While regional leaders continue to discuss a path forward for funding transit, Metro is turning to the public for help on deciding a look for its newest trains.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) unveiled three options today (Monday) for the exterior design of its incoming 8000-series rail fleet, which is expected to arrive next year.
It’s a good week to be a foodie in Fairfax.
The regionwide Metropolitan Washington Summer Restaurant Week is now underway, and later this week, Fairfax City Restaurant Week will return with a total of 27 participating restaurants.
The sailing lifestyle starts with a single moment. A breeze filling the sails. A quiet morning on the Bay. A weekend exploring new places with nothing but the horizon ahead.
For generations, the Chesapeake Bay has inspired sailors with its protected waters, charming waterfront towns, and endless opportunities to explore. It’s a place where a short afternoon sail can become a lifelong passion, and where every trip on the water offers a new adventure.
Every fall, the Annapolis Sailboat Show brings that lifestyle within reach.
From October 15–18, downtown Annapolis transforms into a celebration of sailing, bringing together beautiful sailboats, passionate sailors, industry experts, and waterfront experiences in America’s sailing capital.
Walk the docks, step aboard sailboats from around the world, discover new designs, connect with the sailing community, and imagine where the wind could take you next. You don’t have to be an experienced sailor to enjoy the show. You just have to be curious.
The Annapolis Sailboat Show offers a rare opportunity to experience the sailing world all in one place. Explore sleek performance sailboats built for adventure. Step aboard comfortable cruising yachts designed for weekend escapes. Discover spacious catamarans that offer a new way to experience life on the water.
Every boat represents a different possibility.
Maybe it’s learning to sail for the first time. Maybe it’s planning weekend adventures on the Chesapeake. Maybe it’s simply discovering a new passion you never knew you had. Walk the docks, talk with sailing experts, and explore the boats, brands, and resources that can help make sailing part of your story.
The Annapolis Sailboat Show is more than an event. It’s a celebration of the people, places, and experiences that make sailing special.
Beyond the docks, visitors can experience the best of fall in Annapolis. Stroll historic brick-lined streets, enjoy waterfront dining, browse local shops, and take in views of sailboats moving through the harbor.
Throughout the show grounds, connect with sailing organizations, charter companies, outfitters, and marine experts who help make the sailing lifestyle more accessible. It’s a weekend filled with discovery, community, and the unmistakable energy of a city built around the water.
For many people, sailing is a dream they’ve always wanted to explore but didn’t know where to begin. The Annapolis Sailboat Show helps turn curiosity into confidence.
Take part in educational opportunities designed for every level of experience, including the First Sail Workshop for beginners, Cruisers University for in-depth sailing education, and free daily seminars led by experienced sailors and industry experts.
Whether you’re stepping aboard for the first time or building the skills to go farther, these programs provide the knowledge and confidence to enjoy more time on the water.
Sailing is about more than the boat.
It’s the quiet morning sail. The sunset over the harbor. The weekend escape with friends. The feeling of discovering somewhere new. The Annapolis Sailboat Show brings together the boats, people, and possibilities that make the sailing lifestyle so rewarding.
Come step aboard, meet the sailing community, and discover where your next adventure begins.
The local baker behind Dano’s Granola can now, once again, call Reston her personal and professional home.
Relocating from Chantilly, the snack business will officially unveil its new retail shop and production space at 11495 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 105, with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at noon on Sept. 6, owner and founder Dania Abimourched says.
We love fall at Art House 7 and can’t wait for you to explore all our offerings. Painting, drawing, ceramics, and sewing/crocheting are our perennials, along with less traditional mediums. Kawaii Style Drawing and Digital Art are among our new classes for kids. We offer an excellent 6-week program for high schoolers preparing their college portfolios. Want something shorter? We have 3-week classes, including linocut notecards. Love ceramics? We have a dedicated studio that comfortably accommodates wheel and hand-building classes.
Fall 1 Session begins Tue. Sep. 8.
Residents concerned about a proposal for additional single-family homes in one Franconia neighborhood may not have much recourse, they learned at a recent community meeting.
“I don’t have the ability to stop this process,” Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk said at a community forum last Thursday (Aug. 14) attended by about 35 residents.
In a world that moves faster than ever, inner peace is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity.
Join us for the Inner Peace Summit, a transformative gathering where leaders, professionals, educators, public servants, families, students, faith communities, wellness advocates, and spiritual seekers come together to discover practical tools for living with greater clarity, resilience, compassion, and purpose.
Last week was a busy one in the D.C. area for Tous les Jours. A day after soft-launching at Reston Row, the bakery chain began serving its signature French pastries and bread in Tysons.
