It has been one year since The Perch opened, providing a slice of publicly accessible, recreational space on Capital One’s growing Tysons campus.

To celebrate the first anniversary of its elevated park, Capital One Center announced yesterday (Thursday) that its now-biannual Perchfest will return on Sept. 16-18 — almost one year to the date after the grand opening in 2021.

The three-day festival will feature live music from local artists, mini golf and bocce tournaments, pie-eating contests, community vendors with “specialty treats,” and adoptable puppies from the nonprofit Wolf Trap Animal Rescue.

While the event is free to attend, Capital One Center recommends registering in advance to get alerts and enter into a raffle. Participants are also encouraged to donate to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Washington, D.C., which assists families with sick children and is the fest’s official charity partner.

“We are delighted to celebrate this milestone with our community and Capital One associates,” Capital One Center Manager of Marketing and Community Affairs Meghan Trossen said in a press release. “The openings of The Perch and Perch Putt attracted close to 20,000 guests…and we look forward to hosting another memorable festival and raising awareness and funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities.”

Located 11 stories in the air on top of Capital One Hall, the performing arts venue, The Perch initially opened in August 2021 with a dog park, lawn games, an amphitheater and Starr Hill Biergarten. The park’s second phase was completed this spring, introducing a mini golf course and food trucks.

So far, Perchfest has been tied to key milestones in the park’s development, but Trossen previously told FFXnow that Capital One Center hopes to make it a staple event of every spring and fall.

The music schedule for this fall’s Perchfest is below:

Friday, Sept. 16

• 4-6:30 p.m. — Sidemen Band
• 7-10 p.m. — Advanced Party Solutions

Saturday, Sept. 17

• Noon-2 p.m. — The Dad Guys
• 2:30-4:30 p.m. — Nowhere Men
• 5-7:30 p.m. — 8 Track Jones
• 8 p.m.-10:30am Lil’ Maceo with DJ/MC Captain 2nutz

Sunday, Sept. 18

• Noon-2 p.m. — The Wilson Springs Hotel
• 2:30-4:30 p.m. — Pebble to Pearl Band

By this time next year, Anastasia, Aretha Franklin and Gloria Estefan will all have graced the stage at Capital One Hall (7750 Capital One Tower Road).

As its inaugural season draws to a close, the Tysons performing arts venue is starting to fill in the schedule for year two. Among the highlights will be the return of its musical theater-focused “Broadway in Tysons” series, which kicked off last October.

Announced earlier this month, the series’ second iteration will have five visiting shows instead of three, beginning on Nov. 25 with the 2019 Tony Award-winning adaptation of “Tootsie”:

• Tootsie (Nov. 25-27)
• Hairspray (Jan. 20-22, 2023)
• Anastasia (Feb. 3-5, 2023)
• R.E.S.P.E.C.T. (March 22, 2023)
• On Your Feet! (April 21-23, 2023)

While individual tickets aren’t available yet, Capital One Hall started selling season subscriptions at 10 a.m. today (Monday). Perks include discounts on single tickets, priority access, and the ability to reserve the same seat throughout the season, though the one-night-only, Aretha Franklin-centered “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” has to be added on.

Capital One Hall first opened to the public with a Josh Groban concert on Oct. 1, 2021. Upcoming shows include a 1980s throwback with Men at Work on Wednesday (Aug. 18), “Wheel of Fortune Live!,” the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra, and more.

The hall ceased requiring masks and proof of a COVID-19 vaccination for patrons on March 18, but masks are still encouraged, according to the website.

