McLean’s Winterfest Parade is reawakening after an extended hibernation.
The McLean Revitalization Corporation (MRC) announced earlier this month that the once-annual celebration will return on Dec. 8 for the first time since 2018. Coupled with a free movie screening tonight (Friday), the parade’s revival reflects a shift in the nonprofit’s efforts to boost activity in downtown McLean.
October is still a couple of weeks away, but this coming weekend is a popular one for Oktoberfest celebrations in Fairfax County.
Several local breweries will host events, while other festivities will encompass an entire neighborhood. Whether you’re looking for the carnival atmosphere of the original Oktoberfest in Munich, a multi-week affair that kicks off this Saturday (Sept. 21), or a more low-key environment for feasting and socializing, options abound.
Dozens of volunteers will break out the work gloves and garden shears this Saturday (Sept. 14) to eliminate invasive plants around the “LOVE” sign by the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Vienna.
The cleanup will clear the way for a native plant meadow that its organizer, the nonprofit Sustainability Matters, hopes will spawn similar beautification efforts all along the 45-mile-long regional trail.
The annual Taste of Annandale street festival is set for this weekend, bringing food, entertainment and community fun to the area.
The festival kicks off Saturday, Sept. 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space (7200 Columbia Pike).
GAMEmason, a two-day gaming convention, is returning to George Mason University’s Fairfax campus this weekend.
After first popping up in late February, the convention will take over GMU for a second time this year in collaboration with the university’s computer design program, GMU Esports club, The Center for the Arts and Student Involvement.
The Reston Multicultural Festival is set to return this weekend with expanded offerings.
Presented by Reston Community Center, Boston Properties (BXP), and the Reston Town Center Association (RTCA), the annual community event will bring three performance stages this year to Reston Town Center on Saturday (Sept. 21).
The star of Capital One Center’s next Perchfest will be a green ogre who speaks with a distinct Scottish brogue.
The Tysons development has teamed up with “Shrek the Musical” for the latest edition of its biannual festival, which will return to The Perch (1805 Capital One Drive) next Friday and Saturday (Sept. 20 and 21).
Attention aspiring hockey players: the Washington Capitals are bringing a unique opportunity to Reston.
The Fairfax County Park Authority is partnering with the team to provide two free hockey programs at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive) this fall. First, attendees will learn inline skating techniques this Sunday (Sept. 15), and then, on Nov. 3, newcomers can try their hand at the sport.
A now-annual event featuring craft beers and bouquet-making returns to Halley Rise in Reston this weekend.
The second annual “Beer in the Garden” will bring beer from Lost Rhino Brewing Company, barbecue, live music and floral bouquets to the development on Saturday (Sept. 14) from noon to 3 p.m.
Reston’s Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (Tephra ICA) will feature a large-scale video installation in its latest exhibition.
“Three Kings Weep,” an exhibit by Jamaican-born artist Ebony Patterson, will be on view from Sept. 21 through Dec. 14 at Tephra’s Reston Town Center gallery (12001 Market Street, Suite 103).
