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The Water Mine in Reston is closing out the summer this Saturday (Sept. 6) with the return of its annual “Dog Daze” event.

The Gold Rush-themed water park, which is located in Lake Fairfax Park at 1400 Lake Fairfax Drive, will become a pooches-only zone from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. after concluding its human operations for the season on Monday (Sept. 1).


Around Town

Fans of bloodshed and Bikini Bottom can both get their fill at the Workhouse Arts Center (9518 Workhouse Way) over the next few months.

The Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton announced last week that its 2025-2026 performing arts season will include four popular plays, all featuring live music.


Around Town

A new mural is taking shape in McLean.

Jeremy Jarvis, an Ohio-based artist whose works have been displayed around the world, has been commissioned by the McLean Community Center to transform an exterior wall of the Old Firehouse Center (1440 Chain Bridge Road) into a celebration of its 50th anniversary.


Around Town

For the first time, one of Northern Virginia’s most popular food festivals is expanding to two days.

The Taste of NoVA, returning for its third year, will be held both October 11 and 12 — Friday and Saturday — from noon to 4 p.m., according to event organizers.


Around Town

The VA250 Mobile Museum, a hands-on museum on wheels, is heading to southeastern Fairfax County for Labor Day weekend.

The museum is an interactive exhibit that highlights Virginia history as part of the country’s 250th anniversary. It will stop by Gunston Hall (10709 Gunston Road) in Lorton from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Sunday, Aug. 31 through Tuesday, Sept. 2, according to Visit Fairfax, a nonprofit organization that promotes Fairfax County as a tourism destination.


Around Town

Reston Art Gallery and Studios will be overtaken by weeds next month — an intrusion that, in this case, will be enthusiastically welcomed.

The gallery at Lake Anne Plaza (11400 Washington Plaza West) announced today (Tuesday) that it will host a new exhibit titled “Weeds & Seeds: Observed Motifs” from local visual artist Jennifer Duncan from Sept. 6-28.


News

Fairfax County voters will have a second chance on Monday (Aug. 18) to hear from the two men vying to succeed the late Gerry Connolly as Virginia’s 11th Congressional District representative.

Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw, the Democratic nominee, and former FBI agent Stewart Whitson, the Republican nominee, will both participate in a candidate forum at 8 p.m. organized by the League of Women Voters of the Fairfax Area, a nonpartisan group that advocates for voting rights and civic participation.


Around Town

The dog days of summer have arrived, and they’re about to get more literal in Reston.

As is tradition, Reston Association (RA) is bringing back its annual Dog Paddle series to close out the 2025 aquatics season, which began on May 10 and will conclude on Sept. 21.


Around Town

Acclaimed musicians representing a range of genres, from rock and country to jazz and classical music, are coming to The Barns at Wolf Trap to celebrate the venue’s 300th anniversary.

The Barns are rebuilt and renovated iterations of a pair of barns at the site, built in the 18th century. The larger German barn was built in 1725 and features a “unique” swing beam design that enabled horses to maneuver in the building’s original hayloft, according to the venue’s website.


News

With Fairfax County Public Schools resuming classes next Monday (Aug. 18), Reston Regional Library will host a book sale to help students and their teachers prepare.

The Friends of Reston Regional Library is kicking off its biannual Kids Back to School Book Sale at 10 a.m. today (Thursday). Volunteers have been working since April to sort, clean and prepare “tens of thousands of books” for the sale, the group says.


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