Clarendon Day, one of Arlington’s biggest street festivals, is set to return next weekend.
The day-long event is scheduled for Saturday, September 23 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., centered around the Clarendon Metro station at Clarendon Blvd and N. Highland Street. Organizers said they expect 30,000 visitors if the weather is good.
Tourism Spending Record in Arlington — Visitors to Arlington spent about $3.1 billion in 2015, a new record. That’s up 3 percent compared to 2014. The tourism spending generated $86 million in county tax revenue and $115 million in state tax revenue. [Arlington County]
New ART 92 Schedule Starts Today — A more frequent ART 92 bus schedule starts today, with buses running every 15 minutes during peak times. ART 92 runs from Crystal City to Long Bridge Park to the Pentagon. [Arlington Transit]
The annual Clarendon Day street festival will take place a week earlier than usual this year.
Clarendon Day is now taking place on the third Saturday in September — Sept. 17 — from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. That permanent change follows last year’s extension of the event hours by one hour.
There will be arts and crafts, food, beer, music and the annual chili cookoff, all on Clarendon and Wilson Blvds outside the Clarendon Metro station. The free festival will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., an hour longer than previous years.
There will about 25 bands playing across four stages, with the headliner Slam Allen Band playing blues and soul on the Main Stage at 4:30 p.m.
This year’s festival goes from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the streets outside the Clarendon Metro station, at the intersection of N. Highland Street and Wilson and Clarendon Blvds. There will be 40 bands and musicians playing on five stages throughout the day, headlined by singer-songwriter Amber Rubarth at 2:45 p.m. on the main stage.
While music will fill the air all afternoon long, so will the smell of chili. The chili cookoff, sponsored by the International Chili Society, will see dozens of homemade chili chefs cooking up batches of red chili, chili verde, salsa and homestyle recipes, all competing for the chance to participate in the World Championship Chili Cookoff this October in Palm Springs, Calif. Chefs will be providing tastings of their chili, and those hankering for something else will be able to choose from more than a dozen local restaurants’ tents.
Construction to Begin on Ballston Garage — Local developer The Shooshan Company says it is beginning construction on a 550-space parking garage at 4040 Wilson Blvd, site of a planned 20-story office building in Ballston. The building is the final component of Shooshan’s Liberty Center development. [Washington Business Journal]
Clarendon Day Date Set — The annual Clarendon Day street fair will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27, the Clarendon Alliance has announced. This year the event will add a bluegrass music stage next to the Clarendon Chili Cookoff. The layout is also being changed “to make it easier for people to find the cold beverages of their choice.” [Clarendon Alliance]
From 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., visitors can partake in the street festival with food, beer and wine, local vendors and businesses.
On three stages, 24 bands and five dance companies will play continuously throughout the day. Before the festival begins, there will be a 10K/5K/Kids Dash in the morning, organized by Pacers.
The cookoff is moving to Clarendon after its usual venue, the DC101 Chili Cookoff at RFK Stadium, apparently didn’t include an actual chili competition this past May. The event will now be sponsored by Hard Times Cafe.
“We wanted to carry on the D.C. Chili tradition since we’ve been involved with it for the past 33 years,” said Hard Times co-founder Jim Parker. “The cookoff is sanctioned by the International Chili Society (ICS) and we expect to host competition chili cooks from all over the East Coast.”
Clarendon Day Draws a Crowd — Thousands enjoyed “picture perfect” weather at the annual 15th Clarendon Day street festival and 10K/5K race (photo, above) on Saturday. [Patch]
Victories for Yorktown, DJO, W-L — In local football action over the weekend, Yorktown defeated Hayfield 17-10 and Bishop O’Connell defeated Carroll 38-7 over the weekend. Both teams are now undefeated with a record of 4-0. Washington-Lee is now 2-2 after beating Mount Vernon 41-20. Wakefield is 0-4 after losing another lopsided game. The Warriors fell to Freedom South Riding 55-6.
The Clarendon Day 10K, 5K and Kids Dash races will take place between 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. During that time, drivers should expect closures along Wilson Boulevard from N. Fillmore Street in Clarendon to Route 110 in Rosslyn. Parts of northbound Route 110 and N. Kent Street will also be closed.
A large central section of Clarendon will be off-limits to motorists for most of the day for the festival — which includes live music, entertainment, arts and craft, food and beer. Closures will be in place from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. along the following streets:
Clarendon Day will run from 11:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on September 22, near the Clarendon Metro. Admission is free to attend the event, which will take place rain or shine.
The morning begins with the fourth annual 10K/5K/Kids Dash, which begins in front of Whitlow’s on Wilson (Kids Dash in front of Market Common) and takes runners on a course along the Orange Line corridor. Registration can be completed online.
