Santa Claus is coming to Ballston in just a couple weeks.
The champion of Christmas cheer will set up shop on Dec. 5 on the first floor of the Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd). This is in addition to another Santa outpost at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, where families began getting photos today (Friday) near Nordstrom on the first level.
A bit of Christmas magic is coming to Pentagon City beginning next week as photos with Santa return to the neighborhood’s mall.
Saint Nick arrives on Friday, Nov. 14 and will stay through Christmas Eve on Dec. 24. He’ll be near Nordstrom on the first level of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.
Two of Arlington’s Taco Bell locations are expected to host hundreds of runners the last weekend of November during a 50K race fueled by Tex-Mex.
The Taco Bell DC 50K — an unlicensed event billed as both “the ultimate mix of endurance and spice” and “something completely stupid” — will take contestants on a roughly 32-mile loop, visiting eight Taco Bell locations in Northern Virginia and D.C. on Saturday, Nov. 29.
As brisker weather returns, the outdoor ice rink in Pentagon City is reopening Friday in advance of a free Halloween-themed skating event.
The rink at Westpost at National Landing opens for the 2025-2026 winter season at 10 a.m. on Halloween, a spokesperson told ARLnow. The next day, an event called “Thriller on Ice” will feature a DJ “spinning all your favorite Halloween tracks” from 5-8 p.m. this Saturday.
A Falls Church sorority chapter is hosting a Halloween-themed collection event for old electronics tomorrow (Saturday).
The city’s Chi Beta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha has planned the “Hallow-E-Waste” event, which will feature daytime trick-or-treating for kids in addition to waste collection.
Bavarian snacks, live music and yard games are all planned this weekend at a new “Blocktoberfest” street festival hosted by the Clarendon Ballroom.
The event takes place this Saturday between O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub and the Liberty Tavern, at Wilson Blvd and N. Irving Street. The Clarendon Ballroom promises “a full-scale street festival packed with Bavarian cheer, music, and beer garden vibes.”
A grave conversation is coming to Courthouse Library next week.
A sold-out “Death Cafe,” seeking to “increase awareness of death” and put society’s stigmas about it to rest, will involve a free two-hour group discussion over tea and cake next Tuesday. Volunteer and Courthouse resident Stephanie Dillemuth hopes to help attendees “make the most of their finite lives.”
With October finally here, a restaurant in Crystal City is transforming its outdoor patio and park space into an Oktoberfest-themed beer garden this weekend.
Festivities at Surreal will include long, communal picnic tables, refreshment kiosks and a central entertainment stage where DJs and live music will play throughout the day. Doors open at 2 p.m. for the celebration, which promises an “authentic beer selection,” live music, games and festival food.
A free event on the future of artificial intelligence is taking place in Crystal City this weekend, resulting in a few road closures.
Programming for “AI Unlocked” begins at 10 a.m. on Friday at the Alamo Drafthouse (1660 Crystal Drive). That morning will feature a conversation on AI policy with U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), followed by an afternoon discussion on “tech frontiers.”
Clarendon Day is back this Saturday, with over 150 local artisans, businesses, nonprofits and restaurants participating in the annual street festival.
This year’s event kicks off at 11 a.m. in the blocks surrounding the Clarendon Metro station at 3100 Wilson Blvd. The following local bands and musicians are slated to perform live.
A new dining promotion is bringing autumnal dishes including pumpkin-flavored pancakes, pasta and cocktails to Ballston starting next week.
At least 13 restaurants are participating in Pumpkin Palooza, a new dining punch card program hosted by the Ballston Business Improvement District. Participants must try six eligible menu items at Ballston restaurants by Nov. 6 to qualify for a fall mug giveaway.
Clarendon’s annual street festival returns in less than two weeks, promising a lively day of music, local vendors and food.
Over 150 local artisans, businesses, nonprofits and restaurants are expected to participate in this year’s Clarendon Day on Saturday, Sept. 27. The event will run from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. in the blocks surrounding the Clarendon Metro station.
