Local government offices are closing early today (Friday) to give staff a head start on Christmas weekend.

With Christmas Eve falling on Sunday (Dec. 24) this year, Fairfax County, Fairfax City and the towns of Vienna and Herndon are all instead observing the occasion with a half-day today. All local government offices will shut down at noon, though schedules vary for some other public facilities and services.

Government offices will close all day on Monday (Dec. 25) for Christmas. The county courts, which are closing at noon today, will pause operations through Tuesday, Dec. 26, as will Fairfax County Public Schools, whose students have been on winter break since Dec. 18.

Here are other notable closures and schedule changes coming for the holidays:

Trash and recycling

Fairfax County won’t provide trash and recycling collection services on Christmas Day, bumping all customers back by a day throughout the week. The I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex’s recycling and disposal centers will be closed Sunday and Monday.

The Town of Vienna and Fairfax City will both collect waste and recycling for both Monday and Tuesday customers on Dec. 26. Vienna won’t pick up brush and yard waste that day.

The Town of Herndon will make trash pick-ups as usual, but Monday recycling will be collected on Tuesday instead.

Transportation

Metro is running modified service on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with trains and buses following Sunday schedules. Rail stations will be open from 7 a.m. to midnight.

Fairfax Connector will operate on a Sunday service schedule on Christmas Day, and its customer service center will be closed. In Fairfax City, the CUE bus system will follow its regular schedules except on Dec. 25, when the service will be closed.

Like it did for Thanksgiving, the Virginia Department of Transportation is suspending most highway work zones and lane closures on major roads, starting at noon today and continuing until noon on Tuesday, Dec. 26. Rush-hour tolls for the I-66 Express Lanes inside the Capital Beltway will be lifted on Christmas Day.

Community centers

The McLean Community Center will be closed on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The Reston Community Center will close its Lake Anne facility on both days, but Hunters Woods (2310 Colts Neck Road) will open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24. The Terry L. Smith Aquatics Center will be open from 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday before closing for Christmas Day.

The Herndon Community Center is open today from 7 a.m. to noon and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. It will close on Dec. 24-25. The Bready Park Tennis Center and Herndon Centennial Golf Course will also be closed on Christmas.

The Vienna Community Center will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. It’s also observing holiday hours of 8 a.m. to noon today and 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. from Dec. 26-29.

Libraries, Parks and Recreation

Fairfax County Public Library will close all branches at noon today, followed by closures on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Libraries will open tomorrow (Saturday) according to their regular hours.

All Fairfax County Park Authority facilities are open today except for the carousel at Clemyjontri Park in McLean and Sully Historic Site in Chantilly. For Christmas Eve, park visitor centers and other amenities will be closed, but all rec centers will open from 8 a.m. to noon, except for the George Washington Rec Center in Mount Vernon, which is opening at 9 a.m.

The park authority will close all facilities for Christmas Day.

In Fairfax City, both the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center and Historic Blenheim are closed through Dec. 25.

(Updated at 12:30 p.m. with Metro information) Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, bringing with it the promise (or threat, depending on your situation) of family gatherings and days off for many public services.

The Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Herndon and Vienna governments will all observe the holiday tomorrow (Thursday) by closing their offices, but schedules are more varied for Friday (Nov. 24).

Many private businesses and indoor shopping centers will also close for Thanksgiving, though most will reopen for Black Friday, because there’s nothing like a day of unabashed consumerism to follow a day of gratitude for what we have.

Shopping Malls

Tysons Corner Center, the D.C. area’s biggest shopping mall, will close tomorrow, but shoppers can get an early start on Black Friday, when doors will open at 6 a.m. and stay open until 10 p.m. Tysons Galleria will also close for Thanksgiving and open with modified hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday.

Over at Fair Oaks Mall, a Thanksgiving closure will be followed by Black Friday hours of 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Springfield Town Center will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday.

Trash and recycling

Fairfax County trash and recycling customers won’t experience any change in services for the holiday. However, the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be closed on Thanksgiving and open the day after. Administrative offices will be closed through Friday.

“If you have private collection, please contact your hauler,” the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services says.

The Town of Vienna will have no waste collection on Thanksgiving, and on Friday, only trash and recycling will get picked up. The Town of Herndon isn’t collecting yard waste this week, and Thursday trash pickups will be collected on Friday instead.