Police Uses of Force Prompt Town Hall — Franconia District Supervisor Rodney Lusk’s office will host a virtual town hall on July 21 to discuss recent use-of-force incidents by Fairfax County police officers. Lusk, who chairs the Board of Supervisors’ public safety committee, said he shares community concerns “about both the nature of these incidents, as well as the frequency at which they are occurring.” [Rodney Lusk/Twitter]

Possible Reston Arts Center Delayed — Reston Town Center developer Boston Properties got approval to extend the deadline for when Fairfax County has to decide whether to build a new performing arts center by six months. A proffer agreement for the next phase of the center’s development allows the county to require an arts center or a park on the site along Sunset Hills Road. [Patch]

Local Students Take in New Images of Deep Space — “On Monday, the world got a look at the first image from the most powerful telescope ever launched into space, the James Webb Space Telescope…More images were released on Tuesday, and in Fairfax County, students taking part in summer learning programs got their first look with a NASA Solar System Ambassador in Burke, Virginia.” [WTOP]

Prepare for New Running Bamboo Regulations — “The effective date for a new ordinance designed to control the spread of ‘running bamboo’ is still nearly six months away, but Fairfax County’s Department of Code Compliance is already working to get property owners prepared.” [Patch]

Vienna Delivery Company Leases Warehouse — “Vienna-based LaserShip signed a lease for a full 105K SF warehouse building in Chantilly, Virginia, the company announced Tuesday. The property it leased, the Stonecroft Industrial Center, is located at 14850 Thompson Road…The lease represents an expansion of LaserShip’s Northern Virginia footprint, where it already operates in Chantilly.” [Bisnow]

Herndon Police Remind Drivers to Stop — “THIRTY citations were issued over the past two weeks for drivers failing to come to a complete stop. Stop. At red lights. At stop signs. Not only is this the law, but it keeps our town safer!” [Herndon Police/Twitter]

Mini Golf Enlivens Capital One’s Tysons Campus — “Eleven stories up, on a rooftop at the corporate campus of one of America’s biggest banks, grown adults are playing miniature golf…They’re at Perch Putt, an 18-hole mini-golf course complete with bright green Astroturf and undulating greens. It’s one of the more playful, if unexpected, amenities of the corporate landscape.” [Fast Company]

Vienna Community Group Auctions Custom Yard Signs — “Rustic Love and Vienna Arts Society, two nonprofits based in Vienna, have teamed up for an auction that launched Sunday. The auction features 20 heart signs built by Rustic Love volunteers and painted by Vienna Arts Society artists.” [Patch]

It’s Wednesday — Humid and partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 86 and low of 74. Sunrise at 5:56 am and sunset at 8:36 pm. [Weather.gov]

Jamaican cuisine, street tacos, and a tiki bar are coming to Capital One Center — alongside a mini golf course set to open next week.

The three food trucks that got airlifted to The Perch skypark in November will be occupied by Grandpa Hank’s Jamaican Kitchen, Los Dos Carlos Street Tacos, and Rhum Roost, Capital One Center revealed today (Friday).

The eateries are each housed in different 1950s-era vehicles, per the news release:

Grandpa Hank’s Jamaican Kitchen offers soulful Jamaican cuisine from a vintage British double decker bus, while Los Dos Carlos serves upscale street tacos from a sleek converted Greyhound bus. Rhum Roost, Northern Virginia’s only tiki bar, is colorful and spirited, offering an upscale menu that invites guests to indulge in an inventive cocktail or frozen drink, all being served through the window of a wrapped boxman bus.

The announcement comes ahead of this weekend’s Perchfest celebration, billed as a music festival that will also serve as a preview of the food trucks and the 18-hole Perch Putt mini golf course.

Tickets for Perchfest are free but limited in availability. The festivities will take place from noon to 11 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday) and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday (May 22).

Perch Putt will officially open to all next Thursday (May 26).

“We’re over the moon to bring the Perch Putt experience to Tysons East,” Perch Putt Manager Chris Deatherage said in a statement. “Perch Putt is the perfect addition to The Perch’s existing entertainment options because it provides a fun & lighthearted environment for families, friends or colleagues to connect and spend time together. We hope that we can be your go-to spot to make new and exciting memories.”

The mini golf and food truck complex constitutes the second phase of The Perch, which opened in August with Starr Hill Biergarten, lawn games, an amphitheater, and a dog park.

