There wasn’t a local champion, but the annual George Long Holiday Hoops Tournament again proved a popular boys high-school basketball event, with multiple side stories emerging.
The 23rd annual tourney, which has included eight teams every year, has been held at Wakefield High School each time, this year Dec. 26, 27 and 29.
Fireworks will be going off on the National Mall this evening (Monday) in celebration of the United States’ 250th birthday.
The fireworks display will culminate six nights of projections on the Washington Monument that have sought to turn the historic structure into “the world’s tallest birthday candle.”
This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
Arlington’s Four Mile Run corridor is home to an inspiring new happening. The new art market called SPARK! launches on Sunday, May 3, 2026, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. and continues every first Sunday of the month through November.
A fun inclusive outdoor market with handpicked art and food vendors and programming including poetry, music and art making, it’s the kickoff activity for the new outdoor venue 2700 Art Space, located at 2700 S. Nelson St., Arlington, Virginia 22206. Meet your neighbors, build community and be inspired.
At the first event, “Spark” your creativity with a smooth jolt of coffee from Rossana Coffee. Browse the stacks at the mobile bookstore Wandering Shelf. Get a massage from the licensed therapists from Zen27 Healing and Body Works. Peruse artwork by artists David Amoroso, Kate Rosendale or the printmakers and ceramicists from The Studios at Arlington Arts. Have a poem composed especially for you at The Poet is IN booth. Stop by Tigerflight and put the squeeze on a plush animal made from repurposed wool sweaters. Enjoy a Thai-inspired dessert from Mango Mama while listening to tropical sounds from the DJ’s of Leon City Sounds! Every month will offer something new and unusual. Visit the website for the full list!
Artist Roxana Alger Geffen will be the interactive artist at the first SPARK! bringing her popular Arlington Art Truck project “Patch or Swap: A Textile Rescue Lab” to the market! Fans of the Art Truck, which brought artists-in-residence to every corner of the County from 2018 through 2025, will be glad to know that SPARK! is curated with a similar vision by Arlington Arts’ programming team including Special Projects Curator, Cynthia Connolly.
Located adjacent to Jennie Dean Park, busy auto repair shops, a food assistance outlet and one of the region’s most popular “destination” dog parks, it is only a four-minute walk across Four Mile Run to the Tony Award-winning Signature Theater. The area is bustling all day.
Anchored by SPARK!, the venue now known as 2700 Art Space is at the nexus of several communities. It’s directly opposite Arlington Arts’ headquarters featuring Theatre On the Run, an 90-seat black box theater, rehearsal rooms, dance studios, and new printmaking and ceramics studios for the resident artists of The Studios at Arlington Arts (formerly LAC Arts Center on Langston Boulevard), which will hold its Spring Show and Sale on Saturday, May 2.
Music and merch aren’t the only types of art that will surround you at SPARK! As shown in this reel, even the tables and benches are fun! Film nights and other activities are in the making for the fall, and two works of temporary public art are currently being installed. Artist Adam Henry is creating a 10-foot tall sculpture of a golden retriever replete with a QR-code dog collar inviting you to upload selfies and stories about your pets. Directly adjacent to the outdoor space (on three sides of the Arlington Arts headquarters at 3700 S. Four Mile Run Dr.) will be a sweeping new mural by nationally acclaimed artist MasPaz. Both works grew out of a special Artist In Residence (AIR) Grant from Arlington Arts, made possible by a top-tier award from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
Visit our website for more information about SPARK!
Controversy over the removal of an iconic tree in Lyon Park is prompting an in-person conversation between neighborhood civic leaders and county leadership.
An aide for County Board Chair Takis Karantonis acknowledged some community members’ frustration in a Dec. 29 follow-up with Natalie Roy, who leads the Lyon Park Citizens Association. Karantonis “would like to offer a meeting to discuss this matter,” Sandra Calixto-Mendoza said in the letter to Roy.
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The Arlington real estate market is expected to see a modest rise in sales and prices in 2026, despite economic challenges that may hamper growth.
In the single-family sector, Arlington’s projected 3.8% rate of price growth is on the higher end for jurisdictions in a new 2026 market forecast, released Dec. 29 by the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors (NVAR) and Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University.
