Author: Katie Taranto

Katie Taranto is a reporter at Local News Now, primarily covering business, public safety and the city of Falls Church. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 2024, where she previously covered K-12 education at The Columbia Missourian. She is originally from Macungie, Pennsylvania.

Events

Falls Church Festival returns in two weeks with food samples and live music

By Katie Taranto
The Beer Garden at a previous year's Falls Church Festival (courtesy City of Falls Church)

The annual Falls Church Festival is approaching, bringing back a day of live music, activities and tastings from local restaurants.

Over 90 vendors and civic organizations will join the fun as the festival returns for its 49th year from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 13. The event outside City Hall at 300 Park Avenue is rain or shine.

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Events

Where to watch NFL and college football in Arlington and Falls Church

By Katie Taranto
Quincy Hall (Staff photo by Savannah Taffe)

Numerous venues in Arlington and Falls Church are ready for football fans as the 2025 season kicks off.

Need a go-to spot this season? These local sports bars and restaurants offer happy hour deals and screens aplenty for watching with friends, in addition to hosting local fanbases and alumni groups.

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News

New 36-story hotel opens in Rosslyn with an American restaurant, ‘Locket’

By Katie Taranto
Street view of the new Hilton hotel in Rosslyn (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A new high-rise Hilton hotel opened for business yesterday (Tuesday) in Rosslyn, bringing new events spaces and an American restaurant to the former Holiday Inn site.

Guests are now welcome at the 36-story Hilton Arlington Rosslyn The Key, equipped with new amenities including a bar and two eateries: the Locket restaurant and Scott’s Coffee Shop & Mart.

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Schools

First day of school at APS begins with ‘Senior Sunrise’ celebration at W-L

By Katie Taranto
The class of 2026 participates in Senior Sunrise at Washington-Liberty High School (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Seniors at Washington-Liberty High School kicked off the first day of school today (Monday) with an annual “Senior Sunrise” tradition on the school’s football field.

Students from the class of 2026 began shuffling onto the field around 6 a.m., and by sunrise, about 100 of them had gathered at War Memorial Stadium to celebrate. As they took pictures, lounged on blankets and enjoyed a free breakfast treat, some reflected on what it meant to begin their final year of high school.

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Around Town

Summer Restaurant Week extended through Sunday at these Arlington restaurants

By Katie Taranto
Menu items from Makers Union (courtesy of Fun Food Group)

Summer Restaurant Week promotions are continuing through the end of August at several Arlington locations.

Lyon Hall, Bar Chinois and Seoul Prime are just some of the 120 D.C.-area restaurants extending their prix fixe deals through Sunday, Aug. 31, the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington announced.

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Around Town

Nicecream to close next weekend after 11 years in Clarendon

By Katie Taranto
Former Nicecream in Clarendon (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A longtime family-owned ice cream shop is preparing to close in Clarendon.

Nicecream is shuttering later this month at 2831 Clarendon Blvd, co-owner Gil Welsford confirmed. Welsford, who founded the business 11 years ago with his wife, Sandra Tran, expressed gratitude for his customers — saying, “the Arlington community has just been amazing to be a part of.”

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Around Town

Renovated hotel with new restaurant re-opens in Crystal City after 10 months

By Katie Taranto
Local leaders help cut the ribbon of the new AC Hotel Arlington National Landing in August 2025 (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A freshly renovated hotel with 355 rooms and a new restaurant and patio hosted a ribbon cutting in Crystal City today (Friday).

The new AC Hotel Arlington National Landing, formerly the Crystal City Marriott, is the largest location in North America for AC Hotels, the European-inspired hospitality group owned by Marriott.

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News

Arlington is the most expensive county in the nation for child care, report finds

By Katie Taranto
Children at a daycare (via BBC Creative/Unsplash)

Arlington County is the most expensive place in the United States for child care, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal.

It costs about $147,000 to foot the bill for five years of day care in Arlington — more than triple the country’s median cost of $44,000, according to the WSJ. The report highlights an everyday economic struggle for many Arlington households, local leaders say.

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Events

New season of free GMU events kicks off in Va. Square next week

By Katie Taranto
The Plaza at Mason Square (courtesy of GMU)

A new season of free activities is coming to George Mason University’s campus in Virginia Square when the fall semester starts next week.

The lineup of weekly programming includes chess, yoga, dancing and more from Mondays through Saturdays. The events, which are open to the public, kick off on Monday and will run through Nov. 1.

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News

Local church and artist memorialize Arlington ICE arrests with ‘stumbling stickers’

By Katie Taranto
Sushmita Mazumdar and the Rev. Ashley Goff place a stumbling sticker on the sidewalk along S. Buchanan Street (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A new collaboration between a South Arlington church and a local artist is seeking to memorialize places where immigration enforcement has arrested people in Arlington.

Led by the Rev. Ashley Goff, members of Arlington Presbyterian Church, artist Sushmita Mazumdar and other “trusted neighbors” set out yesterday (Tuesday) to locations where residents have documented recent detainments by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

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Around Town

Whole Foods makes progress on new ‘Daily Shop’ market in Crystal City

By Katie Taranto
New exterior signage for Whole Foods Market at 1550 Crystal Drive (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

Whole Foods seems to be getting closer to opening a new location in Crystal City, though the store has yet to announce a date.

New exterior signage is up, and public records suggest that the smaller-format store at 1550 Crystal Drive — referred to as a Whole Foods Market Daily Shop — is making progress. The supermarket, which declined to comment on the status of the new store, confirmed its Crystal City plans back in January.

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Around Town

‘Paradise Juice’ looks to replace shuttered pizza restaurant Ballston

By Katie Taranto
Paradise Juice's future spot in Ballston (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A new juice shop is coming to Pizza Roma’s former space near the Ballston Metro station, after Scolapasta backed out of plans there this spring.

Paradise Juice has signed a lease and is preparing to open at 4219 Fairfax Drive, owner Sal Salim told ARLnow. He hopes to differentiate the shop from competitors by preparing juices in-house.

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