Fairfax City will similarly conduct both Thursday and Friday curbside collections on Friday.

Transportation

On Thanksgiving, Metro will operate trains and buses on a Sunday schedule, with trains running from 7 a.m. to midnight. Regular service will resume Friday.

Fairfax Connector will provide Sunday service tomorrow and holiday weekday service on Friday. The bus service’s stores and customer service center will close for Thanksgiving, reopening for regular hours on Friday.

Fairfax City’s CUE bus system won’t operate on Thanksgiving, but reduced weekday service, with one bus per route, will be available Friday.

Starting at noon today, the Virginia Department of Transportation is pausing most highway work and lane closures on major roads until noon on Monday, Nov. 27. Drivers will also be able to use the I-66 Express Lanes inside the Capital Beltway (I-495) without any rush-hour tolls on Thanksgiving. Read More

Veterans Day is tomorrow, marking the 104th anniversary of the official end of combat in World War I.

Government offices for Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and the towns of Vienna and Herndon will be closed for the federal holiday, which extends to Fairfax County Public Schools students and the court system.

Notably, the COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Fairfax County Government Center will be closed for the day. The county has scaled back its hours of operation, starting this week.

What to do

Commemorative events have been planned throughout the area to recognize those who have served in the military, including a full weekend of activities at the National Museum of the United States Army in Fort Belvoir.

Those looking to attend a ceremony will have several local options:

• Herndon: 11 a.m. on the Town Green, sponsored by American Legion Post 184
• Fairfax City: 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Upper Ballroom of the American Legion (3939 Oak Street)
• Great Falls: 11 a.m. to noon at the Great Falls Freedom Memorial behind Great Falls Library
• George Washington’s Mount Vernon: events throughout the day with free admission for all active, former and retired military service members

For anyone hoping to get outdoors, Veterans Day is one of the National Park Service’s five annual fee-free days, when admission is free for all visitors, including at Great Falls Park.

Trash and recycling 

Fairfax County won’t have any changes to its trash and recycling collection schedule, and recycling and disposal centers at the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will remain open. Department of Public Works and Environmental Services administrative offices will be closed through the weekend.

The county advises residents served by private haulers are advised to contact those companies directly.

Trash collection in Vienna and Herndon will also happen as usual, but Fairfax City is picking up Thursday and Friday routes today. Curbside yard waste collections in the city could be delayed through Saturday (Nov. 12).

Transportation 

Metrorail will follow its standard weekday schedule, with stations operating from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Metrobus, however, will use a Saturday supplemental schedule, meaning that not every route will be operating.

“MetroAccess paratransit service will operate regular service. On the holiday, scheduled recurring ‘subscription trips’ are automatically canceled,” the Metro alert says.

Fairfax Connector will provide holiday weekday service tomorrow.

Fairfax City’s CUE bus system will have modified weekday service.

Community centers

The McLean Community Center will close tomorrow, though its Old Firehouse Center for teens will be open.

The Reston Community Center’s Hunters Woods and Lake Anne facilities will both be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Herndon will close its community center for the holiday, while Vienna’s will follow a modified schedule of 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

Libraries, Parks and Recreation

Fairfax County Public Library follows the same holiday schedule as the county government, so all branches will be closed Friday.

The Fairfax County Park Authority’s rec centers will be open, with people who currently or have served in the U.S. armed forces getting free admission for the day.

Park closures include the historic sites at Colvin Run Mill and Sully, Green Spring Gardens, all nature centers, and the visitor center at Riverbend Park. Frying Pan Farm Park’s farm and indoor arena will be open, but not the visitor center.

Editor’s Note — FFXnow is also taking a day off tomorrow for Veterans Day, but we’ll be back to our regular publishing schedule next week.

Labor Day weekend is upon us, heralding the imminent return of pumpkin spice lattes and everything fall.

Fairfax County government offices will be closed in honor of the holiday, but some facilities will remain open. 

Government

Government offices for Fairfax County, Fairfax City, and the towns of Herndon and Vienna will be closed on Monday, although some facilities may remain open.

Fairfax County Public Schools will also observe the holiday. All libraries will also be closed.

Trash and recycling 

Fairfax County advises residents to contact their trash and recycling collector directly for any service schedule changes due to the holiday.

Transportation 

Metrorail, Metrobus, and MetroAccess will operate on a Sunday schedule. Because of the holiday, customers will benefit from off-peak fares, and parking will be free all day. 

