Santa Claus is returning to Arlington later this week.
The Fashion Centre at Pentagon City is kicking off its photos with Santa this coming Friday, according to the mall’s website. Reservations are available starting at 11 a.m.
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(Updated at 1 p.m.) Someone phoned in a bomb threat at Swanson Middle School this morning.
The caller claimed that bombs were planted in the middle school, in the Westover area. The school was quickly placed in lockdown, an Arlington Public Schools spokesman confirmed to ARLnow.
Every year, for just a few minutes, one of Arlington’s most iconic works of public art comes to life exactly as its artist intended.
On Saturday, Aug. 1, at approximately 9:32 a.m., visitors will gather in Rosslyn to witness the annual shadow alignment at Nancy Holt’s Dark Star Park (1979–84). At that precise moment, the shadows cast by the sculpture’s spheres and poles align with permanent shadow forms embedded in the ground—a phenomenon Holt designed to commemorate the anniversary of Rosslyn’s founding.
The alignment lasts only a few moments, but it has become a beloved Arlington tradition, drawing residents, visitors, artists and architecture enthusiasts alike to experience the intersection of art, astronomy, and history. If the weather cooperates, the park transforms into a striking demonstration of how light, time and place can become part of a work of art.
Created between 1979 and 1984, Dark Star Park was Arlington’s first County-commissioned public artwork and remains one of the nation’s earliest examples of integrated public art—where sculpture, landscape architecture and the surrounding environment function as a single work. Rather than placing an object within a park, Holt made the entire park the artwork, incorporating spheres, pools, steel poles, tunnels, earthworks and carefully positioned plantings into an immersive landscape.
Nancy Holt (1938–2014) was a pioneering artist whose work spanned poetry, film, photography, land art and large-scale public sculpture. Throughout her career, she explored perception, time and humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Dark Star Park remains her most significant urban installation and one of the few major works by the artist that can be experienced in an accessible city setting.
Whether you’ve attended for years or have never visited before, Dark Star Park Day offers a rare opportunity to experience a public artwork that changes with the movement of the sun—and reminds us that some of the most memorable moments in art happen not inside a museum, but out in the world around us.
Dark Star Park Day
When: Saturday, Aug. 1, beginning around 9 a.m.; shadow alignment at approximately 9:32 a.m.
Where: Dark Star Park, 1655 N. Fort Myer Drive, Rosslyn
Amazon’s One Medical recently opened a new healthcare clinic in Rosslyn, offering more than just the usual medical services.
Like a regular primary care doctor’s office, patients can seek treatment for a range of medical issues, from common illnesses to routine health check-ups.
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APS Payroll Problems Probed — “Outside consultants have delivered a scathing critique of the Arlington school system’s payroll processing, pointing to burnt out and undersupported staff, a failure at times to follow established policies and procedures, and antiquated technology. If school-system leaders can’t or don’t want to sufficiently fix the internal issues, the consultants suggest outsourcing at least part of the operation.” [Gazette Leader]
Another Wreck at Dicey Intersection — “Another day, another car accident! Same intersection – N Park & N George Mason. Install the light!” [Twitter]
Live standup comedy in Arlington on Friday July 31 starring Jim Bryan, Kim Villamera, and Greg Billet.
Friday, July 31, 2026
A teen was reportedly shot in the ankle this afternoon at the site of the former Key Bridge Marriott.
Initial reports suggest the teen was shot while a group of some ten people was trespassing on the fenced-off site. It is unclear whether he was shot by another trespasser or someone else.
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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 — Nov 10, 2023.
ARLnow has a new neighbor in the ol’ datacenter today.
The MoCoShow — the homegrown (and very popular) local news site for Montgomery County, Maryland — has partnered with Local News Now, the company that publishes ARLnow, ALXnow and FFXnow.
Plan Langston Blvd — a sweeping document outlining the future development of the corridor — is teed up for a vote by the Arlington County Board on Saturday.
The vote would culminate years of grassroots activity, followed by a county planning process that included about a year of public engagement. Despite the long lead time, the plan was recently criticized during County Board campaigns and commission meetings for introducing too many last-minute changes, which the county maintains were largely technical.
Veterans Day Closures — Arlington schools, libraries and most local government facilities are closed today due to the observance of Veterans Day. Additionally, parking meters will not be enforced. [Arlington County]
Event at Arlington National Cemetery — “Join ANC for the National #VeteransDay Observance this Sat., Nov. 11 at 11… You must use the tram to go to the Memorial Amphitheater, walking to the event will not be permitted.” [Twitter]