More than 16 million birds have flown over Arlington under the cover of darkness so far this fall.
That’s about 19% above the historical average for this point in the season, according to the Arlington County migration dashboard from BirdCast. BirdCast is a Cornell Lab of Ornithology project that uses weather radar to estimate how many birds are in the air each night.
Oktoberfest season opens in Arlington and Falls Church this weekend, with a three-day festival in Courthouse, a five-brewery run in Shirlington and — a bit incongruously — a mechanical bull at a restaurant in Crystal City.
Ten celebrations of note are on the local calendar between now and Oct. 3, most of them free. Munich’s original festival runs from Saturday through Oct. 4.
As fall foliage piles up in yards and streets around Arlington, the county’s annual leaf collection program begins next week.
Leaf vacuums will suck up fallen leaves in 19 neighborhoods beginning on Monday, Nov. 10. The first pass will continue every weekday through Nov. 28, only taking a day off for Thanksgiving.
A Falls Church “toy library” will let customers borrow some toys free of charge in exchange for donations of leftover candy following Halloween.
The Toy Nest is collecting unopened candy as part of its annual candy buyback program, which loans out games, puzzles and more in exchange for sugary treats. The buyback program runs for a week, beginning the day after Halloween this Saturday.
Halloween is Friday, bringing trick-or-treaters, free Lyft rides and lots of thematic events to Arlington.
Here’s a look at what county newcomers can expect and where to go locally on the spookiest night of the year.
A Falls Church sorority chapter is hosting a Halloween-themed collection event for old electronics tomorrow (Saturday).
The city’s Chi Beta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha has planned the “Hallow-E-Waste” event, which will feature daytime trick-or-treating for kids in addition to waste collection.
Numerous music, comedy and theater performances are coming to Arlington and Falls Church in the coming months.
Whether it’s live jazz, a stage adaptation of “Frankenstein” or a pre-Halloween production of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” upcoming arts events this fall and winter cater to a wide range of tastes.
A paranormal investigator and researcher of strange happenings in Northern Virginia is hosting a series of talks at Arlington Public Library starting today (Monday).
Alex Matsuo, the author of “Haunted Northern Virginia” and other books about supernatural mysteries and explorations, will speak about “scientific ghost hunting” at Glencarlyn Library from 6:30-7:30 p.m. today.
Bavarian snacks, live music and yard games are all planned this weekend at a new “Blocktoberfest” street festival hosted by the Clarendon Ballroom.
The event takes place this Saturday between O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub and the Liberty Tavern, at Wilson Blvd and N. Irving Street. The Clarendon Ballroom promises “a full-scale street festival packed with Bavarian cheer, music, and beer garden vibes.”
As Arlington County staff research a possible ban on gas-powered leaf blowers, they may take some lessons from a nearby jurisdiction’s struggles with a similar prohibition.
A ban on gas-powered leaf blowers in Montgomery County went into effect July 1, threatening $500 citations if someone is photographed using the noisy and environmentally unfriendly devices. Recently, however, that county’s leaders have been rethinking ways to enforce the ban while respecting people’s privacy.
With October finally here, a restaurant in Crystal City is transforming its outdoor patio and park space into an Oktoberfest-themed beer garden this weekend.
Festivities at Surreal will include long, communal picnic tables, refreshment kiosks and a central entertainment stage where DJs and live music will play throughout the day. Doors open at 2 p.m. for the celebration, which promises an “authentic beer selection,” live music, games and festival food.
For as much as $1,450, a new local business specializing in “premium pumpkin delivery” is offering decorating jobs to porches in Arlington this season.
The Porch Parade aims to bring “effortless, discreet, and exclusive pumpkin displays” to D.C.-area porches. Andrea Samuelson, a former federal worker, co-founded the business with friend Anusha Seneviratne after their jobs were cut earlier this year.
