafthouse)

Winter Wonderland in Clarendon Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

Expect parking to be at a premium in Clarendon Saturday afternoon as the Market Common shopping center holds its 10th annual Winter Wonderland event.

Santa and Mrs. Claus will be in attendance from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., and there will be entertainment and activities for all ages.

Market Common Clarendon will present the 10th annual Winter Wonderland on Saturday, December 11, offering plenty of holiday fun for all ages. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive by fire truck at 1:00 pm, and they’ll be staying for visits and free photos until 5:00 pm. All afternoon, attendees can enjoy free holiday activities and entertainment, including ice sculptures, strolling entertainment, “Jack Frost”, carolers, and more. MIX 107.3 FM will be broadcasting live from Market Common Clarendon with host, John Martin, for the US Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign, accepting donations of unwrapped toys and cash from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Read My Lips, No New Taxis — County staff is taking a hard line on taxi cabs, recommending that the board reject a request to add 75 taxis to Arlington’s current licensed fleet of 765 cabs. More from the Sun Gazette.

Long Bridge Park Construction Continues — Despite the budgetary challenges, the county board has reaffirmed its commitment to complete all phases of the Long Bridge Park project near Crystal City. More from TBD.

Arlington Free Clinic Holds Lottery — To become a patient at the Arlington Free Clinic requires a bit of luck. The clinic will serve no more than 1,600 patients, so once a month it holds a “lottery day” to decide who gets to receive clinic services. More from MyFoxDC.

Snowmageddon: The Book — If someone you know is going through blizzard withdrawal, the fine folks over at the Capital Weather Gang have the perfect holiday gift for you. They’ve come up with a 120-page book, filled with photos and nerdy weather stuff from everybody’s favorite freak succession of snow storms. More from CWG.

Rosslyn to Light Up for the Holidays Tomorrow Night

By ARLnow.com

Rosslyn is holding its annual Light Up ceremony tomorrow night to celebrate the start of the holiday season.

At 6:31 p.m., TBD-TV anchor Morris Jones will throw a giant switch, turning on the rooftop LED lights that give the Rosslyn skyline a festive glow this time of year. Rosslyn building owners started decorating their rooftops for the inaugural Light Up Rosslyn event in 1993.

Before the switch is thrown, there will be free food, drinks and music for anyone who wants to stop by. Santa Fe Cafe is providing chili and hot cocoa, while Monday Properties is providing cookies and hot cider. The Potomac Harmony Chorus and Beltway Brass will perform.

There ceremony will also feature a winter clothing drive for the Arlington Street People’s Assistance Network (A-SPAN).

The festivities start at 5:00 tomorrow under the WJLA Jumbotron at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and North Lynn Street.

Artisphere will be hosting a free open house after the ceremony.

Photo courtesy Steve Uzzell/Rosslyn BID

Shirlington Tree Lighting Rescheduled

By ARLnow.com

(Updated at 11:00 a.m.) Due to the rain and wind predicted for tonight, the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at Shirlington Village has been rescheduled.

The lighting will now take place Thursday at 6:30 p.m. It will be followed by horse and carriage rides, photos with Santa, Victorian carolers and free giveaways. Shirlington stores and restaurants will also have free samples, activities and special deals.

See the Shirlington Village web site for more information, and the unofficial Shirlington Village Blog for a photo of the tree.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

December Leaf Collection Schedule Released — The county’s second round of vacuum leaf collection through neighborhoods is now scheduled to begin on Dec. 4 and end on Dec. 24. More from the Dept. of Environmental Services.

Holiday Events Aplenty — The Sun Gazette has a list of 15 holiday-related events around Arlington in December.

Arlington Company Gets Big-Time Funding — OPower, a start-up energy services company based in Courthouse, has just received a $50 million investment by two venture capital firms. The company, which hosted a speech by President Obama in March, hopes to ramp up its research and development effort and hire 50 more people. More from Tech Crunch.

Fire Response at Spider Kelly’s — The fire department responded to Spider Kelly’s in Clarendon late last night for a report of a fire. Firefighters instead found light smoke and traced it back to a malfunctioning heating unit. No word yet on whether this will affect the popular night spot’s ability to open today.

Pre-Thanksgiving Parking Woes at Clarendon Whole Foods

By ARLnow.com

Despite worries about long lines and delays, catching a flight at Reagan National Airport was a relative breeze this morning. Parking at the Clarendon Whole Foods, on the other hand, is a disaster zone.

The heavy volume of shoppers stocking up for Thanksgiving dinner is overwhelming the five (count ’em) neon-vested parking attendants who are currently working the lot.

Reagan National Airport Update

By ARLnow.com

So far it looks like smooth sailing at Reagan National Airport.

Currently, the FAA is not reporting any significant arrival or departure delays at the airport. As of about 9:00 this morning, the security lines at Terminal B were virtually non-existent.

In fact, the only thing crowded at the airport was the media truck parking area. We spotted at least 10 media vehicles parked on either side of the terminal.

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