Be the envy of your company holiday party, Dec. 23 trip to the local bar or Christmas morning with your in-laws.
Today the ARLnow Shop is rolling out the official Gondola Ugly Holiday Sweater (Sweatshirt).
This new design is a true Arlington original, with the Air Force Memorial, Marine Corps War Memorial, Rosslyn skyline and, yes, a pair of gondolas.
Order between now and Monday to ensure delivery by Christmas.
(Updated at 12/5/23) Two Arlington high schools are gearing up to host holiday markets over the next two weekends.
This Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Washington-Liberty High School will hold its 63rd annual “Holiday Bazaar.”
The following Saturday, Dec. 9, Wakefield High School is also set to host its annual “Winter Bazaar” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Both events will showcase local vendors offering handcrafted goods such as jewelry, ceramics, clothing and holiday decorations, as well as festive food and drinks. Admission and parking are free for both markets.
At the Washington-Liberty holiday market, high school clubs and teams will also sell various items to raise money, according to an event webpage. While vendors accept several payment methods, the student organizations generally only take cash.
Photo via Washington-Liberty High School/Facebook
It’s been a banner year so far for online holiday shopping.
Fresh records for online shopping were set on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There’s some question, however, as to whether the online holiday shopping growth — in total up 7.8% from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, according to Adobe — is a good sign or bad sign for brick-and-mortar merchants.
From Axios:
E-commerce sales don’t tell the whole story.
The segment makes up less than 16% of U.S. retail sales.
The National Retail Federation separately reported on Tuesday that more than 200 million people shopped online and in-person during the five day period between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday — exceeding last year’s record number of 196 million. […]
Thanksgiving fell early this year, which may have boosted numbers. Same goes for “favorable” weather, according to NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay.
On the other hand, overall traffic to in-person retail locations was down slightly. From Reuters:
Online shoppers rose 3.1% to 134.2 million during the Thanksgiving weekend, making up for a slight dip in the number of customers who visited brick-and-mortar stores. The period saw about 121.4 million in-store shoppers, down from 122.7 million in 2022, according to the retail body.
Today we’re wondering how these numbers translate locally. Are Arlingtonians shifting more of their holiday spending online? Or are they still supporting local shops?
We have two polls, below, to try to gauge the state of local retail.
Arlington residents can win gift certificates and other prizes by supporting local businesses this weekend.
One More Page Books, at 2200 N. Westmoreland Street in East Falls Church, is again spearheading a “Small Business Saturday” event for homegrown local retailers and restaurants this coming Saturday, Nov. 25.
“A group of Arlington and Falls Church businesses will once again participate in a ‘Passport’ program designed to help area shoppers discover unique shops and restaurants, keep their shopping dollars local and be eligible to win prizes,” One More Page Books said in a press release.
Small Business Saturday, created by American Express in 2010, is a national event that encourages shopping at local businesses during one of the busiest retail weekends of the year. It comes a day after the traditional post-Thanksgiving shopping bonanza, Black Friday.
Participants can obtain a passport at any of the 15 participating businesses in Falls Church and in Arlington’s East Falls Church, Highland Park, Bluemont, Williamsburg and Westover neighborhoods. To be eligible for one of three “Grand Prize Baskets,” including goods and gift certificates, customers must collect stamps from at least five participating businesses on Saturday.
After collecting a minimum of five stamps, participants can submit their Passports at One More Page Books or the last business they visit that day.
The prize winners will be selected through a random drawing of all completed passports on Wednesday, Nov 29, at 3 p.m. at One More Page Books. The community is invited to witness the raffle.
A list and a map of the participating businesses are below.
(Updated at 9:45 a.m.) Amazon’s Prime Day begins today (Tuesday), meaning once-a-year deals on thousands of products for Prime members.
It can also be an excuse to throw in some merch that signals your Arlington pride, too.
With the debut of the first phase of the tech company’s HQ2 in Pentagon City, residents can rely on their new neighbor to deliver ARLnow apparel and Arlington-themed books, posters and more directly to their doors.
ARLnow sells t-shirts, tank tops, long-sleeve shirts, tote bags and other apparel we designed for you to wear your gondola fandom on your sleeves. (The best seller, of course, is the iconic Gondola Now shirt.)
Customers can go back to Amazon’s roots and buy books highlighting the history of Arlington and notable landmarks in the county are available.
