Author: Ryan Cole

Ryan Cole is a reporting fellow at ARLnow and an Arlington native. He’s a 2022 Yorktown High School graduate and a 2026 graduate of Northwestern University, where he studied journalism and covered sports for campus publications.

Events

Sloppy Mama’s hosting ‘pickle party’ contest on Langston Blvd this weekend

By Ryan Cole
Exterior of Sloppy Mama's BBQ with large smokers outside and stacked firewood behind a metal barrier
Sloppy Mama's at 5731 Langston Blvd (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

Brining rights are on the line at an upcoming pickling contest at a Langston Blvd barbecue spot.

Sloppy Mama’s is hosting its second “pickle party” competition this Saturday from 2:30-4:30 p.m., inviting guests to vote on the quality of a brined bounty of pickled cucumbers, mangos and more.

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Around Town

Virginia’s sales tax holiday returns this weekend, bringing back-to-school discounts

By Ryan Cole
School supplies (courtesy of the Sutton family)

Shopping for back-to-school supplies and other items will be cheaper in Arlington during a statewide sales tax holiday this weekend.

The three-day holiday, which lasts from Friday to Sunday, temporarily lifts the sales tax on clothing, footwear and school supplies, as well as emergency preparedness products and some appliances.

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Around Town

Chinese restaurant Xi’an Famous Foods plans to open in Clarendon next week

By Ryan Cole
Storefront with colorful murals advertising an upcoming restaurant; a yellow 'COMING SOON!' sign and Xi'an Famous Foods branding visible above the door.
Xi'an Famous Foods in The Crossing Clarendon shopping center (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

A Chinese fast-casual restaurant featuring hand-ripped noodles and a unique blend of flavors is preparing to open in Clarendon next week.

Xi’an Famous Foods is aiming to host its grand opening on Saturday, Aug. 15 in The Crossing Clarendon (2800 Clarendon Blvd).

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Schools

Upcoming APS school year will bring more iPad restrictions, new facilities and more

By Ryan Cole
A student looks at an iPad (file photo)

A late Labor Day is giving Arlington Public Schools students until Aug. 31 to enjoy summer break, but changes are coming when the year begins.

A new pilot program to curb iPad use is kicking off at some schools, with different options being tested at different grade levels. Additionally, the new home for the Arlington Career Center will open at the beginning of the school year, while Arlington Community High School is moving into Amazon’s HQ2 campus.

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Around Town

Dolan Uyghur opens in Crystal City, serving up kebabs and hand-pulled noodles

By Ryan Cole
Dolan Uyghur at 320 23rd Street S in Crystal City (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

The latest location of a growing Uyghur restaurant chain has opened in Crystal City.

Dolan Uyghur soft opened at 320 23rd Street S. about two weeks ago, marking the business’s fifth location — including another spot in Falls Church that opened in 2024.

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Schools

New principal appointed at Yorktown High School for ‘confidential’ reasons

By Dan Egitto and Ryan Cole
Incoming Yorktown Principal Bridget Loft (via APS/X)

Yorktown High School is getting a new principal after six and a half years.

Bridget Loft, formerly the Swanson Middle School principal, will be taking the helm at Yorktown from Principal Kevin Clark. She is returning to a position that she previously held from 2017 to January 2020, when Clark took over.

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Events

Enjoy the waning days of summer with these outdoor August events

By Ryan Cole
A past movie night at the Plaza at Mason Square (via University Life Mason Square/Instagram)

While Arlington is entering the later days of the summer, a full schedule of outdoor events continues through August.

Movie showings, live concerts and the Arlington County Fair are sure to draw crowds in the maybe-not-so-blistering heat of the late-ish season. Other outdoor attractions range from Rosslyn’s Dark Star Park Day to an outdoor bonsai class in Pentagon City.

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Around Town

Nash & Smashed plans to open at Buckingham Center in two weeks

By Ryan Cole
Nash & Smashed on N. Glebe Road (staff photo by Katie Taranto)

A Nashville-style fried chicken and smash burger chain is almost ready to open its latest location on N. Glebe Road.

Nash & Smashed, a rapidly growing D.C.-area chain, has had signage up at the Buckingham Center since this time last year. It’s now set to hold a soft opening in about two weeks, with a grand opening to come later on, chief operating officer Lamaan Malik told ARLnow.

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Around Town

Chris Distefano headlines Arlington Drafthouse schedule for second half of 2026

By Ryan Cole
Arlington Cinema N' Drafthouse on Columbia Pike (Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar)

Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse’s schedule for the next five months includes a stand-up comedian who has sold out Madison Square Garden.

The movie theatre and comedy club on Columbia Pike has nationally-touring comic Chris Distefano scheduled for four mid-December shows, marking his return to a venue he played early in his career.

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Around Town

From parenting to real estate, Arlington influencers plug into communities to find success

By Ryan Cole
Smiling woman with a sleek bun holding a baby in a green Mexico soccer jersey, seated indoors by a window with plants and decorations in the background.
Diana Casillas, an Arlington motherhood influencer on Instagram (courtesy of Diana Casillas)

To build a social media following in Arlington, focus on community.

That’s one lesson that local influencers shared with ARLnow, discussing how they and other Arlington residents have cultivated Instagram and TikTok accounts with well over 50,000 followers.

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Around Town

Solace Outpost brewpub eyes partnership with Ballston’s El Rey taqueria

By Ryan Cole
Outdoor cafe seating with colorful metal chairs and weathered wooden tables in front of a turquoise-and-white triangular tiled wall under string lights.
El Rey at 4201 Wilson Blvd in Ballston, where Solace Outpost just filed for a liquor license (staff photo by Ryan Cole)

A brewpub concept from a Sterling brewing company is pursuing a partnership with a Mexican restaurant in Ballston.

Solace Outpost has applied for a license to sell alcohol at 4201 Wilson Blvd, at the site of El Rey taqueria and margarita bar. Solace Brewing Company co-founder Jon Humerick told ARLnow that Solace is “finalizing terms” on an agreement with El Rey’s current owners, potentially involving co-ownership.

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Around Town

Unhoused man, 77, returning to Romania after local fundraiser

By Ryan Cole
Older man wearing a blue cap and gray T-shirt sits on a bench outdoors with lush green foliage behind him.
Ion Chilom, a 77-year-old homeless man in Arlington set to return home to Romania (courtesy of Mark Mooney)

After decades of trying to return to Romania, the last four of which he spent homeless in Arlington, a 77-year-old man is finally going home.

Ion Chilom arrived in the United States 44 years ago, fleeing a communist dictatorship in Romania. Since then, he has made several attempts to return home, but political conditions and financial insecurity dashed those hopes until a neighbor set up a GoFundMe campaign last month.

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