(Updated at 12:30 p.m. with Metro information) Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, bringing with it the promise (or threat, depending on your situation) of family gatherings and days off for many public services.
The Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Herndon and Vienna governments will all observe the holiday tomorrow (Thursday) by closing their offices, but schedules are more varied for Friday (Nov. 24).
Many private businesses and indoor shopping centers will also close for Thanksgiving, though most will reopen for Black Friday, because there’s nothing like a day of unabashed consumerism to follow a day of gratitude for what we have.
Shopping Malls
Tysons Corner Center, the D.C. area’s biggest shopping mall, will close tomorrow, but shoppers can get an early start on Black Friday, when doors will open at 6 a.m. and stay open until 10 p.m. Tysons Galleria will also close for Thanksgiving and open with modified hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.
Over at Fair Oaks Mall, a Thanksgiving closure will be followed by Black Friday hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Springfield Town Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday.
Trash and recycling
Fairfax County trash and recycling customers won’t experience any change in services for the holiday. However, the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be closed on Thanksgiving and open the day after. Administrative offices will be closed through Friday.
“If you have private collection, please contact your hauler,” the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services says.
The Town of Vienna will have no waste collection on Thanksgiving, and on Friday, only trash and recycling will get picked up. The Town of Herndon isn’t collecting yard waste this week, and Thursday trash pickups will be collected on Friday instead.
Fairfax City will similarly conduct both Thursday and Friday curbside collections on Friday.
Transportation
On Thanksgiving, Metro will operate trains and buses on a Sunday schedule, with trains running from 7 a.m. to midnight. Regular service will resume Friday.
Fairfax Connector will provide Sunday service tomorrow and holiday weekday service on Friday. The bus service’s stores and customer service center will close for Thanksgiving, reopening for regular hours on Friday.
Fairfax City’s CUE bus system won’t operate on Thanksgiving, but reduced weekday service, with one bus per route, will be available Friday.
Starting at noon today, the Virginia Department of Transportation is pausing most highway work and lane closures on major roads until noon on Monday, Nov. 27. Drivers will also be able to use the I-66 Express Lanes inside the Capital Beltway (I-495) without any rush-hour tolls on Thanksgiving.
Community centers
The McLean Community Center will close tomorrow and Friday, as will Reston Community Center’s Lake Anne facility.
However, RCC Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road) will open for Thanksgiving from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The aquatics center will operate from 9 a.m. to noon tomorrow and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. the day after Thanksgiving.
In Herndon, the community center closes early at 4 p.m. today (Wednesday) and won’t resume regular hours until Saturday (Nov. 25). The indoor tennis center will also be closed tomorrow and Friday, but Herndon Centennial Golf Course will open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, depending on the weather.
The Vienna Community Center will close on Thanksgiving and follow a modified schedule of 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. the next day.
Libraries, Parks and Recreation
Fairfax County Public Library will close all branches both tomorrow and on Friday.
All Fairfax County Park Authority facilities will close for Thanksgiving, but the rec centers and golf courses will reopen for their normal operating hours on Friday. The Lake Fairfax visitor center will also be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Frying Pan Farm Park’s farm and indoor arena will open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All other park facilities, including the historic sites, nature centers, Green Spring Gardens, the visitor centers at Lake Accotink and Burke Lake, and the Clemyjontri carousel in McLean, will be closed on Friday.
Photo via Preslie Hirsch on Unsplash
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