News

Commitments to maintaining existing facilities and expanding the town’s pedestrian network are just two of the items on the Vienna Parks and Recreation Department’s to-do list for the next decade.

Formally approved by the Vienna Town Council on July 7 with only Councilmember Roy Baldwin opposed, the town’s first-ever parks and recreation master plan — dubbed “Our Plan to Play” — lays out a vision that will help guide future programming and funding decisions, identifying existing gaps and potential improvements.


News

A new set of signs will celebrate famed local land surveyor George Washington and one of his most notable accomplishments: the creation of the Patowmack Canal.

The new signs will be unveiled at a ceremony on Saturday, July 5 at Seneca Regional Park (201 Seneca Road) in Great Falls.


News

It has been a couple of weeks now since a black bear ventured into Herndon, but the town is still riding the high of that rare visitation.

The bear has inspired a new promotional campaign from the Herndon Parks and Recreation Department, which announced Monday (June 23) that it has “hired” Elden the Bear to serve as its ambassador.


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.


Countywide

A golfing renaissance and introduction of next-generation playgrounds were among the 2024 success stories for the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA).

“We’re in the business of fun,” FCPA Executive Director Jai Cole said on May 20 at a joint meeting between the park authority board and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.


News

Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is applying for an expansion to The Barns, an enclosed theater that supplements its main performing arts center.

Housed in two restored 18th-century barns, the venue at 1635 Trap Road hosts concerts and performances mainly from October through May — when the Filene Center is typically closed. It also has space for patrons to enjoy food and drinks during the summer season.


News

The Fairfax County Park Authority is inviting public comment on a plan to build three new pickleball courts at Greenbriar Park (4600 Stringfellow Road) near Fair Lakes.

The proposal aims to “address the growing demand for pickleball facilities” after the sport’s meteoric rise in recent years. The hope is also to cut down on community concerns about “shared court usage” at nearby parks.


News

NOVA Parks and the Town of Vienna are partnering for an initiative that could transform a pair of offices into a visitor center for the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.

Fresh off its 50th anniversary last year, the 45-mile trail runs from Shirlington out to Purcellville, with Vienna as its “geographic center,” NOVA Parks Executive Director Paul Gilbert said when announcing the project during an Arbor Day event at the Vienna Town Green last Friday (April 25).


News

Some major upgrades could be coming to Dunn Loring Park’s athletic fields.

The Fairfax County Park Authority announced last week that it’s exploring plans to resurface and expand the existing basketball court at 2540 Gallows Road, possibly turning it into a dual-purpose basketball/futsal court.


News

The Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) plans to throw a party next month celebrating the latest addition to its system.

After more than a year of construction, the trails, play area and fitness zone at Idylwood’s new Ruckstuhl Park are now open to community members.


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