Audiences groove to the Chuck Brown Band at Grist Mill Park in 2024 (courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority)
Temperatures are warming, school is nearly out for the year, and a full slate of free, outdoor summer entertainment is coming to Fairfax County parks.
The Fairfax County Park Authority will kick off its annual Summer Entertainment Series tonight (Friday), with Grist Mill Park in Mount Vernon hosting the swing and jazz group Seth Kibel & The Kleztet at 7:30 p.m.
A Fairfax County Police Department vehicle outside Target in the Mosaic District at night (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
As the calendar flips to the summer months, the Fairfax County Police Department plans to take a modified approach to addressing the latest crime trends.
The department announced plans yesterday (Wednesday) for a summer crime initiative that will take “deliberate steps” to ensure safety — including increased officer presence to curb potential offenders.
Kids run around at a Family Fun Entertainment Series concert in summer 2024 (image by Lesnick Photo/Reston Community Center)
A Taylor Swift tribute band is coming back to Reston Station this summer as part of an extensive array of free seasonal concerts organized throughout the area by Reston Community Center (RCC).
The community center kicked off its annual summer concert and entertainment series over Memorial Day weekend with a jazzy happy hour at Reston Town Square Park (11900 Market Street) on May 23, courtesy of the Tania & Jeff Grubbs Quartet.
A kid flips at Lake Newport Pool in Reston (courtesy Reston Association)
Reston Association is bringing back its annual poolside movie screenings starting late next month.
Started over 20 years ago, the Family Dive-In Movies have become reliably popular community events, where guests can see movies while going for a swim at a local pool.
A Starlight Cinema screening at the Sully Historic Site in Chantilly (courtesy Fairfax County Park Authority)
The dog days of August will bring free movie screenings to the Sully Historic Site (3650 Historic Sully Way) in Chantilly.
The outdoor Starlight Cinema events are a part of the “Summer Entertainment Series” organized annually by the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA). The authority is also hosting Arts in the Parks, Evenings on the Ellipse, Franconia District Nights and other programs at various parks around the county.
Reston Association is marking the 50th anniversary of Reston Camps with a reunion event for former camp staff.
The reunion, which also serves as a fundraiser for the Friends of Reston’s “Send a Kid to Camp” program, will allow former counselors to reconnect, share memories, and reflect on how their experiences with Reston Camps have influenced their careers, according to a press release.
Families browse books during the 2023 Children's Summer Reading Festival at Chantilly Regional Library (courtesy Xande Anderer/Fairfax Library Foundation)
Classes are out, and summer reading is in for Fairfax County students.
Fairfax County Public Library (FCPL) officially kicked off its annual Summer Reading Program on Wednesday (June 12), encouraging youngsters and adults alike to dig into books and tackle various literary activities to earn prizes.
Typically held at McLean Central Park, the annual free concert series has moved south to the park at 1659 Chain Bridge Road this year to accommodate ongoing construction at its usual location, according to the McLean Community Center, which operates The Alden.
The entrance to the McLean Metro station in Tysons (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)
Thursday afternoon commutes to and from Tysons are about to get more melodious for transit users.
Throughout the summer, musicians will serenade riders at one of the area’s four Metro stations every week for a free “Metro Musicians” concert series organized by the Tysons Community Alliance (TCA) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
The concerts will be held every Thursday at 5-6:30 p.m., starting tonight with acoustic soul duo Zach Cutler and Deborah Bond at the McLean Metro station. The series will continue through Aug. 29.
According to the TCA, the series is part of WMATA’s Art in Transit program, where the transit agency collaborates with visual and performing artists around the D.C. region to bring their work to Metro facilities.
The program has introduced murals, sculptures, digital displays and poetry at various Metro stations and buildings. It also ran a contest where students submitted designs for Earth Day-themed bus wraps.
The full Metro Musicians schedule is below:
June 6: Zach Cutler & Deborah Bond (McLean Metro station)
June 13: Dupont Strings (Tysons Metro station)
June 20: Dance Flamenco D.C. (Greensboro Metro station)