Though media reports are buzzing with tales of an invasive, parachuting arachnid with four-inch legs, the Joro spider doesn’t appear to have landed yet in Arlington.
The bug, a native of East Asia introduced to Georgia in the 2010s, has generated headlines across the Eastern seaboard this week. Though of minimal threat to humans, the creature’s size and its spiderlings’ habit of gliding for miles on strands of web have raised cries of disgust and alarm.
Arlington County and most of the D.C. area is now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.
Arlington is at a lower risk of severe storms than points to the south and east, according to the National Weather Service, but is nonetheless included in the watch, along with D.C. and neighboring Virginia counties.
This column is sponsored by Arlington Arts/Arlington Cultural Affairs, a division of Arlington Economic Development.
The sound of summer is here in Arlington with free outdoor concerts and a music festival!
The Lubber Run Amphitheater Free Summer Concert Series kicks off on June 6 (continuing through August 2), and the 29th Annual Columbia Pike Blues Festival takes place on Saturday, June 13!
Free Summer Concerts at Lubber Run Amphitheater
June 8 – August 2
Both Country music icon Reba McIntyre and crooner Michael Bublé hit the red button for DMV Blues Diva Carly Harvey’s “blind audition” for NBC’s The Voice last fall. Now you can hear Carly Harvey Sing Amy Winehouse to kick off the Free LUBBER RUN AMPHITHEATER Summer Concert Series, at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026.
The concert series continues with Afrobeat band Dogo Tu Togo (Fri., June 12); Latin-jazz from Rumba Club (Sat., June 13); and the majestic Arlington Philharmonic (Sun., June 14, *6:30pm start time); The Grandsons 40th Anniversary (Sat., June 20); and the educational ensemble Mama Elena (Sun., June 21, 11:00 a.m.), continuing our tradition of Sunday morning performances for the whole family; and a Simon & Garfunkel Tribute performance (Fri., June 26).
Presented by Arlington Arts in cooperation with the Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation and with the collaboration of the Lubber Run Amphitheater Foundation, the Lubber Run Amphitheater Concerts take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, June 6 through August 2. Concert times are 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with Sunday morning family performances beginning at 11:00 a.m. (unless otherwise noted), two of which are co-presented with Arlington Public Library. (more…)
It will be a busy summer at George Mason University’s Virginia Square campus.
Joining the slate of events held at The Plaza at Mason Square — located at 3351 Fairfax Drive — this year is an outdoor music series, as well as a reading series and weekly tai chi.
Looking for a safe, structured, and engaging after-school option for your child?
Pentagon MMA is now accepting applications for its award winning After School Program for the 2026-27 school year, serving Arlington families with a unique combination of transportation, enrichment, physical activity, and character development.
The company managing a residential space in a Crystal City office building has filed for bankruptcy.
Common Living — the company in charge of the Common co-living space at 2221 S. Clark Street — filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Friday, indicating plans to liquidate its assets. All company operations have been suspended, according to a news release.
Join Kaiser Permanente for Healthy at the Harbor, a free community health and wellness event taking place Saturday, June 6, from 11 am to 4 pm at National Harbor in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Bring your family and friends for free full day of fun, fitness, and preventive care along the waterfront.
Throughout the day, Kaiser Permanente nurses and physicians will offer no-cost health screenings, alongside a health and wellness expo focused on preventive care education. A lively Kids’ Zone will keep children active and entertained with spin-art bikes, face painting, balloon art, games, and more.
Arlington’s food scene never stops evolving.
In recent weeks and months, plans have been made to not only revive a once-popular local watering hole but also to welcome new outposts of some national and local restaurant groups.
Phone-based scams are common — but just how common?
That’s what we’re wondering in today’s morning poll, following an article we published last week, which detailed a local woman’s experience getting targeted by a sophisticated phone scammer.
It started with a phone call. Somebody claiming to be her daughter alleged she was being held by the police after striking a pregnant woman. She herself had a broken nose, according to the caller whose caller ID claimed to be from Woodbridge.
“This person on the phone had the exact mannerisms that my daughter has,” the mother said. “She said my name the same way that she usually does. She apologized profusely like she normally would.”
The caller claimed that bail was set at $180,000, before passing the phone to a supposed police officer. Soon after, the mother received a call from a Texas phone number, from somebody claiming to be an attorney.
That’s when the red flags started getting raised.
The article is among the most-read on ARLnow over the past week, pointing perhaps to worries that a similar attempted scam could happen to almost anyone.
To find out how common it actually is, today we’re asking readers: have you ever been targeted by a phone scam?
County Legal Notice Snafu — “All Arlington property owners will receive new tax bills in the mail in coming days, after County Board members on June 6 re-adopt the county’s new scheme to recoup its stormwater costs. The measure had been adopted in December, but county officials apparently only recently realized it had not been advertised in a way that met Virginia law.” [Gazette Leader]
Firm Behind Dead Bear Dump IDed — “The Virginia Department of Transportation has named the contractor responsible for throwing a bear carcass that ended up near an Arlington, Virginia, trail off an overpass. VDOT confirmed to WTOP that Webber, which has an office in Fairfax County, was the contractor involved and the company has a five-year, $23.5 million contract with the department.” [WTOP]
Ballston Target Robbery — “The male suspect allegedly entered the store, concealed merchandise and attempted to leave the business during which he was confronted by loss prevention personnel. The suspect then shoved them, exited the store and fled the scene on foot. A lookout was broadcast and responding officers located the suspect on a bus in the area of the 900 block of N. Stuart Street and took him into custody.” [ACPD]
Va. Ditching Cali Car Regs — “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday that the state will no longer follow car emissions standards set by California, despite his party’s failure to repeal or roll back a 2021 Democratic law that tied Virginia to those regulations.” [Virginia Mercury / FFXnow]
Get Well Soon, Lowell — From Matthew Hurtt: “Thoughts and prayers are with [Lowell Feld] of @bluevirginia. Wishing for a speedy and full recovery.” [Twitter]
It’s Thursday — Showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, with a likelihood between 11am and 5pm, and a high temperature near 84°F. There is a 70% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, and higher amounts possible during thunderstorms. For Thursday night, the chance of showers and thunderstorms decreases to 30%, mainly before 8pm, with partly cloudy skies and a low around 65°F. [NWS]
Good Wednesday 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 — Jun 5, 2024.
Here is what’s going on Thursday in Arlington, from our event calendar.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected throughout the day, with a likelihood between 11am and 5pm, and a high temperature near 84°F. Southwest winds will blow at around 9 mph. There is a 70% chance of precipitation, with new rainfall amounts between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, and higher amounts possible during thunderstorms. For Thursday night, the chance of showers and thunderstorms decreases to 30%, mainly before 8pm, with partly cloudy skies and a low around 65°F, accompanied by a 6 mph west wind. See more from Weather.gov.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”
– Steve Jobs
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
Being in the kitchen is in Aaron Green’s blood.
Green’s grandfather once ran a carry-out in Arlington, so it’s no surprise to see Green behind one of his own. That family pedigree is the foundation for First Impression Soul & Seafood, which Green opened last year in Arlington’s Green Valley neighborhood.
