It’s October and that means that Oktoberfest beers are on tap!
It also means there’s plenty of time to grab a cold one at your local brewery to celebrate the season. Whether you’re a beer enthusiast or just enjoy some suds from time to time, the breweries in and around Arlington are not to be missed.
Here are the top places for “Best Brewery Near Arlington” as part of our new ARLnow Readers’ Choice awards.
Voting will close two weeks from publication time, so make sure to cast your vote to highlight your favorite brewery soon.
Don’t forget voting for Best Place to Hike Near Arlington is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote — or write in your own — before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on Arlington’s best ramen spot. The results are now official:
Padaek, in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center, in October 2023 (staff photo by James Jarvis)
A Lao and Thai eatery in Arlington has captured Washington Post praise once again in a list of the D.C. area’s 40 best restaurants.
Longtime food critic Tom Sietsema lauded Padaek, located at 2931 S. Glebe Road in the Arlington Ridge Shopping Center, both for its offerings like fried blue catfish with tamarind-pineapple sauce and for its ambience.
This sponsored column is by Law Office of James Montana PLLC. All questions about it should be directed to James Montana, Esq., Janice Chen, Esq., and Victoria Khaydar, Esq., practicing attorneys at The Law Office of James Montana PLLC, an immigration-focused law firm located in Falls Church, Virginia. The legal information given here is general in nature. If you want legal advice, contact us for an appointment.
Temporary Protected Status is supposed to be temporary. Congress built it that way on purpose. Congress also built it to be predictable, so that the people who rely on it, and the employers who hire them, know where they stand. Congress also did that on purpose. The statute sets deadlines and requires the government to publish its decisions.
In September, the unstoppable force of TPS elimination met the immovable object of “Here come the midterms!” and the Trump Administration simply blinked, but in such a way that nobody will be happy: neither the federal judiciary, nor immigration hawks, nor, God knows, TPS beneficiaries themselves.
How TPS is supposed to work
The TPS statute, 8 U.S.C. § 1254a, is not complicated. At least 60 days before a country’s designation expires, the Secretary of Homeland Security must review conditions in that country. He must then decide whether to extend or terminate the designation, and publish that decision in the Federal Register. A termination cannot take effect until at least 60 days after that notice is published.
Congress also anticipated a Secretary who doesn’t get around to deciding. Here is the text, in relevant part (our highlights in bold):
If the Attorney General does not determine under subparagraph (A) that a foreign state no longer meets the conditions for designation under paragraph (1) by the time required under such subparagraph, the period of designation of the foreign state is extended for an additional period of 6 months (or, in the discretion of the Attorney General, a period of 12 or 18 months).
El Salvador: 25 years, and then nothing
El Salvador has been designated for TPS since the earthquakes of 2001. Its most recent extension, published in January 2025, ran through September 9, 2026. The deadline for the Secretary’s decision was therefore July 11, 2026.
July 11 came and went, and so did September 9, with no Federal Register notice of any kind. Instead, the USCIS El Salvador TPS page now carries this alert:
An announcement on El Salvador’s TPS will be made at the appropriate time. Until such announcement is made, Salvadoran individuals present in the U.S. under TPS retain protection including work authorization.
“At the appropriate time.” The appropriate time was July 11!
Our reading of the statute is that El Salvador’s designation has been extended by operation of law, for at least six months, to March 9, 2027. The government hasn’t said so, and it may claim that a termination decision was made quietly and never announced. Even on that theory, the statute requires that a termination be published, and it cannot take effect until 60 days after publication. Either way, no Salvadoran TPS holder should lose status without at least 60 days’ public notice in the Federal Register.
Arlington County government headquarters in Courthouse (file photo)
Arlington County government offices will be open but those in Falls Church, along with the state and federal governments, will be closed this Monday, Oct. 14.
The federal and state governments observe the day as Columbus Day. The state government also marks it as Yorktown Victory Day.
Registration is now open for Rosslyn Fall Fest, returning to the NOW pop-up park (1401 Wilson Blvd) on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 1 to 6 p.m. Expanded this year onto Oak Street, the FREE event will transform Arlington’s most urban neighborhood into a seasonal destination featuring an inflatable corn maze, local makers market, seasonal beer garden, live music, and fall-themed experiences for all ages to enjoy.
