Fair Oaks

Around Town

Fair Oaks Mall to host grand opening celebration for new play space

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Children play in the new Fair Oaks Mall play space (courtesy Meghann Butler/Olshan Properties)

On Halloween, Fair Oaks Mall is offering a treat for families: a grand opening celebration for its brand-new play space for young children, followed by the shopping center’s annual “Mall-O-Ween” festivities.

The grand opening celebration, which will include a costume contest, prizes, and a DJ playing family-friendly tunes, will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday (Oct. 31) at the nature-themed play space, near JCPenney. Shortly after the celebration, “Mall-O-Ween” will kick off, bringing a full evening of trick-or-treating from 5 to 8 p.m. at participating stores.

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Falls Church man pleads guilty to shooting e-bike rider in Fair Oaks area

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Front view of Fairfax County Courthouse: a brick building with three tall arched windows and a glass-centered entrance.
The Fairfax County Courthouse (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

A Falls Church man could spend decades in prison following his conviction in connection to the non-fatal road rage shooting of an e-bike rider near West Ox Road in the Fair Oaks area earlier this year.

Milad Attai, 26, agreed to plead guilty yesterday (Monday) to malicious wounding and use of a firearm in commission of a felony, the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney announced.

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Around Town

Toys R Us makes comeback with two Fairfax stores as part of national expansion

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Entrance to a toy and game shop in a shopping mall, with shelves of plush toys visible inside and a red sign announcing calendars, games, toys, books.
The Go! Calendars, Games and Toys at Fair Oaks Mall will convert to a Toys R Us soon (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Nostalgic retail brand Toys R Us is expanding its presence in Fairfax County by opening two new standalone stores, one in Fair Oaks Mall and the other in Springfield Town Center.

The Fair Oaks Mall location (11750 Route 50, #J226) will open at an unspecified date soon, while the Springfield store (6677 Springfield Mall, Space 22049) opened Sept. 23.

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County board takes steps to boost redevelopment in Fairfax Center corridor

By Scott McCaffrey
Map of planned development zones with colored polygons (green, blue, orange, pink) and dashed borders, showing surrounding roads I-66 and Route 29; labels indicate different study areas and planning commissions.
Timeline of Fairfax Center area actions (screenshot via Fairfax County)

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Oct. 13) approved comprehensive plan amendments that could lead to the redevelopment of key parcels near the intersection of I-66 and Route 50.

“These plans have all really come as a result of I-66. It increases the development potential,” said Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, whose district contains one of the three parcels.

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News

Man charged with burglarizing multiple medical offices in Fairfax County

By Angela Woolsey
Security camera footage showing a person in a burgundy hat and dark clothing walking down a narrow hallway toward a wooden door at the end of the hall.
Man seen on surveillance footage allegedly burglarizing a medical office in the 8200 block of Willow Oaks Corporate Drive in Merrifield on May 19, 2026 (via Fairfax County Police Department/YouTube)

A Woodbridge man has been arrested for allegedly burglarizing at least three different medical offices across Fairfax County in recent months.

The Fairfax County Police Department first began investigating a reported commercial burglary in the 8200 block of Willow Oaks Corporate Drive in Merrifield on May 19, according to a press release.

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Pandemic-inspired ‘Circles of Memory’ memorial unveiled in Fairfax

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Public park with a glossy glass office building in the background and blue perforated cylinder sculptures in the foreground.
The new “Circles of Memory” memorial near the Herrity Building. (staff photo by Mary Stachyra Lopez)

Fairfax County marked the installation of its newest public artwork, conceived several years ago as a way to honor local residents lost to COVID-19, with a ceremony attended by a small crowd of people yesterday (Sept. 23).

“Circles of Memory,” located near the county’s Herrity Building and Public Safety Headquarters in Fairfax, was envisioned as a way to memorialize local people lost in the pandemic; in 2024, according to county zoning records, its purpose was expanded to also provide an area of “respite, reflection and remembrance in support of the mental health well-being” of the public and first responders.

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Around Town

Month-long celebration of the arts returns to Fairfax in October

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Four musicians perform on an outdoor stage in front of a bright yellow mural with flowers and a hummingbird, playing banjo, mandolin, guitar, and upright bass.
A band performs at the inaugural Mason Arts Festival. (Courtesy ArtsFairfax)

For the second year in a row, Fairfax County’s designated nonprofit arts agency is hosting a month-long celebration of the arts — and this time, there will be twice as many opportunities to join in the festivities.

Organized by ArtsFairfax, the “artoberVA” initiative will offer residents a variety of ways to enjoy the visual, performing, literary and culinary arts. More than 60 discounts and events from over 40 artists and organizations in Fairfax city and county are planned throughout October.

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Nonprofit opens Fair Oaks counseling center to serve at-risk youth and their families

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
A modern white office building with glass windows, three stories tall, surrounded by a parking lot and greenery (aerial view).
Youth For Tomorrow's new Fairfax Counseling Center is located at 12011 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Suite 504. (Courtesy YFT)

A faith-based nonprofit focusing on services for at-risk youths and their families has expanded its services in Fairfax County through a new office.

Youth for Tomorrow (YFT), a Prince William County-based organization that provides services for children, adolescents, and adults experiencing emotional, behavioral, or family challenges, opened a counseling center at 12011 Route 50, Suite 504, on July 1.

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New I-66 slugging network launching this fall to help commuters bypass tolls

By Emily Leayman
Modern office building with purple vertical louvers under a clear blue sky, with a crosswalk in the foreground.
The Monument Drive Commuter Parking Garage near I-66 in Fair Oaks (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The community-organized carpooling tradition known as slugging will soon expand to one of Fairfax County’s busiest commuting corridors.

Slugging, a form of carpooling that connects drivers and passengers on a common route, will have a September kickoff in the I-66 corridor. The initiative is being led by the I-66 Slugging Network, a coalition of residential groups and public agencies who want to create a slugging community along the interstate.

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News

Soccer coach accused of scamming families with promise of summer camp in Italy

By Mary Stachyra Lopez
Mugshot of a man with short dark hair and a full beard against a gray background.
Ahmed Mohamed (courtesy Fairfax County Police Department)

A Fairfax soccer coach has been accused of bilking over a dozen victims out of tens of thousands of dollars through promises of a travel soccer summer camp in Italy.

Ahmed Mohamed, 31, of Fairfax, was arrested on June 30 and charged with 13 counts of embezzlement and another 13 of computer fraud, police announced.

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