Local and state transportation planners hope to provide some additional protection to users of the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Trail with a new safety initiative.
If approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation, the initiative will add high-visibility stop signs at nine trail intersections in Fairfax County, according to NOVA Parks, which owns the 45-mile-long regional park and is supporting the proposal.
The most popular month for weddings is here, and Fairfax County offers a variety of settings for couples looking to tie the knot, from elegant ballrooms to scenic vistas and historic sites.
Here are the nominees for “Best Wedding Venue in Fairfax County” as part of our FFXnow Readers’ Choice Awards. Did we miss your favorite location below? Write them in!
Voting will close in two weeks. Be sure to cast your vote before 8:30 a.m. Friday, June 26.
Voting for Best Mortgage Lender in Fairfax County is still taking place. Be sure to cast your vote before voting closes next Friday, June 19 at 8:30 a.m.
Two weeks ago, we voted on the Best Summer Activities in Fairfax County. The results are now official:
It’s going to be another hot, humid day in Fairfax County, which will be under Heat Advisory from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today (Friday).
As it did yesterday, Fairfax County Public Schools has canceled all outdoor activities on school grounds during the time covered by the advisory, including recess, extracurricular activities and recreational programs by community groups.
IKEA will open its new Chantilly store at the site of the former Dulles Expo Center on June 18, the company announced yesterday.
The 107,000 square-foot space at 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center Drive is the Swedish furniture company’s first full-sized store in Fairfax County and its third in Virginia.
Dominion Leaders Grilled on Merger — “Lawmakers gathered in Richmond this week to grill Dominion leadership on the $67 billion all-stock deal which could see management of half of Virginia’s energy move outside the commonwealth.” Legislators on Virginia’s Energy Commission who questioned the acquisition by NextEra included Fairfax Del. Rip Sullivan and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell. [WVTF]
Kennedy Center Board to Challenge Ruling on Name — “President Donald Trump’s handpicked board at the Kennedy Center is mounting a last-minute effort to keep his name on the facade of the iconic performing arts facility before a court-ordered deadline to remove it by Friday.” The board voted yesterday (Thursday) to seek a stay of the May 29 ruling that found Trump’s name was added illegally. [Associated Press]
Criminal Record Sealing Law to Take Effect — “A Virginia law going into effect on July 1 will seal the criminal records of many people convicted of low-level offenses … Advocates say the change will open up housing and employment opportunities, helping people to move on with their lives years after committing an offense. Critics have raised public safety concerns.” [ARLnow]
Tex-Mex Restaurant Opens Near GMU — Doña Mesa Tex Mex Kitchen opened yesterday (Thursday) at 106 Braddock Road, Suite C, in University Mall, joining other recent additions like the rebranded Velocity Bar and Kitchen and Another Broken Egg Cafe. The menu features “the quesadillas, fajitas and tacos Tex-Mex fans will expect, as well as specialties like slow-cooked Mexican ribs, stuffed shrimp, marinated grilled chicken, ribeye steak and more.” [Patch]
Sports Complex Expansion Approved — “The Board of Supervisors on June 9 approved a zoning special exception to allow a major expansion of the private school for elite student athletes at the St. James sports complex in Springfield … The expansion will allow the [St. James Performance Academy] to enroll 660 students and add 110 employees.” [Annandale Today]
Resources for the World Cup — “The 2026 FIFA World Cup is underway until July 19 — the global sporting event that captures passion and play … There are many watch parties for many teams across the county. If you want to cheer on the U.S. Men’s National Team, then Tysons is one spot to consider for matches on June 12, June 19 and June 25.” [Fairfax County Government]
Taste of Springfield Returns — “Join us for the 8th annual Taste of Springfield Festival on Saturday, June 13th from 11 AM-5 PM in the parking lot near Dick’s Sporting Goods … This family-friendly event allows you to stroll through the dozens of fun exhibitors outdoors while sampling some of the delicious offerings of local restaurants and chefs.” [Springfield Town Center]
RTC North Town Hall Next Week — “Fairfax County Supervisor Walter Alcorn will host a community town hall next week on the Reston Town Center North rezoning proposal before it advances to the Planning Commission in July. The meeting will take place on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at the North County Governmental Center.” [Hunter Mill District Office]
New Legal Notice — Establishment seeks restaurant ABC license; objections due within 30 days. [Public Notices]
It’s Friday — There’s an 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5 pm, with some severe storms possible. The high will be near 95, and the heat index could reach 103. In the evening, storms will continue until about 8 pm, with lows around 67. [NWS]
With the last day of school coming up fast, Fairfax County Public Library hopes to see more kids cracking open books over summer break, instead of putting them away.