There’s also another reason to celebrate: Labor Day is the last day of closures at five Orange Line stations.

Fairfax Connector will operate on a Sunday schedule.

Courts

The county’s circuit and general district courts will be closed due to the holiday. Juvenile and domestic relations courts will also be closed.

Recreation

All recreational centers will be open for regular hours with the exception of the George Washington Rec Center, which is closed for the day.

All historic sites will be closed, alongside county-run nature centers. Frying Pan Farm Park is open, but its visitors center is closed. Green Spring Gardens will be closed to the public.

Photo via Tim Mossholder/Unsplash

While it won’t be quiet around Fairfax County on Monday with Fourth of July celebrations, many government offices and facilities will be closed.

Government offices, and some businesses, are closed for the Independence Day holiday. Public transportation schedules may be lighter and public services, like trash collection, may be changed. See our listing below to get details on what will be open and closed.

Government

Fairfax County government offices will be closed Monday (July 4) in recognition of the Fourth of July holiday, but some facilities are open and schedules vary.

The library system’s branches will be closed on Monday. Animal Control is closed, as it normally is, on Mondays.

The Circuit and District courts will be closed Monday.

The Town of Herndon offices will be closed Monday.

Park Authority

All Park Authority rec centers and golf centers and will be open Monday. Historic sites, nature centers and Green Spring Gardens will be closed. Frying Pan Farm Park Farm and indoor arena will be open while its visitor center will be closed. The River Bend Park Visitor Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

All Neighborhood and Community Service facilities will be closed Saturday (July 2) through Monday. Reston Community Center Hunter Woods will be open Monday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Lake Anne will be closed on Monday.

The McLean Community Center will be closed.

Herndon Community Center will be closed Monday. But Herndon Centennial Golf Course will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., weather permitting.

Transportation

Fairfax Connector will operate on a Saturday service schedule on Monday. Human Services Transportation (FASTRAN) will not operate on Monday.

On Monday, Metrorail will open at 7 a.m. and close at midnight but last train times vary by station. The Orange Line trains will operate between Vienna and Stadium-Armory only, according to Metro, but free express and local shuttle buses will be provided.

Trash

The county advises residents to contact their trash and recycling collector directly for service schedule changes due to the holiday.

The I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be closed Monday.

Town of Herndon recycling will be collected Tuesday (July 5) since it is normally collected Monday.

(Updated at 5:30 p.m.) Juneteenth will be celebrated across Fairfax County and the nation Sunday and Monday this year.

Last year, President Joe Biden signed into law Juneteenth, June 19, as a federal holiday. This year, the holiday will be observed on Monday (June 20).

The date has been commemorated to mark the end of slavery, recognizing that on June 19, 1865, news that the Civil War was over and the enslaved were now free reached Galveston, Texas.

It has been celebrated since but only became a federal holiday last year. See a listing below of what will be open and closed in Fairfax County on Sunday and Monday.

Government

Fairfax County government offices will be closed Monday (June 20) in recognition of the Juneteenth holiday, but some facilities are open and schedules vary. Fairfax County Public Schools will also observe the holiday Monday for all personnel.

The library system’s branches will be closed on Sunday and Monday. Animal Control will still have its regular Sunday hours, and is closed, as it normally is, on Mondays.

The Circuit and District courts will be closed Monday.

The Town of Herndon offices will be closed Monday.

Parks Authority

All Parks Authority rec centers, nature centers, historic sites, visitor centers and the Green Spring Gardens Horticultural Center will be open Sunday. The Green Spring Gardens Historic House will be closed. But on Monday, the historic sites — Colvin Run Mill and Sully Historic Site — will be closed.

All Neighborhood and Community Service facilities will be closed Saturday (June 18) through Monday. Reston Community Center Hunter Woods and Lake Anne will be open Monday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Herndon Community Center will be closed Monday. But Herndon Centennial Golf Course will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., weather permitting.

Transportation

Fairfax Connector will operate on a holiday weekday service schedule on Monday. Its stores and customer service center will be closed. Human Services Transportation (FASTRAN) will not operate on Monday.

On Monday, Metro will operate buses on a Saturday supplemental schedule, but trains will run from 5 a.m. to midnight, following a “normal” schedule aside from the ongoing closure of certain Orange Line stations due to platform work, according to a news release.