There are also a number of books written by Arlington-based authors on the platform: an award-winning novel, a children’s book that explains the significance behind renaming Langston Blvd, mysteries based on county locations and one local man’s memoir waiting tables in D.C.
Those in need of décor for their home, or a housewarming gift for a friend, can buy everything from pillows to mugs, pictures and posters can be found by searching “Arlington VA.”
Deals on items for Prime Day will be offered next week, however, many of the major deals are already available.
Amazon is also offering a Try Before You Buy program where Prime members can try as many as six clothing items for seven days before officially purchasing them. UGG, Adidas, Calvin Klein and Levi’s are just some of the brands available through the program. Any items not wanted during the seven day trial period can be returned for free.
Beyond Prime Day, county residents can visit Amazon’s recently-opened HQ2, which offers shops, restaurants, other businesses and a nearby park with free events for the public to enjoy. Phase two of Amazon’s HQ2 was approved by the Arlington County Board in 2022 and is set to feature the distinctive helix tower — but it has since been delayed. There is some indication, however, that work on it could start next year.
Prime Day continues tomorrow, as well.
Arlingtonians have one more week to enjoy guaranteed same-day delivery services from Walgreens.
Through next Friday, customers of the pharmacy giant can order some 27,000 items online — from sunscreen to plastic cups — to have delivered to their door in under one hour. It’s part of a pilot program focused on our region.
“The offer, which is running exclusively across the Greater Washington region, guarantees customers will have items delivered to their door within the hour,” per a press release, which noted alcohol and prescriptions are excluded from this offer.
There are five participating locations in Arlington:
People who request one-hour delivery will be charged a fee that is calculated by the products ordered and the distance between the delivery location and the store from which they ordered. The delivery time is guaranteed, in a way that’s not dissimilar from those of that offered by pizza chains in the past.
“Walgreens is so confident in its delivery capabilities that it’s willing to guarantee it’ll be there in an hour — and if not, the company will give you your order and additional credit,” the release said.
Those who get late orders can receive $10 in Walgreens cash rewards, but only if they have an account with the company’s free rewards program.
As for what happens after the pilot ends on Friday, the release said Walgreens “has not announced plans to extend or expand the test.”
The company does offer pickup service in as little as 30 minutes after ordering.
A Barbie truck — yes, as in the plastic doll — will be rolling through Pentagon City next month.
On Saturday, May 7, the “Barbie Truck Totally Throwback Malibu Tour” is planning on setting up shop at Westpost (formerly Pentagon Row) in the courtyard near DSW shoe store. The truck will be selling “retro-inspired” Barbie merchandise — like Barbie logo embroidered denim jackets and Malibu Barbie necklaces — from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Merchandise prices range from $12 to $75.
The vibe is apparently “70s beach,” according to the press release.
The truck’s stop in Arlington is part of its “U.S. tour to celebrate the 50th Anniversary and iconic heritage of the original California girl, Malibu Barbie.” The tour started in Los Angeles back in 2019.
The Malibu Barbie’s 50th anniversary actually was last year, since it debuted in 1971. The original Barbie made its first appearance on toy shelves in 1959.
In recent years, Barbie dolls have been met with some criticism for encouraging materialism and promoting unrealistic body proportions. In 2016, Mattel, the company behind Barbie, introduced several different, more realistic body types for the line.
Pentagon City isn’t the only local stop that the Barbie Truck is making. This Saturday, April 16, the Malibu Barbie tour is hitting the sands of Tysons Corner Center. It will be in Bethesda on Saturday, April 30, and in Columbia, Maryland on Saturday, May 14.
(Updated at noon) A fire broke out Tuesday night at the Pentagon Centre shopping center, next to the Pentagon City Metro station.
The fire broke out shortly before 11 p.m. Early video, below, appears to show the fire in an HVAC unit above the Chevy’s Mexican restaurant.
The restaurant was filled with smoke, according to scanner traffic, though the fire appeared to be mostly confined to the roof area. Thick smoke could be seen rising from the shopping center at 1201 S. Hayes Street from a distance.
By midnight, after an extended effort to extinguish the last of the flames, the fire was reported to be out, but by morning it flared back up and prompted another large fire department response and road closures.
