Eat Your Heart Out: Arlington Restaurant Week is back for its third year with a week’s worth of tasty deals on just about anything and everything your appetite desires—Indian curry, housemade pasta, breakfast sandwiches, tacos, German sausages, sushi, barbecue and a whole lot more. More than 50 local kitchens are participating in this weeklong feast organized by the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, with discounts on breakfast, lunch and dinner.  See our preview of dishes to try. // Oct. 18-25, multiple locationsBe King (or Queen) for a Day: The kids have had their Homecoming and now you can, too. National Landing is staging two weeks’ worth of fall Homecoming-inspired events, including Picture Day (get a new professional headshot, plus a monogrammed notebook), an outdoor cycling class, an al fresco movie night, a pumpkin-spice latte competition, pumpkin painting and more. // Oct. 19-30, National Landing (multiple locations)
Presidential Portraits: Their groundbreaking depictions of Barack and Michelle Obama were the talk of the town when they debuted at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in 2018. Artists Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley, the first African American artists commissioned to paint a U.S. president and first lady, discuss their work, their backgrounds and their creative processes in an online artists talk hosted by Falls Church Arts. $20. // Oct. 19, 7-8:15 p.m., online
Celebrate with Spirits: In the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, costumes and bonfires were thought to ward off restless souls while honoring departed saints and martyrs. All Hallows, a group show at Whino in Ballston, brings together 10 artists—Briana Hertzog, Clog Two, Jose Mertz, Marly Mcfly, Mike Pacheco, Natalia Rak, Richard Salcido, Rodrigo Pradel, Yuhmi Collective, and Best of Arlington winner Mas Paz—to explore the history of this pagan ritual, along with similar traditions tied to Day of The Dead, All Saints’ Day, Hop-tu-Naa and Halloween. Sip on cocktails with names like Beam Me Up and Ancient Assassin while watching the artists paint live to tunes spun by DJs on location. Admission is free, but be sure to RSVP. The works will remain on display through Nov. 10. // Oct. 21, 7 p.m., 4238 Wilson Blvd. (second floor), Arlington (Ballston)
Provocative Prose: How can we move beyond the new norm of instant gratification and make smarter long-term decisions for our finances, our health, our communities and the planet? Join Arlington Public Library director Diane Kresh as she engages author, journalist and science policy expert Bina Venkataraman in a conversation about everything from superbugs spawned by antibiotic overuse to climate change and its myriad impacts. The good news: All is not lost. Venkataraman’s book, The Optimist’s Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age, draws on new research in biology, psychology and economics. View the free author series here. // Oct. 21, 7-8 p.m. online
A Live Music Double-Header: Clarendon coffee house, restaurant, watering hole and live music venue The Renegade marks its two-year anniversary this month, and it’s celebrating with a double-headliner show featuring two of its favorite bands. Hailing from Roanoke, the Jared Stout Band brings an amped up set blending Americana, blues, country, soul and rock. Order another beer and a plate of chef/owner Patrick Crump’s fried yucca or lamb lollipops, and stick around for the Parker Barrow Project. With a country/grunge sound inspired by artists such as The Black Crowes, The Allman Brothers and Tedeschi Trucks, the Nashville-based duo will keep the party going into the wee hours. $5 cover charge. // Oct. 22, 9 p.m. – 1:30 a.m., 3100 Clarendon Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)