Join the National Concert Band of America on Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m. for Built to Last — a powerful afternoon concert celebrating 250 years of the American experience through music.
From patriotic marches to stirring contemporary works, Built to Last takes audiences on a musical journey through the triumphs, challenges, traditions, and evolving identity that have shaped our nation. The program also highlights music by composers from around the world, reflecting the many voices and cultures woven into the American story.
Attendees can expect an inspiring and accessible program filled with sweeping melodies, energetic rhythms, cinematic soundscapes, and moments of reflection. This family-friendly concert is designed to resonate with audiences of all ages while celebrating the resilience, innovation, and spirit that continue to define America.
Selected to perform at the 2026 Association of Concert Bands national convention, NCBA is recognized as one of Northern Virginia’s premier wind ensembles, known for performances that honor tradition while embracing new voices and perspectives.
Event Details:
• Sunday, May 17 at 3 p.m.
• West Springfield High School
• Free admission
• Family-friendly community event
Celebrate America’s story through the power of live music. Free admission — reserve your tickets today.
The Town of Herndon's logo on a trash bin (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
The Town of Herndon is planning to maintain its current tax rates in the new fiscal year, but residents should still brace for increases in their property tax, water and trash bills.
Town Manager Dan Hoffman officially submitted a proposed fiscal year 2027 budget to the Herndon Town Council yesterday (Wednesday) that holds local real estate, lodging and meals taxes at their existing rates of 27 cents per $100 of assessed value, 6% and 4.5%, respectively.
The vacant Bed Bath and Beyond building at 2051 Chain Bridge Road in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
A grocery chain appears to be working on a new store in Tysons, but unfortunately for residents of the Park Crest neighborhood, it won’t be filling the void left by Harris Teeter last year.
For the past couple of months, Fairfax County staffers have been reviewing renovation plans that would transform a portion of the former Bed Bath and Beyond building at 2051 Chain Bridge Road into an Aldi.
Fil-Am Spring Fest 2026 is a free Filipino-American cultural festival hosted by Fil-Am FEST Inc. on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, Virginia.
The festival celebrates Filipino culture, heritage, food, music, dance, small businesses, and community connection. Guests can enjoy cultural performances, Filipino food vendors, family-friendly activities, artisan and retail vendors, community partner booths, and nonprofit initiatives.
A Fairfax County shopping mall (courtesy Fairfax County)
A new Fairfax County government pilot program aims to make life easier for small business owners seeking to make minor alterations before they open their stores.
The Tenant Support Services (TSS) initiative is designed to move applicants through the permit approval process more efficiently by providing “early guidance, clear expectations and coordinated review support,” county officials said in announcing the effort.
Blooming trees at Fort Hunt Park (staff photo by James Cullum)
Gov. Signs Affordability Legislation — “After more than 1,200 bills passed in the Virginia General Assembly, Gov. Abigail Spanberger has signed the first set of bills tackling several areas of affordability … The signed bills address housing, health care and energy.” [ALXnow]
Vienna Power Outage Caused by Fire — More than 1,000 homes and business in the Town of Vienna lost power yesterday (Wednesday) morning due to a fire at an electrical substation near Town Hall. Dominion Energy restored power to most customers before 11 a.m., addressing the remaining locations by mid-afternoon. [Town of Vienna/Facebook]
Virginia Delays SNAP Restriction — “Initially, recipients were expected to lose the ability to purchase ‘sweetened beverages’ with SNAP funds starting in April 2026, per a Dec. 10, 2025 announcement. The change had been scheduled to take effect on Wednesday, April 1.” The Virginia Department of Social Services, however, says the ban has now been delayed until October. [WAVY]
Video of Alleged Nude Burglar Released — “Detectives from our Criminal Investigations Division have released new surveillance video of the suspect connected to the London Towne burglary investigation following an attempted burglary early [yesterday] morning.” Filmed by security cameras, the man appears to have tried to break into a home in the 14800 block of Palmerston Square in Centreville shortly after 5 a.m. [FCPD]
Police Officer Charged With Public Drinking — “An off-duty Fairfax County Police Department officer was arrested on a charge of Drunk in Public in Fair Oaks. On March 31 at approximately 6:23 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 11000 block of Route 50 in Fair Oaks for the report of an intoxicated man refusing to leave the area and acting disorderly.” The 31-year-old officer is now on administrative leave. [FCPD]
Gas Prices Strain Food Nonprofits — “Gas prices have jumped about a dollar per gallon in the past month across the D.C. region, and it’s unclear how much more prices could still climb. That makes it harder to plan, harder to attract volunteers and get donations and, ultimately, harder to get food to the people who need it most.” [NBC4]
Data Centers Risk Potomac Water Supply — “The Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, abbreviated ICPRB, describes some of the ways in which data center growth, which is primarily located in Virginia’s Loudoun and Prince William counties, can affect whether there is enough drinking water to serve Fairfax Water, WSSC Water and the Washington Aqueduct.” [WTOP]
Historic Villa Added to Underground Railroad Network — Historic Huntley in Groveton is now part of the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, which was created by Congress in 1998 to recognize the network of sites, individuals and organizations that helped enslaved people escape. “Sully Historic Site and Riverbend Park preceded Historic Huntley as Fairfax County Park Authority sites to attain the designation.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
It’s Thursday — There’s a 30% a chance of showers and thunderstorms primarily after 3 PM, with patchy fog clearing before 11 AM. The day will be partly sunny, reaching a high of about 76°F. Night will be mostly cloudy with a low around 54°F. [NWS]
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Expect patchy fog before 11am, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 63°F. There’s a slight chance of showers between 3pm and 5pm, increasing to showers and thunderstorms after 5pm. Winds from the east at 5 to 8 mph, and a 30% chance of precipitation. Thursday night will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, a low of around 51°F, and east winds at 7 to 10 mph, with gusts up to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation remains at 30%. See more from Weather.gov.
Angelique Palmer has been appointed the Fairfax County poet laureate for 2024-2027 (courtesy ArtsFairfax)
As the calendar flips to April, organizers around Fairfax County are prepared to celebrate National Poetry Month.
With the support of ArtsFairfax, Fairfax County Poet Laureate Angelique Palmer is launching a “Poetry &” initiative that will bring a handful of events to the county throughout the month, with some starting as soon as next week.
Del. Rip Sullivan makes a point at McLean Citizens Association legislative forum (staff photo by Scott McCaffrey)
Time is running out for McLean residents to make their voices heard about the controversial Tysons casino proposal, state legislators said Tuesday night.
“This is my call to action: Now is the time, do not wait,” Del. Rip Sullivan (D-6) said yesterday (Tuesday) at a General Assembly roundup session sponsored by the McLean Citizens Association (MCA).