road closures

Clarendon Day Returns With More Chili, Beers

By Ethan Rothstein

2013 Clarendon Day 5K/10K race (Flickr pool photo by J Sonder)Clarendon’s biggest annual street festival, Clarendon Day, is back for its 17th iteration this Saturday, and with it comes the return of the D.C. Chili Cookoff.

This year’s festival goes from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the streets outside the Clarendon Metro station, at the intersection of N. Highland Street and Wilson and Clarendon Blvds. There will be 40 bands and musicians playing on five stages throughout the day, headlined by singer-songwriter Amber Rubarth at 2:45 p.m. on the main stage.

While music will fill the air all afternoon long, so will the smell of chili. The chili cookoff, sponsored by the International Chili Society, will see dozens of homemade chili chefs cooking up batches of red chili, chili verde, salsa and homestyle recipes, all competing for the chance to participate in the World Championship Chili Cookoff this October in Palm Springs, Calif. Chefs will be providing tastings of their chili, and those hankering for something else will be able to choose from more than a dozen local restaurants’ tents. 

Participants last year were disappointed by the long lines for beer, which often stretched dozens deep. This year, festival organizer Clarendon Alliance said “we have revised our event layout to allow for faster beverage service,” which includes two bars in different sections, with breweries participating in next month’s Courthouse Arts and Craft Beer Festival and wine.

Along Wilson Blvd, there will again be dozens of arts and crafts vendors and exhibitors, and by Clarendon Central Park there will be activity spaces for children. The festival itself is free to enter.

Roads in Clarendon will be closed all day Saturday to accommodate the festival. That includes starting at 5:00 a.m. on Wilson Blvd to N. Lynn Street to accommodate the annual Clarendon Day 5K/10K, which will also close southbound Route 110 from 8:00-10:00 a.m. Wilson and Clarendon Blvds will close from Washington Blvd to N. Highland Street until the evening, as will Highland Street from 11th Street N. to just before N. Hancock Street.

Flickr pool photo by J Sonder

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Taxis queued up at Reagan National Airport

‘Pups and Pilsners’ Photo Contest — Want to sample some brews and make your pet famous? Head on over to Crystal City’s Pups and Pilsners event from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, snap a photo of your pooch and tweet it to us and our sponsors, @CCBID and @BeckysPetCare. Pups and Pilsners is a free dog-friendly event featuring a massive beer garden and food from local restaurants. [Crystal City BID]

Planners: Bank Shortchanges Courthouse — The office building slated to replace the Wendy’s in Courthouse will have a Wells Fargo bank prominently located on the ground floor, and Arlington planners don’t like it. County staff says the bank use is “not appropriate” and should be at least moved so that a more active retail use can occupy half of the plaza area. Developer Carr Properties says the bank must stay, since Wells Fargo owns the land under the existing bank that will be torn down for the project. [Washington Business Journal]

Vihstadt Out-Raises Howze — Incumbent, independent County Board candidate John Vihstadt is out-raising his Democratic opponent, Alan Howze. Vihstadt raised $31,367 in July and August, compared to $20,607 raised by Howze. Vihstadt recently reported $58,746 cash on hand while Howze reported $16,906. [Washington Post]

Fugazi to Release ‘Lost Album’ — Fugazi is planing to release a “lost album” of 11 songs recorded in 1988. The legendary local rockers recorded the songs on the album, First Demo, at Inner Ear Studio in Arlington. [Spin]

Road Closures for Clarendon Art Fest — Parts of Washington Blvd, Clarendon Blvd, and N. Highland Street will be closed Saturday and Sunday for the 2nd Annual Arlington Festival of the Arts. “Over 100 artists will showcase their works including glass, mixed media, paintings, jewelry, and pottery; providing all sorts of opportunities to appreciate — and purchase — art,” according to the festival’s website. [Arlington County, ArtFestival]

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Flags on the Arlington County courthouse and detention facility buildings (photo courtesy Bill Ross)

APS To Use ‘Big Data’ to Prevent Dropouts — Arlington Public Schools held a contest this summer for “big data” companies to analyze its student performance data, and plans to use the newly-released results to predict which students are at risk of dropping out of school. The winning company, Deep Learning Analytics, found that APS should refine its data collecting techniques. In addition, it found that, along with attendance, behavior and coursework, socioeconomic standing is a predictive indicator for school dropouts. [Arlington Public Schools]

Military Jet to Land at DCA — The Scorpion, a new military fighter jet, will land at Reagan National Airport on Saturday. The jet — manufactured by Textron AirLand LLC — will stay in a DCA hangar for a week, for marketing purposes. [InsideNova]

County Launches New Blog — Arlington County has launched “Natural Arlington,” a new blog to discuss environmental issues in the county. Recent topics include a discussion of green frogs, the environmental issues with dog poop, and a post about the sale of native plants at local nurseries. [Natural Arlington]

Road Closure for Street Fair — Part of 9th Street S. will be closed in the area of Walter Reed Drive for the annual Prio Bangla Potho Mela street fair. The event is taking place Saturday morning. [Arlington County]

Photo courtesy Bill Ross

Buckingham Festival Set for Sunday

By Ethan Rothstein

The site of the Buckingham Community Festival (photo via Google Maps)The annual Buckingham Community Festival returns this Sunday, closing N. Pershing Drive to make room for daylong activities.