Online event (see link)
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Arch Construction Imminent? — “President Donald Trump said in an interview Wednesday that construction of his long-teased Triumphal Arch is expected to begin “sometime in the next two months.” That would put the start date ahead of July 4, 2026 — as the White House ramps up preparations for the nation’s 250th anniversary next year.” [Politico, WJLA]
Roosevelt Bridge Rescue — “Below Grade Rescue: Inbound Theodore Roosevelt Bridge #DCsBravest responded/located a person beneath the bridge within construction scaffolding. A rope rescue operation was conducted by special operations units. One adult male transported serious/non-life threatening.” [DCFEMS/X, WJLA]
Venezuela Operation Reaction — “I’ve always opposed American attacks on Venezuela and I oppose them now. You don’t need sympathy for Maduro to grasp that attacking another country for unclear, shifting rationales without domestic support or a clear plan for the day after won’t make us safer. The Administration lied to Congress and launched an illegal war for regime change and oil. Foolhardy and wrong.” [Rep. Don Beyer/X, Press Release]
More on Hall’s Hill Fire — “The smoke was also visible from nearby Fire Station 8, located just off Langston Boulevard. Firefighters saw the smoke and rushed to Jones’ home on North Emerson Street, quickly working to put out the flames. The quick response was especially meaningful for Jones. In 2016, the Arlington fire station was nearly relocated to a less populated area. Jones and others in the community fought to keep it in place.” [WUSA 9]
Va. Dems Plan Amendments — “Some of the furthest-reaching actions the Virginia General Assembly is likely to take this year could happen in the first few days after the legislature convenes: votes on four proposed amendments to the state constitution affecting same-sex marriage, abortion access, voting rights and redistricting.” [Washington Post]
New Va. Laws — “Starting Thursday, technology companies must limit social media use among children under 16 in Virginia… The Virginia social media law that passed last year will require platforms like Instagram and TikTok to limit use among minors under 16 to one hour a day in an effort to address concerns about the effects on youth mental health.” [Washington Post]
Companies Say Tow Fee Too Low — “Michael Reynolds, of the A-1 Associates towing firm, said his company was forced to move out of Arlington prior to the pandemic “because it was too expensive to operate,” adding that Arlington now has only one towing business that does trespass towing. Reynolds told the board that tow fees provide for many things, including real estate, location and cost, and hiring qualified employees.” [WTOP]
Crash on 14th Street Bridge — “Another right lane driver just had to get to left side exit 10C on I-395N just before the 14th Street Bridge. They got there, but also sent a pickup truck across three lanes to the other side of the highway, and apparently hitting another vehicle in the process.” [Dave Statter/X]
Snowy Owl Spotting — “DC bird spotters are heading to Hains Point right now after a Snowy Owl was spotted on the shore at National Airport. Don’t have my big lens today sadly.” [Andrew Leyden/X]
It’s Monday — Expect partly sunny skies with a high near 45 and a southeast wind shifting to the south between 5 and 10 mph in the morning. Winds may gust up to 18 mph. By Monday night, skies will be mostly cloudy and the temperature will drop to around 35. The south wind will decrease to about 6 mph. [NWS]
Today’s Morning Notes are brought to you by Industrious. ARLnow has been in an Industrious office for years and we love the convenience — you get to focus on your work rather than worrying about brewing your own coffee or keeping the copy machine stocked. Industrious has several Metro-accessible coworking locations in Arlington.
Flickr pool photo by Jason Gooljar
Linda Kathleen Stalls Beverly, 76, died Thursday, December 11, 2025.
She made friends wherever she went and cared for the communities she served throughout her lifetime. She will be deeply missed, but her memory will live on in everyone who knew her well.
Good Friday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Jan 2, 2026.
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
Here is what’s going on Saturday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
The weather will be mostly cloudy with a high around 36 degrees and a light north wind. On Saturday night, there’s a slight chance of snow before 1am, followed by a transition from cloudy to partly cloudy skies and a low temperature near 27 degrees. The chance of precipitation is 20%, with calm winds throughout. See more from Weather.gov.
“The only journey is the one within.”
– Rainer Maria Rilke
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
We hope you have a great weekend, Arlington! If you have something to say about an issue of local note not covered today, feel free to post it as a letter to the editor on our new forum. 👋
A pair of teenage suspects is facing charges after police say they crashed a car they had just stolen near Ballston.
The incident happened around 11:15 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, along the 600 block of N. Tazewell Street. According to police, the teens were trying door handles before finding an unlocked vehicle, getting in, and tampering with the ignition. They then “began driving out of the parking space when they struck an unoccupied, parked vehicle resulting in minor damage.”
A mayoral candidate in the city of Reims, France is promoting a stronger Sister City relationship with Arlington in his campaign.
Éric Quénard is the Socialist Party candidate who will lead a center-left coalition in the 2026 mayor’s race in Reims, one of Arlington’s five sister cities. His campaign reached out to ARLnow to uplift his desire for tighter ties between the two locales.
The League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City, in partnership with Arlington County Public Library, invites you to an open discussion on managing local government in a changing environment.
Join Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz and Alexandria City Manager Jim Parajon for a conversation about how local governments are adapting to shifts in federal funding and changes at the state level. The discussion will explore how these evolving conditions may impact local priorities, services, and decision-making in our communities.