The county library system will kick off its annual summer reading program this Saturday, June 13 with the return of its Children’s Summer Reading Festival, a free event organized by the nonprofit Fairfax Library Foundation.
Isabel Theodore is heading to Cape Canaveral.
The fifth-grader at Floris Elementary School in Herndon was among 250 students nationwide awarded earlier this month by the America’s Field Trip contest, which invited students from third to 12th grade to submit writing and artwork on what America means to them in commemoration of the country’s 250th birthday.
With just over three months to go, a crew of 600 workers is shifting into round-the-clock mode to ensure Dulles International Airport’s $700 million Concourse E is ready on time.
“These guys are working hard to get this done,” Airport Manager Richard Golinowski said during a Wednesday (June 10) media event spotlighting progress on the 14-gate facility to be used by United Airlines.
Fairfax County’s drinking water utility is joining several D.C.-area organizations in a regional study to evaluate backup water supply alternatives to the Potomac River.
Fairfax Water is joining Maryland’s WSSC Water and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a $25 million “Secure the Source” study to explore potential large-scale alternatives that could provide several weeks of emergency backup water supply for over 5 million residents in the D.C. region currently served by the Potomac.
Hate Incidents at Thoreau Middle School — “A Northern Virginia father said he’s sad and angry after two classmates at Thoreau Middle School in Vienna allegedly targeted his daughter with drawings of swastikas. He said he decided to come forward after seeing a News4 story last week about another student at that school who said he was called the N-word multiple times and had water dumped on his head.” [NBC4]
No ICE Reforms in Federal Funding Bill – “The Republican-controlled House on Tuesday narrowly passed a roughly $70 billion immigration enforcement funding bill” that will extend through the end of President Donald Trump’s term. Fairfax County’s “Rep. James Walkinshaw … told Morning Edition that Democrats unsuccessfully pushed for changes such as limits on face coverings, body camera requirements and clearer use-of-force standards.” [NPR]
Metrobus Detours for UFC Event — Starting at 10 p.m. tonight “through Monday at 6am, road closures in support of the Freedom250 UFC event will cause bus detours” on several Metrobus routes, including the F19 Mount Vernon Estate Express from southeastern Fairfax into D.C. The bout is scheduled to take place on the White House lawn this Sunday (June 14). [WMATA/Bluesky]
Va. Residents Seek to Halt UFC Fight — “The Justice Department on Tuesday urged a federal judge to reject a lawsuit seeking to stop the White House’s Ultimate Fighting Championship event scheduled for this weekend.” The lawsuit was filed this past weekend by the Public Integrity Project, which is representing “a political activist and Vietnam veteran” from Virginia. [ABC News]
More Damage Found to Potomac Pipe — “DC Water is once again working to repair a damaged section of the Potomac Interceptor. The utility says crews discovered corrosion and broken supports in another area of the pipe in Potomac, Maryland, on Tuesday.” The issue was found in different section from the one that collapsed in January, “triggering a massive sewage spill into the Potomac River.” [WUSA9]
Interactive Art Installed in Annandale — “The ‘Conversation Bench,’ installed by Community Art for Everyone (CAFE) on June 8, is part of the Art in Daily Spaces project.” Located in the Eileen Garnett Civic Space at 7200 Columbia Pike, “it consists of two attached pink-and-blue chairs facing in opposite directions with a glass screen between them.” [Annandale Today]
Fairfax City Redevelopment Proposed — “A proposal to replace four office buildings on Chain Bridge Road with a mixed-use development of apartments, office space, retail and structured parking moved through another review step Monday during a Fairfax City Planning Commission work session.” [Patch]
Public Health Center Closing Tomorrow — “Services offered at the Fairfax County Health Department’s West Springfield Public Health Center (located in the Cary Building at 8136 Old Keene Mill Road in Springfield) are being transitioned to the Franconia-Springfield Public Health Center. The last day for client services at West Springfield is June 12, 2026.” [Fairfax County Health Department]
Students Succeed in Problem-Solving Competition — Seven fourth-grade students from Forestville Elementary School in Great Falls are celebrating after finishing in third place at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals. Held at Iowa State University from May 27-30, the competition challenged 54 teams from eight different countries “to solve technical problems in creative ways.” [FCPS]
It’s Thursday — Expect mostly sunny weather with a high of 96°F and heat index values reaching 104°F. There’s a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3 pm. Night will be mostly cloudy, with a low of 73°F and a 30% chance of showers and thunderstorms. [NWS]
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