What's On in Arlington
Events, markets, games, library and parks programs in and around Arlington, with times, prices and the organizer's own link.
Top story
Arts and exhibitions in Arlington: October 2026
Signature's new musical runs through Dec. 20, Synetic's Sleepy Hollow plays Arlington Nov. 14-22, and Encore stages Madeline's Christmas from Nov. 20.
Coming up
The full month- Wed. Oct. 28 Rosslyn Farmers Market (last of the season)
- Now through Nov. 1 Merrily We Roll Along
- Thu. Oct. 29 Ballston Farmers Market
- Thu. Oct. 29 Death and how to reheat your old nachos: a mini sculpture workshop
- Fri. Oct. 30 Oktoberfest (55+)
- Fri. Oct. 30 Battle on the Boulevard teen basketball tournament
- Fri. Oct. 30 Varsity football: Herndon at Wakefield
- Oct. 30 to Nov. 1 Merrily We Roll Along (closing weekend)
- Sat. Oct. 31 Halloween Scavenger Hunt at Central Library
- Sat. Oct. 31 Halloween at Arlington Public Library
- Sat. Oct. 31 Halloween Storytime
- Sat. Oct. 31 Fun with Pumpkins
Plan your weekend
Fourth of July
Arlington Fourth of July fireworks 2026
Arlington has no fireworks of its own; crowds watch the National Mall show from the Marine Corps War Memorial, Long Bridge Park and Gateway Park.
Halloween
Trick-or-treat hours in Arlington 2026
Arlington County sets no official trick-or-treat hours; Halloween is Saturday, Oct. 31. Clarendon streets close from 10 p.m. ART buses are free all day.
Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day in Arlington 2027: date ideas, dinners, events
Valentine's Day 2027 is a Sunday, with Presidents Day off the next day. Ideas: Signature Theatre, a comedy show, wine flights, weekend brunch and river views.
Spring break
Spring break in Arlington 2027: school dates, camps, things to do
Arlington Public Schools' spring break is March 22-26, 2027. County spring camp registration opens at noon March 2. What to do and what is open.
Easter
Easter in Arlington 2027: sunrise service, egg hunts, brunch
Easter is Sunday, March 28, 2027. The National Military Easter Sunrise Service is at Arlington National Cemetery. Libraries close Easter Sunday.
Mother's Day
Mother's Day in Arlington 2027: brunch, markets and outings
Mother's Day is Sunday, May 9, 2027. Weekend brunch runs from 9 a.m. in Clarendon, three Sunday farmers markets open in the morning and MoCA Arlington is free.
Memorial Day
Memorial Day in Arlington 2027: national ceremony, closings, trash
Memorial Day is Monday, May 31, 2027. The national observance is at Arlington National Cemetery. Libraries and schools close; spraygrounds open.
Summer camps
Summer in Arlington 2027: camps, pools and spraygrounds
Arlington's seven spraygrounds open Memorial Day weekend, county camp registration opens in February, and four indoor pools are open all year.
Father's Day
Father's Day in Arlington 2027: brunch, beer halls and outings
Father's Day is Sunday, June 20, 2027, the day after Juneteenth. Ideas: weekend brunch, a beer hall in Ballston, batting cages at Upton Hill and a ride on the W&OD.
Labor Day
Labor Day in Arlington 2027: what is open and closed, trash
Labor Day is Monday, Sept. 6, 2027. County offices, courts and libraries close. In 2026 curbside trash ran as normal; spraygrounds close that weekend.
Veterans Day
Veterans Day in Arlington 2026: national ceremony, closings
Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11. The national observance is at 11 a.m. at Arlington National Cemetery; county offices, libraries and schools are closed.
Christmas
Arlington Christmas parade and tree lighting 2026
Rosslyn lights its 24-foot holiday tree 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, at Central Place Plaza. No countywide Christmas parade is on Arlington's calendar.
High school football
Friday night football in Arlington 2026
Wakefield, Washington-Liberty and Yorktown play varsity football in Arlington. Wakefield hosts Herndon at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, its last home game of 2026.
Fall festivals
Fall festivals and pumpkin patches in Arlington 2026
Arlington's fall season ends with pumpkin programs at Long Branch Nature Center Oct. 31, MoCA's Día de los Muertos picnic Nov. 1 and pumpkins at the markets.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in Arlington 2026: turkey trot, closings, trash
The 21st Arlington Turkey Trot starts at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 26, in Lyon Park. County offices, libraries and community centers close Nov. 26-27.
Halloween
Halloween events in Arlington 2026
Arlington libraries run a scavenger hunt, a storytime and two pet parties Saturday, Oct. 31, and MoCA Arlington holds a free Día de los Muertos picnic Nov. 1.
Black Friday
Black Friday and holiday shopping in Arlington 2026
Black Friday is Nov. 27, a county holiday, so Arlington parking meters are not enforced. Cherrydale and Rosslyn holiday markets are Nov. 21; Ballston's is Dec. 11.
Christmas
Holiday lights and Christmas events in Arlington 2026
The Lodge brings Santa photos and a holiday train to Met Park on Saturday, Dec. 5. Ballston's Holiday Market is Friday, Dec. 11. Clarendon lights up all season.
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve in Arlington 2026: Clarendon, Metro, closings
Clarendon is Arlington's New Year's Eve hub, with road closures from 10 p.m. Metro ran free from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. last year. Libraries close at 5 p.m. Dec. 31.
Brunch
Brunch in Arlington: 7 restaurants and their brunch hours
Where to get weekend brunch in Arlington, from Northside Social's 9 a.m. start in Clarendon to Freddie's buffet in Crystal City, with each restaurant's posted hours.