The festival, hosted by the BU-GATA Tenants Association, will feature live performances of folk music and dance, among other activities. It will be held on N. Pershing Drive between N. Glebe Road and Thomas Street from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m.

In addition to the music and dance, there will be food vendors and children’s activities, like a bounce house and games for the family.

It’s the 14th year of the festival, which is held as an opportunity for the heavily Latino community to come together and celebrate each other’s cultures. Many of the performances will be traditional folk music and dance from a variety of Latin countries.

Pershing Drive will close at 10:00 a.m. to accommodate the festival, and should re-open around 7:00 p.m. Parking in the area will be restricted.

Photo via Google Maps

Shirlington’s Wags ‘n Whiskers Festival Returns Saturday

By Ethan Rothstein

Wags and Whiskers 2011 (courtesy photo)The annual Shirlington pet festival, Wags ‘n Whiskers, returns for its seventh year this Saturday.

This year’s festival’s hours are extended: the fun begins at 10:00 a.m. and goes until 4:00 p.m. along Campbell Avenue. The festival’s organizer, the Federal Realty Investment Trust, said more than 60 pet-centric vendors have signed up to participate, making it the biggest Wags ‘n Whiskers festival to date.

In addition to the vendors selling treats, food, toys and other goods, there will also be on-site adoption booths, pet portraits for $5, demonstrations, face-painting and balloon art. A complete list of vendors is available on the festival’s website.

Live music will be going on throughout the festivities, starting with Dan Haas at 10:00 a.m., followed by the Taylor Carson Duo at noon and the Morrison Brothers Band at 2:00 p.m.

The Arlington County Police Department will be closing roads around Shirlington on Saturday for the event. Starting at 5:30 a.m., Campbell Avenue will be closed from S. Quincy Street to the parking garage entrance in front of the Harris Teeter (4250 Campbell Ave.). S. Randolph Street will also be closed from Arlington Mill Drive to the alley south of Campbell Avenue. Street parking in the area will be restricted. The roads are expected to re-open by 7:00 p.m.

File photo

TRAFFIC ALERT: Car Rollover Closes George Mason Dr.

By ARLnow.com
1/6

Update at 4:00 p.m. — Emergency crews have just re-opened all lanes of traffic on N. George Mason Drive.

(Updated at 3:40 p.m.) Northbound George Mason Drive is closed near N. Henderson Road due to an accident with an overturned car.

Emergency crews responded to the scene for a two vehicle collision that flipped one car. The driver in the flipped vehicle managed to free herself and was taken to Virginia Hospital Center with non-life threatening injuries. The other driver was not injured.

George Mason Drive remains closed from N. Henderson Road to N. Park Drive, but emergency crews expect it to reopen before 4:00 p.m.

Crystal Twilighter 5K Returns Saturday

By ARLnow.com

Start of 2011 Crystal City Twilighter 5K (courtesy Crystal City BID)Crystal City will host the annual Crystal City Twilighter 5K race on Saturday.

The summer race, organized by Pacers, is dubbed “the hottest 5K in town.” It kicks off at 8:30 p.m. and is followed by a post-race party. Registration is $40 for adults over the age of 18, but $20 for those 18 years old or younger.

The Arlington County Police Department is planning on closing a number of roads to make way for the race. From ACPD:

The following lane closures will be in effect between 6:30 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.

  • Northbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 20th Street
  • Southbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 23rd Street and 20th Street
  • A single southbound access lane from 20th Street to the parking garage entrance at 2100 Crystal Drive will be provided.
  • A single southbound exit lane will be provided at the 2200 Crystal Drive exit with access to 23rd Street.
  • Note, there will be parking and limited access restrictions in the horseshoe driveway at 2121 Crystal Drive starting at noon.

The following lane closures will be in effect between 8:00 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.:

  • Northbound lanes of Crystal Drive between 23th Street and 12th Street
  • One southbound lane of Crystal Drive between 20th Street and 15th Street. Western-most southbound lane between 15th and 20th Streets to remain open to provide parking garage access.
  • Westbound lane of S. 12th Street between Crystal Drive and Long Bridge Drive.
  • North and South bound lanes of Long Bridge Drive from 12th Street South to Boundary Channel.
  • East and West bound lanes of Boundary Channel between Long Bridge Drive and Connector Road.
  • Both directions of 10th Street between Long Bridge Drive and S. Ball Street.
  • Both directions of 6th Street between Long Bridge Drive and S. Ball Street.
  • Both directions of S. Ball Street between 6th and 10th Streets.

Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser

Motorcycle Wreck Seriously Injures One

By ARLnow.com

ACFD ambulance / advanced life support paramedic unit (file photo)A single-vehicle wreck involving a motorcycle sent one person to the hospital with significant injuries this morning.

The accident was reported around 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of N. Glebe Road and Little Falls Road. Witnesses say the motorcyclist hit a curb and then hit the pavement, according to Arlington County Fire Department spokeswoman Lt. Sarah Marchegiani.

Medics responded and transported the biker, who suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries, to the trauma center at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Marchegiani said.

Glebe Road was shut down in both directions for part of the morning commute while police investigated the crash. It’s suspected that the motorcyclist was driving under the influence, according to Arlington police spokesman Lt. Kip Malcolm.

File photo

Road Closures in Arlington for Fourth of July

By Morgan Fecto

Fourth of July fireworks, as seen from the Air Force Memorial (Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman)

Several roads in Arlington, including some major arteries, will be closed to drivers for Independence Day celebrations tomorrow.

Memorial Bridge and Memorial Circle will be closed all day, from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. From 1:00 to 11:00 p.m., Marshall Drive will be closed from Route 110 to N. Meade Street, and Meade Street will be closed from Marshall Drive to 14th Street N.

The following closures are also planned in Arlington.

From 3:00 to 11:00 p.m.:

  • N. Meade Street from Marshall Drive to Route 50
  • Eastbound N. Fairfax Drive from N. Pierce Street to N. Fort Myer Drive
  • The exit ramps from Route 50 to N. Lynn and Meade Streets in Rosslyn
  • Long Bridge Drive from Boundary Channel Drive to 10th Street S.

From 8:30 to 11:00 p.m.:

  • Eastbound Route 50 at N. Pershing Drive, with a detour at N. Barton Street or Washington Boulevard
  • Columbia Pike between S. Orme Street and S. Joyce Street
  •  S. Joyce Street between Army Navy Drive and Columbia Pike

Sites in Arlington to view the National Mall fireworks include Long Bridge Park, the Air Force Memorial, Gateway Park, Gravelly Point, the Key Bridge, the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, the Pentagon Reservation and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall’s Whipple Field.

Tomorrow at noon, at Whipple Field, members of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment Presidential Salute Battery will fire its ceremonial 50-gun salute in honor of the country’s independence. The salute will involve a cannon firing every five seconds for five minutes.

Arlington County officials urge attendees to use public transportation. The Orange Line’s Rosslyn Metro stop is approximately 5 blocks north of the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial, and the Pentagon City Metro station is near the Air Force Memorial.  Shuttle buses to Long Bridge Park from the Crystal City and Pentagon City Metro stations will be available.

ART buses 41 and 51 will run on Sunday schedules, but all other ART buses will not be running. The Arlington County Sheriff’s Office, courts, community centers and libraries will be closed Friday. Trash and recycling collection will occur as scheduled, but parking across the county will not be enforced.

Flickr pool photo by John Sonderman

New Four-Mile Race Comes to Courthouse This Weekend

By Ethan Rothstein

Freedom Four Miler posterA new four-mile race will be held this Sunday morning from Courthouse down through Rosslyn and on Route 110.

The Freedom Four Miler is being organized by Pacers in partnership with Ireland’s Four Courts (2051 Wilson Blvd), which also serves as the race’s start and finish line. The race will begin at 8:00 a.m. and registration is $40.

It’s the inaugural running of the race, and it replaces the former Let Freedom Run 5K held in Fairfax County as the Fourth of July race in Pacers’ race offerings, according to Pacers Race Director Lisa Reeves.

The race now becomes the second four-miler Pacers holds in Arlington with Four Courts, pairing with the annual Four Courts Four-Miler held on St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Both four milers have the same basic course — a straight-line, turnaround course, traveling down Wilson Blvd and continuing on Route 110 before turning back in between Rosslyn and the Pentagon. The Arlington County Police Department has yet to announced the official street closures and times, but Reeves said roads will be closed on a rolling basis following the course. All roads should be fully open by 9:00 a.m., Reeves said, and closures will begin to go into effect at around 7:45 a.m.

“It’s a celebration-type race, that’s really what it’s all about,” Reeves said. “Having a good time with your friends and everything. We always encourage people to wear costumes, and we’ll have a photo booth with props like an Uncle Sam hat for runners and spectators to pose with.”

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