Trash

The county advises residents to contact their trash and recycling collector directly for service schedule changes due to the holiday.

The I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be open for their normal hours.

Town of Herndon recycling will be collected Tuesday (June 21) since it is normally collected Monday.

Photo via Tim Mossholder/Unsplash

Memorial Day weekend is upon us. While there will be plenty of activities to keep Fairfax County occupied, the holiday also means closures and schedule changes on Monday (May 30) for many public facilities.

Public schools

• All Fairfax County Public Schools and offices will be closed for the holiday, with classes resuming on Tuesday (May 31).

Fairfax County offices and facilities

• Fairfax County government offices, courts, and libraries will be closed.
• All Neighborhood and Community Services buildings, including the community, senior, and teen centers, will be closed Saturday (May 28) through Monday.
• The McLean Community Center will be closed on Memorial Day.
• Reston Community Center at Lake Anne will be closed, but the Hunters Woods facility will operate from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Fairfax County parks

• All county rec centers will be open as usual until 6 p.m., except for the George Washington Rec Center.
• Colvin Run Mill and the Sully Historic Site will be closed.
• The E.C. Lawrence, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond and Huntley Meadows nature centers will be open from noon to 5 p.m.
• Riverbend Park’s visitor center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Frying Pan Farm Park’s farm and indoor arena will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but the visitor center will be closed.
• Green Spring Gardens will open its horticultural center between noon and 4:30 p.m., but the historic house will be closed.

Public transit

• Fairfax Connector buses will operate on a Sunday service schedule on Monday.
• Fairfax CUE will operate according to its usual Saturday schedule.
• Metrorail will open at 7 a.m. and run until midnight, but service on the Orange Line will be affected throughout the weekend by the start of construction on platform improvements at five stations in D.C.
• Metrobus will follow a Sunday schedule.

County trash and recycling

• The Department of Public Works and Environmental Services doesn’t list any impacts to trash and recycling collections for county customers, but those who get service from a private company are advised to contact them directly.
• DPWES administrative offices will close.
• The recycling and disposal centers at the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be open.

Town of Herndon

• Town offices and the Herndon Community Center will be closed on Monday.
• Recycling typically collected on Mondays will be picked up on Tuesday instead.
• The Herndon Centennial Golf Course will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Town of Vienna

• Town offices will be closed.
• The Vienna Community Center will have more limited hours, operating from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday (May 29) and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Monday.

Presidents Day is Monday (Feb. 21), and the federal holiday — which is technically called Washington’s Birthday — will bring some noteworthy closings and schedule changes.

Banks, post offices, state offices:

• Post offices will be closed.
• Most banks will be closed. TD Bank will be open.
• State government services are generally closed, such as DMV centers.

Public schools:

• Fairfax County Public Schools will be closed for the holiday.

County libraries, recreation centers, parks:

• All Fairfax County library branches will be closed.
• All Fairfax County Rec Centers will operate at their regular hours.
• Colvin Run Mill and Sully Historic Site will be closed.
• The E.C. Lawrence, Hidden Oaks, Hidden Pond and Huntley Meadows nature centers as well as the Riverbend Park visitor center will be open from noon until 4 p.m.
• The McLean Community Center will be closed.
• Reston Community Center Hunters Woods will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but the Lake Anne facility will be closed.

Public transit:

• Fairfax Connector buses will operate on a holiday weekday service plan. Check here for operating routes.
• Fairfax CUE service will operate on a modified weekday service.
• WMATA Metrorail service will operate on a “Saturday Supplemental” schedule from 5 a.m. until midnight on Presidents Day. On the weekend leading up to the holiday, it will run from 7 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday and 5 a.m. Sunday through midnight.
• WMATA Metrobus will operate on a Saturday service schedule for the holiday.

Fairfax County government:

• County government offices will be closed.
• Courts will be closed.

County trash and recycling:

• There will be no change in the county’s trash and recycling collection, but private haulers may have different schedules.
• County Public Works and Environmental Services administrative offices will closed.
• The recycling and disposal centers at the I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will be open.

Town of Herndon recreation and services:

• The Herndon Community Center will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• The Town of Herndon will collect recycling.

Town of Vienna:

• Vienna’s town hall will be closed, but the community center will follow modified hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with special hours for its drop-in gym.
• Regular waste collection will take place.