Reminder: FFXnow Wants Your Input — FFXnow is conducting a survey to learn more about our readers and help shape future coverage. What kinds of stories interest you? Have strong feelings about the Tysons Reporter and Reston Now merger, or the length of our stories? Let us know before the survey closes after Sunday, May 15.

Former Falls Church Bicycle Shop Owner’s Mythology Unravels — “We’re not just talking about one man’s fabrications, but the ripples from those fabrications: a team of riders that allege abuse at [Nick] Clark’s hands, a series of embellished life events stretching back to the 1990s, ties with the political and military elite, alleged misrepresentations across multiple industries, and possible stolen military valour.” [Cycling Tips]

Police Thanked for Catching Victoria’s Secret Thieves — “The Fairfax County Police Department’s Tysons Urban Team (TUT) was recognized by executives from Victoria’s Secret on Friday for breaking up a retail theft ring. The thieves are believed to be responsible for the loss of more than $250,000 of merchandise from stores throughout the southern U.S.” [FCPD/Facebook]

Woman Who Sold Mantua Home With Squatter Speaks — “After days of speculation about the identity of the person living in the basement of a viral Zillow listing, the woman has come forward to tell her side of the unusual story. Last week, her Fairfax, Va., home…sold for more than $800,000 with the condition that it came with a person living in the basement who did not have a lease.” [WUSA9]

FCPD Seeks Person Behind Clifton Starbucks Vandalism — “Officers responded to the Starbucks at 5748 Union Mill Road in Clifton for a burglary report on April 27, when someone broke the front window and stole a Progress Pride flag from inside and left. The following morning, officers responded to the same Starbucks for a similar incident.” [ABC7]

Metro Shares Plan to Electrify Bus Fleet — “Metro expects to purchase 12 electric buses and associated charging equipment this year as part of the Battery-Electric Bus Test and Evaluation Program. The buses will begin arriving late this year and go into service in 2023 out of the Shepherd Parkway Bus Division.” [WMATA]

Man Convicted of Killing Fairfax Couple Denied Parole — “The Maryland Parole Commission denied parole to Sifrit, in his first parole hearing, since being sentenced to 38 years in prison, after he and his then-wife Erika killed and dismembered Martha Crutchley and Joshua Ford, of Fairfax City, over Memorial Day weekend almost 20 years ago.” [WTOP]

Capital One Center Named “Best New Development” — The Washington Business Journal has given its “Best New Development” award to Capital One Center, which is bringing 1.47 million square feet of construction to the financial company’s Tysons headquarters. The Reston Gateway office high-rises in Boston Properties’ Reston Town Center expansion was named a finalist. [WBJ]

It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 76 and low of 60. Sunrise at 6:11 am and sunset at 8:03 pm. [Weather.gov]

Perch Putt is on its way.

The public will get its first look at the 18-hole mini golf course and food trucks being set up at Capital One Center’s The Perch skypark (1805 Capital One Drive) in Tysons on May 21 and 22 as part of a weekend-long “Perchfest Spring Edition” celebration.

“Capital One Center is delighted to celebrate the next phase of The Perch, which has become an unparalleled rooftop experience and dynamic gathering place for our community and Capital One associates,” Capital One Center Marketing and Community Affairs Manager Meghan Trossen said in a statement.

Similar to last fall’s grand opening party for The Perch, this iteration of Perchfest will feature live music, lawn games, community vendors, and a new “Perchfest Session IPA” from Starr Hill Biergarten, according to a media release.

The festival will also once again benefit the nonprofit Best Buddies of Northern Virginia and D.C. Community members are encouraged to donate to the organization, which provides support services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Perchfest will take place from noon to 11 p.m. on May 21 and noon to 5 p.m. on May 22. It will include a “Kids Party” from noon to 3 p.m. on May 21 that will have face painting and a “puppy party” hosted by the Merrifield-based nonprofit Wolf Trap Animal Rescue.

