FFXnow is the definitive local news source for Fairfax County, featuring countywide coverage and hyperlocal reporting on the Reston and Tysons areas. This article was written by an editor or other member of FFXnow's full-time staff.
Fairfax is home to dozens of trails and parks accompanied by lush greenery, vibrant wildlife, waterside views and even waterfalls! Do you have a favorite local spot for walking, hiking or biking?
Here are the nominees for “Best Outdoor Recreation in Fairfax” as part of our new FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. See your favorite outdoor spot below? If not, write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 9 a.m. Friday, May 2.
Voting for the Best Food Truck in Fairfax is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday at 9 a.m.
Metro train traveling next to I-66 in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Fairfax Co. police launches recruiting push targeting laid-off federal workers — “Fairfax County police are launching a recruitment push aimed at federal workers who have lost their jobs.” [WTOP]
Car fire near Tysons blocks traffic — “Watch: This is the car fire that tied up the Beltway south of Route 7 in Tysons a short time ago. Two lanes now getting by to the right.” [Dave Statter/X]
Fairfax restaurant owner candidly tells customers struggles of staying open with tariff threats — “The owner of Okonomi Asian Grill in Fairfax is letting customers know the reality of making a profit and worries of tariffs affecting his bottom line.” [WUSA9]
It’s Friday — Expect a mostly sunny day with temperatures reaching about 77°F, accompanied by a south wind blowing at 7-16 mph and gusts up to 28 mph. The night will be partly cloudy, as temperatures drop to around 64°F. The south wind will persist at around 14 mph and may gust up to 22 mph. [NWS]
Make Your Own Scented Candles, Charm Jewelry At New Mosaic Boutique — “District Candle Lab and Fawne will celebrate the grand opening of their shared space in the Mosaic District on May 3 with free swag.” [Patch]
The weather will be mostly sunny, reaching a high of around 78 degrees, accompanied by a south wind ranging from 8 to 17 mph and gusts up to 29 mph. As for Friday night, expect partly cloudy skies and a low temperature of approximately 65 degrees. The south wind will persist at around 15 mph and have gusts as high as 21 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
Two Fountain Square at Reston Town Center (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Lawsuit accuses Fairfax County School Board member of improperly spending business funds — “A lawsuit filed by a Northern Virginia company alleges that a Fairfax County School Board member who is a former official of the company improperly used business funds to pay for tens of thousands of dollars in personal and campaign expenses.” [Washington Post]
It’s Thursday — Expect sunny skies and a high near 64 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind at about 7 mph. For Thursday night, the skies will be partly cloudy with temperatures dipping to around 47 degrees. The calm wind will shift to a southerly direction at approximately 5 mph after midnight. [NWS]
Driver hits pedestrian after slamming into light pole and other cars — “A suspect is in custody after police say he crashed into a pole and several other cars before hitting a pedestrian in Fairfax County Wednesday night.” [Fox5]
FCPL Honors 19 with Annual Star Volunteer Awards — “To recognize the extraordinary accomplishments of library volunteers and community partners, FCPL annually hosts the Star Volunteer Awards.” [Fairfax County]
Northern Va. ‘trophy’ offices will likely stay valuable in turbulent times, analysis finds — “Though federal workforce reductions will likely cause fluctuations in office space this year, Northern Virginia’s most sought-after properties are expected to remain valuable.” [ARLnow]
Expect sunny skies with a high temperature near 64 degrees and a northwest wind at 6 to 8 mph. Thursday night will see partly cloudy conditions with a low temperature around 47 degrees. Calm winds will become southerly at around 5 mph after midnight. See more from Weather.gov.
Traffic on Route 50 in West Falls Church (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Education takes center stage in Virginia governor’s race — “With trust in Virginia’s public schools at a crossroads, education is once again taking center stage in the race for governor — and the two nominees are offering Virginians starkly different paths forward.” [Virginia Scope]
It’s Wednesday — Expect sunny and breezy conditions with highs near 59°F accompanied by a 14 to 21 mph northwest wind and gusts up to 34 mph. Tonight, the skies will remain clear, with lows around 40°F and a 6 to 11 mph northwest wind, gusting up to 22 mph. [NWS]
Virginia braces for changes to student aid programs — “U.S. Education Department suggests permanently altering Public Service Loan Forgiveness, income-based repayment programs.” [Virginia Mercury]
GMU to Launch Virginia’s First Public Master’s Program in AI — “Students will learn how to manage artificial intelligence with real-world applications beginning in fall 2025.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Could Tysons Corner Casino Proposal Be A Potential Gateway To Online Gaming Legalization? — “Virginia lawmakers have decided to continue discussing the possibility of allowing a new casino complex in Tysons Corner, Fairfax County.” [Washington City Paper]
Watch Out for These New Bakeries Coming Soon to Northern Virginia — “Croissants, cupcakes, and pastries are coming your way.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Expect sunny conditions and a high of 58°F, accompanied by a west wind at 14-18 mph, gusting up to 30 mph. The night will be clear with temperatures dipping to around 38°F, and a northwest wind blowing at 7-14 mph, gusting up to 20 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
Turtles on a log in Wolftrap Creek (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
States Jockey to Poach Federal Agencies From D.C. Area — “Ahead of Monday’s deadline for agencies to submit plans to relocate offices out of the region, officials in Ohio, Texas and Florida have been lobbying to land key agencies, sensing that D.C.’s loss of these major employers could be their economic gain.” [Washington Post]
