A new art initiative is bringing light to Old Town Fairfax, just as winter and the darkest days of the year arrive.

Illuminate Fairfax officially launched last Friday (Dec. 15), but the last and biggest artwork was installed just yesterday (Wednesday), according to Fairfax City Economic Development (FCED).


The Red Bird has landed in Vienna.

The hot chicken chain’s first Northern Virginia franchise is in the midst of a soft opening at 282 Cedar Lane in the Cedar Park Shopping Center, where it has replaced the McDonald’s that closed in 2022. The location is currently open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to Instagram posts.


Escape Room Herndon is venturing into new territory as it prepares to open an expansion of its existing space in Herndon Centre.

Omer Aru, the owner of the business, says the location on Elden Street is expected to open sometime around Jan. 1.


The TGI Fridays in Fair Lakes has served its final whiskey-glazed pork ribs.

The American chain restaurant has permanently closed its location at 12249 Fair Lakes Promenade Drive, an employee at the TGI Fridays in Tysons confirmed.


(Updated at 11:30 a.m. on 12/20/2023) A Spanish fashion brand that has started utilizing artificial intelligence to design its clothes is coming to Tysons Corner Center.

Mango recently announced that it will expand to the D.C. area for the first time with four stores opening in 2024, including one in the region’s largest mall. New locations are also planned at 950 F Street in D.C.’s Penn Quarter, the Westfield Montgomery mall in Bethesda, and Pentagon City.


Next year, the Lake Thoreau spillway will feature a nature-inspired public artwork created by South Lakes High School’s STEAM team.

The 10-foot tall installation was designed to embrace Reston’s natural environment with a “modern twist,” according to Public Art Reston. Viewers will see a forest from one perspective and a single tree from the other. Students plan to illuminate flowers fastened to the tree’s branches.


(Updated at 4:25 p.m.) This year will be the end of Reston’s Little Beast Cafe and Bistro and Red Velvet Cupcakery.

The businesses at 12100 Sunset Hills Road in RTC West will close permanently on Saturday (Dec. 23), Northern Virginia Magazine reported.


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