The music lineup features six artists:

Saturday, May 21st

• Noon — Pebble to Pearl
• 2:30 p.m. — Nowhere Men
• 5 p.m. — Bobby Ryan Band
• 8 p.m. — KleptoRadio

Sunday, May 22

• Noon — Run for Cover
• 3 p.m. — Starting Early

Admission to all events will be free, but advance registration is required, due to limited space in the 2.5-acre park.

In addition, The Watermark Hotel, which opened adjacent to The Perch in September, is offering VIP packages for its guests that include a suite overlooking the park, welcome amenities from Starr Hill Biergarten and the restaurant Wren, and a future gift card for the food trucks.

Capital One Center hopes to make Perchfest a regular occurrence, stating that 10,000 people attended the inaugural edition in September 2021.

“Our intention with Perchfest is to create a signature spring and fall event our guests look forward to every year,” Trossen said. “We will build upon the success of our fall opening with a springtime festival full of surprises and unique experiences — and we are so proud to team up with Best Buddies and elevate their mission to support inclusive hiring and job training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”

The second phase of The Perch in Tysons remains on track for completion later this spring, Capital One Center says.

The 2.5-acre skypark opened on top of the new Capital One Hall performing arts center (1805 Capital One Center Drive) in August. It currently features Starr Hill Biergarten as well as a dog park, bocce ball pits and an outdoor amphitheater.

Phase two will add “Perch Putt,” an 18-hole miniature golf course, and an adjacent food truck area, whose denizens were spotted being lifted 11 stories into the air on Nov. 16.

Details about those amenities remain scarce, but a permit request submitted to Fairfax County in January indicates that, in addition to the three vehicles that got airlifted up in November, the food truck area will include a one-story shipping container outfitted for bar service.

A Capital One Center spokesperson confirmed that the container will serve as a bar, but said the development is not ready to share more details.

Capital One Center officially announced on Wednesday (March 23) that it has signed three new restaurant tenants:

• Stellina Pizzeria, which will take over the former Starbucks space in Capital One’s headquarters building. When it announced the lease in February, the restaurant said it hoped to open this fall, but Capital One Center now says it will arrive in 2023.
• A Tex-Mex restaurant with a “strong coastal influence and a large al fresco bar.” The concept comes from the team behind The Salt Line, a seafood eatery in Ballston, as reported earlier this month by the Washingtonian.
• An unspecified “new concept” from chef Pepe Moncayo, who runs a Japanese and Spanish fusion restaurant and lounge in D.C. called Cranes. The signing was first reported by the Washington Business Journal.

According to the press release, Moncayo’s restaurant will be located in the mixed-use retail and office tower still under construction across from the Capital One headquarters.

Capital One Center says in the release that it plans to deliver the “Block A” tower this year — earlier than the 2023 timeline previously anticipated.

“The latest additions at Capital One Center will enhance our growing collection of retail with acclaimed local restaurateurs and unique entertainment options for both our Capital One associates and our DMV community,” Capital One Center Managing Director Jonathan Griffith said.

Sisters Thai is also expected to open a new restaurant — its largest yet — at 7730 Capital One Tower Road later this year.

When fully built out, Capital One Center will cover 25 acres in Tysons East with 6 million square feet of development. It currently consists of the Capital One headquarters, Capital One Hall, Wegmans, The Watermark Hotel, and the nail salon Nothing in Between Studio.

Statewide Tornado Drill Today — As part of its annual Severe Weather Awareness Week, Virginia will hold a statewide tornado drill at 9:45 a.m. today (Tuesday). The signal will be broadcast on NOAA Weather Radio and the Emergency Alert System, but there won’t be an actual tornado warning, which would mean that a twister is imminent or already underway. [Herndon Police/Twitter]

“Coastal” Tex-Mex Restaurant Planned for Tysons — “Long Shot Hospitality, which operates seafood-centric Salt Line and New Orleans hotspot Dauphine’s, is gearing up for a new project. Chef Kyle Bailey and partners will open an 11,000-square-foot Tex-Mex restaurant at the new Capital One Center in Tysons, Virginia, next year.” [Washingtonian]

