Reston has a busy summer of music and movies ahead that will include the revival of a dormant Lake Anne Plaza tradition, an expanded entertainment line-up at Reston Station, and the addition of the area’s newest neighborhood.
Halley Rise, which remains under construction, will host the Reston Community Center’s long-running “Take a Break” series — one of six planned for sites around Reston this year — outside The Edmund apartment building (2025 Fulton Place).
Kicking off with R&B singer Jarreau Williams on June 6, the concerts will be held near Wegmans on Thursdays from 7-8:30 p.m. through Aug. 29. Free parking will be available for concert-goers in surface lots and at the Wegmans parking garage, RCC says.
Featuring Mid-Atlantic musicians who work in varied genres, Take a Break Thursdays were a staple of Lake Anne Plaza until the series shifted to Reston Station in 2022. At the time, RCC said the Lake Anne of Reston Condominium Association (LARCA) hadn’t sent application materials “in time to proceed with planning adequately” for that summer.
This year, Lake Anne Plaza won’t be left out of the community center’s summer entertainment line-up, which includes a “Sunset Concert” series for the first time since 2019.
Hosted by LARCA with RCC as a sponsor, the Sunset Concerts will start on June 12 with the Mystic Warriors, a Silver Spring-based band that plays world music. All concerts will be held at Lake Anne Plaza (1609 Washington Plaza) from 7-8 p.m. on Wednesdays through Aug. 14.
According to RCC, it’s able bring the series back after LARCA’s board of directors approved a license agreement earlier this year. The community center also agreed to serve as an annual community sponsor for events held at Lake Anne Plaza by nonprofit organizations.
“We are so pleased to provide concerts to the emerging Halley Rise neighborhood as well as to be returning to Lake Anne Plaza where we first began offering summer concerts decades ago,” RCC Board Chair Beverly Cosham said in a press release. “Bringing people together to share the sounds of summer is a cherished part of RCC’s programming.”
RCC’s summer entertainment season will officially launch this Friday (May 24) with “Summerbration Fab Fridays” at Reston Station (1901 Reston Metro Plaza) and “Happy Hour with Darden and Friends” in Town Square Park (11900 Market Street) at Reston Town Center.
Curated by singer Darden Purcell, the jazz-focused Happy Hours will take place on Fridays from 5:30-6:45 p.m. through June 28. Reston Town Center will also host a “Family Fun Entertainment” series on Saturdays mornings (10-10:45 a.m.) from June 15 through Aug. 3 and “Sunday Art in the Park” at 7-8 p.m. on June 9 through Aug. 25.
The “Sunday Art” series was organized in conjunction with Shenandoah University. Musicians from the Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy will treat attendees to a variety of genres, from jazz and classical music to Broadway tunes and a Disney cabaret.
Free concerts, movie screenings at Reston Station
Reston Station will kick off its “Summerbration” with a Bruce Springsteen tribute band. Held at 7-8:30 p.m. every Friday through Aug. 30, the series will feature cover bands and tributes to artists like Tom Petty, the Beatles, Journey and Taylor Swift.
Brought back from last year due to “popular demand,” the Taylor Swift showcase on July 5 will include performances of songs from all her albums by the band Love Story, along with activities like selfie stations and friendship bracelet-making, according to Reston Station developer Comstock.
Starting on June 1, Summerbration will extend into Saturdays with “A Celebration of Sports,” a series of free outdoor sports movie screenings at Reston Station Metro Plaza from 6:30-9:30 p.m. Most films will be accompanied by thematically fitting activities, such as a Jamaican food truck for “Cool Runnings” (June 15), a show by the Independence High School cheerleaders for “Bring It On” (July 13), and inflatable batting cages for “The Sandlot” (July 27) and “Angels in the Outfield” (Aug. 24).
Moviegoers will all get complimentary popcorn provided by Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse (1902 Reston Metro Plaza).
Throughout the summer, Reston Station will also offer free yoga classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6-7 p.m. and free trampoline fitness classes at the same time on Tuesdays. The season will conclude with a silent dance party celebration on Sept. 13, wrapping up “Fab Fridays” with RCC.
Attendees of all Summerbration events can get three hours of free parking in Reston Station’s ParkX garage with validation.
“Celebrating the community and the spirit of summer, Summerbration is our commitment to curating local experiences,” Comstock Chief Marketing Officer Tracy Schar said in a press release. “We invite everyone to join the fun, connect with neighbors, and make memories together.”
Full entertainment schedules can be found on the RCC and Reston Station websites.