The Tysons franchise opened Friday (Aug. 15) alongside Dumpling District in the first Virginia site of area restauranteur Zong Chen’s Luna Hall, a food hall that launched in D.C.’s Chinatown in 2023 and can now also be found in Wheaton and Ellicott City in Maryland.
Watch for Returning Students — “As students across Fairfax County head back to school on Monday, August 18, the Fairfax County Police Department (FCPD) encourages families and community members to participate in Walk, Bike & Ride to School Safely Day. Whether students walk, bike, ride the bus, or are dropped off, their safety starts with all of us.” [FCPD]
Va. National Guard to Deploy — “About 60 Virginia National Guard members will be deployed around the state as early as September to support immigration enforcement agents … Immigrant advocacy groups, including Ayuda — which provides legal, social and language access services to low-income immigrants in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. — have condemned Youngkin’s plan.” [VPM News]
Teen Reported Missing Found Dead — An 18-year-old who was last seen driving in the 9500 block of Old Creek Drive around 6 a.m. on Saturday (Aug. 16) “was found deceased in another jurisdiction,” police said yesterday (Sunday). “Our thoughts are with his friends and family. No foul play is suspected.” [FCPD/X]
NOVA Parks Chooses New Leader — “Former Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson has been selected as the next executive director of NOVA Parks, the regional park authority announced Friday.” He will officially assume the role “beginning Oct. 6, succeeding Paul Gilbert, who announced his retirement in April after 20 years leading the organization.” [ALXnow]
Mars to Introduce ‘Natural’ Dyes for Candy — “McLean-based food and pet care company Mars Inc., Greater Washington’s largest private company, will … release natural-dye options for its M&M’s, Skittles, Starburst and Extra Gum Spearmint products” starting in 2026. The company made the announcement on July 24, shortly after leaders met with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, but it hasn’t committed to a timeline for phasing out artificial dyes yet. [Washington Business Journal]
Menswear Store to Open in Falls Church — “Withered Fig, an online menswear retailer, is coming to Falls Church in 2026 … This will be Withered Fig’s first brick-and-mortar location. The new storefront will be located in West Falls at the base of The Oak at West Falls.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
Rec Center Pools Temporarily Close — “Projects at Fairfax County Park Authority Rec Centers will result in temporary closures for pools and spas.” In addition to the Franconia facility’s previously reported closure, the pools at the Oakmont, Audrey Moore, Cub Run, George Washington and Spring Hill rec centers will shut down for varying periods to allow repairs and system maintenance. [FCPA]
McLean Native Develops Resale App — “When McLean, Virginia native Sophia Kianni and her roommate Phoebe Gates (yes, that Gates) asked their classmates at Stanford University if they shopped secondhand, they were shocked to see only two people raise their hands … Kianni and Gates came up with an idea for an app that compares prices on items across many retailers and secondhand shopping sites.” [NBC4]
It’s Monday — Showers are most likely between 2pm and 5pm, with cloudy skies and a high temperature near 79°F. There is a 30% chance of precipitation. For Monday night, expect another chance of showers mainly after 8pm, mostly cloudy conditions, and a low temperature around 68°F. [NWS]
Good Friday 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 — Aug 15, 2025.
Since it’s Friday, we’ve also compiled a list of the most-read articles of the week, below.
Here is what’s going on Saturday throughout the county, from our event calendar.
Here are the events planned for Sunday:
Patchy fog is expected to clear by 9am, giving way to partly sunny skies and a high temperature near 89 degrees. The east wind will range from 3 to 6 mph. As for Saturday night, anticipate mostly clear conditions with a low temperature around 70 degrees and a south wind at approximately 6 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.
We hope you have a great weekend! Feel free to discuss the most-read stories of the week, the upcoming weekend events or anything else of local interest in the comments. 👋
Fairfax County Public Schools is joining its counterparts across Northern Virginia in rejecting the Trump administration’s demands that it rescind policies supporting transgender and gender-nonconforming students.
In a message to FCPS staff and families, Superintendent Michelle Reid says she has sent a response to the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) defending the school system’s policies as consistent with existing state and federal law, requesting that the federal government pause any further action until the issue is “clarified” by the courts.
With schools around Fairfax County starting up next week, this is your reminder to pay extra-special attention on the roads and look out for kids.
Fairfax County Public Schools are back in session starting Monday, Aug. 18, meaning roads around the region will once again feature over 1,600 school buses loading and unloading students.
Reston Children’s Center announces that it is continuing to be a sponsor of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Reston Children’s Center has been part of the CACFP program since 1995.
The same meals will be available at no separate charge to all participants at each CACFP facility without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.
