(Updated at 4:30 p.m.) Post-pandemic, the Arlington County Fair has seen a strong uptick in attendance and with it, new challenges to tackle.
Before 2020, attendance averaged at 65,000 people, according to fair board chair Matt Richard. Between the fair’s reopening in 2021 and the 2023 fair, attendance grew from 85,000 to 150,000.
A poster poking fun at the ARLnow commentariat won an award at the Arlington County Fair last week.
In white, upper case letters on a purple background, it reads, “You’ll see me in hell before you’ll see me in the ARLnow comments.”
It’s the halfway point of the 2023 Arlington County Fair today.
The county’s annual summer gathering resumes with outdoor hours from 2-10:30 p.m. and indoor hours from 4-10 p.m. The fair — which features games, rides, food, musical performances and fun for all ages — runs through Sunday, Aug. 20 at Thomas Jefferson Community Center.
A cavernous space inside the recently-refurbished county headquarters in Courthouse could one day be filled with public art.
Arlington County has commissioned acclaimed artist Kipp Kobayashi, known for his art displays in hospitals, airports and government buildings, to suspend a public art project in the lobby of the Bozman Government Center at 2100 Clarendon Blvd.
When the Arlington County Fair kicks off next week, attendees can expect to see more free activities.
After receiving financial support from Arlington County and several businesses, including a $15,000 donation from Amazon, the Arlington County Fair Board decided to increase the number of free indoor and outdoor activities, Matt Richard, the chair of the fair board, told ARLnow.
The Arlington County Fair will open to the public on Wednesday, Aug. 16, continuing a four-decade tradition.
The fair — which features games, rides, food, musical performances and fun for all ages — runs through Sunday, Aug. 20 at Thomas Jefferson Community Center.
New District Brewing will be serving the last of its beer at next month’s Arlington County Fair.
When the Green Valley-based brewery officially closed its taproom in May, owner Mike Katrivanos told ARLnow then that the plan was to serve the last of its beer at June’s Columbia Pike Blues Festival and then at the fair. That remains the plan, we’re told.
The clang of carnival rides, the beaming smiles of children, and the sweet smell of fried food. Yep, the familiar sights, sounds and scents of the Arlington County Fair are back.
The county fair, which opened Wednesday and runs through Sunday, features a number of new and unique attractions this year, in addition to long-time favorites like the ferris wheel, the giant slide and the various boardwalk games.
County Fair Starts Today — “The Arlington County Fair will take place from August 17 – 21 at Thomas Jefferson Community Center located at 3501 2nd Street S. The Arlington County Police Department will conduct the following road closure to accommodate the event: From approximately 8:00 a.m. on August 17 to 11:00 p.m. on August 21… 2nd Street S. closed between S. Jackson Street and S. Irving Street.” [ACPD]
Fewer Car Tax Notices — “Arlington County Board members as part of their annual budget process eliminated the $33-per-vehicle decal fee… About 20,000 vehicles will thus have nothing owed on them, and the treasurer’s office has decided not to send notices to them. An additional 30,000 county residents who own two or more vehicles under the same name will see their billing information consolidated into a single mailing in order to achieve ‘significant savings on paper and postage,’ Treasurer Carla de la Pava said in an Aug. 15 letter.” [Sun Gazette]
The Arlington County Fair is set to kick off this Wednesday and run through Sunday, Aug. 21.
As usual (though it was not without some debate) the fair is being held at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center, at 3501 2nd Street S. It is free to attend and open to the whole family.
Arlington residents can look forward to music shows, amusement rides and bouncy castles as the Arlington County Fair is set to return next month.
The annual county fair is scheduled to be held between Wednesday, Aug. 17, and Sunday, Aug. 21, at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center, at 3501 2nd Street S. It is free to attend and open to the whole family.
