More than 16,000 residences and businesses in Fairfax County lack power following last night’s powerful thunderstorm.
As of 10 a.m., power outages were affecting approximately 16,464 Dominion Energy customers in the county, plus another 607 customers in Fairfax City, according to the utility’s outage map.
After an unanticipated delay, Great Falls Lodge Bar and Grill is finally opening its doors.
Previously expected to open earlier this summer, the restaurant is now set for a soft launch at 9835 Georgetown Pike in Great Falls Center this coming Monday, Sept. 7, according to owner and chef Neel Kamal.
Fairfax families now have a vibrant new destination for creative exploration — a dedicated children’s art studio has officially opened its doors, bringing with it one of the largest selections of children’s art programs in the area.
The journey behind this new studio is a simple but meaningful one: a belief that every child in the Fairfax community deserves access to quality art education. That conviction became the driving force behind building a space where young people can discover, create, and grow — not just as artists, but as individuals.
“We wanted to provide the opportunity of art education to the Fairfax community,” the studio shared.
What makes this studio particularly remarkable is its breadth. Children have access to more than 40 varieties of art, offering a rare opportunity to explore disciplines far beyond the typical drawing and painting classes. Whether a child is drawn to sculpture, printmaking, mixed media, or illustration, there’s a path here waiting to be discovered.
The philosophy is intentional: instead of narrowing a child’s focus too soon, the programs are designed to let curiosity lead the way. Children are encouraged to try, experiment, and explore until something clicks — because finding a true passion is just as important as developing a skill.
The studio has been thoughtfully designed to meet families where they are, with age-appropriate programs that build skills progressively and purposefully. Here’s a closer look at what’s available:
Art is a skill developed over time, and it all starts here. In Tiny Hands classes, children begin to express themselves through art in guided, small group activities that encourage community, collaboration, and relationships. This two-year program introduces young learners to drawing, painting, clay, printmaking, collage, design, and more — laying the foundation for a lifelong creative journey.
This two-year program introduces children to beginning art skills, tools, and basic vocabulary. Students are encouraged to explore different mediums and express their growing interests, working with clay, printmaking, charcoal drawing, painting, design, montage, watercolors, sculpture, stained glass, and more. Along the way, they’ll learn about color theory — including primary, secondary, cool, and warm colors — while gaining self-confidence and earning recognition for their creations.
Building on the foundation of Intro to Art, Beginning Art is designed for children ready to deepen their skills and grow more comfortable with art tools. Students expand their art vocabulary, apply their knowledge of color theory, and explore design principles through hands-on creating. This two-year program offers opportunities to work with charcoal, mono printing, clay, ink, color design, collage, self-portrait, watercolors, balsa wood carving, sculpture, and much more.
Art 1 is the foundation of the studio’s four-year curriculum — a class designed to maximize and maintain each child’s art interest as they develop a higher level of skills and knowledge. Students also begin building their personal portfolio. Projects include ebony pencil from photomontage, charcoal still life, India ink design, and scratchboard art, with a strong focus on line, value, and texture. Later in the program, students dive into an in-depth study of color theory and apply it to a series of color design projects. Art 1 also includes hand building with clay.
Friday Night Live’s 32nd season is winding down, but first, it will celebrate a notable milestone.
Tonight’s show on the Herndon Town Green by rock cover band Shake the Room will be the 500th scheduled by the annual free summer concert series since it launched in 1995.
