Clarendon Day in Arlington: date, music, parking and kids zone

Last checked Oct. 19, 2026. This page is updated each year at the same address. Facts come from the Clarendon Alliance, which organizes Clarendon Day.

Clarendon Day is Clarendon’s free one-day street festival: live music, a kids zone, food and drink from local restaurants and more than 150 exhibitors, spread across Clarendon Central Park and the blocks around the Clarendon Metro station. The Clarendon Alliance’s volunteer listing calls it 20-plus years of fun across eight blocks, with more than 10,000 people. Official page: clarendon.org/clarendon-day.

What this means for you

• Next Clarendon Day: the 2027 date is not announced yet. The 2026 festival was Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Cost: free to attend.
• Getting there: the festival surrounds the Clarendon Metro station (Orange and Silver lines).
• Parking: free in the Mason Square Van Metre Garage in 2026.

When it is

Clarendon Day is a one-day Saturday festival. The 2026 festival was Saturday, Sept. 26, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to the alliance’s promotional kit, and it went ahead in the rain. The alliance has posted “See you in 2027” but no date; we will add it here when it does.

Where it is

The festival is in Clarendon Central Park, the park at the Clarendon Metro station, and eight blocks around it. For GPS the organizer uses 3100 Wilson Blvd. Coming by Metro, you walk up the stairs into the festival.

Music and the kids zone

The 2026 main stage had three sets, per the Clarendon Day page:

• 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.: Captain Seawalker
• 1 to 2:45 p.m.: The Fuss
• 4 to 5:45 p.m.: Legal in the District

The kids zone is free. In 2026 it had an 18-foot inflatable slide, an inflatable obstacle course, crafts, glitter tattoos and balloon animals, and free prizes for the first 500 children to visit the Clarendon Alliance booth.

Exhibitors and food

More than 150 exhibitors took part in 2026: arts and crafts sellers, local shops, gyms, banks, dentists, schools and nonprofits, alongside food from local and regional restaurants. The alliance’s volunteer listing mentions craft beer and Virginia wine. The full exhibitor list is on the Clarendon Day page.

Parking and road closures

In 2026 the alliance arranged free parking from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Mason Square Van Metre Garage, behind the campus on Founders Way off Kirkwood Drive. The festival fills eight blocks around the park, so the Clarendon Metro station is the easy way in. The alliance does not publish a street-by-street closure list; for county road notices, see our road closures page.

Get involved

Businesses can exhibit or sponsor by writing to the alliance at clarendonday@clarendon.org, and volunteers sign up through Volunteer Arlington. The alliance also runs Light Up Clarendon and the Arlington Festival of the Arts.

More big dates in Arlington

See the Arlington County Fair in August, the Army Ten-Miler and Marine Corps Marathon in October, and things to do this month.

Frequently asked questions

When is Clarendon Day?

Clarendon Day 2026 was Saturday, Sept. 26, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Clarendon Alliance has not announced the 2027 date yet.

Where is Clarendon Day held?

In Clarendon Central Park, at the Clarendon Metro station, and eight blocks around it. The organizer gives 3100 Wilson Blvd. as the address for GPS.

Where do you park for Clarendon Day?

In 2026, parking was free from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the Mason Square Van Metre Garage, on Founders Way off Kirkwood Drive. The Clarendon Metro station is right at the festival.

Is Clarendon Day free?

Yes, it is free to attend, and the kids zone activities are free. Food, drinks and vendors’ goods are paid.