School Board Debates Expanding Cell Phone Restrictions — “During a recent work session meeting, FCPS proposed to ban the use of cellphones from the start to end of school, including lunchtime and in between classes. Phones and tablets would no longer be used for instructional purposes … The recommendations would align with a new law passed by the Virginia General Assembly to keep phones away from bell-to-bell.” [WUSA9]
Seven Corners Bakery to Close After 30 Years — “After 30 years in the Seven Corners Center, Tiffany’s Bakery is closing for good. Their last day is April 26. Owner Beatrice Echegoyen plans to focus her energies on the other Tiffany’s Bakery, at 7022 Columbia Pike in Annandale … Both shops offer cakes, cookies, pastries, croissant sandwiches, and made-to-order cakes.” [Annandale Today]
Possible Summer Opening for Reston Shake Shack — Shake Shack is aiming to open its new location at Reston Town Center in June. Construction “was well underway” when The Burn recently passed the nearly 2,800-square-foot space previously occupied by The Counter. [The Burn]
Virginia Opts Out of Michelin Guide — “Virginia is noticeably absent from the forthcoming Southern restaurant guide that Michelin announced earlier this month … The state tourism office declined to participate in the pay-to-play guide — a whopping $360,000 to be included, reports Axios Richmond’s Karri Peifer.” [Axios DC]
Local Teacher Competes to Be ‘America’s Favorite’ — Marcy Fisher, a first grade teacher at Union Mill Elementary School in Clifton, says it’s a “very emotional experience” to reach the quarterfinals of a national “America’s Favorite Teacher” contest. Voting to determine the semifinalists is open to the public until Thursday (April 17) at 7 p.m. [WTOP]
County’s Poet Laureate Offers Free Workshop — “To celebrate National Poetry Month, explore the intersection between music and spoken word at the Making Your Mixtape: Poetry Writing Workshop on April 19, led by the Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Metro Recognizes Anniversary of Train’s Debut — “On this day 10 years ago, the first 7000-series train debuted on the Blue Line, departing from Franconia-Springfield.” The trains became a headache for Metro after a derailment in Arlington in 2021 led to all of them being removed from service for inspections. [WMATA/Bluesky]
It’s Tuesday — Scattered showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm accompany a partly sunny day with highs near 65. West winds start at 10-15 mph, increasing to 21-26 mph and potentially gusting up to 41 mph. There’s a 30% chance of precipitation. At night, expect mostly clear skies with lows around 44. [NWS]
Here is what’s going on Tuesday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
No events today. Have one to promote? Submit it to the calendar.
⛈️ Tuesday’s forecast
Scattered showers and possible thunderstorms after 2pm give way to gradual sunshine and a high of 65. Expect a breezy west wind of 10-15 mph, increasing to 20-25 mph in the afternoon and gusting up to 43 mph, with a 30% chance of precipitation. Tuesday night will be mostly clear with a low around 43, west wind at 13-17 mph, and gusts as high as 25 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
A flowering tree near the Shops at Avenir Place courtyard (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Search and Rescue Task Force Returns From Floods — On Friday night (April 11), Virginia Task Force 1’s “45 team members and 2 canines returned home to waiting family members after assisting Frankfurt, Kentucky with swift water rescue resources and damage reconnaissance. We are honored to be able to serve whenever and wherever the need arises.” [Virginia Task Force 1/Facebook]
Chantilly Pickleball Facility to Open This Week — “The Dill Dinkers team has announced that their 12 p-ball courts will be ready for players on Thursday, April 17. The 30,000 s.f. sporting venue is located in the Sully Place Shopping Center off of 50, east of State Road 28. The space used to be a Babies R Us store.” [The Burn]
Pilot Falsely Linked to DCA Crash Sues for Defamation — “A transgender pilot is suing a popular right-wing influencer after he falsely connected her to the midair collision that killed 67 people near Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, in January. Jo Ellis, a helicopter pilot with the Virginia Army National Guard, filed the defamation lawsuit against social media personality Matt Wallace in a Colorado federal court.” [WTOP]
Single-Family Residents Object to Apartment Expansion — “Residents of the single-family neighborhood that backs up to The Jefferson Apartments in Seven Corners expressed significant concerns about a proposal to add more housing to the site. The property owner has submitted an amendment to the Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan to add 101 additional multifamily units on the surface parking lot at … 6166 Leesburg Pike.” [Annandale Today]
First Look at Forthcoming Reston Restaurant — “Award-winning Vienna restaurant Clarity is eager to complete its new outpost near Reston Town Center, with a goal to be open for business in the spring of 2026 … Expect vibrant lunch offerings and a robust happy hour.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
VDOT to Pause Lane Closures for Easter Weekend — “Whether you are on spring break or driving to see family and friends, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) wants to help make your travels egg-cellent. VDOT will be suspending many highway work zones and lifting most lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia from noon on Friday, April 18, until noon on Tuesday, April 22.” [VDOT]
Deadline to Get a Real ID Approaches — “You have under a month to obtain a Real ID before it’s required for domestic flights and access to some federal facilities like courthouses and military bases — but if you’re a D.C. or Maryland resident, chances are you’re on it.” In comparison, only 59% of Virginia residents have obtained the new ID. [Axios DC]
Local Food Critics Check Out Tysons Supermarket — “Move over H Mart, Great Wall and 99 Ranch. Tysons has a new Asian market and it’s a stunner. Opened in January, the 18,000-square foot Marufuji Japanese Market is a Japanophile’s dream, chockablock with (mostly Japanese) food products, plus some home goods thrown in.” The Washington Post’s Tom Siestema also recently assessed the new specialty grocer. [Arlington Magazine]
It’s Monday — Expect a mostly cloudy day with temperatures reaching near 69, and a calm wind turning south at 5-7 mph in the morning. Night will likely bring showers and possibly a thunderstorm, with a low temperature around 58. There is a 60% chance of precipitation. [NWS]