Attendees can explore a curated market of local makers and artisans, enjoy ciders and seasonal brews in the beer garden, navigate an inflatable corn maze, test their skills at inflatable axe throwing, and take part in pumpkin-themed activities and other fall experiences. Food vendors, live music, and dog-friendly programming round out the afternoon.
Northern lights over Arlington (courtesy Conrad Dennis)
Total Party Leaving Arlington — “Total Party, one of the last remaining businesses being displaced from the Crystal City Underground, is readying to relocate to larger space in D.C. after a run of nine years in the subterranean space at 1750 Crystal Drive. The shop’s slated to close at 6 p.m. Dec. 31, and plans to reopen March 1 from the former Dress Barn space at L’Enfant Plaza in Southwest D.C., per owner Lorenzo Caltagirone. … He wanted to stay in Arlington County, if not specifically in Crystal City, but couldn’t find suitable space.” [WBJ]
Planting Trees at Schools — “Arlington County students are about to breathe easier as 100 new trees are planted on school grounds will ensure they have plenty of fresh air for all their outdoor shenanigans The county’s Department of Parks and Recreation’s Urban Forestry Office is working with Arlington Public Schools to get the trees planted on school grounds. The project is funded by the Virginia Trees for Clean Water Grant Program.” [WUSA 9]
Columbia Pike Apartments Acquired — “Shoreham Capital recently acquired a two-building apartment community in Arlington for $51 million, its second acquisition in Northern Virginia, both this year. An affiliate of the West Palm Beach, Florida-based privately held real estate firm bought the 227-unit Infinity Apartments, at 955 S. Columbus St. and 4990 Columbia Pike, on Sept. 26.” [WBJ]
Robbery in Ballston — “4200 block of Fairfax Drive. At approximately 6:10 p.m. on October 9, police were dispatched to the report of a robbery by force. Upon arrival, it was determined Suspect One entered the business, collected merchandise and exited without payment. An employee confronted the suspect outside the store and attempted to recover the stolen items during which Suspect One struck them before fleeing the scene on foot with Suspect Two, who waiting outside the business.” [ACPD]
Harris Supporter Event in F.C. — “Falls Church Mayor Letty Hardi was on hand to greet an assembly of prominent Falls Church area Vietnamese-American community leaders at the City’s elegant new restaurant, Nu, in its still unfolding Founder’s Row 1 center yesterday morning for a roundtable conference focused on the economy. The event was organized to ‘highlight Vice President Kamala Harris’ New Way Forward.'” [Falls Church News-Press]
It’s Friday — Expect sunshine and a high of around 68 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind between 5 and 8 mph. In the evening, the sky will remain clear with temperatures dropping to approximately 48 degrees. [NWS]
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Expect sunshine and a high of around 68 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind between 5 and 8 mph. In the evening, the sky will remain clear with temperatures dropping to approximately 48 degrees, and a southwest wind of around 6 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
💡 Quote of the Day
“All great achievements require time.” – Maya Angelou
Northern lights seen from North Arlington (staff photo)
Arlingtonians with an eye to the sky were treated to the northern lights tonight (Thursday).
Reports of visible aurora borealis in the D.C. area started coming in around 7:30 p.m. While visible to the naked eye, the auroras could be more clearly seen on long exposure photos.
O'Connell field-hockey players defend (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)
No matter what happens from this point, the Bishop O’Connell Knights already have achieved a season of firsts.
Through 11 games, the girls high-school field hockey team stands 10-1, with that number of wins being the most in a single season for the private-school squad.
Mark Stripe awards a trophy (staff photo by Dave Facinoli)
Two tall refurbished trophies, named for individuals for the first time, were presented to the winning girls and boys high-school teams at this year’s annual Arlington County cross-country championship meets the afternoon of Sept. 24 at Bluemont Park.
The girls trophy is now named for former Washington-Liberty High School director of student activities Carol Callaway. The boys is named for former longtime Yorktown High School cross country coach Mark Stripe, who coached Yorktown for more than 25 years.
NAACP Arlington Branch is thrilled to invite you to a vibrant evening honoring the collective power, resilience, and unity of our people. On October 17th, we are coming together to celebrate community strength, shared progress, and unapologetic pride. This won’t just be an event—it will be an energetic celebration of what happens when we rise together.
