The Arlington County Police Department has announced a series of road closures in Crystal City to accommodate the Ai Unlocked Festival, scheduled for Friday, October 3, and Saturday, October 4, 2025. The closures will begin on Wednesday, October 1 and last until Sunday, October 5.
The affected areas include S. Bell Street from 18th Street S. to 20th Street S., with northbound traffic only permitted between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Additional closures will take place from approximately 6:00 a.m. on October 3 through the afternoon of October 5 along the 200–300 block of 19th Court S., as well as the 200 block of 18th Street S., which will remain accessible to parking garages via an alley between streets.
Crystal Drive from 15th Street S. to 20th Street S. will also be closed during this period, with its northbound lane restricted to bus traffic overnight hours.
“Attendees are encouraged to use the Crystal City Metro Station (Blue and Yellow lines) or other multimodal transportation options to reduce vehicular traffic in the area,” according to Arlington County Police Department officials. “Community members should expect to see an increased police presence in the area, and motorists are urged to follow law enforcement direction, be mindful of closures, and remain alert for increased pedestrian traffic.”
Parking restrictions will be enforced throughout the event zone; temporary “No Parking” signs will be posted and vehicles parked illegally may be ticketed or towed. Those whose vehicles are removed can check their status using an online portal that is updated in real time or call the county’s non-emergency number at 703-558-2222 for assistance.
Police have indicated that additional street closures may occur at their discretion if needed for public safety.
Arlington County Public Schools District enrolled more than twenty-seven thousand students during the most recent school year https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home. Washington Liberty High School had the highest enrollment among all schools in Arlington County during this period https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home. White students represented about forty-two percent of total enrollment while Hispanic students accounted for just over thirty percent https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home. Overall student numbers saw a slight decrease compared with last year https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home, while Montessori Public School of Arlington welcomed more pre-kindergarten students than any other school in the county https://www.doe.virginia.gov/home.
###
