On September 28, Tupelo Honey served its last meal at 1616 N. Troy St. That closed a space of nearly 6,600 square feet with room for more than 200 guests. About the same time, a few blocks east, the Rosslyn BID hung more than 130 painted mesh panels about 16 feet above Central Place Plaza.

Those two events show where Rosslyn's social life is this season. The neighborhood lost two of its biggest dining rooms in 2026, and the redesign of its main park is still on paper. The holiday programming between now and early December is set at one address, 1800 N. Lynn St., with the UPSIDE on Moore food hall one level up. The hall's hours line up with the plaza's event times closely enough that you can plan the season around a single block.

Two large dining rooms closed in 2026

The first went in March. ARLnow reported that Barley Mac closed at 1600 Wilson Blvd. on March 9, citing leasing difficulties, after operating there since spring 2016. Tupelo Honey followed in late September. According to ARLnow's account, a storefront notice said the lease had expired, and the restaurant thanked the community for "10+ wonderful years of biscuits, gravy, and good company." It had opened in 2015 and was the chain's only D.C.-area location. Its nearest locations are now in Virginia Beach and Pittsburgh.

One new sit-down concept is coming but hasn't opened. In January, Fabio Trabocchi's restaurant group announced an all-day café for 1100 Wilson Blvd. ARLnow described it as being in early planning, with an opening expected later in 2026. In August, Arlington Magazine's coming-soon roundup still listed the café as unnamed and in the works. It's planned as a counter-service café in the former AHRA Cafe space. For this holiday season, treat it as a future addition.

Gateway Park's redesign won't start construction until 2027

Gateway Park is the obvious alternative gathering place, and it's in a holding pattern. Arlington County lists the project as "In Design." The County Board adopted the master plan and design guidelines in December 2024, and the work has moved into final design and engineering. Construction is projected to begin in 2027.

The County's project page describes the plan. It includes a redesigned central lawn and flexible event spaces, an updated dog park and gardens, safer pedestrian connections, more tree canopy and native plantings, and new play and seating areas. The County also says residents will get more chances to weigh in during final design on things like materials, planting details and site furnishings. Until then, the park works the way it always has. The BID used it for Howl-O-Ween on October 23. Most of what's scheduled after that is at Central Place.

A new canopy over Central Place Plaza

The BID's fall art installation, Color Currents, comes from The Floral Guru, a design studio based in the D.C. area. The canopy runs 56 feet over the plaza. Its palette takes Rosslyn's brand colors and spreads them across more than a dozen custom shades. Because the mesh lets light through, the colors blend differently depending on where you stand and where the sun is. The studio's founder, Halima Adetona, described what she started from:

"Rosslyn moves. Commuters cut through on their way to the Metro, lunch crowds fill the plaza tables, and the surrounding glass towers catch light throughout the day. That energy was the starting point for Color Currents."

The canopy has a practical side too. At about 16 feet up, it leaves room underneath for a holiday market, a 24-foot tree and the usual lunch tables. The plaza's regular farmers market season runs May through October. This year's last market dates were October 21 and 28. Now that the produce stands are gone for the year, the holiday programming takes over the space.

UPSIDE on Moore's hours by meal

UPSIDE on Moore is on Level M2 at 1700 N. Moore St. It lists hours of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. It posts no Sunday hours. Inside that window, the hall sets separate hours for each part of the day:

The vendor list on the hall's site includes Tony Boloney's, La Michoacana, Neko Panchi, Lili's, The Sweet District, Ghostburger, Lightning Coffee and Little Tiger Dumplings. The Bar at UPSIDE and The Pinball Basement arcade round it out. Three of those counters are new this year:

• Tony Boloney's started serving pizza and subs in late January. The hall lists it as open Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with online ordering.
• The Sweet District is a bakery and chocolatier from Audrey Angeles and Aaron Salvador. It sells baked goods, Filipino-inspired sweets, chocolate and savory pastries, and ARLnow reported that it officially opened on June 24.
• Bullfrog Bagels became available at the Ghostburger stall on September 28. You can buy the bagels individually, by the half dozen or on breakfast sandwiches. According to ARLnow, the sandwiches include one called The Rosslyn, with scrambled egg, American cheese and dijon mayo. Eater DC's September openings roundup also noted the addition.

How the events line up with the hall's hours

Here is the BID's November and December schedule at Central Place Plaza, 1800 N. Lynn St., next to the food hall's hours for the same day.

In every row, the hall is open when the plaza event starts. The Holiday Market opens at the same hour the hall does on Saturdays. On Saturdays, happy hour pricing runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., so it covers the market's last five hours. Light the Plaza brings a 24-foot holiday tree, music, raffles and a cash bar, and it ends at 7 p.m., the same time the hall's weekday happy hour does. Dinner service runs two more hours after that.

A few BID events fall outside the plaza. Rosslyn x Pitch-a-Friend is on November 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Noble Fox Bar & Terrace, 1121 19th St. N. It's a ticketed social event for ages 21 and up. The BID also lists Find Cheerio scavenger-hunt sessions from 10 to 11 a.m. on December 1, 3, 8, 10 and 15. The BID events calendar is a live listing, so check it before the date for any changes.

No Sunday hours, and a dog area being refreshed

The biggest gap in this plan is Sunday. The hall posts no Sunday hours, and none of the plaza dates above fall on a Sunday. If you have guests in town on a Sunday, look beyond this block.

The BID's other temporary public space is at 1401 Wilson Blvd. The BID describes it as a terrace, garden and leashed-dog area, and its FAQ says a refresh is under way. Check its status on the BID's NOW page before you plan a walk around it. Freedom Park at 1101 Wilson Blvd. remains a two-block elevated park with benches, gardens and trees. It's a quieter option if you want a walk without the plaza crowds.

If you live in one of Rosslyn's towers, being close to Central Place Plaza now means a short walk to most of the neighborhood's holiday events and a food hall open six days a week. At Canopy Property Group, we track how changes on a block like this one show up in what nearby homes are worth. If you'd like to see where your Rosslyn home stands, start with an instant home valuation.