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.


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

Reston Association is reviewing the state of its many recreational facilities, and so far, it’s encouraged by the results.

An initial conditions assessment completed in May found that the five oldest swimming pools all need varying levels of maintenance or repair work, but none of them have deteriorated to the point where they need to be fully replaced.


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.


News

An aquatics director for the Fairfax County Park Authority was arrested last week after police say he had sexual contact with a juvenile recreation center employee.

Officers were called to the Audrey Moore Rec Center (8100 Braddock Road) at Wakefield Park in Annandale at 10:49 a.m. on June 8 for a report of a sexual offense, the Fairfax County Police Department said in a press release.


News

Artists at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton will soon unveil the entirety of their latest masterpiece: an 18-hole mini-golf course that doubles as an art history lesson.

Masterpiece Mini-Golf opened its first nine holes to the public on May 10, with the back half slated to be finished in time for a grand opening ceremony at 4 p.m. this Friday, June 13.


News

The Fairfax County Park Authority did the work, and with a complete overhaul, the Mount Vernon Rec Center is ready to debut its new look.

After closing at the end of 2022 for facility renovations, the rec center at 2017 Belle View Blvd is scheduled to reopen at 7 a.m. on Monday, June 9.


News

When Vienna Town Manager Mercury Payton shares his proposed new budget in early March, it won’t include any meals tax increase.

The Vienna Town Council agreed on Monday (Jan. 27) to defer voting on a proposal to temporarily raise the tax on meals sold at restaurants from 3% to 4% in order to fund an aquatics and fitness center at the Annex, a 3-acre site at 301 Center Street South that was previously occupied by the Faith Baptist Church.


News

After years of anticipation, the Mount Vernon RECenter is skating closer to its grand reopening.

The Fairfax County Park Authority plans to host an information session next Thursday, Jan. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Belle View Elementary School cafeteria (6701 Fort Hunt Road) to preview the revamped facility.


Countywide

Cost, distance and limited awareness are keeping many Fairfax County residents from taking advantage of county parks and recreation programs, a recent survey by the Fairfax County Park Authority found.

In response, the park authority is drafting a strategy to bridge the gaps and improve accessibility for underserved communities, focusing on both immediate and long-term solutions.


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