Around Town

Thanks to a public-private partnership, a new fixture for kids will be unveiled at Merrifield’s Mosaic District later this month.

The Strawberry Park Playground will offer “an array of play features” for the shopping center’s youngest patrons when it officially opens at 5 p.m. on Sept. 26, the Fairfax County Park Authority and property owner and operator EDENS announced today (Thursday).


Around Town

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).


News

Portions of the Franconia Rec Center will close later this month through mid-September so that the Fairfax County Park Authority can upgrade air-quality systems in the facility.

The work will include two full-building closures, slated for Wednesdays, Aug. 20 and Sept. 3. Backup days are scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 21 and Sept. 4.


Around Town

Carnival rides, farm animals, live entertainment and more will mingle at Frying Pan Farm Park this week for the 75th annual Fairfax County Carnival and Fair.

Organized by Fairfax County 4-H and the Fairfax County Park Authority, the festivities at 2709 West Ox Road in the Herndon area will kick off this Thursday (July 31), with the carnival rides and games operating from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.


Countywide

The Fairfax County Park Authority has created a new “self-guided adventure” for those looking to take an expedition through nature not far from home.

The park authority’s 2025 Discovery Trail Map celebrates 75 years of parks and recreation with a challenge to visit eight park locations before Labor Day.


Countywide

Fairfax County supervisors were all singing from the same songbook yesterday (Tuesday), unanimously declaring the county to be the “Music Capital of Virginia.”

Others across the commonwealth might disagree, but Fairfax leaders said the sheer breadth of musical performances throughout the year, but particularly in summer, made the county deserving of the title.


News

As Northern Virginia continues to grapple with the limited supply and high cost of housing, a pair of 18th and 19th-century taverns that were later converted into homes could present an unique opportunity for some preservation-minded residents.

The Fairfax County Park Authority is currently looking for resident curators for the rehabilitation and long-term maintenance of the Dranesville Tavern and Fairfax Arms.


Around Town

Parking passes are now available for the annual Independence Day fireworks at Lake Fairfax Park (1400 Lake Fairfax Drive) in Reston.

This Saturday (June 28) will bring a full day of festivities to the park, capped off with an early Fourth of July fireworks show in the evening.


News

More than 2,000 properties in Fairfax County, most of them in McLean, are currently without power, as the D.C. region suffers through a potentially prolonged heat wave.

According to its outage map, Dominion Energy has 2,132 customers in Fairfax County without power, as of 3:25 p.m. The largest outages appear to be centered around downtown McLean, where crews are assessing the damage to the affected electrical infrastructure.


Countywide

Thousands of people in Fairfax County are still without electricity after a quick but powerful storm swept through the D.C. area yesterday (Thursday).

While some major outages were addressed last night, Dominion Energy still has 163 projects affecting 10,356 customers in Fairfax County to address, as of 10:40 a.m., according to its outage map.


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