Signs of fall abound around Arlington.

Oktoberfest beers and pumpkin spice lattes have been on offer at local stores and cafes for a little while now. Kids are back in school and fall sports are underway. The weather has turned cooler following long stretches of blast furnace heat. We’re now past Labor Day, considered the unofficial end of summer. Most summer vacations have ended and many commutes are getting longer. And, technically, it is now meteorological fall.

On the other hand, there are also signs that summer is hanging on.

The traditional Labor Day closure of many local pools has been pushed back by a week or two. Some folks are still on their Labor Day vacations. The NFL regular season has not started yet. Temperatures in the 80s are expected this week. Astronomical fall doesn’t start until Sept. 22. And, typically, ARLnow’s daily readership does not recover from its summer doldrums until the week after Labor Day (this is also true about rush hour traffic, which will get worse next week.)

Given these contrasting signals, we’re wondering whether our readers consider us now to be in the fall season — or if it comes later.


Around Town

The autumnal equinox in late September marks the official beginning of fall — but if you can’t wait that long, Starbucks began serving its fall menu today (Thursday).

The coffee chain began serving its signature Pumpkin Spice Latte among other festive goodies this morning, and people in Arlington were spotted getting their fix.


Traffic

We’re less than two weeks away from the ending of Daylight Saving Time, which means a renewed focus on road safety in the D.C. area.

Clocks will “fall back” an hour on Sunday, Nov. 5. Ahead of that, the Arlington County Police Department will be joining law enforcement across the region in kicking off the annual fall Street Smart campaign.


News

Northern Virginia is now reaching peak foliage, meaning it is almost time for Arlington County’s annual leaf collection service.

Up to 50% of trees in the region have changed colors, though some patches will not turn red, orange or yellow until later this season, per the Virginia Fall Foliage Report.


Around Town

Arlington National Cemetery is offering a free guided walking tour this Friday to highlight its autumn foliage.

Beyond serving as the final resting place for more than 400,000 military service members, the cemetery is also an accredited arboretum, home to over 500 species of trees, including maple, oak and sweetgum.


Events

A trio of family-friendly activities put on by Arlington’s parks department are slated to take place next weekend.

Among the events are two festivals, one offering the chance to make autumnal crafts pilgrim-style and another celebrating Latin American culture.


Events

(Updated at 5:45 p.m.) Get ready to hoist your steins and don your lederhosen, as Oktoberfest in Arlington is just around the corner.

Starting this Friday, Sept. 22, local bars and breweries across Arlington will celebrate a 200-year-old German tradition that began with the royal wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria — who later became King Louis I — and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.


News

(Updated at 10 a.m.) A person has life-threatening injuries after a long fall in the Ballston area.

The incident happened around 7 a.m. at the intersection of Fairfax Drive and N. Quincy Street. Police initially responded there for a trespasser climbing a rope at the construction site.


Opinion

It’s that time of year again: the Pumpkin Spice Lattes have arrived at local Starbucks stores.

Local chain Compass beat the Seattle-based coffee giant to market this time, rolling out a fall menu featuring pumpkin- and maple-flavored pick-me-ups a few days ago. Dunkin and others started slinging the spice even earlier, part of a broader trend of fall flavors creeping into the summer season.


News

After a slight weather delay, the second leaf collection pass will start tomorrow (Tuesday).

Arlington County initially posted the second vacuuming could start on Saturday, Dec. 3. Despite the delay, the county aims to finish sucking up dead leaves before Christmas.


Opinion

Arlington’s annual vacuum leaf collection service will begin on Nov. 14 this year, the county announced yesterday.

That’s nearly a week after last year’s start date of Nov. 8.


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