Expect the usual array of closings this Monday (Jan. 17) to remember the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Closures will affect public facilities, including schools and post offices, as well as most in-person banking services. Most other private businesses, however, will be open.

Here’s a list of other local services and how they’ll be affected.

DMV

All DMV offices will be closed Monday.

Fairfax County

County offices and the County Circuit Court will be closed Monday.

Fairfax Connector buses will operate on holiday weekday service. A full list of routes affected is available online.

Fairfax County Public Library will be closed for the holiday, but this weekend also marks the start of a new, temporary schedule, where all branches will be closed on Sundays and Mondays through April 1.

Frying Pan Farm Park in Herndon will have special programming as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service.

Falls Church

Mary Riley Styles Public Library will be closed Monday. Most government offices and services will be closed. The community center will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The Tinner Hill Heritage Foundation will have a program in honor of King at 11 a.m. Monday at the Tinner Hill Civil Rights Monument (South Washington Street at Tinner Hill Road in Falls Church) and a march at noon.

Herndon

The town offices and Herndon Community Center will be closed Monday. Recycling normally collected on Monday will be collected on Tuesday (Jan. 18).

McLean

The McLean Community Center will be closed on Monday, but it will mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a concert tonight (Friday) and a talk on Sunday (Jan. 16), both led by musician Daryl Davis.

Metro

Metrobus will operate on a Saturday supplemental schedule and Metrorail will run regular scheduled weekday service.

Reston

The Reston Community Center Hunters Woods will host its 36th Annual Reston Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration with events on Sunday and Monday.

Both the Hunters Woods and Lake Anne locations will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday.

Vienna

The town typically lists MLK Day as a holiday. Expect town offices to be closed.

Photo via National Archives

With New Year’s Day arriving this Saturday, many Fairfax County government facilities and services will be taking tomorrow (Friday) off.

Here is a breakdown of the county’s schedule for the New Year’s holiday:

County Government Offices

• Most offices will be closed throughout the day on New Year’s Eve.

Fairfax County Public Schools

• Schools remain closed for the winter break. Classes are scheduled to resume on Monday (Jan. 3).
• The Gatehouse Administrative Center is hosting a drive-through diagnostic testing site from noon to 4 p.m. today (Thursday) and tomorrow. Students should be registered online in advance.

Fairfax County Public Library

• All branches will be closed on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

Courts

• The Fairfax County Circuit Court and General District Court will observe the New Year’s holiday by closing both today (Thursday) and tomorrow.
• The Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court is open today, but it will be closed for New Year’s Eve.

County Parks and Recreation Centers

• All parks and RECenters will be closed on New Year’s Day.
• On New Year’s Eve, all RECenters will be open from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m. except for the George Washington Rec Center in Alexandria, which will be closed. The Sully Historic Site will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., but otherwise, local park facilities will be closed.

Community and Senior Centers

• All Neighborhood and Community Services facilities will be closed from Friday through Sunday (Jan. 2).
• The Cathy Hudgins Community Center at Southgate has modified hours today, closing at 5 p.m. instead of 8 p.m.
• The Pimmit Hills Senior Center is already closed until Jan. 3, and as of Tuesday (Dec. 28), the South County senior and teen centers have been closed until further notice “due to COVID-19 conditions,” according to the website.
• The McLean and Reston community centers are both closed for New Year’s Eve and Day.

Trash and Recycling

• Fairfax County’s trash and recycling collection schedule will not be affected on New Year’s Eve, though residents who use private haulers should contact those companies directly.
• The Department of Public Works and Environmental Services will close its administrative office starting tomorrow, reopening at 7:30 a.m. on Monday.
• The I-66 Transfer Station and I-95 Landfill Complex will close at 2 p.m. tomorrow and remain closed through New Year’s Day.

Transportation

• Fairfax Connector will follow a Saturday service schedule tomorrow and Saturday. See the website for details about what routes will be available.
• FASTRAN shuttles will not operate on New Year’s Eve or Day.
• For New Year’s Eve, Metrorail will start service two hours later than a standard weekday, operating from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. On New Year’s Day, trains will run from 7 a.m. to midnight.
• Metrobus will use a Sunday schedule for New Year’s Eve before following its typical Saturday schedule on New Year’s Day.

Photo via Moritz Knöringer/Unsplash