Some Arlington residents went all-out when it came to dressing up their homes for Halloween. Just before the kids started trick-or-treating last night, we stopped by two local streets that were said to have some of the best decorations around.

On the 700 block of N. Illinois Street in Bluemont, two homeowners were duking it out for the title of scariest house. One home was not only spook-ified on the outside, but the creepy decorations and frightful lighting continued well inside the front door as well.

The 700 block of N. Jackson Street in Ashton Heights was even more festive. One otherwise charming home was converted into a yard of horrors, with freshly-dug graves, cobwebs, leering ghouls and a menacing coffin. Just down the street, neighbors were out taking photos of the N. Jackson Street Cemetery — a house-turned-haunted-house featuring a real, rusted-out hearse, more freshly-dug graves and a small army of free-standing witches, ghosts and skeletons.

How do these compare to the best-decorated homes in your neighborhood?


The annual Arlington Home Show and Expo will return to the Walter Reed Community Center (2909 S. 16th Street) on Saturday.

The show features dozens of home builders, contractors, vendors, architects, inspectors, Realtors, gardeners, lenders and nonprofits, as well as housing, zoning and inspection representatives from Arlington County.

There will also be a raffle to win an iPad 2, which sounds a lot easier than lining up outside the Apple Store at 5:00 a.m. on a weekday. See more information about the home show here.

Disclosure: The Arlington Home Show and Expo is an ARLnow.com advertiser.


By Alex

Is your garden or yard losing its luster?  No need to worry, help is on the way.  Coming up on Saturday, April 10, at the Arlington Home Show and Expo, two garden-specific classes will be presented by the Virginia Cooperative Extension and Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.

Starting at 10:15 a.m. there will be a class called “Garden Soil Testing! How and Why” that will include a free test kit for all participants. Later in the day, at 3:00 p.m., a class titled “How to Catch a Squirrel:  Solutions to Common Garden Problems” promises valuable tips for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.

There’s a ton to learn about gardening — proper mulching, watering, fertilizing, etc. — but these free classes should be a good start for any green thumb looking to keep their yard pristine and make their garden yield better results.

Other classes offered at the home show will pay special attention to eco-friendly home building and remodeling. Among the classes being offered are “No Cost and Low Cost Ways to Reduce Energy Usage”  and “Green Your Home From Soup to Nuts.”

Arlington County representatives will also be attending the Expo to answer questions about permits, zoning and inspections.

The Expo is being held at the Walter Reed Community Center at 2909 16th Street South.