Reston Company Carries Russian Propaganda — Reston Translator carries the FM radio signal in the D.C. area for the Capitol Heights station WZHF, one of just five U.S. stations that broadcasts Kremlin-approved “Radio Sputnik” programming. Despite Cold War-era tensions in the air, the owner of the South Reston-based company says he’s “a fervent believer in the First Amendment.” [The Washington Post]

Burke Brewery Toasts “Bunny Man” Legend — “The Fairfax folklore of the Bunny Man has brought scary stories to generations in Northern Virginia. Now, you can hear this wild tale over a pint of Bunnyman beer from a brewery celebrating this creepy story. Bunnyman Brewing, on Guinea Road in Fairfax, is just a few miles from a bridge at the center of an urban legend about a hatchet-wielding man in a bunny costume.” [NBC4]

Driver Evades Drinking-and-Driving Charge in Vienna — Vienna Police attempted to issue a summons to a driver who committed a traffic violation in the 2100 block of Chain Bridge Road at 1:53 a.m. on Feb. 25. The driver failed sobriety tests, but police learned that he had full diplomatic immunity. [Sun Gazette/Inside NoVA]

County Park Welcomes Baby Sheep — “It’s a sure sign of spring: baby animals at Frying Pan Farm Park! Fluffette delivered triplet rams (boys) on February 28. Lane delivered twins (one boy/one girl) on March 1. The sheep are all in Kidwell Barn and will go outside near the barn on nice days.” [Fairfax County Park Authority/Twitter]

Social Worker at Springfield School Awarded — “Claudia McDowell, a school social worker at Lynbrook Elementary School, has been named the 2022 National School Worker of the Year by the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA) for her commitment to the profession and for positively impacting the lives of the students, families, and staff of the communities she serves.” [FCPS]

It’s Tuesday — Today is mostly sunny, with a high near 53. Northwest wind 7 to 11 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. The low will be around 37. The sun rose at 6:29 a.m. and will set at 6:09 p.m. [Weather.gov]

A popular D.C. area pizzeria plans to open a new location in Tysons this fall.

Stellina Pizzeria will take over a 4,100-square-foot space on the ground floor of Capital One’s headquarters at 1610 Capital One Drive, the business announced today (Thursday).

According to a press release, this will be the pizzeria’s fourth location since its original 2019 opening in D.C.’s Union Market. It expanded to Arlington in February 2021 and will add another D.C. venue, this time in Mount Vernon Triangle, this spring.

Co-owned by restaurateur Antonio Matarazzo and chef Matteo Venini, Stellina will offer neo-Neapolitan pizza, sandwiches, handmade pasta, salads, and street food from Italy’s southern coast, where Matarazzo was raised.

In addition to the main dining room, the Tysons location will feature a bar, an Italian cafe with coffee and pastries, an open-air patio and a commissary kitchen stocked with pasta, sauces, pizza dough and toppings, and other pantry and frozen goods.

The kitchen was inspired by the success of monthly subscription packages and a vending machine that Stellina introduced to serve customers during the pandemic.

“We anticipate 2022 to be a year of growth for Stellina,” Matarazzo said in the news release. “The Capital One Center is a natural fit for our second Virginia location, with its close proximity to shoppers, office workers and local neighbors, and we’re excited to be joining so many other homegrown DMV restaurants in the space.”

Stellina will move into the space that was occupied by Starbucks until the coffee shop closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, first temporarily and then permanently.

With no definitive date yet for Capital One workers to return to the office, retail options have been slow to emerge in the mixed-use development on the financial corporation’s headquarters campus, now known as Capital One Center.

The past year, however, has seen some progress on that front, with the addition of Starr Hill Biergarten in The Perch, the nail salon Nothing in Between Studio, and the Japanese restaurant Wren in The Watermark Hotel.

Capital One Center also installed food trucks in The Perch, though the tenants have not been announced, and the restaurant Sisters Thai is expected to open later this year.