Dogs
Dog-friendly Arlington: dog parks, trails, shops and leash rules
Arlington has 10 county dog parks, two lighted until 10 p.m. Everywhere else, dogs must be leashed under county code. Licenses are $30 for dogs 4 months and up.
Kids
Kids' activities in Arlington: playgrounds, nature centers, rain
Things to do with kids in Arlington: two nature centers with live animals, playgrounds at Banneker Park, seven spraygrounds, library story times and indoor pools.
Trails
Arlington walking and biking trails: distances, loops and trailheads
Arlington's main paved trails: Four Mile Run (9.7 miles), Custis (5.1), the W&OD (45 from Shirlington) and the 18-mile Mount Vernon Trail, plus woodland paths.
Arlington National Cemetery
Visiting Arlington National Cemetery: hours, parking, guard change
Arlington National Cemetery is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Parking is $3 an hour, and the guard changes hourly in winter and every half hour in summer.
Nightlife
Live music and nightlife in Arlington: venues, comedy and late bars
Where to go out in Arlington: live music at Ireland's Four Courts and Galaxy Hut, comedy at the Arlington Drafthouse, cabaret at Signature and bars open to 2 a.m.
Free
Free things to do in Arlington: memorials, museums, parks and views
Free in Arlington: MoCA Arlington, the Changing of the Guard, Theodore Roosevelt Island, the Netherlands Carillon, 159 county parks and two nature centers.
Date night
Date night in Arlington: theater, wine bars, dinner and views
Date night in Arlington: a show at Signature Theatre, comedy on Columbia Pike, wine flights near Clarendon, dinner on Wilson Boulevard, river views.
Marine Corps Marathon
Marine Corps Marathon in Arlington: 2027 date, course, roads
The 51st Marine Corps Marathon ran Oct. 25, finishing in Rosslyn. The organizer lists the next race for Sunday, Oct. 31, 2027; registration opens in 2027.
Arlington County Fair
Arlington County Fair: dates, hours, rides, parking and shuttle
The free Arlington County Fair ran Aug. 12-16, 2026, at Thomas Jefferson Community Center. 2027 dates are not out yet. Hours, ride prices, shuttle.
Clarendon Day
Clarendon Day in Arlington: date, music, parking and kids zone
Clarendon Day, the free street festival around Clarendon Central Park, was Sept. 26, 2026, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The 2027 date is not out yet.
Army Ten-Miler
Army Ten-Miler at the Pentagon: 2027 date, closures, parking
The Army Ten-Miler starts and ends at the Pentagon. The 2026 race was Oct. 11; the 2027 race is set for 8 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 10, 2027.
Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America at Arlington National Cemetery 2026
Wreaths Across America Day at Arlington National Cemetery is Saturday, Dec. 19, from 8 a.m. No registration is needed. Pass holders lay wreaths Dec. 12-13.
Restaurants
Where to eat in Arlington: lists by category
Every Arlington Local Today food list in one place: wings, pizza, Mexican, barbecue, breakfast, burgers, Asian, desserts, bakeries and patios.
Pizza
Where to get pizza in Arlington: Ballston, Clarendon and the Pike
36 pizza places in Arlington, from Ballston, Clarendon and Rosslyn to Langston Boulevard, Columbia Pike and Crystal City, with posted hours and phones.
Wings
Where to get wings in Arlington: Ballston, Langston Blvd. and the Pike
16 places in Arlington that list chicken wings, in Ballston, Virginia Square, on Langston Boulevard, Glebe Road, Columbia Pike and in Pentagon City, with hours.
Mexican food
Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in Arlington
22 Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants and taquerias in Arlington, in Ballston, Clarendon, Rosslyn, on Columbia Pike, Langston Boulevard and in Crystal City.
Barbecue
Where to get barbecue in Arlington: Clarendon, Ballston and Pentagon City
Six barbecue restaurants in Arlington, on Washington Boulevard, Langston Boulevard, in Clarendon, Ballston Quarter and Pentagon City, with posted hours.
Breakfast
Breakfast and coffee in Arlington: Clarendon, Ballston and the Pike
20 Arlington coffee shops, bagel shops and breakfast restaurants, in Clarendon, Courthouse, Rosslyn, Ballston, on Columbia Pike and in Crystal City.
Burgers
Where to get burgers in Arlington: Ballston, Clarendon and the Pike
17 burger places in Arlington, in Ballston, Clarendon, Rosslyn, Shirlington, Pentagon City, Crystal City, on Langston Boulevard and Columbia Pike.
Sushi
Sushi and Asian restaurants in Arlington: Clarendon to Westover
29 sushi, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean and Lao restaurants in Arlington, in Clarendon, Ballston, Lee-Harrison, Westover and Crystal City.
Ice cream
Ice cream and desserts in Arlington: Rosslyn, Clarendon and Westover
11 ice cream, doughnut, cookie, eclair, cheesecake and bubble tea shops in Arlington, on Wilson Boulevard, Langston Boulevard, in Westover and Pentagon City.
Bakeries
Bakeries in Arlington: Columbia Pike, Ballston and Clarendon
19 bakeries in Arlington, from pie, bagel and pastry shops on Columbia Pike and in Lee-Harrison to European bakeries in Ballston and Clarendon.
Patios
Patios and outdoor dining in Arlington: Clarendon to Crystal City
10 Arlington restaurants and bars whose own sites list a patio or outdoor seating, in Clarendon, Courthouse, Rosslyn, Ballston and Crystal City.