Groundbreaking Planned on Trump Arch — “Excavation work is set to start over the next two weeks at Memorial Circle, where the Trump administration plans to build a towering, gilded arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery.” A construction timeline was announced even though the project hasn’t received final approval and is facing a lawsuit. [ARLnow]
Spanberger Visits Apartment Project — Gov. Abigail Spanberger and other elected officials visited Merrifield on Wednesday (Sept. 2) for a tour of Conifer Realty’s 80-unit affordable housing development on Telestar Court, which broke ground in June 2025 and is on track to finish construction this December. The office conversion project was touted as an example of “the commonwealth’s efforts to address a growing housing shortage.” [WTOP]
Flock Camera Opposition Gaining Steam — “One town in Northern Virginia recently voted to immediately remove all of its Flock cameras. Now, Virginia lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are considering a statewide ban … Fairfax County police said [license plate reader] technology has assisted in nearly 900 arrests and helped locate 57 missing persons since November 2022.” [NBC4]
Spanberger Skeptical of Flock Ban — “Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger said calls to ban automatic license plate reading cameras, such as Flock devices, are ‘overly simplistic,’ instead vowing to work with lawmakers on a solution to protect privacy while also maintaining the ability for law enforcement to investigate crimes.” [WTOP]
Student Advocates for Pediatric Cancer Research — “Darya Golesorkhi, 15, of Reston entered South Lakes High School this week as a sophomore. While she and her peers in Fairfax County Public Schools navigate new districtwide restrictions on generative artificial intelligence in classrooms, Darya is heading to Capitol Hill on Friday, Sept. 18, to champion AI’s life-saving potential.” [The Connection]
Fairfax Water Seeks Public Input — “Your Water, Your Voice! Fairfax Water is hosting customer focus groups to better understand your experiences and help shape the future of our services. If you’d like to share your thoughts, apply here by September 14, 2026.” [Fairfax Water/X]
Mental Health Hospital Sold — “HCA Healthcare has sold Dominion Hospital in Seven Corners to Hill Valley Healthcare for $25.2 million, the Washington Business Journal reported on Sept. 1. The 116-bed Dominion Hospital, located at 2960 Sleepy Hollow Road, provides behavior and mental health services for children, teens, and adults.” [Annandale Today]
Regional Apple-Picking Options Limited — “Apple-picking season is here — but one of fall’s favorite pastimes will be shorter, sparser or canceled altogether at some D.C.-area orchards after last spring’s devastating frost … Local apple lovers may find higher prices and fewer varieties.” [Axios DC]
It’s Friday — Expect increasing clouds with a high near 91°F and a heat index up to 101°F. Showers and thunderstorms are possible after 2 pm, with a 40% chance of precipitation. Overnight, there’s a 50% chance of rain before 2 am, with mostly cloudy skies and a low of around 72°F. [NWS]
Red Wine, Explained: Tannin, Body & Alcohol
Looking for a fun night out with friends, a unique date night, or a chance to meet new people? Join us at Wine Junction in McLean for a relaxed, approachable wine class featuring a guided tasting of red wines and light bites.
Good Thursday evening, Fairfax County. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar.
The following articles were published earlier today — Sep 3, 2026.
Here is what’s going on Friday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Expect increasing clouds with a high of 91°F and a heat index up to 100°F. There’s a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 PM, with winds from the northwest at 5 to 9 mph, potentially gusting up to 18 mph. Friday night, a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms persists until 11 PM, followed by a chance of showers until 2 AM, with mostly cloudy skies and a low of 72°F. Winds will be from the northwest at around 5 mph. See more from Weather.gov.
The MonumentCam screenshot above is used with permission of the Trust for the National Mall and courtesy of EarthCam.
Thanks for reading! Feel free to discuss the day’s happenings in the comments.
A person died this afternoon (Thursday) after getting trapped under a tour bus outside Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
The Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department responded at 5 p.m. to the Filene Center at 1551 Trap Road for a report of an individual getting trapped under a commercial bus, according to scanner traffic.
NOVA Parks and Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Railroad Regional Park supporters are teaming up with local law enforcement to encourage the safe use of e-bikes and other electric mobility devices.
After kicking off in Loudoun County on Aug. 1, the educational initiative will continue this month with free events along the 45-mile-long W&OD Trail hosted by the Fairfax County, Herndon and Vienna police departments.
Fairfax County has ambitious plans to renovate the Centreville Regional Library and combine it with a new affordable housing development.
But before that project can move forward through a public-private partnership, the county needs to transfer ownership of the property itself: from the Board of Supervisors to the county’s Redevelopment and Housing Authority (FCRHA).
Another office-to-residential redevelopment is coming to Fairfax County.
At its meeting last week (Aug. 25), the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a rezoning for Arlington-based Felice Development Group to replace an office building near the Innovation Center Metro station with 98 townhouses.
