Around Town

The Mosaic District will celebrate an unusually long cherry blossom season this weekend with the return of its annual Art Blooms festival.

Organized in partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the two-day event will bring artisan and farmers’ markets, live entertainment and family-friendly activities to the Merrifield neighborhood from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (April 6-7).


Around Town

An arts-inspired Earth Day celebration is coming to Reston Town Center.

Organized by the Reston Town Center Association and Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art, the inaugural event on April 20 will feature a variety of activities, including a special art installation at the Mercury Fountain Plaza by Arkansas-based artist Danielle Hatch.


Countywide

Paving and re-striping season has descended upon Fairfax County once again, ushering in a series of public meetings later this month on proposed projects that include bicycle lanes and improved crosswalks.

Hundreds of miles of roadway will be repaved and re-striped by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) as part of the program throughout the state.


News

(Updated at 4/3/24) A Fairfax County judge has ruled there’s enough evidence to proceed with charges against a Reston au pair linked to a fatal shooting over a year ago.

Circuit Court Judge Michael Lindner found probable cause yesterday (Monday) to charge Juliana Peres Magalhaes, 23, in the Feb. 24, 2023, deadly shooting of Joseph Ryan, 39, at her employer’s Herndon-area home in the 13200 block of Stable Brook Way.


Event

The Reston Museum invites the community to discover a fascinating chapter of local history through an upcoming program exploring the A. Smith Bowman Distillery and the Bowman family's history and connections to the Reston area. Before Reston was envisioned as a planned community, Sunset Hills Farm was home to Virginia's only legal post-prohibition whiskey distillery. Through historical accounts, photographs and other archival materials attendees will have an opportunity to gain a greater appreciation for the people and stories that preceded modern-day Reston.


Countywide

Fairfax County is gearing up for the return of its 10 farmers’ markets this spring, with some locations set to return later this month and others in May.

The 2024 season starts on April 17 with the McCutcheon/Mount Vernon Farmers Market outside the Sherwood Regional Library (2501 Sherwood Hall Lane), the Fairfax County Park Authority announced last week.


Around Town

Compass Coffee has opened in West Falls Church.

The regional coffee shop chain began now serving customers yesterday (Monday) at its newest location in the Shops at West Falls Church (7393 Lee Highway/Route 29). Visitors on that first day included Falls Church City Mayor Letti Hardy and Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.


Countywide

Vehicle Crashes into Centreville Apartment — “#FCFRD are on the scene of a vehicle into a building in the 13000 Blk of Orchard Dr. Firefighters arrived with one vehicle into a garden-style apartment building. FCFRD TROT is working to stabilize the building. The building investigator is on scene. No reported injuries.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter]

Art Studio Eyes Reston Location — “An unusual new paint-and-sip style art studio is working on its first location in the state and it will be right here in Northern Virginia. It’s called Hawaii Fluid Art and they have announced the signing of a franchisee to bring a location to Reston. The actual location hasn’t been revealed” and may not have been identified yet. [The Burn]


News

Reston residents will soon get a chance to share their thoughts on a proposed name change for the Shadowood Recreation Area.

Reston Association plans to host a town hall meeting in early May after its Board of Directors voted last week to defer the initial date of April 15.