More via social media:
— verycaroline (@verycaroline) January 26, 2022
Units are operating at a structure fire in the 1200 BLK of S. Hayes St. Please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/WoAySvmXCB
— Arlington Fire & EMS (@ArlingtonVaFD) January 26, 2022
It’s back. pic.twitter.com/aLvLHE55fH
— verycaroline (@verycaroline) January 26, 2022
Video (top) courtesy anonymous
Dorsey’s Bankruptcy Case Dismissed — “Arlington County Board member Christian Dorsey, whose ethical and financial difficulties have tangled him in a web of false statements over the past year, fraudulently misrepresented his assets while filing for bankruptcy, a federal court ruled Friday… It was ‘an act of overt misrepresentation,’ [bankruptcy trustee] Thomas P. Gorman told the court at a hearing on Thursday, and ‘misconduct . . . so over the line’ that punishment was warranted.” [Washington Post]
Holiday Shopping Safety Tips — “ACPD wants you to have a happy and safe holiday season. While many are choosing to shop online this year, those shopping in-store are encouraged to be mindful of these safety tips.” [Twitter]
Event for Military Families Today — “An annual Winter Wonderland for Military Families hosted by a former NFL player and his wife will look very different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Derrick Dockery and his wife Emma will hold a drive-thru version of the event that provides toys and holiday cheer to military kids and families on Dec. 7 at a parking lot in Arlington, Virginia through their nonprofit, Yellow Ribbons United.” [Radio.com]
Santa Visit Still on This Weekend — “Santa Claus has paid a visit to the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department every year for over a century and he’s not going let the coronavirus pandemic force him to break that streak. In the interest of public safety, the jolly old elf will be meeting children outside this year in the parking lot of Cherrydale Baptist Church, which is located at 3910 Lorcom Lane.” [Patch]
More on CaBi Station at DCA — “Arlington County, Virginia, has installed a Capital Bikeshare station at Reagan National Airport, making it the first major metropolitan airport in the U.S. with a dock-based shared bike program. It is the 99th Capital Bikeshare dock installed in Arlington County.” [WTOP]
Gunston Coordinator Honored — “Shantha Smith, an education coordinator at Gunston Middle School, has been named a recipient of the 2020 Mary Peake Award for Excellence in Education by the state government. Awards were presented Dec. 3 in Richmond, and were named after a pioneering African-American educator.” [InsideNova]
At this point, your inbox is probably flooded with Cyber Monday deals from stores you haven’t ordered from in at least three years — 30% off here, 50% off there.
But instead of getting distracted by the *best* and *lowest* prices from these national chains, we want to highlight a few local businesses that we love, and happen to be current advertisers or partners.
You can shop these businesses online today and throughout the entire holiday season.
Know of other deals at local businesses? Let us know in the comments.
Even if none of the above have what you’re looking for, we hope you’ll consider shopping local over the next few weeks.
The Arlington County Police Department’s annual holiday toy drive returns tonight, and after a tough year.
The sixth annual Fill The Cruiser toy drive will help make the holiday season merry for vulnerable kids, police say. New health protocols, including contactless drop-offs, are intended to make sure the event can continue safely as coronavirus cases rise.
“This year, with families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for donations may be greater than ever and your generosity helps ensure the holidays are bright for some of our most vulnerable community members — children in need,” notes an ACPD release.
The fundraiser begins tonight (Nov. 20) at the Lee Harrison Shopping Center from 6 to 8 p.m. Three additional events will be held over the next couple of weeks.
According to ACPD:
Officers will collect new, unwrapped toys for children ages newborn to 17 at the following locations:
- Friday, November 20, 2020, from 6 to 8 p.m. — Lee Harrison Shopping Center — 2425 N. Harrison Street
- Monday, November 23, 2020, from 5 to 7 p.m. — Ballston Quarter — 4238 Wilson Boulevard — A cruiser will be located between Ted’s Bulletin and True Food Kitchen
- Tuesday December 1, 2020, from 5 to 7 p.m. — Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church — 830 23rd Street S.
- Wednesday, December 2, 2020, from 5 to 7 p.m. — Arlington Assembly of God — 4501 N. Pershing Drive
Upon arrival, participants should stay in their vehicle until they reach the unloading areas, where officers will be on hand to remove donations from their vehicle. A separate area will be available for those arriving by bike or foot.
Due to COVID-19 considerations, we will only be accepting toys at these predetermined dates and locations.
Toy Distribution
Toys will be distributed by the Police Department to community organizations throughout the month of December. Due to the ongoing pandemic, ACPD will not host pop-up distribution events in the community.
File photo
